The Realm Of The Abyss

Chapter 28: Wonder, Wander

Quinn’s POV.

My head spun with vertigo when I opened my eyes and attempted to sit up straight. Despite the constant pain in my body, I removed the damp cloth from my forehead and forced myself to stand.

I peered out the window and noticed how sunny the weather was outside. I must have rested for a long time because I regained strength.

The last thing I remember is the king regaining consciousness and me passing out after discovering my third power, which is the ability to heal or cure people.

I examined both of my palms. I couldn’t help but be amazed. I’m sure it was the cause of my body’s weakness — treating the king, who was in a critical condition.

My gaze was drawn to the door when it opened and Alvaro entered with food in his hand. He halted for a second when he noticed I’d awoken. He faced me after lowering the tray he was carrying to the wooden table next to the bed.

“How is His Majesty’s health?” I inquired, approaching him.

“The king is in good health. He’s awake now,” he replied, which made me feel better. “How do you feel? What happened last night that caused you to pass out?”

I put my hand over my mouth to keep the edge of my lip from lifting. Even if he tried to conceal his concern, it was noticeable from the tone of his voice.

“Perhaps I was just tired,” I reasoned, clearing my throat and attempting to change the subject. “By the way, Prince Alvaro, have we found the woman we’re looking for?”

He only bowed his head in response. I nodded as I walked back and forth into the room, holding my chin.

“I don’t think she’s gone far yet. She’s just around the corner, so I must track her down as soon as possible,” I said.

“The two of us…”

Startled by his vague words, I turned to him as fast as lightning. My heart rate increased for no apparent reason.

“W-What do you mean, the two of us?” I stammered, almost choked on my own saliva, as I mentioned it.

“The two of us will go in search of her. You’re not alone, I am with you,” he added. “I’ll go with you. I promised you I’d help you. I will never break my promise.”

I averted my gaze in embarrassment because I had false hopes for a split second. I exhaled and shoved the food into my mouth. I had a different take on what he said. I sat back, wondering why the ridiculous thought had occurred to me at such a precise moment. 

I forced myself to get a grip and push all these thoughts away, but it was no use because Alvaro’s stare flustered me.

“Before anything else, I’d like to take you somewhere…”

***

I could feel the cool breeze of the wind and the flow of water on my feet as I paddled it into the sea. When I discovered the hidden wonder of the Kingdom of Araya, it became my new favorite place. It was a bright day, so I enjoyed watching the sun shining.

I glanced over at Alvaro, who was dazed and staring out at the sea. For the next five minutes, there was nothing but silence. Just when I thought that I would enjoy the scenery with a comfortable silence over us, he spoke as he raised one hand to block the sunlight from blinding his eyes.

“I haven’t been here in ten years,” he said. “I suppose the sea calms you, but I find solace in the sun.”

“Why?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Because I’ve realized that even if the sun goes down, it won’t be long before you rise again and bring light to everyone,” he explained. “People wonder why I like sunsets if they mean that everything has an end, but the sunshine that hits my features is what makes me happy. Because it reminds me that no matter what happens throughout the day, I can somehow end up with something beautiful. It was my perspective as a child.”

I couldn’t help but smile and feel a spark of attraction for him. Every time Alvaro’s words were metaphorical and profound, the effect on my system was peculiar. It’s no surprise he was the one I liked. Men with such mature perspectives were indeed attractive.

I picked up a stone and dumped it into the sea to divert my attention. My bare feet in the sand, and the sensation of water between my toes as the tide came in and later left.

“Are you not going to ask me?” I breathed, looking ahead. “I know you didn’t believe me when I told you I was from another world.”

Gazing into the deep blue water was enthralling. In pure relaxation, I listened to the soothing sound of the waves crashing. Not only could I feel the amazing breeze, but I could also hear it swirling around me.

“I never said I didn’t believe you. I just don’t want to,” he explained, drawing my attention to him. “Because if it were true that you were from another world, it would only mean that one of us isn’t real.”

I was caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting to hear it from him. He was aware the entire time? One of us isn’t real, and it’s him. My heart thrashed at the notion.

“How is life in your world? I would like to hear your story.”

I felt like a thorn was stuck in my throat. I could see what he was up to. He wasn’t trying to be curious, but rather to make me feel better. He could feel my mind slipping away into the void, and he figured that keeping me talking was the only way to stop it.

“My world is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, our worlds aren’t different. The only difference is that in our world, there is no such thing as a kingdom. Instead, there are things that would make our lives much easier that you will not find in your world. It would take a long time to go into detail about what life was like in my world, but one thing I can say is that it is not easy to live there. Bad people are everywhere, and they are unavoidable. Even in our world, there are people who are evil. They are far worse than the King of Corax.”

The agony of realizing our worlds were so far apart was too much for me to bear, but I wanted to appear naive and clueless in front of him. The harsh reality hit hard.

“How did you end up in our world?” He posed a question to which I don’t have an answer.

“I can’t say with certainty. All I know is that I’m stranded somewhere I’ve never been to before, and that is your world.”

“I’ll help you.”

“What?” I had a hunch about what he’d say, but I didn’t want to confirm it.

“I’ll get you out of here, Princess Emerald. I’ll help you return to your world.”

For a matter of time, my heart and mind didn’t debate about how I should feel. A large part of me wanted to decline his offer to help. A large part of me was screaming to tell him I didn’t want to go back.

I’ve grown attached to him, his family, and the people of their kingdom. Finding a way back home was my main intention in the beginning, but as time passed, it was difficult to deny that I didn’t like everyone in Araya. Staying would leave me dead in the eyes and memories of my family, but leaving would be such a huge loss for me.

I don’t want to be thinking about what could have been. I don’t want to be thinking about what-ifs. I don’t want to get lost in time. I wanted to tell him I wanted to stay, but I knew it would require a lot of courage to do so. I wasn’t ready yet. Instead, I just smiled at him, hoping he could see right through me.

The both of us faced the calm sea and the radiant sun, relishing the taste of tranquility that allowed us to feel less burdened and lighter. We lingered there for a few minutes longer before beginning our search.