Lohikäärme: The Dragon's Descent (Revised)

Chapter XVIII - Chaos

Chapter XVIII - Chaos

"The sky is blue, but it changes color, too, depending on the weather. Sometimes, it's orange. Sometimes, it's yellow. Sometimes, it's red. But it's usually blue."

The sky magically turned blue in my eyes. Its colors weren't moving wildly anymore, making it feel even better to look at the sky. I sighed in pleasure, letting his scent fill my nostrils. He had been doing this for quite a long time already, pointing at things and saying what color it was. Some things looked better now, but I knew it would take a long time before Dante finished painting my world. He reached for my hand and wrapped his warm hand around mine, then I leaned on his shoulder. He stopped talking, probably enjoying the moment just like me. I looked at his face. I would never get tired of just sitting and staring at him.

"Thank you."

He smiled, glanced at me, then continued what he was doing. "Trees are green," he said. The trees around us turned green. "Plants are usually green...when they're healthy."

"Even hedges?"

My question seemed to make him feel uneasy. He looked at me, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to search for the right words to say. He sighed.

He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. "Hedges remind me of..." Of what had happened? I wanted to ask. "I'm sorry, but I—"

"It's okay," I assured. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"There's no need to be sorry, Safi," he replied, caressing my face. "I love you. I love you with every piece of me."

I didn't like how he said those words. I loved his voice. I loved what he said, but not how he said it. It sounded like he was going away, like he was trying to make me feel better before he left. But I didn't want him to go away. "Don't go," I begged, looking into his blue eyes. "I love you so much. I'll die the moment you leave me." The last words in my sentence just crawled out of my mouth. I didn't have enough strength to say them clearly.

He let out a chuckle, making me turn red, then he cupped my face."I told you, Safi, I won't leave you. We'll still be together in your visions."

"No!" I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. "I won't let you! Please, stay." I felt him stroking my back again, murmuring "'I love you" over and over. "I love you, Dante! I told you I can't live without you!"

He put his hand over my hair and leaned in, inhaling my scent. "Look at me, Safi." No. He would just tell me that we'd be together in my visions, that everything'd be okay, but it wouldn't! It never will be if he leaves me. "Look at me."

I shook my head. "No. It won't be okay! If you leave me, it will never be okay."

Dante placed his finger under my chin and gently tilted my head, making me look at him. "Safi, I want you to live on. Be happy. Never, never keep yourself from being happy."

I shook my head again. "I'm not..." I tried to wipe my tears away, but they kept on pouring down my face. I buried my face in my hands, sobbing. "Why do you keep on asking me to do something I can't?"

"You can do that, Safi," he said. "I believe in you."

"I can't!" I shouted, my eyes still closed. I wrapped my arms around him, but they embraced nothing. I opened my eyes and froze. He was gone. He was no longer here.

Where was he? Why did...? Why did he leave me?

"Dante, I...Where are you?" I asked. I touched the stone seat he sat on. "Where are you, Dante? Please...Please, come back." I felt like life was being drained out of me, an empty shell, and all I could do was wail.