1
"I felt..."
"What did I feel?"
"What is it?"
"Is it...Weightlessness?"
"Peace?"
"I can't describe it..."
"But my head is at ease now. "
inside it...there's no scratching, no screaming, and no searching..."
"I'm hearing a melody, like an angel humming—filled with agony and apartness, symphonizing her heartbreak, her departure from a blue paradise, from her beloved god. "
Bubbles illuminate as the vast blueness of the ocean slowly engulfs him. He's drowning, sinking deep... The stillness of the ocean pulses with the slow drift of his form.
He opens his eyes, desperate for air, but the water fills his lungs. He thrashes, attempting to move his limbs, and then his blurred vision catches something below.
" ... a mountain?" Down there, he sees something huge, a face..?
An indigo aura radiated from the human-like head with closed eyes, which rose above him like a monument, seeming to gaze upon him even in its blindness. Its wholeness is like being devoured by a divine silence."
"Who is this ?"
"Why? why? I'm diving towards it?? "
The distant melody of humming grew louder, its pitch intensifying into a harsh, unimaginable sound that pierced him. A wave of eerie feeling washed over him. Then, his eyes were drawn to a faint red aura glowing beneath that colossal form.
Suddenly, its skin cracked open, especially on the face and neck. In an instant, the face erupted into a grotesque maw, extending wide and filled with sharp teeth, radiant with redness.
The tentacles slither out, they are twisted and writhed, reaching toward him from beneath pf that body. They were enormous, ...enormous, enough to stop the heartbeat.
He tries to free himself from their clutches and swim higher, but he becomes bound and destined to dive into that maze. One tentacle wraps around his foot. Other coils around his leg. He's being pulled—dragged toward that gaping maw.
"no... noo.. "
"Why? Why now? Why not then?"
"Is this how it ends?
Though devoid of eyes or a face, its altered skull seemed to mock him with a silent, menacing laugh. Ribcage-like structures jutted from its body, revealing exposed muscles and tendons. The maw, a cavern of sharp teeth, opened wider, inviting him.
And there, in the center of that maw, he sees it—a jewel, gleaming on the red flesh. A realization strikes him: 'Just like the jewel… it's going to consume me too.' And it does, instantly.
His form touches that jewel: a black egg. It cracks, and at once, a violent jolt reverberates through the abyss. Then—the tentacles shatter, dismembered, torn apart. The surroundings tremble, and everything seems collapsing. The cluster of flesh and blood slowly merged with the vast blueness of the ocean, fading as if consumed by its brutality. Then—its large form dissolved, separating with a cry of agony... a scream of apocalypse.
As chaos swirled and his gaze weakened, he saw a figure floating before him. Tall. Chain anklets and toe rings glistened around ivory ankles. A large, ornate, needle-like weapon illuminated in both hands. Black feathered wings unfurled, flowing magnificently in the blue abyss, and the black hair waved like shadows, blending seamlessly with the figure's feminine form
Drifting, sinking deeper. 'It's like... I'm free.' Twilight... the blue jasmine garden... will I see them again?". He closes his eyes.
2
He opened his eyes as soft sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of the window. He lifted his head a bit, stretching his arms. His eyes went to the high ceiling, which was adorned with intricate leaf designs.
The room is quite spacious, with high ceilings and ample floor area. Tall, arched windows, through which a soft morning glow streams, allow some light, but the room remains relatively dark. The light shafts reveal dust particles illuminating in the air. Heavy, dark velvet brocade drapes on the bed and windows contribute to the room's shadowy atmosphere, creating a chiaroscuro effect.
Around the ornate bed, furniture is visible, including a bookshelf, a chair, and side tables, one filled with unlit candles and some fallen candles, another filled with a dried apple and grapes on a silver plate indicating rottenness, and the third one is dead flowers leaning into a clay jar. Shadowed, a half-finished painting fell from the bed's corner, depicting a woman's posture against a flower garden
Sitting up, he paused and brushed his forehead with his palm. Then, looking down silently at the floor for a moment.
He opened the door and entered the empty corridor. The long, straight hallway stretched into the distance with its vaulted ceiling of repeating arches. Decorative iron elements adorned the right walls, and ornate 'jalis' on the left filtered the morning light, casting a warm glow.
He's walking, his footsteps echoing faintly down the hallway. Using the staircase, he descended, noticing someone nodding at him in acknowledgment. He continued walking, but a few moments later, the surroundings seemed to come alive with activity.
Guards stood at attention, their commanding presence evident, and the glint of a turban caught his eye.
'Attention! Sultan Juprusp is passing,' a voice announced.
A man beside the Sultan spoke urgently, 'My Sultan, this matter is not so simple. We need your guidance...' The Sultan walked past, and he, from bowing his head to lift, said, 'Father.' The Sultan ignored him and continued on his way.
A familiar voice called out, 'Evan !! My elder prince, you're up early this morning.'
Evan smiled. 'Jeamsi!'
Jeamsi asked, 'Did you skip your meal again, like the other day? You should eat properly; look how skinny you've become.'
Evan chuckled. 'Perhaps.'
Jeamsi continued, 'My Prince, your sister, Princess Laya, wanted to see you.'
Evan asked, 'Where is she?'
'She's at the archery ground, practicing. She also wanted you to choose a horse to ride,' Jeamsi replied.
Evan nodded. 'What about my other brothers?' Jeamsi said, 'The second prince is preparing for the ceremony, advised by your mother, Queen Arayna. And your other two younger brothers are onto their usual duties. '
Evan walked beside a pond. Its surface appeared dense and green, reflecting the surrounding foliage. A grassy bank sloped down to the water's edge. He came to the lawn. Maids and servants worked busily, carrying fruits, vegetables, flowers, and clothes, rushing past him. Someone was feeding paddy to the pigeons; he took some and scattered it, and a cluster of pigeons descended upon him. He smiles softly.
Later, he reached a greenish terraced landscape, where stone balustrades and stairs with ornate urns were reflected in the sunlight. He walked onto the staircase.
Evan wanders through a field of flowers, brushing their petals gently. He paused for a moment, silently touching the faded, dead plants. Evan sat beneath an old tree and lighted a hookah. He leaned back, his eyes fixed on the cloudless sky, listening to the birds chirping and watching butterflies flutter around him. Closing his eyes, he took a slow drag from the hookah, letting the tranquility of the moment wash over him.
3
The maids opened the door, and Evan entered the room. The walls were draped with maroon sheer curtains, and two women stood fanning his mother with large sheets as she lay on a divan in the center of the room. Another maid was massaging one of her legs.
Evan approached and said, 'Mother.'
The fitted bodice of her teal silk Entari was visible, framed by an olive Kaftan. Gold floral patterns traced the Kaftan's edges and its long, fitted sleeves
She looked at him for a moment, her expression cool. 'Why have you come here?'
He replied softly, 'I'm here to see you. How are you doing?'
She hissed, 'I am perfectly fine, as you can plainly see. I never thought you'd wake up this early.'
He smiled. "Evan asked, 'Mother, may I have one or two gold coins?'
She replied, 'How long are you going to beg?'"
She continued, her tone sharp, 'You should learn from your brother, the youngest prince. He's going on a diplomatic caravan under your father's orders.'
Evan nodded. 'That's brilliant.'
She frowned. 'Why don't you do anything? Every day, you just sit and sleep. What is the meaning of this? Do you know how poor your reputation is in the palace? Aren't you the eldest?'
He smiled again, unfazed.
She raised her voice, 'And I heard you went outside at night. This is completely unacceptable. I'm ordering you not to do it again.'
He nodded silently. She waved him off. 'You may leave now. I'm about to have my bath."
When he opened his eyes again, the sky had begun to darken, the redness of dusk merging with encroaching blackness. He made his way to the palace lawn, where every maid and servant was bustling, preparing for the ceremony. Dishes and food were being arranged, and dancers in sparkling dresses, holding flaming torches, practiced their routines. Elephants and horses were gathered nearby. He wandered through the crowd, an unnoticed figure as people hurried past.
A voice called out, 'My elder prince, where are you going?'
Evan turned. 'Jeamsi.'
Jeamsi said, 'Come along. Your brother is here. Soon the king will arrive, and your mother is preparing to make an announcement about Princess Laya.' He added, 'By the way, did you meet your sister, today? She was looking for you since morning.'
He said, 'No, but I will.'
Jaemsi said, 'Then come hurry.'
Jeamsi suggested, 'Why not call the maids?'
Evan shook his head. 'No, no, they wouldn't be able to find it.'
He left the lawn as soon as possible, entered his room, wrapped himself in a cloak and slipped out of the palace grounds through a garden gate. As he left, the ceremony began. The music swelled, and the sky lit up with splashes of flame, illuminating the entire surroundings.