The Emperor's Concubine

B.2 Chapter Fifty-One

I sit outside on the terrace, staring at the brightly coloured fish in the pond.
I think back to yesterday, my heart aching as I think about letting Cabel die.
"Nightmares..." I whisper.
I think back to the past, the most recent nights leading up to Cabel's change of behaviour, all filled with nightmares when I stayed in the palace.

'It could just be a coincidence... It was never anything new to have nightmares...'
I think to myself, confused.
Instantly, a certain night runs in my mind. The night I ran into Cabel after waking from a nightmare.
The deep raspy breath that tickled my ear as I slept, an uncomfortable sensation weighing me down until a pain in my chest grew, and the lapis crystal found in my bed.
"That night... My body healed itself, but I was never injured..." I whisper, looking down at my hand.
The scene of the man with strange animals comes back to me.
I quickly stand, rushing down the terrace to my room.
Pulling out my bag from the closet, I throw everything out, until the balled up handkerchief falls out.
I unravel it, exposing the broken lapis crystal.
Holding my breath, I grasp the crystal in my hand.
The same throbbing pain in my chest returns. I pant, feeling my body grow cold.
My eyes widen as I feel my aura illuminate around me, trying to break my grasp off the lapis.
An image flashes in front of my eyes of a man covered with a bright aura, stopping in his tracks as he turns to me.
The bedroom disappearing from sight as a mirage of a strange land surrounds me.

"C...Child?... How?-..."
The light airy voice echoes through my mind.
I flinch, holding my head as I feel it throb.
"Who are you?" I call out, fighting the intense headache.
"Stop!... You'll die doing this!-"
The voice breaks, unclear as I hear their words going through my mind.
The throbbing headache ends quickly.
The vision of the land disappears as the crystal explodes in my hand, revealing I'm in my room.
The remnants of the crystal scattered on the ground, the blue sparkling dust left in my hand.
"Who are you?" I whisper, catching my breath as my powers heal me.

I sit in my room, writing on a piece of paper.
I write down the strange occurrences that have happened when I spoke to that voice.
"First... I was poisoned by Cabel's sword, and spoke the first time with that voice there... It was pitch black with distant stars. It was like I was floating-" I mutter, cutting myself off.

I remember Jax's words.
"I remember watching you and Cethin, you jumped up on the railing and ended your duel, but then everything went to black like I fell asleep. It was like my body was floating in space lost."

The training field incident enters my mind.
"Did he see the same thing I saw?..." I whisper, writing down the incident.
I write down the second time.
I do my best to remember what happened to bring me there.
The memory of being kidnapped and tortured crosses my mind.
"I was there again. I spoke to that man... I woke up after being unconscious for so long..."

"A child like you should never be able to come here, yet you've come here twice now."
The man's light voice plays in my mind, the words he spoke to me.
"Do you come back here because you're one of-"

His voice trailed off before he could finish.
"What was he going to say?" I whisper.
I scribble down the details, confused as I think about everything.
Kerin comes to my mind.

"I looked in, and saw the alleyway he took to get home and then it went black."
Cethin's words come back to me as I remember what he said.
"It went black and he was in there. It was cold and eery."

"Cethin... Did you see it too?..." I whisper, feeling chills rush down my spine.

"See what?"
"Ah!" I yelp, turning to see Cethin entering my room through window.
"Scare you?" Cethin asks, snickering.
"Um, yes, a lot." I hold my chest, catching my breath.
"So, what were you mumbling about? What did I see?" He asks, walking over.
"Cethin... The incident with Kerin... Did you see pitch black with stars?" I quietly ask.
Cethin looks at me, taken aback.
"Yeah... I did. I wouldn't say 'stars'. All I saw was darkness. Jax did say that he saw exactly what Kerin claims to have seen."
"Really? Kerin saw it too?" I think to myself, growing anxious.
"Yeah, why?"
"Some strange things have been happening." I whisper, sliding the paper towards him.
He looks down at it, reading through it.
"You saw it too?" He asks.
I nod.
"I heard a voice too, and even talked with him." I speak, growing anxious.
"Who's 'him'?"
"I don't know. I'm trying to figure it out because I heard the same voice again. I heard the voice, but it was when I went through similar scenarios like Jax's..."

The door knocks.
I quickly slide the paper under a book, hiding it.
"Come in." I call out.
The door opens and Ming enters with maids.
"Luna, we found the books." Ming speaks.
"You did?" I stand, bowing my head, "Thank you so much!"
"Of course." Ming gestures the maids to place the books on the table, until gesturing them to leave.
"Luna..." Ming whispers, "I'm sorry. We'll do everything we can to help save his highness, but sending our men to Siwang Shan is too reckless."
"It's okay, I understand. You've helped me so much already, so please don't be sorry." I smile, bowing my head.
She nods, leaving the room as she waves goodbye to Cethin and I.
"What was that about?" Cethin asks.
"It's about the witch... I feel like the dragon could be alive, and I want to go find him."
Cethin stares at me before taking a deep inhale.
"You said it's okay for them to not send their people... But you plan to go yourself, don't you?" Cethin looks back at me with knowing eyes.
I avert my eyes, nodding.
"Cethin... You keep helping me, but I can't put you guys in more danger-"
"Stop." Cethin interrupts me, "You hurt me by leaving. I get it's cause you were wanted and all, but you still hurt me by not telling me any of this."
"Cethin, I'm sorry-"
"So, because I'm hurt, I'm going to be right there beside you."
I look back at him, confused.
"Luna, you've proven your strength like a million times. You're so strong for trying to be alone for everything, but it's painful. You don't need to let me in, if sharing your feelings are difficult, but at the very least, let me come with you." Cethin gives a kind smile, petting my head.
I nod, tearing up as he reassures me.
"You're an idiot. I always rely on you, but that's why I need to do some things alone."
"Yeah, well, I won't let you go somewhere dangerous alone. I've been so damn bored, and if you're going to do something exciting like dragon hunting, I want to go."
I shake my head, giggling.
"You're an idiot. Okay... Will you come with me?" I smile.
"Yes, of course."
I nod, feeling a weight lift off of me as I look back at Cethin.
We begin reading through the books, searching for clues.