Starr Academy: Year Three

Starr Academy: Year Three- Chapter 31

Thirty-One

~~Hope's Point Of View~~

The dangling branches of the willow trees swayed with the nonexistent breezed. I just didn't care. My eyes were taking in the man stood on the edge of the pond.

Melerick.

How long had it been since I had seen him last. Four? Five? Six months? So much time that I started to think I would never see him again. That I would forever miss his company during my dreams. Learning from him. Anything and everything he was willing to teach me.

The last time I saw him, his shoulders were low like right now. Just the sight told me something was eating away at him as it has as of the beginning of this year. It always pains me to see him like this.

I placed my hand on his upper arm and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Please tell me what has been affecting you."

In a flash, his arms were around me and I was being hugged tightly. My panic hitting me hard. All my insides tightened as it felt like something was majorly wrong. But how could anything really be wrong when we were fine in this dream scape.

He pulled back and held my face in his hands. It was his misty eyes that made me feel the prickle. "Tell me you will be alright."

Touching his hand, I saw pure worry. "What's going on?"

Melerick shook his head. "I can't seem to find the words to explain it to you, but this will be the last time we'll be able to be together besides a few more times during Halloween. I just need to know you will be alright without me."

A tear finally fell. "But you've been like my father."

He pulled me back to his chest. "I've always wished to have been your father. You don't deserve to have that deadbeat as the man who created you."

"You have filled that void for me."

He gave a sharp laugh. A happy sound before he pulled back. "I had hoped because you were so alone for too long. At least I could help you when you needed someone. Now you're not alone anymore. You have friends and people whom love you."

His hands went to his chest. A gasp tearing from his lips. Then he fell to his knees. I rushed to kneel next to him and catch him when he fell backwards. His head ending up in my lap.

"What's happening?" My hand going to his that held the area just beside his heart. His face filled with pain.

A cough proceeded his chuckle. Warmth filled my hand when he moved one away to place on top of mine. "Just my time." he looked at me and I knew he didn't want this, whatever it was, to happen.

"You're time? I don't understand." my voice breaking painfully.

A nod. "I know. I stayed as long as I could for you but I can't any longer."

He smiled as the color started to drain out of his face. "You've made my last few years the best. I've seen how so much turned out. Because of you, I died more than happy." He placed a bloody hand over my heart. "I live because you live."

My eyes searched his trying to understand his words. "I don't..."

Placing a finger over my lips like Theo, he stopped me. "Because we are one and the same. You are my reincarnation. It's the only way I could journey into your dreams and teach you what I know. I am what you once were. You are what I will become."

His face changed and he looked serious. "I had to prepare you. Only a few years before my last battle with Cedric did I find out what he had done to himself. How he planned to cheat death's grasp. I couldn't let him destroy our world and your future."