Arc 3 – The beginning of the story
***
In front of a funeral home stood a young man with pale skin. Between his equally pale fingers, he held a bottle of water.
The people who passed by the place wondered what someone like that was doing, standing there, with melancholic eyes, solitary and lifeless. It seemed his presence bothered them, made them uncomfortable, but no one was capable of saying anything to him.
Some only looked at him out of the corner of their eye. Others lowered their gaze, uncomfortable, as if the pain were contagious. A couple of ladies whispered while walking faster. A man in a suit frowned, annoyed by that image that broke the normality of the afternoon.
The young man did not react.
—Why do they look at me like that…?
He said it to himself, while his gaze remained lost, like an endless abyss.
He wasn't crying. He wasn't screaming. He wasn't doing anything that justified those looks. And yet, he seemed out of place. As if he belonged neither to the world of the living nor to that of the dead.
That young man was not in that place because he wanted to be there, but because for him his life had ended that same afternoon, four hours earlier.
Four hours.
Enough time for the sun to begin to set. Enough time for the world to keep turning normally. Enough time for people to keep laughing, shopping, walking… living.
But not for him.
He was a normal young man… or what he could consider normal. Like the others. But the truth was that he wasn't. He had suffered too many abuses and, even so, he was trying very hard, only for the person he loved the most. Only for that person.
He had learned to endure insults. To lower his head. To swallow his pride. To pretend that the blows didn't hurt.
Because when you love someone, you do things that no one understands.
But no matter how hard he tried, he was still a seventeen-year-old boy. He couldn't work like an adult, because the law didn't allow it. He had to work illegally to be able to help at home, while at the same time studying.
He slept little.
He ate when he could.
He smiled when he had to.
It was a hard life.
So… why was he outside that funeral home with a lifeless expression?
Because the person for whom he had endured everything was no longer there.
Because the hospital had been cold. Because the doctor's words had been brief. Because there were no miracles.
It seemed his world had completely collapsed. Without meaning. Or perhaps with too much meaning.
He remembered the last conversation. He remembered that weak voice asking him to keep going. He remembered having promised that he would.
He was lying.
He didn't know how.
Tomorrow he would have to return to school and act as if none of what he was living had happened. But would he be able to do it? He didn't even know how he felt inside. He had no words to express what he carried in his chest. He also had no one to tell it to.
Sadness?
Rage?
Emptiness?
None of that seemed enough.
In the end, he had been left alone.
Alone with all the questions he had in his mind.
Alone with the feelings that were drowning him inside.
He looked at the bottle of water. He didn't even remember having bought it. He squeezed it hard until it deformed a little.
He took a deep breath.
The air seemed heavier near that building.
He took the first step from where he was.
He felt a chill run through his entire body until he reached the transparent glass door, which allowed him to see inside the building: a long white hallway waiting for him.
White.
Too white.
As if trying to clean the pain with paint.
For a second he hesitated.
If he entered, everything would be real.
If he crossed that door, there would be no turning back.
He placed his hand on the glass.
It was cold.
He closed his eyes.
And pushed.
***
Kael woke up agitated under the stars. He had had a restless dream that prevented him from sleeping peacefully. He still remembered the immense forest, the figure in his mind, Elirya's words and that smile that wouldn't fade from his memory.
His breathing was irregular.
He sat up slowly, bringing a hand to his chest.
He looked around, confused.
The sky was clear. The stars shone with an almost unreal intensity. The bonfire had already reduced to reddish embers that crackled from time to time.
He saw how Seraphyne, Magnus and Viridia slept comfortably in their sleeping bags. Magnus slept peacefully. Viridia was on her side, hugging a small pillow. Seraphyne had her brow slightly furrowed, even while sleeping.
He didn't remember how he had arrived at the place where he was. Maybe he had drunk too much with the queen and the others, celebrating that they had reached an agreement.
He remembered laughter.
He remembered glasses clinking.
He remembered a strange feeling of peace… that now seemed distant.
But what left him most uneasy was knowing why they were camping in the forest, the four of them alone.
It wasn't like them to improvise like that.
Doubts invaded him while he scratched his head.
However, that wasn't what worried him the most. What really disturbed him was the strange dream he had had.
He had seen a white building.
A long hallway.
A young man standing in front of a glass door.
He had felt a sadness that wasn't his… but that hurt as if it were.
Was it something from his past, before arriving in the world where he now found himself?
Or was it just that… another ordinary dream?
If so, then why did his heart beat so hard, as if it hurt for some reason he couldn't understand?
He brought his hand to his chest again.
He looked away toward the starry sky, remembering what he had talked about when he was alone with Elirya, in the forest. Just the two of them.
***
On top of a huge rock, Elirya gave a small jump while trying to keep her balance.
The afternoon light filtered through the leaves, giving her hair a golden glow. She seemed part of the forest. As if she belonged to that place more than any tree.
—Tell me, Kael… what is your greatest desire in this world? Or what you believe is what you want the most.
Kael, upon hearing those words, looked at the ground for a few seconds, thoughtful. He wasn't used to being asked questions like that.
Without realizing it, Elirya was already in front of him, very close to his face. Upon noticing it, he gave a small jump backward, surprised.
She laughed softly.
—Well… what I want the most is…
He made a small pause while scratching his neck.
It was difficult to put it into words.
—I think what I want the most is to be a completely free person. To do what I want, without harming the people around me.
He looked at the sky with a smile. His eyes shone with sincere emotion.
—I want to choose my path. Not to be tied to expectations. Not to become something others decide for me.
Elirya observed him in silence.
There was something vulnerable in that confession.
She moved a little closer to Kael, ending up right in front of him. She had her hands clasped behind her back and leaned slightly forward.
—For me that's really cool, honestly. I want to be someone who can protect all the people I love. And, you know? If you set your mind to it… maybe I'll even end up protecting you. Who knows.
Kael blinked.
—So that means that…
She placed her finger on Kael's lips, preventing him from finishing speaking.
The contact was light.
But enough for Kael's heart to race.
—It's just a saying.
She smiled playfully while slowly withdrawing her finger.
—Don't get too excited.
Kael looked away, embarrassed.
—So this is where you are, Kael.
Seraphyne's voice was heard in the distance, interrupting the moment.
Elirya took a step back.
The magic of the instant broke.
***
Kael came out of his memories when he heard the sound of an owl in the distance. He startled slightly.
The night forest was different from the day one. Deeper. More honest.
He looked at the sky once more.
He thought about freedom.
He thought about protection.
He thought about that dream he didn't understand.
There was something that tied him to that past he didn't fully remember.
Something that was beginning to awaken.
He lay down again, settling on the firm ground. He closed his eyes.
Trying to fall asleep.