The Corruption

Chapter 12

Hananoai temple, Amare Island

The moon was now high in the sky, the sun had set not too long ago and the small group of three had returned to the temple. Despite Hana efforts to explain that she was fine, neither of the angels believed it and insisted that she went to her bedroom to rest while they kept watch, so the goddess only smiled in defeat and went to her chamber after they treated her wounds. She laid on the bed with her eyes wide open staring at the white ceiling above her. Thinking back to everything that had happened, her mind was filled with questions, the fear she hid deep inside her came forward, breaking her courageous mask as a chill ran through her spine. She turned to her side, hugging her chest as her hands clenched her shoulders, nails piercing her skin enough for small drops of blood to fall onto the white cloth around her body. The wide bed felt somehow colder than the floor of the cave as her breath hitched, her chest rising and falling at a quick pace when abruptly a warm breeze enveloped her body, as in a warm embrace, she opened her eyes in surprise, glancing around the room only to find herself still alone in her room... Despite it, her respiration calmed down, and her hands softened around her shoulders, she laid her head down again staring at the dark sky through her window before closing her eyes, drifting to sleep still in the warm embrace.

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It was nice for Hana. To be safe guarded in the realm of her dreams. A place nowhere could judge her, a place where there were no expectations to uphold, a place where she could be just herself... Not Hananoai, the goddess of love as beautiful as a picture, but just Hana, the little girl who dreamed of being a knight... And so, when she opened her eyes and saw the familiar greenery and lake she saw so many times in her dreams, she smiled softly, breathing in the fresh air of being free as she sat down next to the lake, letting her feet submerge in the water. However, she flinched as she felt a presence next to her, glancing to her side in shock to find a familiar face of the same young man who tried to kill her before sitting calmly besides her, with his legs crossed and his head tilted upwards staring at the sky. "Y-You..." Her voice broke in confusion, as she quickly moved away, yet he didn't make a movement, didn't even stare at her. "We are in your dream, I'm do not have the power to hurt you here, I just" He finally moved his gaze, lowering his head enough so he could face her. "...I figured you had questions." Hana calmed down, it because indeed she seemed to still have control over her dream... "How are you here? Didn't you..." Her words trailed off once more, fidgeting with her fingers as she examined his expression. "Die? Yes, but not exactly." He gave her a short and dry chuckle as he moved his eyes to the water. "Remember the story I told you before? My story, I mean." His voice sounded calm, and so did his eyes, yet she felt her anxiety rise at the question. "I do... yes." He hummed in response, still observing the water. "I didn't lie to you. It was all true. But I did hold the final act from you." Unconsciently, he moved his hand to touch the scar on his chest. "I was not miraculously saved. I died there. Next to their bodies. But you already knew that, didn't you?" She looked away as he stared at her, still with the same emotionless but warm look in his eyes. "The wound did look to deep for you to be alive to survive it but... But then how did we meet? You were definitely alive. And how come they didn't find your body?..." He hummed in response. "I can't tell you the full answer because I don't know it myself. All I know is that there was a man in a hood, who told me he would give me a new chance at life if I fulfilled his quest. In a sense, during the full time I meet you I was never alive perse, more like I was borrowing live force to keep myself existing." Silence fell upon the both of them until the goddess decided to break it. "Was that quest... to kill me?" For the first time, Misha showed a reaction, his body flitching at her question, yet his eyes still found themselves locked to the water. "Not exactly. The quest was to abduct you for enough time for someone else to complete their part of the plan. However, he told me the only way for me to be granted a second chance was to kill you, since he would need to use your vital mana to fill mine so I could live." He explained calm, hand still tracing his scar. Upon this time of the conversation, Hana had already sat straight again and relaxed slightly. "Then why... Why didn't you kill me sooner? You had such opportunities." He stood silent for a few seconds before closing his eyes again. "I wonder the same thing." He then opened them again, locking gazes with her. "I am not sorry Hana." He smiled softly, with such an unexplainable emotion that not even her could understand. "If I was given the chance again, I would do it again. I would kill anyone for a chance to live, for the chance I was never given. I really wanted to live. I wanted to explore the world. To have a chance to make friends. A chance to be alive instead of just breathing in the dark room I was locked for my whole sad excuse for a life." He gave another dry chuckle before looking back at her again. "If I could choose, however... I would like that the person I had to kill would not be you. Perhaps then I would have not wasted my chance." He looked away, staring back at the sky with the same strange smile on his face, he looked so at peace in his pain that she could not utter a single word. Before she had though that maybe they could somehow understand each other, but know she knew that it would be impossible... Because she was alive, she could live, he was never allowed to do so... He was forced to find peace in the chaotic destine he had in front of him, holding onto the thin ropes of hope to keep himself from falling into the abyss, and even now he would only disappear without a trace left... "Why are you crying my lady.." She felt his hand touch her cheek, only now realizing that tears fell down her eyes, his face remained calm, yet his smile felt warmer. "I deceived and tried to kill you, yet you still weep for me?" She stared at his eyes. "I do not understand it either, but emotions are meant to be felt, not understood..." She answered with a smile of hers, he smiled back, cleaning the tears from her face before retreating his hand. "I do not have much time, it took me every bit of my power to be able to enter your dream with the conscience I had left." She could see it to, she could see the way the tips of his fingers became more transparent as time went on. "My lady, allow me to just tell you something." His eyes looked deep into hers as she nodded, listening to his words. "Why do you live as a painting? Why hold yourself up to the expectations of others? Why bound your wings if you are free to fly? You are alive so live." With each word his body became more and more transparent, his expression seemed peaceful yet is hand fidget nervously with itself. He sighed to himself, staring at the sky once more. "You are never prepared to go, are you..." He opened his eyes, gazing at her once more with a soft smile. "Thank you for accompanying me in my short experience at being alive. Goodbye Hana." And with that he vanished into nothingness leaving her alone for the short while she remained asleep...

Hananoai temple, Amare Island

Hana opened her eyes, the warm embrace was no more, and the cold chill of the night was all she could feel. Despite it, she did not feel cold nor uncomfortable. Slowly she got up and walked towards her balcony, leaning against the railings as she stared at the still dark sky in silence with an unreadable look in her eyes. Hearing familiar small voices near her she glanced around with curiosity, to find Arthur and Lux sitting near her balcony, sharing small talk while they kept watch as they said they would, hearing the small laughter that left their lips she only smiled. Not wanting to interrupt their time she turned around but before she could a blur of white catch her eye, she followed it to find a white dove flying off into the night with no hesitation... She followed it until she could no longer see it, and even there she spent some second staring at the direction it disappeared to. She smiled softly, right hand slowly raising to touch the bandaged around her neck. She turned around fully and laid back down her bed. There was no warm breeze this time, but the cold was not as suffocating as it once was. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, yet this time there was no dream refuge, there was no perfect world without judgement, there was nothing. But it didn't bother her. She didn't need it anymore, Misha was right. She was alive all this time, she just had to allow herself to live.