Lost Fantasy-The Flowers of Stelis (Arc 2) [Hiatus]

Chapter 16

That night, Loganel had a dream. It was a dream that felt real, almost as if he was there. The dream took place in that weird world that he had seen in his previous dreams. In that world, the familiar man, Logan, had awaken from his slumber as the sun shined through the crevices between the curtains of his room. It shined on the messy interior of his one bedroom apartment, onto the numerous books and pages scattered about on the floor along with the many one-time use lunch boxes that he bought from the convenience stores.

In that dream, Logan, got up, looked around, and sighed. He walked over to the only neat spot in the room, which was his computer desk, and discovered that the computer was on. In addition to that, his gaze was immediately captivated by the many unsent letters that he had written to Lilith, a girl that he could still not forget after so many years apart. Logan picked the top letter up, read it, and felt tears flow down his cheeks.

Logan rubbed his eyes as he realized the many years that he had wasted just "living." With a look of determination on his face now, Logan looked around his room.

"I should start cleaning this up now," he said, smiling.

***

Loganel woke to the light that shined in through the opened curtains of his room in the Church. He blinked and stared at the ceiling above before he forced his body up into a sitting position. He intended to bring his left hand to his forehead as he yawned but no matter how long he waited, it did not come. Loganel glanced towards the bandaged stump, sighing. He buried his forehead into his right hand, shaking his head with tears forming in his eyes as he finally realized that what had occurred yesterday wasn't a dream.

Not a dream? Loganel immediately raised his head. Juliana!

Loganel swung his legs over the bed and onto the ground. He felt around the ground with his feet in search of his boots and once he discovered them, he attempted to put them on. The action of putting on boots was impossible with only one arm, but Loganel struggled as he tried to do so. He kept on trying and trying, unwilling to accept the fact that with one arm he will be crippled.

"Damn it!"

Loganel slammed his fist down on the mattress of the bed as he breathed deeply from the extensive effort he had put out in attempts to put on his boots. Frustration made him furious at his own weakness, making him hate this awful reality even more.

He gritted his teeth and with a determined look in his eyes, he forgo putting on any footwear and opted to go barefooted. He got off his bed in a hurry, leaving his boots behind, and rushed out of his room. Since he had came to the Church so often in the last year, he had memorized where her room was in this wing of the Church for inpatients. Combine that with Loganel's intense desire to see Juliana, he sprinted down the hallway, stumbling somewhat as he was still unaccustomed to running with only one arm and had to adjust his balance ever so often.

"Juliana!"

Loganel pushed open the door to her room, smiling wide in anticipation. Every thing seemed to move in slow motion for him as his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He could imagine seeing Juliana, alive and well once again, after the door swung open before him. He could imagine how she would greet him: with a warm smile and a simple "I'm back." Then, everything would be well; everything will be as it was a year ago.

Juliana would need a few weeks to recover, he thought, so she'll have to stay home. But when I come home from the hunts, she'll be there waiting for me. No longer will that dorm be so cold and lonely. I'll have someone with me once again!

However, when the door fully opened and he rushed in, he discovered not what he had expected. Instead, it was as if nothing had changed. Loganel unwillingly turned his head to look over at the bed, and on that bed, Juliana laid there. It was almost as if she had never left the place. In those empty eyes of hers, Loganel could not see any hints of emotion nor any sign of a soul. Nothing has changed.