If you ever feel like time-travelling, here's a little warning: waking up in your own body after being in someone else's was horrid. My head pounded from the hunger and dehydration that overcame me. I blinked up at the bright lights and tried to hold up my arms to block my face but someone had already provided me with that relief. I slowly looked at Marcus with me.
He was wearing a robe that seemed to be issued by the security team running around. I allowed myself to finally give in. I didn't hold back my tears this time as I threw my arms around him and we both cried.
I hadn't known Julius for long but the brief memories would haunt me forever.
You would have thought this story would be more about Cleopatra than it was about Julius but that guy had a way of stealing the show.
Gaius was still at the control panel sitting down, a look of defeat overtaking his body as the security staff spoke to him. Marcus pulled back as medical staff surrounded me and a stretcher was brought in. I glanced up and saw them around Octavian. My eyes landed on the black body bag next to him, as they lifted me onto the stretcher, and my heart dropped. I tried to speak but my throat was too dry. Marcus took my hand.
"I'll explain later. Rest now, you deserve it."
******
Several hours later I woke up in a hospital room with an IV drip stuck into my wrist. I closed my eyes. Woah, my body hurts everywhere. I heard someone shift on the chair next to me and I turned to find Marcus. He was in a much better state than me. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I just got caught up in a coup in ancient Rome," I responded before croaking something that resembled a chuckle and Marcus cringed. "Too soon?"
"A little," he said with a smile.
"What happened to Octavian?" I asked.
The last I remembered I was watching them pack up his body.
Marcus sighed. "Karma is the layman's term for what happened to him but scientifically... Well, we found out during one of our earlier tests that if you end up in a body where the host is killed you end up in what we called the Erebus. It's neither here nor there. Just darkness. We first discovered it when one of the explorers started forgetting who they were and the host took control, exactly what happened with you and Cleopatra when I left. That's when they made the rule to travel in pairs and explorers had to be two people who were related to one another along the same family tree at the time we sent them too. Unfortunately, during a trial run, an explorer's host was killed and we tried to bring them back but nothing worked. They were trapped in the Erebus."
I shuddered at the thought. I had been there for a short while and couldn't stand it. I felt like I was slowly being driven insane and couldn't imagine what it would be like to be stuck for all eternity.
Marcus shifted uncomfortably as if reading my mind. "Remember back when I told you that if Octavian destroyed our bodies we'd know because our consciousness would cease to exist. That's trial is how we found out and so, that's what they're going to do for Octavian so that he won't have to suffer any longer."
"I'd make him suffer," I grumbled and someone clapped their hands.
"I couldn't agree more, Thea. Greetings, Markie!" Gaius cheered, way too chirpy for what had just occurred. I winced but was glad someone had bounced back, even though he currently looked like a mummy with all his bandages.
However, I did notice a sadness in his eyes that wasn't there before.
"Octavian was a brilliant boy. It's a shame he became foolish in his greed for power."
I could see why Cleopatra liked Gaius. He spoke just like Julius now that I thought about it. I can't believe he wasn't Julius... maybe he and Octavian were related. It would explain a lot.
I blinked, my mind was awfully quiet. I could feel Cleopatra's presence missing.
"How did we all end up knowing each other in the past? It's kinda weird, isn't it?"
"Possibly there is something we missed in a calculation," Marcus said.
"Or perhaps it was just the miracle of magic," Gaius said as he winked at Marcus who in turn rolled his eyes at him.
"What happened to be related to Julius Caesar," I asked Gaius and he pouted.
"I will be visiting my father's grave to have a very serious discussion with him later."
I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
"Anyway." Gaius rubbed his hands together and sighed. "I'm here for Marcus. We got repairs to do."
"Are you kidding me?" Marcus gave him a horrified look as I stared at Gaius.
"I'm just kidding. The real reason I'm here is to wipe Thea's memories," he said simply, as he pulled out a pen from his pocket and twisted it.
Marcus and I sat there waiting for the punchline but Gaius gave me a deathly serious look.
"Wait–" I started but he burst out laughing,
"I'm just pulling your leg," he said, waving it off.
My eyes dropped to the suspicious-looking pen and he tucked it away. "It's just a pen. We don't have the technology to wipe your mind wherever we want."
I raised an eyebrow. "At least not yet," Gaius grinned and Marcus smacked his forehead.
"Could you please just leave?"
Gaius finally looked at him and nodded. "Right, you two probably want some privacy since the last time I interrupted the two of you. I just stopped by to ask Thea to meet me back at my office once she's discharged. Okay, bye."
He spun on his heel and was gone leaving both me and Marcus a blushing mess.
There was a slight awkwardness lingering in the air as I recollected the memories I had of him through Cleopatra.
"Um..." Marcus gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing as he cleared his throat. "I meant what I said back then." His hazel eyes locked onto my brown ones.
"Meant what, Marcus?" I whispered. I knew what he meant but I wanted him to say it. I wanted Marcus to say it to me this time.
He gave me a crooked smile. "I love you, Thea Adel."
I chuckled softly, leaning up to kiss him and just before our lips touched, I paused. "I love you too, Marcus Hamada." His cheeks darkened as our lips connected and I kissed him.
He didn't seem to mind as I took control of the kiss. I think, he more than just enjoyed it and in that way I knew Mark Antony and him had something in common. I quickly brushed the thought away before it got any weirder.
"Good God, it feels so much better in person," he confessed as we stopped and I laughed. "I want to touch you, all of you..." I raised my eyebrows as his blush deepened and he covered his cheeks. "I mean like in a non-sexual way."
"It can be sexual too," I offered.
"That would nice," he responded and we paused before we burst out laughing.
"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered, placing his forehead on mine and closing his eyes.
"At least Cleopatra and Mark finally got to be together, even if it was through tragedy and ends rather tragic," I said, breaking the silence that had elapsed.
Marcus frowned. "You just had to ruin it."
I shrugged. "I'm just stating the facts."
He laughed getting up and making his way to the door and I laid back into the soft bed, closing my eyes. "Anyway, enjoy your rest. I'm going to make sure Gaius doesn't mess anything up. While you are at it, you can finally come up with something for that assignment."
My eyes flew open and I looked over at him.
"Wait, what's the date?"
Marcus pulled out his phone. "23rd April. Oh. Oh, dear. Wasn't it due on the 22nd?"
As my face fell, he cringed giving me an apologetic look.
I MISSED MY DEADLINE!
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