‘Heartless. That’s all you are.’

This time, she was lying on solid ground, looking up at the bright sky, where the sun hid behind thick clouds. It was as if someone had thrown her in the middle of a bare desert and left her to dry like a dead fish.

‘So consider this a gift from me. A gift of sweet revenge.’

The female voice sounded like she was crying. Luna’s eyes began to close slowly. And then she only saw blackness. Even after blinking a few times, it was still darkness that she saw.

So she just gazed at the emptiness, hoping she’d wake up. But all of a sudden, there was an intense strength of wind blowing. Her eyes were opened and she was now looking at calm ocean water. Her feet were at the edge of whatever she was standing on, probably a jetty but she couldn’t be sure because she couldn’t move.

‘Are you fine living like that?’

It was the same voice in the first dream she had. And then, miraculously, her mouth moved. It wasn’t her who willed it but the body she was in who had spoken.

‘I’m kind of tired of existing… of everything…’

It was the original Luna’s voice. She was probably going through her memories.

‘It has not happened yet, you’re holding out good.’

The foreign voice replied.

‘I wish for death,’ Luna said quietly.

‘Death will come, it’s just a matter of time and until then, you’re bound to suffer.’

‘The sins I have committed, is there any more forgiveness left for me to ask for?’

Suddenly the voices rang in her head like a loud bang. She winced but the voices became louder and louder, as if someone had turned the volume to the max. Her ears ache from the endless echoing screams and so did my head. 

Luna cried out.

***

Luna woke up with a start and her heart was beating so quickly she thought she was about to die. She breathed in but her trachea seemed so narrow it felt like she was choked.

‘...na! Helena…!’ She tried to yell. ‘Helena!!’

The door burst open urgently. She didn’t turn to look but it wasn’t Helena that approached her. A large hand was placed on her chest and she calmed down, albeit still breathing heavily. The person laid her back on the bed, and she looked.

‘Elias,’ Luna spoke.

‘Did you have a nightmare?’ he asked.

She nodded. Her head was still hurting from the loud voices, as if it wasn’t a dream at all.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘You’ll only dream of good things now.’

‘What?’ And only then, the drowsiness hit her. Oh God––it’d be nightmares all over again. Her head felt light and she thought she was swaying, like a baby in a mother’s arms being rocked and lulled to sleep.

Her eyelids began to shut as she lost herself in the moment. ‘No…’ She croaked. ‘No more…’

***

‘Is it okay to let her continue sleeping?’

Elias turned his head to Helena who was leaning at the doorway, a feather duster in her hand. 

‘Yeah.’

‘I thought His Majesty called her over,’ she replied.

‘I’ll explain to him,’ said Elias and stood from the bed. ‘Set up the scented candles.’

‘I know,’ Helena said and walked away. Elias took one last look at Luna and left as well.

***

‘Your Majesty.’

Lucilius was reading a book when a knock on the door came. He was lying on his bed, right leg crossed over his left one and one hand behind his head.

‘Come in,’ he said without averting his eyes from the book.

The door opened and a knight entered.

‘Archer,’ Lucilius greeted, glancing at the silver-haired male. ‘How did it go?’

Archer von Eins, aide of the emperor and the strongest knight in Sirius. He was just back from a special mission given by the emperor himself. He had silver hair, which would glisten in the sun and ocean blue eyes that would shine in the dark. His armour rustled as he knelt on one knee.

‘The Truth Potion worked fine,’ began Archer. ‘I tracked the group of bandits but they were murdered. One of them was barely alive so I forced it on him.’

‘Turns out, they were paid to kill her,’ he continued. ‘From a person who did not reveal their identity. They were given a small bottle of red liquid each and were told to let it open when approaching the magician. They lured her to a secluded place before making a move.’

Lucilius frowned. ‘She didn’t fight back?’

Archer shook his head. ‘Apparently, no. He said she looked like she was out of it or something along that line then and they began their work. They never got their payment but were instead attacked by an unknown, unseen force.’

‘Typical,’ Lucilius muttered then sat up from his pillow. ‘Did you get the bottle?’

‘I did but it was empty, barely a single drop,’ Archer answered. ‘Still, I have given it to the physician to be checked.’

The emperor nodded.

Archer went silent, thinking. Then, ‘If I may ask, how badly was she injured?’

‘A seemingly fatal stab on her heart, bruises here and there,’ he replied. ‘I deemed her dead but Elias begged me to bring her back to the tower, convinced she could be saved.’

‘So you brought her back?’

‘She was barely cured.’

Archer waited. He knew there was more to it.

Lucilius glanced at the knight and sighed, ‘At one point during the time she was bedridden, Elias blurted out about her magic slipping away while I was with him.’

‘Knowing you, you must have ordered an execution for the magician.’

‘Right after she woke up,’ said Lucilius. ‘But she claimed she lost her memories and when I stabbed her, she healed herself in a matter of seconds.’

‘Heal!?’ Archer gasped. As expected, anyone would be shocked.

‘It’s kept a secret. Elias is handling the affairs with the citizens in her place.’

‘A Healer…’ Archer murmured.

‘By now, she should have at least remembered something about the attack.’

‘What a blessing for our country to have gained a Healer,’ said Archer.

‘Truly,’ said Lucilius, annoyed. He plopped his head back onto his pillow.

Archer smiled. ‘You don’t seem so happy about it, though.’

‘It’s nothing,’ Lucilius scowled, then closed his book, putting it beside him. ‘You may leave.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

When Archer left his chamber, Lucilius sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. As much as he told himself he didn’t care about whether the attack was an accident or not, he had still instructed his aide to investigate what really happened. It didn’t make any sense when the greatest magician Sirius had ever had had disappeared for days and when traced, she was found wounded and dying.

Besides, it angered him that someone would even think of injuring a prominent member of the country, as it could also indicate a declaration of war. The fact that the magician was attacked was kept a secret from almost everyone; only certain people knew of the incident.

Who could’ve been more powerful than Luna?

Lucilius got off his bed and put on a robe before heading out to the garden.

***

Standing crossed-arms, side by side with Mavis, the two stared at the Healer sleeping in the teahouse of Orion, head on the table with faint, occasional snoring escaping her slightly gaped mouth.

‘You bring her back,’ said Lucilius but Mavis didn’t move. ‘Are you still sulking?’

The cobra turned away from him.

‘Mavis.’

But the animal didn’t stop; it kept slithering and finally disappeared into the night. Lucilius huffed. He had no other choice.

***

‘Who’s here in the middle of the n––Your Majesty!’

The maid of Ophiuchus had whined, rubbing her eyes then quickly dropped to the ground onto her knees when she saw who had walked in through the door that was linked to the emperor’s palace.

‘Tell her it was Mavis who brought her back,’ said Lucilius as he headed for the Healer’s room. Helena followed behind him nervously.

‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ she replied timidly. All the sleepiness in her eyes vanished in an instant, as if she was being thrown a bucket of ice water.

The emperor placed the girl on the bed and left without saying anything further. Helena bowed deeply then rushed to tuck the Healer in properly.