The Bride of the Sun (*DISCONTINUED*)

Chapter 9: Stay Alive

"I'm here, that's all you need to know. I promise I will keep you safe."

Ingrid could hear the voice of her angel, the blonde, shining man, who was now looking into her eyes. On the verge of her death, deep thoughts started blasting out from the deepest core. She saw Apollo, her very favourite Greek god, was holding her in her arms, looking at her with his intelligent eyes. She whispered, "Apollo... if you are really here, please heal me with your powers."

~~*~~

"Ingrid please... stay alive..." Julien, who was actually holding her, felt his nerves tensed as he heard her words.

"Please heal me... I have no fear." She looked into his eyes, begging for his help. The girl was totally helpless.

What should he do? Is Ingrid is talking to him? She IS.

Nevertheless, why she is talking to Apollo?

Needless to say, her time was running out as blood dripped from her wound. The arrow has penetrated her body rather deeply. What should Julien do? Her time was running out, their time was running out; should he do it or give this job to the doctors?

Well, he IS Apollo; of course, he could heal almost everything.

"My lady, I am here for you." The blonde man looked at the girl then commanded, "in the name of the god of music, sing for me."

She nodded and started to sing, "un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf (1)."

"Good, I want to hear your voice." He put a hand on her wound and chanted some ancient sentences as he closed his eyes.

"Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf." Ingrid continued singing songs from her favourite musicals, as his powers started flowing out from his hand.

Magically, the gold arrow came out from her body by itself. He put the arrow aside, then put his handkerchief on her wound, trying to oppress the blood flow, which was now fluxing from her body due to the wound. 

"Ingrid... please stay alive..." he mumbled as he pressed her wound with the handkerchief, attempting to stop the bleeding. Gradually, the white cloth changed its colour to maroon. Her breaths turned more heavily as time gone by; seemed his effort was not effective.

"My lord... please stop if you feel tired on healing me..." she breathed hard, then uttered, "I've... been living for too long..."

"Ingrid, please, you are not!" He muttered, "dear God in heaven, please show her your mercy..."

"Apollo, please..." Ingrid smiled and looked at him, whispered, "there is no need for me to live any longer."

"Ingrid, please! I love you! Please don't leave me..." he said, "my love, save your strength and stay alive..."

"My lord..." she looked at him in confusion, feeling helpless.

He closed his eyes, as he concentrated his power in his hands. His heart pounded fast as time went by, with tears flowing out from his eyes. Inside he was praying, praying for her; he could not take another heartbreak, having seen too much of his lovers dying in his hands. However, as he thought of her words again, his heart started perplexing. What was the meaning of this? There is... no need for her to live? Weird enough. If she thinks she should not live any longer, then why did she ask him for help? This blonde man only wanted to be in her mind at the moment, to sneak into her strangest, deepest thoughts.

'Never mind. I only want Ingrid to be alive.' He uttered spells and prayers as he was dealing with her wound with his medical skills. She was helpless and desperate for him, in dire need of his healing, his warmth, which could recover almost everything wounded on Earth.

Yet, her situation was seemed going for pessimistic than optimistic. The wound was fatal, hitting at the place where the most important organs of the body situated. Despair could be felt from their eyes, albeit the best effort by the god of healing.

"Please... Apollo..." Ingrid breathed out words as her time was running out. "Stop healing me if you feel not alright... this was just... my most presumptuous wish for such... petty... being..."

"No! Ingrid, please! I want you to be alive." He beamed, "my love, I need you alive!"

Her eyes looked at him, with tears of dread and despair, pleading for his company. Yet, the scenario was completely hopeless. Catching her last breaths, she mouthed her words before her time was running out.

"Apollo... please hold me tight when I am sleeping..."

~~*~~

Death never discriminates; once a life was declared, it's through.

Eros covered his mouth as he looked at the couple. Apparently, the blonde man was crying with desperation, as the girl closed her eyes, putting herself into her eternal sleep. No one else was in the room where it happens, just the gods and this poor mortal.

Leaving the place slightly, he could see Apollo hugging the girl's lifeless body, sobbing into her scarlet dress, which was stained by the maroon. The arrow which made the slaughter was aside, with the blood of the guiltless at the tip of the gold. He could see Hermes standing by his side, ready to take her shade to the underworld.

Eros walked outside the building silently, looking around. Ravens circled around and crowed as they did their job which Apollo assigned in a million years ago. The mumbles and whispers in the streets were wails to him. He could even hear his brother flowing around, telling him "you'd better hide". Wandering around, the scene when Apollo was holding her tight was still in his mind, miserable and haunting.

The innocent girl was on the other side now, calmly leaving the mortal realm, leaving the chaotic world of conflicts and suspicions. She was being in peace, resting well.

~~*~~

The wheel of time wheels in eternity as everything goes in its right way. As for mortals, everyone has their time as they were granted since birth; everyone will come and leave at their most accurate time; everything comes and goes as they have time. Yet, what is time? Is this a period which things have to be things? Is this a thing which comes from a certain man's hands? Is this only a part of a vast number?

Well, the only thing that has been confirmed is the girl had only used a small portion of her time.

~~*~~

Notes :
(1) : "Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf" = "one two three four five six seven eight nine" in French (this is a line from "Hamilton")

*This chapter has been edited.