The Demon Lord & The Hero(ine)

Chapter XXII - The Dreamworld Within

As dawn arrives, Griffith wakes from his slumber. He quietly goes through his morning routine and exits the dorms without trying to disturb the rather serene feel of the place.

He walks down the paths around the school, taking in the peaceful atmosphere. In the flowerbeds, sun-dyed gladiolus and chamomile flowers bloom.

Though as beautiful as the scene of technology-infused Ancient Greek architecture was, he could not help but have purple hyacinths grow within his heart. Even though the flowers were quarantined by dill (Anethum graveolens), purple hyacinths still manage to take territory little by little.

"I wonder if it is because of who I am, that I begin to appreciate the little scenes of this movie called 'life'. Or perhaps I never got to take in the view of the places I had been familiar with," he spoke somberly as he stopped at the center of the campus, "though all things are doomed to disappear with enough time."

He begins to try and look back at the scenes of his previous life, to attempt at conjuring the scenery. Yet, only so few places he was familiar with came to mind. Perhaps it was simply due to a kind of error when reincarnating - maybe it was just a consequence of being a mortal.

Either way, he continues to walk throughout the campus, his heart singing a sad song to itself.

Yet this lonely walk was interrupted by a particular person - Ethel.

Despite a bouquet consisting of red roses & tulips, white camellias & carnations, blue salvias & hyacinths, and yellow daffodils & irises was brought forth in this heart of his, the patch of purple hyacinths still persist.

The pair walk side by side as ferns, asters, and honeysuckle appear in this wistful aura the two give off. 

Though the two exchanged little words, they were satisfied with simply being at one another's side.

"Is something bothering you?" she asks Griffith as she noticed his eyes slightly widen a bit in response.

"There's nothing," he responds as his expression softens, "perhaps I'm just not that all used to be a person's bodyguard so early in my lifetime. That or it's just merely me being stressed over homework."

"You? Stressed? Surely you jest - since when did my Griffith get stressed so easily?"

"That's because I don't have you around to calm me down," he says as he warmly smiles, "I can only truly relax when you're here with me."

"Honestly... you really turn into a different person when you're with me, don't you?" she replies with a blush, "I wonder what you would be like without me."

"I dread the timeline where you are not there, Charlotte. Without you, I would crumble under my feelings of loneliness - in fact, I doubt I would have gotten so far as I had."

As the two then go about their day - leisurely walking around town, stopping by some cafes out of curiosity, enjoying the scenery of gardens, and chatting along the way.

Then when the afternoon turns to night, the pair returns to the academy campus.

"The White City" laid out before the two - illuminated by orbs of light, like Faeries of Light having a festival. Walking to the dorms, the two stand at an intersection - the path leading to the left leads to the women's dorm; the path to the right leads to the men's dorm; the path ahead? The academy shops.

"Pity the academy has no co-ed dorms," Griffith spoke with a smirk, "though I understand their reasons why."

"Indeed," Ethel responded with a giggle, "you would fall asleep far too often - especially when you sleep in class already."

"I don't sleep that much in class... probably."

When it came to part, Griffith and Ethel spoke their "Gute Nacht"s and "Ich werde dich vermissen"s. Yet as Griffith watches Ethel walk towards those pearled doors of the dorm, he felt his very soul compelling him to run - to rush to Ethel's side.

And so he did.

He held her in his arms tightly as though his heart would fall apart if he were to let go.

His voice trembled and shivered as he says, "don't go, please. I don't want to be alone again,

Charlotte. I... I don't want to face those future days where you are not there with me."

Ethel's eyes widened with surprise at first, but now her countenance calmed. In their life before, where her name was Charlotte, she and her unborn child's lives were cut short when Fortuna spun her wheel of fortune and failure. She turns to face Griffith - his new name being Artem - and embraced him gently, her right hand slowly caressing his hair.

Even back then, she knew how he refused to share how he really felt to anyone. That heart of his had built a cage of adamantium that contained many emotions like a tightly sealed jar.

And like that cage of adamantium, only a few things could ever hope to force their way out.

"I won't be going anywhere," she says softly, her voice carrying the warmth of summer winds, "I will always be by your side, Griffith."

"Charlotte..."

She sweetly sighed and nuzzled the right side of his neck, as if she were an angel bestowing a blessing unto the suffering mortal, and she whispers, "You don't need to worry, Griffith."

Her words would heal Griffith's breaking heart and his cries would subside while the calla lilies glow in the warm moonlight. When Griffith was calm once again, they would finally head to their dorm rooms.

Griffith enters the men's dorms through the obsidian doors and Ethel enters the women's dorms through the pearl doors.

"Yo! Been taking a while - you okay?" Asuka asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Griffith replied, "Just finally let something off my chest."

"Well, you've come back late and I had to cover your arse when the dorm boss came asking where you were, so you definitely owe me a favor, alright?"

"There's a curfew?"

"Yeah, did you not read about that in the student handbook?"

"... No? But I read everything else."

Asuka inhales and loudly (but quietly enough to not disturb people's sleep), "B O I ."