The Protagonist's Child

Chapter 44

"It's been a week now."

"Oh, it's been that long?"

"Well, technically it's been weeks now, almost half a month. I did everything that I can, your majesty. So, please let me rest now...?"

A slight pause.

"Spring will be over soon in two weeks and summer will take over. It's been that long if we won't count the times she woke up to wander."

What's with the noise? I ceased my forehead with the buzzing voices around me, I can't even open my eyes because of the heavy feeling of not being able to open them for I guess a long time?

I had just woken up from a two month sleep and now I am bedridden again. Was Aurora from sleeping beauty my idol?

Sighs.

I slowly tried to open my eyes even though my body won't let me and because of how noisy the people around, my head is getting more dizzy than it already is.

"Mmm..", was the only thing I can say. Technically, it wasn't even a word. I can only mumble as my throat feels so dry.

"You're awake!"

An unfamiliar yet familiar voice and eyes welcomed me. It's Cloud, has he matured this much in that short span of time?

Where did that sickly, thin as a skeleton, frail-like boy go?

"C.. Coud?"

"Yes, it's your brother! Good, you remember."

Now that I see it, his handsome face looked dry and there are dark circles around his eyes and not only him, everyone in the room have the same state as him. Well, I guess the man on white robe is much stressed than the others.

Cloud brought me some water, and everyone became so busy to tend to me. The man in white, which is Julius if I remember correctly, checked on me and I answered with a nod or a shake of my head as yes and no. The others helped me to clean up, dreessed me up to a much more comfortable clothes and asked many many repetitive questions like:

"Are you okay? Is the water cold? Do you want it warmer?"
"Was the clothes okay?"
"Are you dizzy?"
"Do you want to eat?"

You all are just making me more dizzy than I should.

"Please.. leave me for a moment." After resting up my thoat and adhusting, I was able to say that from exhaustion.

It went silent after I said that, and slowly one by one went out.

"Call us if you need us."

And they completely left and only one remained.

Cloud's eyes are different from the last time I remembered them as. Those of that seemed to be worried, that kind of eyes.

"I thought.. you'll be here when it's summer." I said, breaking off the silence.

"It seems to me that you had read my letters already and that's good to know. And yes, I hd mentioned that I'll be back this summer but.. I guess you could say that I had changed my mind?"

I tilted my head remembering that his school days aren't over by this time, I asked about it before to sir Vincent out of fhe blue.

"But, there's this event in your Academy that's going to occur soon.. so is it okay that you're here? I mean, I'm glad that you're here but won't it affect your academic performance?"

"How did you know about the event?" He's not even answering my question.

"Well, I heard it once from sir Vincent and fath— I mean dad. And the young maids had been talking about that 'spring event' at the central continent."

"Hmm, I see." There he goes now, with his short replies.

"So, then, why are you here?"

"Can't I visit my younger sister?"

Oh, what a stubborn guy. I sighed as I lay down again on the bed and my hand shooing him away.

"Well, I need to rest more. So can you leave me alone, please?"

He sighed before leaving the room and said he would be back in an hour.

I mean, I do not disregard his presence and I am very grateful that he's here but I need time to think about things and about what I just went through after succumbing to that dream— or was it even a dream?

"I'll give your memories every time you sleep in a form of a dream so that you won't need to feel pain..."

Was that voice referring to this? A memory? But that was a memory beyond this world, a memory of my other identity in another before 'Charlie' died. It was called earth right?

It was devoid of magic yet the person who killed me was able to use magic. And Derick's voice was also there—

"You've been calling my name even when you were asleep, what is it that you've been having in your head?"

Derick? I immediately sat up when I heard him say that and saw him by the window— once again. Wait did I said them out loud? Wait— how did he get inside?

"I've always been here, silly. You didn't noticed since it was crowded and when Cloud was here, your focus was with him. So, what are you thinking about instead of resting?" He asked as he walk from the window to the edge of the bed, he hust stood there looking at me with his mouth curving down. His face is now similar to that of a panda, the dark circles around his eyes are very visible.

"Are you still even sleeping?" I blurted out unconsciously.

He scoffed before opening his mouth. "You had the guts to ask that when you went to sleep out of nowhere for half a month? Although it's not new since you slept for two months before but the recent was different. You're not even sleeping beauty to sleep so much."

"Different?"

"Yeah, in random nights you would go to the kitchen half asleep to drink water and mumble things we don't understand. It's an otherworldly language for other people but at the end of your mumbles you would utterly mention my name.. sometimes with a worried voice, scared voice, determined voice, angry voice and the last one was with a.. uhm, how can I say this. Well, nevermind the last on. Get some more rest, you really are so weak." And he slightly poked my forehead.

I sighed before lying down again.

"Where's father?"

He put his hand on his chin before he answered. "He was away for an official business but in a moment now, he'll definitely be back. So rest."

It's quite sad that I wasn't able to see his face from the moment I woke up, but I guess it can't be helped.

I had lots of sleep already but my mind cannot handle much of everything yet. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Knowing that Derick is here with me, somehow, it was comforting.