𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝕿𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: 𝕱𝖊𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖇𝖞 𝕷𝖆𝖚𝖛
***
The cloak started to cover the orange sky. The birds flew in flocks, away from the dancing branches of the trees.
I grip the blanket covering my body from behind and tuck some strands of my hair getting swayed by these icy breezes.
In the blink of an eye, I saw darkness with some jewels far above the sky. Accompanied by it, was a shadow I could never forget.
It's been two days since that happened, why Vaxius said those words, and how Alexander never bothered me again.
For those two days, I mostly stayed at the manor, helping Flora with some chores that I insisted her to make me learn. Sometimes, I would go to the garden and start plucking flowers, on other days I would embroider, and at the same time, I would secretly sneak out of the household and into the market, alone.
It's been two days since I felt like I could gain freedom, away from the noble's eyes, away from such tradition, and away from such a cage.
I've never been this way in my first life. Never did I once disobey my parents, nor did I sneak away out of personal interests.
I felt that this time, it was truly different.
I followed that silhouette, and I saw something that I never expected to see. Klein was talking to someone, a person that was covered in a black cloak, he was kneeling in front while Klein was saying some words I couldn't even hear.
Klein looks different.
He had sharp eyes, and mouth that spoke of some foreign words.
I nearly gasped if it weren't for me hiding from the corner of the hallways. I covered my mouth immediately when I was about to make a sound. I didn't even know I was this inch close to the floor from sitting.
He seemed to be different. I felt like I'd seen the future person in his eyes, his future that is full of betrayal.
I need to get out of here.
That's what I've thought but my feet won't move. I felt like I'd been glued to the wall and that it was barely making me breathe at ease.
Slowly turning towards that direction, the two people were gone now, and what was left was the cold breezes that got to sway the leaves around the manor.
Even if it's night, the crescent moon's light makes the falling leaves visible to the ground. Then it made me remember how Klein's hair felt like silver in the white light of darkness.
I closed my eyes and breath, before finally deciding what to do.
I don't want to admit but I have to talk to him. Not because I found him suspicious but because I felt like he was not my best friend anymore.
***
"Klein, can you spare me some of your time?"
"Viona, you look serious. Of course, but why the sudden?"
"I have something I want to ask, do you still want to proceed?"
The way his lips became flat, when he nodded I saw the ruby jeweled eyes that would always shine became dull.
For a moment, I felt I saw a different person, a person who wasn't the young boy I once knew.
"The tea seems a bit refreshing isn't it?" He said.
While we were now in the garden, enjoying some time outside the manor, my mind still wandered from last night and how hard I tried not to knock on his door and step a foot inside his room just to ask him about his sudden change.
Still, he might not even understand that part of me.
He lifted his cup and shook it in a circular gentle manner. He began closing his eyes when he leaned the tea near his nose. I heard him inhale the fresh and yet warm smoke of the black tea until he looked directly into my eyes.
Just by those gestures, I am reminded of how we used to be, and yet, I could see from the curled edges of his eyes were such gazes penetrating deep within my soul.
"So what is it that you want to ask me, Viona?" He said. The tone of his voice felt warm, a kind of tone that I've been captivated by from the start.
I shrugged off those kinds of thoughts and began doing what he had done earlier. Only that, instead of looking at him, I looked at the distant sky. Then the wind suddenly came and swayed my brown dull hair once more.
I sighed and finally smiled at him.
I know that asking him why he's like this would earn me some more confusion since he could easily make some excuses.
That's why if asking him the truth won't work then only this trick would do.
Since I wouldn't want to be lost in this game that he might have already started.
"Why don't you tour me around the business that you're doing, Klein?" I asked him putting down the tea on the table and slowly as I got up, I walked towards him who had this sharpened look in his eyes before he blinked them away.
I silently chuckled and grabbed a hold of his cheeks. I leaned our foreheads together until our noses started to touch.
I know I shouldn't be doing this but I also know that I can't help it, not when wanted to see why he's like this.
Upon the gesture, I saw his ruby eyes widen like he never expected I would do this kind of thing since in the first place I was never this intimate to him, not when I started this second life.
I ruffled his hair which made it messier than I thought and laughed when I turned around to face the distant sun.
"I just want to know more about my best friend, and what he's been doing this past few weeks. It's already making me sad that you're always busy and that doesn't have enough time for me," I said pouting.
I expected to immediately return to my seat when I felt his warm hands around my shoulders and it made me gasp when I felt such warmth around my back.
It's as if this couldn't get my heart to race again.
"In exchange will you let us stay this way for a moment?" He whispered. That soft tone coming from his voice, I felt like they were whispers from his heart.
His grip became tight when I tried to give us some space as if he never wanted this moment to end.
I sighed as I encircled my hands on his arms and pressed them for some time until I was already patting them.
It took us countless times before I even realized that I was already facing him.
"I thought I lost you to someone it turns out that you're still the same as ever, silly Viona," he said patting my head while leaning our foreheads together.
He closed his eyes and I did as well until I felt like he lifted me from the ground and carried me to somewhere else.
"If that's what my best friend wants then shouldn't we be going before the day runs out?" He said.
There's this kind of tone that he had, the same tone as the Klein I used to know. As if he had never changed nor as if the vision I saw that night wasn't even real.
And like the breeze that changes its temperature, did I just imagine what happened last night as well?
I don't know.
I felt like these days, I've been trying to have these false memories and I can't even pinpoint what's reality and not.
"Just hold my hand and never let go, or else I won't be able to forgive you, Viona"
"Now you're talking"
We both laughed as we went ahead of the carriage after preparing. Now I felt that we had become children again. Klein couldn't even stop from talking about the things he had been busy with, how he wandered around the streets and asked people about this famous food and clothing since he had in mind that he would establish a business.
So that's why he looked so serious that night, is that it? And the cloaked figure I saw from then on, was one of his servants carrying out his orders and for what? To establish a business?
I must be deluding but something felt off. Or was it just my imagination again?
"Viona are you all right?" Klein asked and I didn't even know that he had already his hands wrapped around my forehead.
My face began to heat and I unconsciously moved away from him and said something that made him wrinkle his eyebrows.
Just the scent of him and catching his breath near mine made me feel like I was in love again.
Stupid heart, please listen to me while I seal you away, all right?
I sighed.
The long ride came to a halt and as I was about to go down, Klein was already handing me his hand and I took it. But as soon as I stepped on the stairs my hills twisted and now I'm already in his arms again.
"I see, you're clumsy as ever, Viona..." he said as I snuggled my face in my hands while he only laughed at my circumstance.
Ugh! Why does he have to say those words in such a sexy manner?
As we proceeded to the market, he toured me around the area and the people got to know him. We even went to a nearby café and enjoyed our time, while he talked about the things that he knew, the cake that was delicious in the café as well as their best-seller.
Just as we were about to come out, Klein excused himself for a while. But as curious as I was, after five minutes that passed, he never came back so I followed the direction he went and saw something that I never expected.
I thought that the room I came in was a rest room but it turns out that five cloaked people were kneeling in front of Klein while he was looking at the brown envelope that they had given him.
I felt like I was having such delusions so I blinked my eyes again and they were still there.
So last night wasn't even a dream or imagination they were all real, and I had to move away as if nothing had happened but the sound of my hills got into a hole in the wooden tile of the café and the next thing I knew, a shadow was already in front of me.
He had this sharp blade and was about to swing it to my neck. I even felt powerless, as if I couldn't move away.
I was only waiting for my fall but this familiar warmth came to my senses and when I opened my eyes, I saw Klein.
But he wasn't smiling or giving this golden aura. I saw him looking at me without the edges of his lips lifted.
But I saw him averted his gaze from mine to go to the shadow who was now kneeling with a shaking body.
"I thought I told you not to touch what's mine"
"B-But My lord, you will still kill her in the end, right? Why not kill her now?"
"You think I won't? It's just that she's still useful for now. After that, I will be the one to dispose of her on my own two hands, got that?"
"B-But my l-lord, she will be a nuisance to our plans, we can't let her live if that-----"
With a snap of Klein's fingers, the shadow became ashes.
The other shadows went to kneel in front of him as their bodies couldn't stop shaking.
"Now, if you don't do as I say you all will be like him, remember that..."
"Yes, Mu lord..." they all said in unison
Now the man I know as Klein looked at me, there was this terrifying aura coming from his eyes even if the corners of his lips never went to his ears.
"Viona, sweet dreams... the next time you wake up, you will never remember a thing..." he whispers as he puts his hand to close my eyes. The darkness engulfed but before I could even process what I was saying I spoke of some words that I felt vague to my ears.
"Who are you?"
"Someone you shouldn't have trusted in the first place..."
***
"Ahh!!!" I shouted covering my chest as if I was in pain and couldn't breathe. I felt like I had this crazy nightmare and I couldn't even recall any of it.
"Viona, are you all right?"
"Klein?" I asked and he came into my comfort hugging me again.
I felt like I had some part of my memory lost. I hugged him tight but I felt a tiny shiver when doing so.
What was that? I asked myself but I tried to shrug it off, it was until the memory of that night when Vaxius met me in the market that suffice
"You have to go back to the capital in two weeks, Viona..." his voice kept ringing in my ears until I finally let go of Klein.
I don't know why, it could have been a disaster or something that would have happened but I needed to tell Klein if not I wouldn't know what would happen after these two weeks.
"Klein, can we go back to the capital after two weeks from now?" I asked but there's some glint in his eyes that suddenly vanished when I looked at him.
He patted my head and said with a warm smile like always, "As my dearest best friend wishes..."
But I felt like there was this unsettling aura, around us. As if something was off from the start.