The World of The Winged

Lucien

Chapter 17:

"Why- where-" I didn't know what to say and I ran my hand through my hair. He seemed to pick up on it and started explaining. He looked down the entire time and was fidgeting with his fingers.

"I didn't run away from my parents, I didn't have a horrible childhood with them either. I was laying awake in bed that night and I couldn't fall asleep. It felt like something was calling me, I didn't know what, all I knew is that I had to go to the woods close to our house."

"So I got out of bed, and out on some shoes and just went there. But I had no idea of what was coming. There was this beam of moonlight falling through the trees. It was illuminating the place so beautifully, it landed on a single white arum but it was glowing blue for some reason."

"I walked over to it and stepped into the moonlight and touched the arum. Suddenly the whole scenery changed and I was in Undercave. All these people were surrounding me and I didn't know any of them."

"I was trained from then on to be a spy and a killer. I don't kill for fun though, I hate it." He clenched his jaw and balled his fists as he said that. I could only imagine what kind of memories he was remembering by now.

"But... You used to have wings..." I said and looked him in the eyes, I could see only sadness and regret in them.

"I lost them. I had to... kill someone... but they were smarter and stronger than I anticipated them to be. They threw me off a balcony and I didn't have enough time to turn around and fly back up. I landed on them and they became paralized. My... benefactors decided to remove them." I could hear anger in his voice when he said this.

I put my hand on his and it relaxes as he looks at me while his eyes slowly widen. "I've- uhm... I left that organisation and decided to go back to where I belong. To our world. I had found a way and so I went home." He pauses for a second and looks like he was thinking about what he's going to say next.

"Nobody was there. Except you. I saw you from a distance and I heard about the legend. About the prophecy. I didn't think it was you when I first heard of it. But when I saw you again, I wasn't so sure anymore. So I started following you around, in secret of course, and I was watching when you and your friends went swimming and I saw the whirlpool, but I couldn't do a thing about it. I couldn't protect you." He looks angry with himself and disappointed.

"Lucien." I say his name and he clenches his jaw, squeezing his eyes shut. "Lucien, look at me." I demand and he opens his eyes and carefully glances my way. When he sees that I don't look sad or disappointed or mad, he lifts his head up slightly and looks me in the eyes.

"Lucien, it's not your duty to protect me. It all worked out okay, and I was supposed to get stuck in that whirlpool. I can take care of myself. You would know this if you've been following me around this whole time." I laugh softly and he joins in after a couple of seconds.

We quiet down again and I put my hand on his cheek. "I missed you." I say and pull him into a hug. It takes him a moment before he wraps his arms around me as well. "I missed you too."

We sit like this for while until we hear running and yelling. Sam barks and the group appear in the way outside. We break apart and Lucien moves his hand upward while twisting his fingers and I can see the barrier gleaming for just a second. "It's turned inside out now. There's no way they could get through."