The Oracle

Chapter 35: Duty and Will

SORA

I wake up the next morning in a pool of warm sheets and bountiful space in Merrick's bed. It's whenever I stretch my legs while I stretch my arms over my head and look over to the right that I notice Merrick is missing, a frown forming on my face and interrupting my yawn.

"Merrick?" I call out and glance around the room, sitting up so that the blankets fall to my lap, memories of last night flashing through my mind.

"I love you, Sora," Merrick said quietly, his voice hoarse as he wrapped his arms around my waist tightly from behind and buried his face in my shoulder as we laid in bed together, me having decided to stay the night to comfort him. "I'll always love you."

I smiled softly and turned around before I pulled him into my chest and held him tightly, afraid that he'd slip away if I let go.

"I love you too."

"Merrick?" I call out again, only to be met with eerie silence.

As my eyes scan around the room, they land on his nightstand and it's then that I notice one of Merrick's signature rings lying left behind, the band of the ring solid black with light grey frost around the edges.

I frown and slide my legs over the side of the bed before I grab his ring, slip it on my index finger of my right hand, and pick up Merrick's red and black flannel from the floor. I grab my dark grey v-neck before I slip it on and throw Merrick's flannel on over it.

I shimmy into my black ripped jeans and grab my pair of black combat boots from under the edge of the bed before I quickly head out of Merrick's room in search of him. First, I check the dining hall, wondering if maybe he snuck out for breakfast. As I briskly walk to the dining hall, I pass by Isabella in the hallway as she's carrying a bagel and a chamomile tea. I force a smile as she tries her best to wave with her full hands as she walks by. I inhale shakily and run a hand through my hair right before I reach the dining hall. As I glance around the dining hall, I notice that Merrick isn't here and panic slowly starts to fill me, making my nerves on end.

"Where could he be?" I chew on my bottom lip nervously before I turn around and head towards the training area.

On the way to the training area, I bump into Reverence, my eyebrows raising in surprise. Reverence is busy adjusting the straps to his scimitar holders that are strapped to his back over top of his dark brown muscle shirt, brown suspenders hanging from his dark grey cargo pants and matching his dark grey combat boots. My eyes don't fail to miss the leg brace on his right leg and I swallow thickly, my mind darting back to the metal replacements in his wings that I saw when we first met, reminding me of the tragedy he's been through.

"Something wrong?" Reverence asks and raises a brow as he finishes adjusting his straps, his brown eyes calculating and observant, yet full of warmth and anguish at the same time.

"Have you seen Merrick?" I ask.

"No," Reverence frowns. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since last night. If you do see him, tell him that he's supposed to come to the dispatch center as soon as possible for our mission. You should get going there soon yourself."

"What?" I furrow my eyebrows. "Why?"

"Nobody told you? You're being sent on a mission to find the runestone of Pride and Humility," Reverence continues to frown.

"I'll go get ready..." I trail off hesitantly, still worried about Merrick.

"And Sora," Reverence starts when I go to turn around to go to the dorms, making me stop in my tracks as he clenches and unclenches his right fist, his gaze directed at the ground and his hair falling into his eyes, "don't feel the need to look at me like that."