Feather Of Love

Embers dream

"I was still in a deep dream that no one could carry or catch. It was my only skin, the only thing I could see. I found myself laying my head on a really soft lap of a woman in a bright yellow dress, surrounded by a field full of flowers. There wasn't even a single window building. The woman was playing with my fuzzy hair. It wasn't annoying; rather, it was calming. She chuckled with happiness, 'Ethan, don't forget about me because I will not forget you or anything. You are my only soldier I trust.'

The sunshine hit my eyes, and I couldn't even see her face clearly. I was so happy; my heart was pounding full of warmth. Even if I couldn't see her face, I wished this dream would never end. Suddenly, I felt the heat of the sun turn to fire; all the flowers appeared on fire, and I found myself standing surrounded by flames. The woman was looking at me, still smiling happily.

I couldn't see her face, but her voice echoed in my ears. Even though she was surrounded by flames, I moved closer to her to see her, but she began to step back. Yet, she wasn't afraid. I was speechless. I ran toward her to grab her hand to save her from the fire, but as I tried, everything turned to ash. The fire disappeared, and her body turned to ashes on the ground. Tears flowed down, and I turned away. Everything around me turned into buildings, but they all seemed like a ghost town.

I couldn't see anyone, and the only things I could see were buildings. I woke up in a cold sweat and found myself on the calm horse in the peaceful forest. I looked at my hand; I was angry. I clenched from my anger, from my feelings that never disappeared. I put my hand on my chest and clenched it so hard, hoping to rid myself of this feeling in my heart, but nothing worked. So, I got my sword and began to train. I trained so hard; every time I remembered something, I began to slash the sword around, as if trying to erase those memories. I remembered when Mia helped me some morning, making me feel happy.

I got angrier and selected this sword between those memories. I remembered her when her smile softened, when her face shined even brighter. It made me angrier, so I slashed my sword even harder. I closed my eyes, slashing at every memory until I felt a little weight on the tip of the sword. I looked at it; there was a small bird sitting on the tip, looking at me and then flying suddenly to the sky.

In that moment, I stopped, resting my head on the handle of the sword and let the sword rest on the ground. I went to the river behind me to clean up; I was so sweaty because all those memories just made me feel like tearing up every single time. After finishing, I put my clothes on and dried off. I went to the horse, made sure it was fed, then leashed it and rode toward Eric's place.

So fast, and every time I saw a monster, I began to fight it just to quell my anger. I didn't want to talk to anyone; I just wanted to train to forget. I killed so many monsters on my way; I didn't get the chance to bring them back, but I collected the magic stones from them. They were full of fun, making me forget the unforgettable moments. After finishing the first checkpoint in a place full of shops, I headed towards Eric, the Gold Master, my best friend who held all my memories.

I wouldn't share anything about my feelings with him; he was a foxy person. He might say he would help me, but he always forgot because his selfishness sometimes got the better of him. I didn't trust him that much. I didn't know how Mia trusted him in the first place. As I returned, I saw the Guild packed with people, as I expected. When I received that Eric wanted me, it was from Sylvia because she had the crystal ball that connected people without being face-to-face, using magic. I didn't know exactly what had happened, so I went directly to Eric. He looked so happy; I didn't care what he was looking at. I sat waiting for answers; he got closer to me and sat in front of me.

'Ethan, finally, my dream will come true. I've been telling you since childhood; I will make a revolution and make all those who dared to kill my family pay the price. Now, my Guild is back with people who want revolution against this kingdom,' he said playfully, as if the revolution was nothing but a toy.

I looked at him so seriously in the eyes as he played with his knife like usual. 'You know, all these people want a revolution, but they don't have the power to do anything. They don't even have proper training. The only things they have are shovels and some tools from their farms. What do you think they will do?' I said, feeling a shackle of evil heat, as if he was taking pleasure in imagining the kingdom crumbling to its knees.

'Ethan, you have to know something, that I have multiple guilds. This is just one example of what I own. I have more than five in different areas around the Kingdom, all packed with different kinds of people. Some are warriors, some adventurers, and some just farmers. The Kingdom of the Moon will return, but you have to understand something. Between me and you, the one who leads a revolution will be the next king. So, do you want to be the next king?' he asked, catching me off guard.

I thought so hard about it. I didn't want to be a king; it wasn't my intention after all. What I really wanted was just a peaceful life. Suddenly, something hit me. I could make him give me a favor, but I needed this favor to involve Mia. She was a pawn to him; he used her however he wanted. I couldn't protect her all the time, especially after what I had done. After all, I didn't deserve her; she deserved something better.

However, if she lived with Eric, she would be safer, happier, and Eric could give her anything she wanted. So, I looked at the ground with a half-smile, knowing what would happen. 'You can lead the revolution, but I have something to say. You can take my position as the ruler of the revolution and be the King, but I want Mia to be the Queen. Don't play tricks on her, and don't make her a joke. At least respect her,' I said, watching his speechless face, which was also filled with excitement. I could see his eyes brighten up, as if he had always wanted it.

I gave it away for him, but thinking about it, did he really like Mia too? His reaction wasn't the best, but I chose to ignore it. Instead, I wanted to forget it. 'Anyway, do you have so much work to prepare for this revolution?' I asked, smiling happily, as if I agreed from the beginning. He didn't give me an answer, but it was written all over his face. I got so angry that I bottled up my emotions and left with a smile, heading out to the field to train myself. During this entire journey, I hadn't touched my swords in the right way. I trained myself so hard during those three days. Every time I felt tired, I remembered the echo of her voice that made my heart sink down to the bottom of the ocean.

Mia (POV)
It's been three days, and we haven't moved from the Shadow Kingdom. I don't know whether to return to Easton or go to my mother. So, I went to my friend Lily; she's the wisest among all the people I know. Walking toward the balcony, I carried two cups and a bottle of wine. I was already longing for sleep; I hadn't slept for three days.

I know it's crazy. I poured a cup of wine for myself and filled the other as I waited for Lily to arrive. I drank slowly and got my blue book. By the time Lily arrived, I had written down all my feelings, all my sadness, all the heartbreak that happened to me. It's not that I'm uncomfortable; it's just that I need someone or something to whom I can tell the whole truth. I don't want to tell anyone about my emotions and have them taken for granted, as always.

After a few minutes, Lily appeared, filled with joy as usual. But when she looked at me, worry filled her face. She took her share of wine and looked at me seriously. 'What happened to you, girl? You look like you haven't slept or eaten, like someone beat you up and threw you into some kind of prison,' she said. I chuckled softly, understanding what she meant.

I took a sip of my wine and placed my cup down a bit restlessly, knowing that life always moves forward and never waits for anyone. 'You know, Lily, sometimes people are trapped in the prison of their hearts, and they can't get out of it without falling apart slowly,' I said. Lily looked at me sadly, noticing my mess from my clothes to my hair to my face. She came closer to me and didn't let me drink any more wine. Instead, she looked into my eyes.

'Girl, I'll tell you something I learned the hard way: always forget, but never forgive. One day, it will take its revenge. Now go and find your goal. You told me you wanted to find your mother, so go and find her. Don't let anyone stop you.' I looked at her, amused because she knew everything without me telling her. She understood all my troubles and suffering without me explaining. Her advice was so good, something I needed to hear. So, I hugged her close because she was a good friend, and then I went to my room to sleep, feeling a bit of relief lifting from my shoulders."