Chapter 2
"The Tale Begins"
Adrian drifted in the sea of cosmos that stretched vast while being drowned in serenity. In his thoughts, he believed himself was dead, an honored death perhaps.
Is this the end of me?
Adrian carefully and gently tried to open his eyes, however at this point, the absolute darkness bandaged his very eyes.
He could feel his swinging hands that were so free, yet he too felt he was falling downward.
Does Afterlife truly exist? Is this how it feels for someone who devoid light?
Adrian locked his own question, trying to answer by himself, and what was truly happening.
It's strange… Why do I feel like I was falling?... It's odd.
And why could I breathe?
While he was trying to decipher the puzzles, he felt a true silence and solitude, before something sought his attention…
From a distance, a faint of light pierced his blackish-eyes, a light among the darkness? It was true that the light was going nearer, nearer, and nearer…
W-what is that? A-a light?... Among these silence, and solitude?...
Adrian tried to swing his arms and legs against the falling direction, as if he was trying to swim toward the surface of a sea.
The pace of his falling was increasing more, and so more. The light below was going nearer, and faster like it was trying to consume the man.
Until the light pierced through his sight, followed by his body. Adrian's eyes were impaled for a few seconds, before he slowly opened his eyes gently.
His sight was blurring at first, before he was fully regaining his vision. The man's mouth muttered nothing, but scream and despair.
F##k! A-am I gonna truly die!? Shit! W-why it's so fast!
Adrian found himself falling toward the bottom of a vertical corridor, a black yet decorated with stars such as galaxies. Its light was so beautiful, from purple to pink, like a nebula.
The direction of the cosmic corridor was meandering, with its pace that was slowly accelerating even more. Adrian was chained by fear, his heartbeat rattled so fast and furiously.
O-oh God! I-I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!
His survival instinct was trying to defy death, both of his arms and legs were swinging uncontrollably, and so he wished to live more.
At the end of the stars-decorated cosmic corridor, a bright light was captured by his attention. Adrian, who was controlled by the horror of death, only looked at the bright light with hope; that this nightmare would end.
With unimaginable falling speed, Adrian body diving toward the light with an unfathomable fear trapped in his mind.
Adrian tried to scream aloud, however the cosmos silenced even the loudest scream. Both of his eyes were bandaged once again by the luminous light, in despondence, Adrian accepted his fate.
-The Beginning of the Story-
Adrian… Who was truly tired after going through the mind-wrenching experience, heard a faint of feminine voice followed by the masculine voice. A voice of a woman and man who had conversations with each other.
Adrian then tried to open his eyes, though it was blurry and with faint vision. He felt a minor headache, like something was piercing his head.
"It seems like he is awake…" the mysterious man uttered to the woman.
After fully adapting, Adrian saw a woman and a man were looking at him. The woman was looking with a worried face, while Adrian was puzzled by what was happening.
He found himself lying on a soft bed and comfortable mattress. His bed's mattress was depicted with the color of white, also with the sheet too.
Unexpectedly, the unknown woman to Adrian suddenly hugged him and uttered her worry.
"Caderyn! Are you alright?... Are you feeling anything strange, or hurt?"
The woman said, referring to Adrian as Cadeyrn, a new identity that belonged to him. Her embrace was so warm, and so tight.
"I-I'm alright..." said Adrian with his face that reddened, Adrian never felt something like this, a warm embrace.
"I'm grateful you were alright… I'm so anxious for you…" spoke the woman, followed by her letting off her hug.
Adrian, who was still confused by what was going on, then tried to follow the flow. The woman only gazed at him with a relieved face, before he questioned…
"W-what exactly happened?... It's strange."
Asked Adrian to the woman, he felt his body was still stiff to be able to move. The woman stared at him with a baffled face, before replying…
"You fainted in the middle of walking and looking around the street… I'm happy to hear you were alright…."
The gentle woman answered, followed by her fixing her own glasses in the right position.
The woman's name was Rosey Helbert, a woman with compassion who was revered in the Kingdom of Afflueth. Her long-red-hair was as beautiful as a rose, and her skin was soft. She was a charismatic woman in the kingdom, the most compassionate in the royal family. She wore clothes with a blackish color, with a white part in the middle of her clothes. She also wore a skirt that also matched with her clothes, ultimately, paired with a mantle that was depicted with the color of goldish and a few white lines. She was the precious gem of the kingdom.
Rosey was an older sister to Cadeyrn, the crown prince of the Afflueth Kingdom. Cadeyrn was renowned with his naughty nature, annoying, and prideful trait. However… King Conrad believed everyone could change and become a better person in the future, even His son.
"Well then, allow me to leave, Princess Rosey…" spoke the man. It is true that the man was a doctor for the royal family, he checked Cadeyrn's health for good, although sometimes he was annoyed by his nature.
"Oh! Thank you for your help!" Rosey answered friendly.
With the doctor leaving the room, Rosey fixed her gaze at Adrian, carefully… Her red-colored eyes stared at Adrian unwavering, before she said.
"Don't you dare leave the room, you're still tired…" she said gently.
Adrian was only nodding at her, with a baffled face and accepting the circumstances. With Rosey leaving the room, Adrian was wreathed in solitude once more.
W-where am I!? Is this dream or heaven!? M-maybe this is only a dream!?
Adrian looked around his room, a fancy bedroom for the royals. Different from his old bedroom that was so plain and grayish-walled. His room was so tidy, and clean.
The room was depicted with a single bed, the mattress was painted with white color as milk. The room's walls were painted with white also with a few golden lines—and a few symbols. To the right side of the bed, there was a wooden table with a few shapes in the color of gold, also paired with a chair. At the nearest right side of the bed, there was a wooden nightstand also stylized in the looking—the nearest left side was too.
Beside the wooden nightstand at the left side, there was a wooden wardrobe that was stylized with a golden color and white—the wardrobe also had a mirror on the right side. Above the ceiling, there was a chandelier, a golden chandelier. The bedroom's floor was colored yellowish brown, and a red-carpet in the middle of the room. And so, there were two windows on the farthest left side of the bed, which were paired with blue curtains—with warm light piercing through the windows. Ultimately, there was a door on the right side, near the wooden table.
Adrian then tried to stand and forced himself to walk toward the wardrobe. His fragile body was trembling, before he managed to walk toward the wardrobe. Yet, his attention was caught by something outside the windows.
From behind the windows, his eyes were marvelled at the grandeur of people's houses in the kingdom. It was so majestic, the roofs were varied from blueish to reddish colors—so many varieties!
"W-what the f…."
After that, Adrian was more shocked while looking at himself in the mirror. His black hair was no more, his hair's color was changed into blonde. He was looking at a thirteen-year-old boy, who was wearing white clothes, a black pants, and a belt on his waist.
"W-who is this?..."
Adrian tried to pinch his soft skin, before letting out a pained voice. He also tried to stroke his blonde hair, it was so fluffy and cool.
With a shocked face, Adrian then went back to his bed, before sitting once again. His heart trembled, and so with himself anxiously trying to figure out what was going on.
What a miracle.