102 The Sun vs. The Moon (1/2)
”SENTINEL, may I know what was the rule that you mentioned a while ago?” Luna asked the spirit carefully. Right now, Sentinel was lying on her bed while she was sitting on the chair beside it. She tried to heal the spirit but apparently, it wouldn't work on him. And so, she just made him lie on the bed for the meantime. ”To be honest, I only found out that the Ancient Beasts have spirit guardians when I met you. It looks like the knowledge passed down to me by my ancestors was incomplete.”
”We were only created by the Beast Gods when they put the Black Serpent to sleep,” Sentinel said. ”They knew that they had to go to sleep as well because sealing the Black Serpent drained their energy. So to make sure that the Black Serpent would be guided accordingly while they slept, they created us. The spirit guardians are technically a piece of their life force.”
”So, you won't die as long as your Beast God is alive?”
”We can die,” he said. ”But our ”death�� is only equivalent to us being absorbed by the Beast God again. Once that happens, our consciousness and human form would vanish. We'd be another lump of life force for the Beast God just like before.”
”That's so sad.”
”I don't mind,” he said casually. ”I know that I'm created solely to protect the Red Phoenix's heart, and as well as to make sure that the Black Serpent won't wake up until it's the right time for him to awaken.” Anger crossed his eyes. ”But that White Snake almost sent me back to my lord again.”
”When did this White Snake disappear, Sentinel?”
”It disappeared as soon as the Black Serpent was put into a deep slumber,” Sentinel said with a hint of irritation in his voice. ”He was supposed to guide the Black Serpent but he suddenly vanished. I'm really going to strangle him once I see him.”
”But what if the White Snake didn't disappear on his own volition?”
He suddenly froze as if he only realized that now.
”That's why I'm saying that we should find the White Snake,” she said. ”What if he needs us to save him?”
Hesitation was evident in Sentinel's face when he spoke again. ”The spirit guardians vowed to the Beast Gods that we will prevent the Black Serpent from awakening. But still, each of us has a master to serve.” He placed a hand on his chest. ”The Red Phoenix asked me to protect the heart. And I can't maintain my human form if I'm outside the Red Phoenix's prayer room. I have to be near Lady Nystrom. If not, I'll be forced to stay inside her heart.”
”Then, should I look for the White Snake on my own?”
”You can't leave Lady Nystrom while she's still pregnant,” he reminded her. ”You're the duchess's doctor, Luna.”
”It's not like I'm neglecting my duty,” she said. ”I just want to eliminate the threat surrounding the duchess for her to have a safe delivery.”
”I never considered Captain Sherwood as our ally,” she assured him. ”There's someone in my mind already.”
Sentinel raised a brow at her. ”Can we trust that person?”
”Like you said, we only have a few allies as of now. But I think there's one person that Lady Nystrom trusts with all her heart aside from Duke Nystrom,” Luna said while thinking hard. ”I believe we should give this task to Captain Denver.”
***
”HON, I'M going to have tea with the other priestesses,” Tilly said while combing her fingers through Kiho's soft hair. She was standing between her husband's legs. Kiho, on the other hand, was sitting on her bed while his arms were wrapped around her waist tight. His face was also buried against her tummy. ”I'll be fine so don't worry too much.”
”I don't want to leave your side,” Kiho said in a clingy voice. ”Not after I heard how my stupid version in your first life treated you. I can't forgive myself.” He paused for a while, then he rubbed his nose against her tummy. ”You, too, Winter. I hate your version in your mommy's first life. If you grow up as a bad son in this lifetime, I'll punish you harshly.”
”Don't scold our baby,” she scolded him. ”Our cinnamon roll is innocent.”
Gosh, this was one of the reasons why she didn't want to tell Kiho the truth before.
She knew that he would hate himself and their son (in her first life) for the way they treated her, or for failing to notice that she was under control.
But…
”We don't know if you really didn't do anything for me,” she consoled her husband. ”I ordered Captain Denver in the past to tell you and Winter the truth.”
”But even if Captain Denver succeeded, it was too late,” he said in a cracked voice. ”You were already gone.”
That was what she thought at first, too.
But then, she remembered the times that she heard and saw Winter.
”Kiho?”
”Hmm?”
”When the Red Phoenix helped me retrieve my past memories, I almost lost myself to my deep hatred,” she confessed to him. When he looked up at her with worry in his eyes, she smiled and touched his face. ”Winter helped me return to my normal self, Kiho. I believe that just like me, our son also has the memories of his past life.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. ”How did that happen?”
”I'm not sure,” she said. ”But what if Winter was the one who brought me back in this lifetime to change my destiny? At first, I thought I was able to return here because I have the heart of the Red Phoenix. And the Red Phoenix is known for its ability to reincarnate. But when Winter said that he was happy to meet me ”again,” it made me wonder if he returned back in time just like me.”
”Why didn't he bring me back with him?” he asked with a pout. ”I feel left out.”
She laughed softly at that. ”I prefer that you don't have the memories of your past life, Kiho. I don't want you to remember that you fell in love with another woman.”