Caelum's head spins and his vision was distorted , unable to focus on his surrounding. All he remember was his last battle with the troublemakers and falling into the abyss.
Caelum can feel his back against solid ground, didn't die from the fall as always. He couldn't move his body as something heavy was pining him down.
He slowly opened his eye and immediately noticed the knocked out Lucielle lying on top of him, her head resting on his chest.
He noticed a cut in her forehead and the dripping blood slightly stains his already tattered shirt. Probably hit her head during the fall and survived, he concluded.
He moved his head to the side and found Varithra lay unconscious few pace away from them, clearly breathing . He then inspect his own left hand, the wound and the bruises wad slowly closing and the sight irritated him slightly.
He lay there few moments, catching his breath and hoping his accursed blood would wash away his exhaustion before slightly pushing Lucielle to the side of his body, freeing himself.
Caelum slowly gets up and moves few paces away from them before setting down again, leaning his back on the wall. Lucielle might freak out and will cause unnecessary problems if she found out they had been that close.
Caelum raises his head to inspect the ruin they had been just fall. Mostly dark while some light stretches inside from the massive hole on the ceiling where they fall from.
The fall was quite a way down and climbing would be a major hassle, specially in the situation they are in. Caelum could climb back if he wanted by using his sword as a handhold onto the wall.
But he dismissed the idea after a brief glance of the two unconscious woman nearby him. He should fell no guilt on abandoning them to their fate but something in him stops him.
'Was it because a sense of familiarity? Attachment?' he wondered.
After all, these two woman is who he interacted the most in his life after his own parents, even though most of his encounters is not particularly good one.
He sighed and shook his head, clearly not impressed with his own decision but…that's how his parents raised him.
"Always be kind and helpful for those around you, dear." He remembered his mother's sweet and gentle voice.
"There are some battles can only be won by your sincerity, son" His father's strict yet caring voice echoed in his ear.
He have no idea how can they be like this even though all around us are our enemies.
'Well, what's done is done'.
Caelum just leaned his head on the wall and waits. Waits for these two wakes up.
***
A mature woman with golden hair walking through a flower field while holding hand of a little girl, who had a striking resemblance of the woman.
"Mother, are we not training today" the little girl asked while tilts her head.
The woman smile gently at her adorable daughter.
"No dear, it's alright to take some time off now and then".
The little girl's face brightened with a adorable smile but soon the smile faded.
"When will you return to abyssia?". The girl asked cautiously.
"Tommorow, my rest ends today for the week" the woman answered calmly.
The little girl frowned, "But, you rarely shows up. And now you leaving already ? Why you keep going to that place? I don't remember the last time i seen father either".
"Your father was very busy, dear. You will understand when you grow up"
The girl just bowed her head, silent. The woman who noticed the change, sighs and kneels infront of the girl while gently hold her shoulder.
"Promise me, you would be a good girl and attend to your studies".
"…".
"Promise?" The woman urge again with a smile.
"…promise" the little girl replied.
The woman stands up, ruffled the little girl's hair lovingly before stepping away from her.
The girl blinked in confusion.
"I have to go dear".
"Go where? You promise you would stay today". Asked innocently.
The girl started to run toward her mother but the distance between them does not close in while her mother keep standing far away, glancing toward the girl with a sad smile.
"Mother? Where are you going!" The girl panicked and try to reach out to her mother but to no avail.
Then she notice something. Blood started to seep out of her mother's eye, nose and even mouth.
The little gorl stopped on her track, eye widened and confusing racing through her mind.
"I love you" the woman uttered weakly.
"Mother!!!". The girl screamed before the whole place come crashing down on her.
Lucielle's arm stretched while tears streaming down her cheek. She was stunned, unable to think properly and process what was going on.
She scan the surrounding, which looks like a abandoned tunnel with broken sculptures on the walls and grounds.
Her eye then land on a man, looking at her with wide eye, clearly shocked. His messy blonde hair and violet eye made a jolt inside of her and the memory started to crash down on her.
She immediately scrambled to her feet and summoned her golden blade while pointing it toward him. He didnt move, just watching her.
"The second horn already sounded" he said.
"…"
She still grips her blade steadily, locking her eye onto him.
"Its true".
She heard another sound behind made her jump and whirled back to see Varithra sitting down few paces away.
"I heard the second horn myself. You slept so peacefully that you missed it. Not to mention the jumpscare you just gave us" Varithra said with a crosses arm.
Lucielle's face was flushed red with embarrassment. Not just she just slept without a care in the world infront of her enemy, but even waking up with a scream.
Wihout saying much, she dismissed her blade and sit down on the spot where she just wake up from. Her mind was elsewhere, specifically with the nightmare.
She hugs her knee closely with a trembling hand.
"…mother" she muttered under her breath.