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09/12/23
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Summary:
A'ina doesn't know how to stop. She continues to attack Lidya, but this time it's contactless. How will Lidya survive this attack?
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"How can something like this happen?!!"
Jake's loud and angry voice echoed throughout the kelku. He was pacing back and forth, slamming his feet on the ground, first to the right and then to the left. Everyone stood silent, watching him from a distance.
"Who dares to do something like this? Who?!"
Neytiri slowly approached Jake and took hold of his arm. Jake, however, avoided making eye contact with her.
"Ma Jake, you need to stop yelling and try to calm down a bit."
She said, raising an eyebrow and sending him a warning look. Jake rubbed his face with his hand, then turned to respond.
"How can you expect me to calm down, Neytiri? Whoever this person is, they've fixated on Lidya. Not only that, they dared to enter my kelku without permission and commit such an abomination when no one else was around. In my kelku, the Olo'eyktan's kelku!"
Neytiri didn't say anything. There was nothing to say because Jake was right. This was a major scandal and unacceptable. After a few seconds of silence, just as I was getting used to it, Jake suddenly turned towards Neteyam and me and yelled at us. Jake's abrupt shout made me jump in my place.
"You two! You know who did this, don't you? You've been acting strange lately and keeping it from me for a long time. Who is this person? Tell me now!"
I immediately lowered my head and avoided Jake's gaze. I turned my head slightly to the side and glanced at Neteyam. Unlike me, he held his head high, his face showing no emotion, and he was looking directly at his father. Drawing courage from him, I slowly raised my head. Neteyam was about to speak when I quickly intervened.
"Jake, we don't know who this person is either. That's why we were investigating. But they must have realized we were looking into it, and as a threat, they left this message."
I tried to sound as serious as possible. Jake, upon hearing my response, angrily snorted through his nose and shot us with a withering glare. As his gaze shifted away from us, I subtly released the breath I had been holding. At least I had diverted his attention from us. I glanced at the person whose touch I still felt in my hand. Neteyam had been holding my hand quietly, gently stroking it to help keep me calm. Neytiri approached Jake slowly and began massaging his shoulders with her hands. With Neytiri's massage, Jake's anger seemed to subside a bit, and he took a deep breath. Then, he looked at each of us and began speaking.
"Throw that bedding directly into the fire and burn it. Lidya should sleep somewhere else tonight. We'll deal with this issue in detail tomorrow."
Jake ordered, and then, as best as he could, went towards his hammock to sleep. After Jake left, Lo'ak took the bedding and threw it into the fire nearby, which resembled a large campfire. Kiri and Neytiri were cleaning up the area, and Neteyam took me by the hand and led me outside. When we stepped outside, he slowed his fast pace and turned his steps towards the forest. Without hesitation, I followed him. We were still relatively close to the clan. The bioluminescent lights illuminated the surroundings since it was nighttime. Normally, this would have delighted me, but right now, I was in no mood for happiness.
When we reached a stream's edge, Neteyam immediately stopped. He let go of my hand and sat down on the soft earthy ground. I quickly joined him, sitting beside him. He picked up some stones from around us and threw them far away. Then he lay down, resting his head on his arm. With his other arm, he gently pulled me, so I lay down beside him. Propping myself up on my elbow, I started looking at him. Neteyam remained completely silent, lying there with his eyes closed. His face was calm, showing no hint of emotion. I felt compelled to speak up.
"Neteyam? Aren't we going to talk?"
Neteyam opened one eye and looked at me. He reached out and gently touched my nape, pulling me closer to him. Then, in a calm voice, he replied.
"Rest now. We will talk tomorrow."
He said, planting a soft kiss on my hair. I responded with a quiet "Okay" and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind of the day's events. When I opened my eyes a few minutes later, I had returned to my human body. Compared to my avatar body, I felt weaker and more tired in my human form. After staring in silence for a while, the events of today came rushing back to my mind. Tears slowly began to roll down from my eyes. I opened the link-bed's cover to take a breath. After disconnecting the wires from my head and upper body, I stayed in place without moving, lying there. I had fallen asleep while silently crying.
I woke up in the morning when someone nudged me. When I opened my eyes and looked at the person who had woken me up, I saw that it was Max. He was looking at me with a worried expression. I yawned and sat up in bed. Max sat down next to me and continued to look at me.
"Lidya, are you okay? You look terrible."
His words made me glance at the reflection of my face in the internal glass of the room on my right. My eyes were bright red from crying last night. Dark circles had formed under my eyes, and I looked paler than usual, appearing almost ghostly. My lips were chapped, and a bit of blood had oozed from the cracks. I was in shock as I stared at my reflection. Was this really me? I had turned into a vampire. With a worried expression, I looked back at Max.
"Wait here. I'll bring you something to eat and the new medication I've prepared for you."
He said and quickly left the room. While waiting for Max to return, I started to examine the room. My clothes smelled of sweat, and when I noticed a few strands of hair on them, I panicked. I gazed anxiously at the internal glass on my right once more. My hair had significantly thinned, making it impossible for me to go outside like this. I began to cry uncontrollably. What was I going to do? Everything seemed to be falling apart.
When Max returned and saw me crying, he rushed over and placed what he was carrying on the table before sitting beside me. He put his hand on my back, attempting to comfort me. He started to stroke the remaining strands of my hair gently. I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to stop my tears. Then, I asked him the question that had been on my mind.
"Max... Can I ask you for something?"
My voice was incredibly weak and feeble. Max replied with a kind tone full of curiosity,
"Of course, Lidya. You don't even need to ask."
I turned my head slowly to look at him and managed a smile. He smiled back at me, but the smile gradually faded as I expressed my request.
"Could you cut my hair? I can't bear to see them falling out anymore."
Max pressed his lips together and thought for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly.
"However you like it, princess. But first, eat your meal and take your medicine."
With that, he got up from where he was sitting and placed a sandwich and a fruit juice box on the table in front of me. I took them from Max and started eating. After finishing the meal, I took the pills that would, albeit minimally, slow down the progression of my illness. I didn't know how long these medications would be effective, but I took them for Max's sake. While I was eating, Max must have brought a trimmer with him, his own by the looks of it. He placed a chair in the center of the room and asked me to sit down. I gave him a puzzled look. Was he going to cut my hair here?
"Max, the room will get dirty, and the hair will be scattered all over."
I said, pointing to the floor as I spoke. Max smiled at me.
"Don't worry. I'll clean up. Come on, have a seat."
I looked at him gratefully before getting up from the connection-bed and sitting in the chair. Max started the trimmer and looked at my face for the last time, seeking my approval. I nodded, indicating for him to continue. There was no turning back now.
Max slowly began shaving off the remaining strands of my hair. I watched as my hair fell gently to the floor. Unable to bear witnessing their fall any longer, I closed my eyes. A few minutes later, when the trimmer's sound stopped, I slowly opened my eyes. I didn't look at Max; instead, I stared at my reflection in the internal glass of the room. When I saw my bald head, I showed no reaction and just kept gazing at my reflection. No, I wouldn't cry. I needed to stay strong from now on, no matter how difficult it might be. I slowly lowered my gaze to the floor. Then, after taking a deep breath, I turned back to Max. He was looking at me with a somewhat melancholic smile. When he gazed at me like that, I tried to smile back at him. I got up from the chair and returned to the connection-bed. I needed to go back to Neteyam. Max called out to me before I could leave the room.
"Lidya, you need to rest."
I looked at him and shook my head. No, there was no time to rest. Things were already chaotic enough. I couldn't let them get even more complicated.
"No, I can't. I need to go back there. A few things happened. Jake got really angry. I'll tell you everything later, promise, but I need to go back."
Max hesitated at first, but then accepted when he saw my determination. I quickly lay down in the connection bed and closed the lid. I closed my eyes and waited to connect to my avatar. It took longer than usual. I hoped this delay wasn't related to my health.
My consciousness slowly began to return. Before opening my eyes, I heard distant voices shouting. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying alone on the ground. When I turned around, I saw Neteyam standing and looking in the direction of the voices. I got up and approached him. When I placed my hand on his shoulder, he noticed me and checked if I was okay.
"What are these voices?" I asked with curiosity.
The shouts sounded more like cries of pain. Did something happen to someone?
"I don't know. Let's go find out," he said, and we started walking.
When we reached the source of the voices, a group of Na'vi had gathered. One of them was kneeling on the ground, crying. A few people were gathered around, trying to comfort her. One person was angrily shouting around, agitating a few other Na'vi, causing them to hiss and scream. I stared in shock at the scene. What was happening these days? Oh Eywa, help us all.
Neteyam quietly approached a Na'vi and asked what had happened. The Na'vi answered immediately.
"Someone killed poor Nì'aym's Pa'li. She found its body just now. According to her brother, they killed Pa'li with a knife. The knife is stuck on top of the Pa'li's body."
As I heard this, a wave of shock and anger washed over me. How could someone kill a Pa'li? They were one of the most innocent creatures on Pandora. But the fact that a knife was stuck on the Pa'li's body was suspicious. She couldn't have gone this far, could she? I hoped I was wrong. After the disaster last night, I wouldn't put anything past her.
Neteyam showed no reaction to what the Na'vi were saying. With a completely neutral expression, he pushed his way into the crowded group to get a better look at the two Na'vi crying in pain. Since he still held my hand tightly, I automatically followed him. As we passed in front of everyone, Nì'aym's brother was waving the knife he held in the air, frantically pacing around. When I looked at the knife he was holding in the air, I was shocked beyond belief. I held my breath suddenly. This... was my knife. My heart started pounding with fear. If it were revealed that the knife was mine, everyone here would instantly turn against me. I quickly waved Neteyam's hand to get his attention. He looked at me as if to ask, "What's wrong again?" Ignoring his questioning look, I whispered directly into his ear.
"Neteyam, we need to get out of here immediately. Right now!"
Neteyam furrowed his brow and looked at me.
"Why? What's going on?"
It was clear that he didn't understand. I began to pull him by the arm while trying to answer him.
"I'll explain, but first, we need to get away from here."
Without saying anything, Neteyam followed me. As we tried to get out of the crowd, I suddenly froze in my tracks upon hearing a voice from behind me. No! Please!
"I know the owner of this knife! This knife belongs to an avatar! And that avatar is Lidya!"
She said angrily. I slowly turned around to look. A'ina was pointing at me with her index finger, and that devilish grin I had seen yesterday was on her face. Everyone suddenly started staring at me. Nervously, I looked at everyone around me one by one. Nì'aym's brother glared at me with fiery eyes and quickly lunged towards me with my own knife in hand. Neteyam intervened just in time, kicking him and then drawing his own knife, hissing at him. The Na'vi with the bloody nose from the kick got up and hissed at Neteyam. Every time the Na'vi tried to reach me, Neteyam swiftly blocked their path. At that moment, someone approached me from behind, slowly, and grabbed my throat with his arm, attempting to attack me. Out of reflex, thanks to the self-defense lessons I had taken before, I struck his stomach hard with my elbow. Then, I twisted his arm, forcing him to the ground. I delivered a blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. The agonized cry of the Na'vi I had just rendered unconscious had caught everyone's attention. Taking advantage of this distraction, I quickly grabbed Neteyam's hand, and we tried to escape from there. A group of Na'vi chased us from behind. Eywa, help us! After running a bit further, we saw Olo'eyktan's tent in the distance. We rushed into Olo'eyktan's tent. The guards had seen the approaching crowd and blocked the entrance to the tent. A storm was raging outside. Jake suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at us as we entered. Then he got up from where he was sitting and approached us.
"What's going on here? What's wrong with you two? And what's with the commotion outside?"
Neteyam and I were both out of breath. Once I caught my breath, I explained to Jake.
"I had lost the knife you gave me a while ago. Now, someone used that knife to kill a girl's Pa'li. I was caught red-handed."
When I finished explaining the situation, Jake cursed and shot me a stern look. I immediately lowered my head. As he headed towards the tent entrance to calm the crowd, he expressed his disappointment.
"You've been acting very recklessly lately, Lidya. Get yourself together!"
I looked down completely crestfallen. I couldn't lift my head for a moment. How could I fall into this trap? How couldn't I have seen this coming? How?? Neteyam, who had been silent for a long time, slowly approached me. He took my chin in his hand and lifted my face. When I looked at him with tear-filled eyes, even though he didn't smile at me, his eyes were filled with tenderness. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I, in turn, wrapped my arms around his neck. Despite all the hardships we had endured, I was grateful to have someone as wonderful as him by my side.
After our embrace and the passage of time during which he gently stroked my hair, we were waiting for Jake to arrive and sit somewhere. After a while, I could tell from the silence outside that the chaos had subsided. I lifted my head from where I was sitting and looked towards the entrance of the tent. Jake was walking slowly inside. His gaze was fixed on the ground, lost in deep thought. After walking a bit more, he raised his head. When he did, our eyes met. He gave me a sorrowful smile. Please, let this smile not foretell something bad. Neteyam quickly went to Jake's side, and I also got up and joined them. Jake pondered for a moment on how to say what he needed to. Then, he looked at me and spoke.
"I managed to send the angry mob to their tents, but this is not the end. Their anger hasn't subsided. Lidya, this place is now dangerous for you. It would be safer for you to stay in the lab until we find the real culprit."
With what he said, I closed my eyes. At least it would be for a short while. I had to find that culprit myself. A'ina couldn't have done all this alone. There are other dirty hands behind this. Neteyam rebelled upon hearing his father's words. I knew he would never accept me being locked up in the lab for a while.
"Dad, do you realize what you're saying? I can't leave Lidya alone there. Her place is here, by my side."
Jake took a deep breath and replied to Neteyam.
"Do I have any other choice, son? Things are chaotic right now. Everyone is after revenge on Lidya. They've gone mad. If Lidya dies, you-"
He suddenly stopped. No, Jake. This is not the right time. No! Suddenly, Jake and I locked eyes. Neteyam was staring intently at his father with his ears perked up.
"If Lidya dies, what?"
He asked with curiosity. It was clear he was trying to control his anger in his voice. Jake attempted to avoid eye contact, occasionally glancing at me. Please don't look at me. My head is already in enough trouble. Unfortunately, Neteyam had noticed this. He looked at me and asked.
"Do you know?"
He asked, wanting to make sure. I innocently looked at him, then at Jake. Neteyam must have grown tired of these glances because he suddenly raised his voice.
"Oh, Great Mother! Can you stop these foolish looks and give me an answer already!"
Jake sighed and looked at Neteyam. He put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Then he responded to him gently.
"I will tell you everything, my son. But now is not the right time."
Despite Jake's words, Neteyam didn't say anything. He just remained silent and looked at him. I was quite tired of the conservative atmosphere around us. I quickly changed the subject.
"It would be better for everyone's safety if I go to the lab."
I said in a tense voice. Jake must have understood that I changed the topic, and he immediately went along with it.
"All right. I'll tell one of the guards to take you safely to the lab."
Upon Jake's words, Neteyam immediately interjected. Come on, Neteyam, please don't create more problems.
"No need for a guard. I'll take her."
He said with a serious expression. Just as Jake was about to object, Neteyam spoke again.
"I'll take her, Dad! I don't trust anyone anymore. Let me protect the few people I still trust."
He said and prepared his knife in its sheath while taking my hand. We left the tent together and started walking towards the lab. As we walked, I subtly glanced at Neteyam. His expression was emotionless, and his eyes scanned everything around us. Neteyam used to be calm, never rebellious, and always obedient to his family's wishes. However, over time, due to the events he had experienced, he had started to speak up and no longer remained silent like before. I couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing.
When we reached the laboratory and approached the door where only avatars entered, I turned to Neteyam and looked at him. He wasn't looking at me, just at the ground.
"Neteyam? You're not angry with me, are you?"
I asked to make sure. Neteyam furrowed his brows and looked at me, saying only one thing.
"Why did you hide whatever that is from me?"
I had been expecting this question, so I honestly told him.
"Jake had told me that he wanted to tell you himself. That's why I didn't say anything. But it seems he hasn't been able to gather the courage to tell you. He was afraid of your reaction."
He looked at me attentively with what I said. Then, with a confident demeanor, he spoke.
"Tell me. Now. Here."
I frowned. Please don't ask me to do this.
"Neteyam, I'm-"
He immediately cut me off.
"Please..."
This time, he said it with a weak voice. He couldn't hold on much longer. I didn't want to insist further. I took his hand and led him to a place where I was sure no one would overhear us. When we got there, I hesitated for a moment, wondering where to start. Then, I took a deep breath and looked at him. He was paying close attention, waiting for me to explain. So, I began to tell him.
"To make my first connection with an Avatar, I needed permission from your father. When I went to ask for permission, he and Tsahik were having a serious conversation. They told me that I must not die, and if I did, you would die too. There's a bond between us given by Eywa. At first, I didn't believe it, but then Jake told me about an incident. Tsahik saw me through Eywa's eyes, and when I fell to the ground and hurt my head, you also felt the same pain in your head and became restless. Jake was worried about events like that. So, he offered that we should mate to ensure we stay together."
Slowly, I carefully chose each word as I explained everything to him. Then, I fell silent and waited for his reaction. He didn't say anything, just stared at me intently. He didn't even blink, which started to make me uncomfortable. Breaking the silence, I called out to him.
"Neteyam?"
As I addressed him, he closed his eyes and bowed his head. After a while, he opened his eyes and began looking around as if he didn't know how to react. He had every right to feel that way. He turned to me and asked a question.
"So, why did he hide this from us for all these years? Did you ever ask him?"
I answered him immediately.
"Yes, I did. He told me he didn't want us to misunderstand and pretend to be good to each other just because of the bond between us."
With my response, he nodded thoughtfully. There was a moment of silence. Then, Neteyam leaned his head towards me, as if wanting to continue the silence, and we touched our foreheads together. I reflexively closed my eyes, focusing on feeling him. I raised my hand and touched his face. It immediately settled into my palm and rubbed against it. His reaction made me chuckle. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I pulled my hand from his cheek and wrapped my arms around his neck. As I did this, he moved his forehead away from mine and started to look at me. He examined every inch of my face with those mesmerizing amber eyes. I smiled at him and began playing with the back of his hair while trying to calm my racing heart. I was sure my face was turning purple because my cheeks were burning. When I pulled my gaze away from his hair and back to his face, he was still looking at me. His gaze was intense and filled with desire. Under his intense gaze, I felt embarrassed and looked away. He reacted to my shyness by widening his smile and slowly placing his chin on my shoulder, hugging me tightly. When he hugged me, my heart rate increased. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and closed my eyes, savoring this moment. After a while of silently embracing each other, Neteyam moved slightly and buried his nose in the hollow of my neck. When I felt his breath on my neck, a shiver ran down my spine. I didn't know how to react. He was taking me by surprise. Suddenly, he took a short but wet and impactful kiss on that spot. His kiss caught me off guard, and I involuntarily giggled. When he heard my giggle, he laughed too. If anyone saw us from a distance, they would wonder why these fools were laughing for no reason. My cheeks, already burning from his proximity, now blushed even more because I felt ridiculous for laughing at this situation. I got a little annoyed and lightly, without hurting him, tapped his back a few times.
"Hey! Stop laughing, skxawng!"
My words made him stop laughing, but he still hadn't moved away from my neck. He rested the side of his face there and then took a deep breath to speak.
"I really like you, Lidya. Whether there's a bond between us or not, I feel like myself when I'm with you."
His kind words made butterflies flutter in my stomach. I started grinning like a fool. Neteyam, who once ignored me, hated me for a silly reason, and pushed me away, was now telling me that he really liked me. To draw him closer to me, I hugged him even tighter. I planted a small kiss on his shoulder. I was sure he could hear my heart racing like crazy because I could feel his heartbeats racing just as fast. It was beating so rapidly, and I loved it. I started smiling even wider. I didn't know how long we had been embracing each other, but suddenly, we heard a cough from the direction of the laboratory. In a reflex, we separated from each other. When we looked in the direction of the sound with surprised eyes, we saw Norm in an Avatar body. Norm?
"Norm! You're back! Why didn't you let us know?"
I said with joy, and Neteyam was also smiling at him. Norm squinted his eyes suspiciously at us. Then, he approached us slowly, placing one hand on my shoulder and the other on Neteyam's. He squeezed my shoulder gently, but he seemed to have squeezed Neteyam's shoulder a bit harder, judging by Neteyam's slightly furrowed brow.
"I just landed from the helicopter. I saw you from the air and decided to come say hello."
He said in a calm tone. I hugged him with a smile. Then, I stepped back and returned to Neteyam's side. Norm smiled at both of us.
"Come on, Lidya. Let's go inside. See you later, Neteyam."
He said and started walking towards the door. I turned to Neteyam and planted a goodbye kiss on his cheek. He looked at me with sparkling eyes.
"I promise to find the real culprit and get you out of this concrete jungle. I promise."
He said with a confident and serious expression. I nodded in agreement and turned to walk towards the door. I could feel him watching me as I left. When I reached the door and went inside, passing through the avatars, I was lost in thought. This time, 1/0, you might have taken the lead, A'ina, but you haven't won yet. I will come back. Whether you try to kill me, accuse me, insult me, intimidate me, do whatever you want, it doesn't matter. I will always come back, whether you accept it or not...