I woke up in a place that felt both familiar and unfamiliar, and as I glanced around, I noticed Kyle sitting beside the bed, holding my hand while he slept. A pang of guilt washed over me as I remembered how harsh I had been towards him the day before I left for my kingdom. Now, with my memories fully restored, I regretted my previous behavior, realizing that Kyle had done nothing to deserve my animosity. In fact, he had shown me kindness from the very first day I arrived at Keimusho Academy.
As I began to stir, careful not to disturb his slumber, Kyle's eyes fluttered open. He rubbed his eyes, releasing my hand, and spoke softly, "My dear princess?" His words caught me by surprise, and I responded with a warm smile.
"Yes," I replied, and he seemed taken aback, his hand instinctively covering his mouth before he realized I had answered.
"Wait, do you remember everything now?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment. I nodded, rising from the bed and feeling his excitement radiating off him.
"Yeah, although..." I started, offering him a sad smile, "I broke your gift." I confessed, recalling the moment I had thrown his present in a fit of anger.
Kyle looked at me with a gentle expression, his eyes filled with understanding. "It's okay," he replied softly. "The gift was just a material object. But anyway, I mean, everything? Do you remember everything now?" he asked, completely shocked by my statement.
"Yeah, everything. Including your twin brother. I'm sorry—I mistook him for you. He was the one I met in the forest, and he was the one I saw kissing my sister. But something doesn't add up about my parents' deaths," I confided, my voice tinged with concern.
"You remember that too?" he asked again, his surprise evident.
"As I said, I remember everything now," I replied matter-of-factly, emphasizing the completeness of my recollection.
"Goodness," he exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. We stood like that until a cough interrupted our embrace. When we turned to see who it was, we found Storm, looking nonchalant and bored, leaning against the open doorway.
"So, how are you?" he asked in a bored tone, his gaze shifting towards Kyle's arms still wrapped around me. Kyle released me awkwardly and settled back into his seat.
I mustered up the courage to respond but found myself getting shy, glancing down and nodding slowly to answer his question.
"Your friends are getting worried. They might be here any minute," he informed me casually before turning to leave. I looked up to catch his expression, and his face appeared unusually tense, his brow furrowed. Storm signaled for Kyle to accompany him, and Kyle obliged.
"I'll take my leave as well, my dear princess. I'll talk to you later," Kyle said, kissing my hand before following Storm. Storm's demeanor was unreadable, his face marked with a deep furrow as he observed Kyle's actions before hastily walking away.
"Hurry up, Kyle!" he called out without looking back, and Kyle waved goodbye to me before following in Storm's footsteps.
As they departed, mere seconds passed before the elites materialized before me, and it was at that moment when I fully comprehended my surroundings—I was in the infirmary. The sterile white walls, the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air, and the soft hum of medical equipment all confirmed my location. The abrupt transition left me feeling disoriented yet relieved to be in a place of safety and care.
"Hey, how come you lost consciousness in the crowd?" Loremae asked, gripping both of my arms tightly.
"Good thing Storm found you, though. It could have been bad if not," Jen chimed in between bites of her snack.
"Yeah, but you know what, guys?" Lucille interjected, snatching a chip from Jen's sack, provoking a playful complaint from Jen. Lucille paid no mind and continued, "Have you observed the way he looked at her the day before?"
I furrowed my brows, unable to follow the conversation as I had been unconscious. I couldn't understand what Lucille was talking about anyway.
"Yeah, yeah!" Junave exclaimed, raising her hand as if in agreement. "I did notice it. It was... it was a look of something more, you know? I can't quite put it into words!" she added, squinting her eyes in deep thought.
"Cut that out, guys. You're probably imagining things," I told them dismissively, but they continued to ponder deeply. Meanwhile, Denise stared at me with a perplexed expression, seemingly ignoring the others.
"By the way, how was the task?" I asked, realizing I had missed out on joining them.
"It went quite well. We just did some 'cleaning,'" Diane mysteriously stated, leaving me puzzled by her enigmatic response.
Denise approached me, her eyes squinting as if scrutinizing me with a mix of confusion and concern. "What?" I asked, completely bewildered by her actions.
She took a deep breath before answering, "Something's wrong with you," she said in a suspicious voice. "Did something else happen between you and Storm?"
"I don't know what you're trying to say," I replied, feigning innocence, hoping she would stop interrogating me. I covered my body up to my shoulders with a blanket and lay back down.
Denise shook her head. "Nah, something is telling me otherwise," she continued, piquing the interest of the others.
"I told you, I don't know. I basically passed out, you see," I explained, my voice muffled from beneath the blanket.
"Something's really off..." Denise added, providing more description to her suspicion.
"Yeah..." the rest echoed, their gazes fixed on me with suspicion. I covered my head with the blanket, seeking refuge from their penetrating stares.
"Leave me alone, will you? I'm a patient, you know," I grumbled, hoping they would finally drop the subject. Their response was a collective laughter, as if they had just won the lottery, leaving me to ponder what they found so amusing.
After teasing me, they left me to rest. However, I could no longer endure the suffocating boredom that enveloped the infirmary. Determined to escape its sterile confines, I mustered the energy to rise from the bed and ventured out into the bustling corridors of the academy. The hallways were filled with cursed students, each absorbed in their own concerns, their gazes and hushed whispers painting a somber atmosphere. Oblivious to my surroundings, my eyes anxiously scanned the sea of faces, searching for a familiar presence amidst the crowd.
As I navigated through the throng, my footsteps echoed against the cold, polished floors. The air hummed with a palpable tension, a tangible manifestation of the cursed each of us students have. Shadows danced along the walls, casting an eerie backdrop to the scenes unfolding before me. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, as if unseen eyes were watching my every move, reminding me of the time I first stepped foot in this academy.
Despite the unsettling ambiance, I pressed on, my determination driving me forward. I weaved through clusters of students, their conversations fading into a distant buzz as my focus narrowed. With each passing face, my heart leaped in anticipation, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person I longed to find. The minutes turned into an eternity as I continued my search, my steps growing more desperate with each passing moment.
Finally, as I rounded a corner, my eyes locked onto a figure standing near a dimly lit corridor. My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of relief washed over me. It was the one I had been yearning to see—a beacon of familiarity amidst the sea of strangers. With renewed vigor, I quickened my pace, closing the distance between us.
"Storm," I called out, capturing his attention. He turned to face me, his eyes reflecting a mix of confusion and concern.
"You should have rested some more," he said softly, his voice tinged with a hint of worry. His expression seemed somewhat distant, as if his thoughts were elsewhere.
"I already rested more than enough," I told him with a serious expression, trying my hardest to conceal the feelings of delight in seeing him that only added to my sea of confusion. I couldn't explain why, but I was reacting and experiencing emotions I couldn't even understand myself.
"Were you looking for me?" he asked, glancing around behind me before focusing his eyes on mine.
"Yeah," I replied blankly. In the back of my mind, a voice urged me to move away, to create distance, but my body remained rooted in place. Something was bothering my system in such a way that I needed to confront him about it.
"Why?" he asked, his gaze still fixed on mine, searching for an answer.
Taking a deep breath, I mustered the courage to confront him. "Why did you save me?" I asked, my expression blank and devoid of any emotion.
For a fleeting moment, his face registered a complex array of emotions—surprise, contemplation, and a hint of something unknown. He glanced around once more, as if ensuring we wouldn't be overheard, before firmly grabbing my arm and gently guiding me to a more secluded area.
In the dimly lit space, away from prying eyes, Storm released his grip on my arm and leaned against the wall. Shadows danced across his face, lending an air of mystery to the moment. His eyes searched mine, as if trying to gauge the depth of my question.
"You could have left me to die, you know?" I pressed, my voice laced with a mix of confusion and vulnerability. The weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air as I awaited his response, unsure of what I would hear.
Storm's gaze softened, a flicker of confusion crossing his features before he composed himself. With a sigh, he began to speak, "Do you remember everything now?"
"Damn," I cursed, my frustration seeping into my voice like a brewing storm. "Why are you pretending you didn't know what happened to me when you were the one who saved me that day?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of curiosity and frustration.
His words came rushing back, vividly replaying in my mind. ["I'm not entirely sure how you ended up in the town of Quilak in the land of Keimusho. So, do you remember everything now? I'm particularly interested in how you managed to survive,"]
His expression remained unknown to me, and I continued to press on, my frustration getting the best of me. "Why were you even there on that day? Just why did you save me? Why did you even do that? As far as I know, you're not that kind of person."
Emotions surged within me, crashing against the shores of my words—a potent blend of confusion, sadness, and a tinge of anger. I didn't know why I was angry though. Yes, he was the person I had bumped into in the town square when Lilly collapsed, and he was also the same person who saved me from the fire when the townspeople were desperate to cast judgment on me.
Storm's face remained a mask, his eyes guarded and unreadable. The weight of unspoken truths hung heavy in the air, intensifying the tension between us. I yearned for answers, for a glimpse into the motivations that had driven him to intervene on that fateful day, to risk his own safety for a stranger.
"I don't know," he began to speak, a complex array of emotions flickering across his face, leaving me perplexed. I furrowed my brow in annoyance, yearning for a more comprehensive explanation than just those three words. "My body reacted on its own," he added in a nonchalant manner.
"The hell with that?!" I exclaimed, my voice tinged with frustration. I couldn't help but add more layers of emotions to my outburst. A smirk played on my lips as tears welled up in my eyes, a mix of confusion, disappointment, and perhaps an unspoken desire for a deeper, reasonable, and acceptable reason from him. I couldn't quite understand my own feelings, let alone comprehend the depths of Storm's enigmatic behavior.
"Hey," he stated, his voice filled with tenderness. He gently reached out and wiped away the tears that had escaped my eyes without my permission, but I instinctively shook his hand away. His face contorted with concern, and for a fleeting moment, I wavered, on the verge of surrendering to the vulnerability that threatened to overcome me. However, I quickly regained my composure, determined not to succumb to the emotions that were swirling within me.
I swiftly wiped the tears away, a blend of anger and self-derision coursing through me. Why was I even crying in the first place? The situation had left me emotionally entangled, grappling with my own expectations and the need for clarity.
"So, you mean to say you went through all that trouble just because it meant nothing to you? Is that it?" I questioned, my voice laced with a hint of resignation. I shrugged my shoulders, attempting to accept the reality I was presenting to myself.
Storm took a deep breath, his expression filled with confusion. "Did I hurt you in any way?" he asked, genuine concern etched on his face.
"Hurt me?" I responded, a sense of indifference creeping into my voice. "No, hell no," I assured him, masking my own vulnerability. I turned around, intending to walk away, but he abruptly grabbed my left arm, halting my retreat. Before I had a chance to react, he enveloped me in an unexpected embrace from behind, his face buried in my shoulder. I stood frozen, unable to move, as he slowly tightened his hold.
"I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me," he whispered, his words carrying a mixture of remorse and sincerity. It was a sweet melody that resonated within me, causing my heart to flutter, its beats soft and delicate.
With a tender vulnerability, he continued, "I had my reasons. There are things you don't understand, things I couldn't explain at the time. But one thing is for sure, and please believe me, I was... sincere in saving you."
His voice, tinged with a hint of melancholy, reached the depths of my being. It was as if his words carried an unspoken weight, a burden he had carried alone. The complexities of his emotions began to unravel, and for a fleeting moment, I glimpsed the intricate tapestry of his intentions.
He was.. sincere in saving me?