42 Post Incident – Fallou (1/2)

”Kai…” Luna calls out to me in a soft voice. Her soft moans throw fuel on the fire. I clench her breasts hard.

”Luna!” I exclaim as a euphoric feeling explodes from my body. I loosen my hands, still panting. As the feeling of ecstasy fades from my body, I open my eyes. Marin looks at me with watery unsteady eyes. A tear drips down the side of her face. I open my mouth as I try to say something, but nothing comes out. I let go of her and look away. ”Sorry…”

I rest on my side away from her. A light breath of air tickles the back of my ear. Marin wraps an arm around me. ”I don't care.”

I take her arm off me, scoot away, and sit up while facing her. ”What do you mean you don't care?”

I clench my fists and look down. ”I used you…”

I look up again when she puts a hand on top of mine. She's sitting up too. ”It's okay… I…knew this would happen… I used you too.”

I process her words, but I still don't understand. ”What do you mean?”

”Kai… You don't know this…but… I've liked you for a long time…” I widen my eyes. ”So I always knew…you liked Luna.”

I pull my hand back and say, ”More the reason I—”

She grabs it back and says, ”I don't like seeing you sad… So… You can think of me as Luna.”

I look away and then say, ”Thanks Marin…but I'm okay now.”

Suddenly, she sandwiches my head with her hands and turns me toward her. We fall on the bed, lying side by side. ”Then… The next time you're sad… I'll be here.”

I blush and turn my view toward the ceiling. She rests her head on my chest. ”Hey… Can you tell me…what happened…? By the time I got there… Everyone…was already…”

She sniffles. I sigh and put a hand on top of her head. ”I'll tell you everything.”

I do just that. From taking a nap in Emdos' place, to my trek to the Adventurer's District, to the events unfolding there, to waking up on a bed, and to what I saw at our inn. While Marin listens the entire time. A few tears escape her here and there.

”I don't know her anymore,” I mutter.

”There…has to be a reason… Luna wouldn't do something like that…”

”Yeah, you're right. Luna wouldn't… But she's not Luna.”

”Have more faith in her, Kai. I know…she trusts you more than anyone… If you won't believe in her…then…” Neither of us say anything for another minute. I only think about Luna the entire time. ”We'll go see her together tomorrow, okay?”

”Alright, but…”

”Don't worry… I'll keep this…a secret,” she says and then yawns. We tuck ourselves in and then fall asleep.

…

I open my eyes slowly, finding a familiar scene in around me. This is…the Residential District… Where am I…?

I look at a familiar building up ahead. I widen my eyes as I remember it was on fire and crumbled.

”Kaister, what's wrong?” Drugo asks.

”Drugo! You're alive! How did you…” I pause for a moment as I find Luna, Hiro, and Sitos staring at me. ”Everyone…! Wait…”

I look around again, finding myself in a wagon. There are people talking and walking about as usual. No one is injured, and everyone is calm. Sitos says, ”You must have had a really bad dream.”

”Huh…yeah… What're we doing here again? Where's Marin?”

”Do you not remember? We are going back to the Academy to tell the teachers what happened as we discussed. Marin went ahead of us.”

”Oh, right,” I say, remembering that we had a wild journey starting from the ruins under the Academy.

”Ya look pretty psyched out,” Hiro says and then laughs. ”Did someone chase ya with a giant carrot?”

”No, what the hell? I'm not scared of that anymore!”

”Then tell us what ya dreamed 'bout!”

”It was a really scary dream! You, Drugo, and Sitos were all dead…and the city was attacked…and—”

Hiro breaks into laughter. ”What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout? So…a giant carrot attacked the city and killed us?”

”What? No…nevermind…” The wagon rider takes us all the way to the bottom the hill that leads up to the Academy. We thank him before heading up to the entrance. The two guards standing by the main entrance give us a few strange looks.

”Wait a minute. What is with all that blood staining your clothes? You are not 5th-year students yet, are you?”

Blood…? There are blood stains all over my armor that weren't there before. I turn around to the others, widening my eyes. Hiro, Drugo, and Sitos lie lifelessly on the wagon covered in large amounts of blood. More blood drips from a small spiked mace someone's holding. There stands Luna smiling while fully nude. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. She turns her head toward me.

”Kai, come here… Let's complete our contract…” Luna says with open arms. I turn around and run a few feet. I stop and look down. The two guards lie in two pools of blood. I run past them while never looking back. Somehow I find myself in a forest. Suddenly, something drops from a tree in front of me, and I stop. It's Drugo.

”Kaister…help…”

No…

”Kai…” Sitos says from behind me. I turn around. He grabs one of my legs immediately and looks up while lying on the ground. ”This is all your fault…”

No…

Someone behind me wraps their arms around me. I can't move. Hiro's head rests over my shoulder. ”Kai, why didn'tcha save me?”

No…

A figure comes out of nowhere. A splattering sound resounds soon after. Sitos is now completely unrecognizable. I realize it's Luna. ”Finally…he's dead.”

She turns toward me and grins. ”I did good, right Kai? We're finally alone…”

She closes in for a hug. ”Kai…”

”Nooo!” I scream and sit up. My entire body is sweating.

Marin holds my hand and asks, ”Kai, what's wrong?”

I pant while looking around the room. It's morning. ”It's nothing… Just a bad dream.”

I stand up and suggest, ”As much as I want to make Hiro feel at peace, I think we should inform Alios on the situation first.”

I pick up my clothing scattered on the floor and get dressed. Marin asks, ”Don't you remember last night?”

I turn around to face Marin who is still in bed, remembering clearly. I blush. ”Ye-yeah…”

Marin's face flushes red. She pulls the blanket over her head and hides under it. ”I don't mean…that…”

It takes several seconds for me to recall the conversation we had afterward. ”Right… We're gonna see Luna. I'll wait outside.”

I go outside and then wait a few minutes. Marin still has not come out. ”Hey, Kai.”

I turn around, finding Hina walking toward me. ”Hey.”

”Are you tryin' to show off your scars from the battle?”

I force a smile and reply, ”Nah, I just never got the chance to put something on.”

”What do you mean?” she asks and then smiles. ”Did things get so intense last night you forgot all about it?”

”Wh-what? No…” I answer and then look away, remembering last night. Footsteps resound behind me.

”Thanks for waiting, Kai. I'm ready to go see Luna,” Marin says as she walks to my side. My hands are sweaty as I turn back to Hina. She gives me a suspicious look and then at Marin. ”Oh, hello, Hina.”

”Hey, Marin. I didn't know you were that type of girl,” Hina says and then turns toward me. ”I take it things didn't go well with Luna yesterday.”

Marin blushes and then turns away. I interject, ”Uhh…”

There's an awkward silence. ”Whatever. It's none of my business what you guys do. I would be furious if I discovered darling doin' somethin' like this.”

Wanting to change the subject, I ask, ”So, what're you doing here then? Shouldn't you be nursing your boyfriend back to health?”

”I'm takin' on the request by the army. I thought that was what you guys were doin' too.” I cock an eyebrow. ”Haven't you heard? The army's offerin' a few gold coins for helpin' out around the city since the Adventurer's District is temporarily closed. They could use the manpower if you're interested.”

”We don't need any money. We got plenty from a con artist the other day. Shouldn't there be more of you?”

”We're assigned to different tasks. My job's to clean the place up startin' with the Adventurer's District.”

”The Adventurer's District… We're gonna head there soon to bury Hiro and the others.”

”I see… I'll make sure to pay my respects to them if I see them. I'll see you guys around,” she says with a wave and then walks away. Marin still has her head turned away.

”You can turn around now.”

Marin turns around. Her face is still flushed red. ”What do I do…? Hina thinks I…”

I slap her on the back and say, ”Don't worry about it. She's not gonna say anything. Let's hurry on back.”

”Okay…” We head toward our inn and then go inside.

”Kai! I've been waiting for you!” Luna exclaims with a smile. She's sitting against the wall by the entrance. She stands up and then rushes over to us. ”I'm sorry I made you mad. Can you forgive me?”

”No,” I answer.

”But…why? Can you tell me what I did wrong? I won't do it again, I promise!”

Several things are going on in my mind, but I figure it's better to address the first thing. I ask, ”Then tell me. Why… Why did you…kill Sitos?”

My heart races. ”Because I wanted to.”

”What do you mean you wanted to?!”

”Well, because it was part of the contract.”

I clench my fists and ask, ”Contract? What contract…? Between you and who?”

”The contract between me and Sitos. He got what he wanted, so I got what I wanted.”

I grit my teeth. ”This again… I don't understand! Explain better!”

”Kai, why are you mad again? I won't know why unless you tell me.”

I click my tongue. ”Forget it.”

”Kai…why are you—”

”Shut up and come with us,” I demand. Hot puffs of air escape me as I turn around. I start making my way toward the Royal District.

”Okay…” Luna says and follows. ”Where're we going?”

”To Sitos' place. We have to explain what happened,” I respond.

”I don't wanna go there.” I stop walking and turn around. Luna stands there with a frown. I pinch my glabella and take several deep breaths. I look at Marin for a moment, but she turns away. I grind my teeth back and forth.

”I'm not gonna forgive you if you don't come with us,” I declare.

Luna smiles and says, ”Okay, so you'll forgive me if I come, right?”

”Maybe.”

”Yay!” Luna interjects and follows. We continue in silence, eventually arriving at the front of Sitos' home. The gates are open and two guards stand there. Normally, there are none.

As we are walking closer, one of them says, ”Halt. No one is allowed entry here.”

I cock an eyebrow. ”Why? Did something happen?”

”An investigation is underway after we received an anonymous tip that—”

”What's going on here?” an old man says as he walks from the residence.

A guard turns around and replies, ”Nothing, Sir Zarus. Just a couple of kids trying to walk inside.”

”Hmm?” Zarus interjects as he looks over to us. ”You're Kai, aren't you? You've come at a good time. Come on in.”

”Sir Zarus, I am not trying to be rude, but you do not have the authority to allow them entry. We were ordered not to let anyone in,” one of the guards explains.

”These kids are acquainted with Alios and one of his sons. We may be able to shed more light on the situation with their help. If you'd like, I'll go back inside and ask permission from—”

”There is no need for that, Sir Zarus. We will let them through,” one of the guards says.

”Excellent,” Zarus says and then walks toward the entrance. We follow. ”So, what brings you youngins here so early?”

”We're here to see Alios,” I respond.

”That's going to be a bit difficult,” Zarus says. ”We'll explain inside.”