CHAPTER 16.5
“LONG TIME no see, Antricus…”
I was stunned by that voice. Not allowed. I’m not mistaken.
“Y-you…”
“It’s me, Antricus…” The voice said.
“T-thundur?”
“You’re right, dear.” Even if I can’t see him, I know he’s right next to me or in front of me right now.
“W-what are you doing here? W-what else do you need?” I asked him, my voice was stammering.
“Have you made up your mind, Antricus? Have you thought about what I told you last time?” The wind blew behind me, an indication that he was there.
“N-not yet… give me some time to think…” I answered.
“But it’s been a long time since we last met,” he reasoned out. “Isn’t that enough?”
“I’m not sure about what you said. I’m still thinking about it,” I insisted.
“Don’t you believe me? Don’t you believe my words?” His voice gradually rose.
“I don’t even know you! How can I believe you?”
“I am Thundur. And that is enough for you to believe me.”
“Who are you really? I don’t know you. Are you a powerful being?” I said I’m really confused by him. I couldn’t get his point why I needed to help him.
“Yes… then. But my twin kept me. He cheated on the person I love, and locked me in this cave. I can’t get out because of the black magic he used to lock me here,” he narrated. I could feel the sadness and anger in his voice.
Meanwhile, I felt shocked.
“W-what? Your twin did that to you…?”
I heard him sigh. “Yes. Unfortunately, he wants to sow evil. And he wants to involve your kingdom,” he added, making my chest thump.
I was suddenly alarmed. But I realized something.
“D-dark Ridges are the only ones who want to fight in our kingdom. They are also the only ones who sow terror here in the quiet world of fairies,” I said.
“What if I say that Dark and my twin who locked me in this cave are one and the same?” he suddenly asked which shocked my system.
“W-what?! Y-you’re a twin with Dark?!” I asked him in shock, unable to believe what I found out.
“Yes… unfortunately…” He sighed.
I was shocked. He and Dark’s behavior is very different. Even though I can’t see what this Thundur looks like, I know for myself that there is a big difference between the two of them. What I don’t know is why he did that to Thundur.
“W-what did you do to Dark and why is he treating you like that?” I asked curiously.
“I don’t even know… since we were kids, he’s been like that to me…” he said softly, sadness evident in his voice.
I thought about whether I should help him or not. I must admit that I was saddened by what he said, happy that he was concerned about our kingdom, but I could not hide the doubt. As a fairy who wants to protect a kingdom, it’s only natural for me to be critical of our surroundings. It’s normal for me that it’s hard to trust the people we meet because in this world of ours with the threat of danger, we don’t know who we can trust anymore. We don’t know if he is our kind or a spy from the kingdom of darkness. So we better be careful.
“So if possible, Antricus… help me… help me finish my mission… and I will also help you when the day comes when the Dark Ridges invade you…” he pleaded, obviously convincing me.
For the sake of my kingdom… for the sake of the safety of my father’s subjects and my future subjects… and for my queen. For Sazharina…
“Alright. I’m ready to help you.” I took a deep breath. “Let’s make this a deal.”
Suddenly, a strong wind blew around.
“Thank you very much, Antricus. You can count on me to always be there when you need help,” he said, I could feel the pleasure in his voice.
But suddenly I felt cold in my chest and when I looked, there was a necklace attached to it. It is a circle and inside the circle is like a diamond. It is so bright that staring at it for a long time hurts the eyes.
“What is this thing?” I asked and held up the necklace to get a good look. “I just saw a necklace like this.”
“It’s a powerful necklace, Antricus. That’s what I did during the few years I was imprisoned here in the cave. It’s very powerful and only creatures like you can handle it,” he explained, making me amused.
I nodded understandingly. “But what is it for? And why are you giving it to me?”
“That’s for your protection, Antricus. You can’t be moved by darkness if you’re wearing that. But my only advice to you is…” He suddenly paused.
“W-what?”
“I’m running out of time. Thank you very much for your help, Antricus. I’ll get back to you next time,” he said hurriedly and soon everything was back to normal.
The second time I talked to him, I could tell he was really powerful. The environment changes when he’s there and it’s just amazing that I’m the only one who has the ability to feel him. Apart from that, his arrival was also at a time where no one or other creatures like me could see me talking to a cold and heavy wind.
His presence is really powerful… There are so many questions in my mind. I was thinking about what happened to both of them when they were children… Why did Dark hate her so much and was able to lock her inside the cave for many years. Whatever it is, it’s sure to be a serious problem especially when Dark learns that Thundur-who is his twin he locked in the cave, has the ability to communicate with me, through the air.
Only then did I realize that I still had to visit my queen in the hospital.
“Damn it, I’m gonna be late for breakfast!” I hurriedly boarded the taxi I saw and went to the hospital owned by Jilledh. Sazharina was there.
Luckily the timing was on my side and we got to the hospital really quickly.
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
I immediately got out of the car and walked directly to Sazharina’s room. I reached it quickly. I was about to turn the door lock when I remembered something.
I removed it from my neck and put it in the pocket of the pants I was wearing now.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
“Sazharina can’t see this… she is too curious,” I whispered to myself before turning the doorknob. Tita and Sazharina appeared to me with a bag placed in front of them. I think they have put away their things.
They saw me so I smiled and held up the big paper bag I was carrying.
“Breakfast,” I said, smiling.
“Oh… you’re so sweet, Tray. Come in!” Aunt said.
I went inside and put the paper bag on the table. Sazharina just stood by my side and looked at me while I brought out the food.
“Smells so good, Tray!” Aunt praised.
I giggled. “I bought some coffee for you, Aunt. I just ordered a typical breakfast set and bought some fruits for Sazharina.” I turned to Sazharina and smiled. She looks so pretty even though she just woke up.
“Thank you,” she said with a sweet smile.
My heart suddenly thumped because of her sweet smile. I immediately averted my eyes from her because of my feelings.
“That’s a lot, Tray! It’s fun!” Tita was still clapping because of the excitement. I can’t help but think about what we talked about last night.
“I’ll get the utensils,” Sazharina suddenly said but I stopped her immediately.
“Let me. Just take a seat and wait for me to serve your food.” I pushed her to sit on the chair. Tita just smiled while watching us.
I went to the kitchen to get three dishes and a spoon and fork. Tita helped me again with the arrangement. It wasn’t long before we finished fixing the food so we started eating.
“Hey, Sazha. Eat. So that you can regain your strength,” I said to Sazharina and she followed.
Aunt and I continued to eat while I noticed Sazharina was quite quiet and didn’t move her food much.
“Weird…” I heard her whisper to himself.
I looked at her. “Is there a problem?” I asked softly.
She looked at me and smiled. “Nothing.”
But I’m not satisfied with her answer. I know something is bothering her. I just can’t figure out what it is.
“Are you sure, sweetie? Don’t you want foods?” Aunt also asked.
But she immediately shook her head. “No, Mom. These foods taste great,” she said and smiled.
We just went back to eating even though I noticed that Sazharina was eating slowly and that she was eating very little.
I’m starting to get conscious. I wonder if she doesn’t like the food I cook.
“Tray?” she called me and Aunt and I both turned to her, waiting for what she was going to say. “Is it just me or you too, but the taste is weird.”
Damn…
My eyes widened slightly and my body froze. I felt like I saw something scary and I was really scared. I can feel my paleness now.
This can’t be… it’s true… SAZHARINA IS REALLY A FAIRY.
“Tray?” She held me and it was as if my fairy soul that suddenly came out of my body suddenly returned to my body.
“Y-y-yes?”
“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked concernedly.
I was so shocked, I just nodded at her and went back to eating as if nothing had happened.
I should tell this to Dad right now. It’s up to him if he gets angry because I used magic on Sazharina again, but it’s really necessary. I need to know the identity of my queen so I can make my next plan. I’m done with Aunt because she agreed and left her daughter to me.
I must to move on to my next plan now.
“Even so, the food is delicious. Maybe it’s just the medicine,” she suddenly added that made me calmed down. It’s like the blood has returned to my body.
“You’ll be fine, sweetie. Maybe your body just isn’t used to the medicine,” Aunt said. Sazharina just smiled and nodded before going back to eating.
We finished eating breakfast in peace, while I couldn’t escape from my mind thinking about Sazharina’s personality. If her personality was a mystery to me then, now I just want it to remain a mystery and not find out more.
There’s a part of me that’s glad that she’s my kind and that our lives won’t be that difficult if we end up together forever. But I wonder what our fate would be like now if she wasn’t a fairy like me. My father might not accept her.
My mind was floating while cleaning our food.
“I’ll just get the car, Aunt. You guys get ready,” I informed them. Aunt just thanked me because Sazharina was already in the bathroom taking a bath.
Earlier, I quickly talked to Josh that I would borrow a car from him. I said he should just take her to this hospital. And now I will look at it and fix it so that Aunt and Sazha will be comfortable when riding it.
“Oh damn, I hope I can drive it well,” I whispered into the air as I eased the seats. I also tested it to see if it was smooth to drive and it was good.
After a short inspection, I went up to Sazharina and saw that they were doing well. You can leave the room now because Aunt cleaned it earlier. Sazharina looks good and her beauty really comes out even though her outfit is simple. She even wanted to go for a walk today but Aunt and I forbade her. Jilledh said that she should avoid stress. Also, she just got out of the hospital and we don’t want her to get tired.
“Let’s go, Aunt and Sazha. The car is already there.” I picked up the two gym bags and carried them to the car.
I fixed it for a while and turned on the engine. I just drive slowly because I don’t want to suddenly shock Sazharina’s body.
“Are you really slow to drive, Tray?” Sazharina asked.
“I just don’t want your body to be shocked,” I replied, making Tita laugh.
I just continued driving slowly so I could see Sazharina clearly looking irritated.
“Tray, I’m not pregnant. Why are you driving so slowly?” she asked irritated.
Damn, she’s really impatient. I’m not good at driving a car! We might have an accident. I need to act now.
I sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you the truth now,” I surrendered, obviously faking it.
“What truth?”
“I already passed many car accidents back then. One time, I almost hit a pole because of the speed I was driving,” I declared, that’s a lie of course. I know I should tell them the truth but I don’t want them to ask more questions. I don’t want to deepen the conversation because it might lead to nowhere.
Meanwhile, they both stared in shock.
“See? That’s why I drive slowly. I don’t even know what’s in my hands and I’m like this when I drive a car,” I added.
“W-what the hell, Tray?!” Sazharina exclaimed.
I burst out laughing because of her reaction. Aunt was obviously shocked and could not move.
“My goodness, Tray…” Aunt said, her voice was full of surprise.
I smiled shyly and slightly scratched my head. “I’m sorry hehe…”
“W-well, i-it’s okay… at least you know what you’re doing driving now,” Aunt added and winced.
Sazharina and I just laughed at Aunt’s reaction. Since they were bored, I sped up the car a bit. It wasn’t long before we finally arrived at their house. We were immediately greeted by the maids I saw this morning.
“Let’s go to the kitchen, sweetie. I’ll get you something to drink first,” said Aunt and we happily followed her.
She made orange juice for us and ordered cupcakes. It only took a few moments for the order to arrive so we ate first.
“What are you supposed to do now, Tray?” Aunt asked and bit into the strawberry cupcake.
I swallowed the cupcake I was eating first. “Well, I’ll try to visit my father. But if possible, I want to stay here first.”
Aunt was clapping for joy. She’s so cute. “Of course! You can stay here!”
Sazha and I just looked at each other and both smiled. I also want to stay here for a while because I want to be with my queen. I also make sure that they are fine here when I leave them.
We talked for a while until we finished the cupcakes. The juice has also run out.
“Go upstairs first, sweetie. I’m going to cook our lunch,” Aunt ordered to which Sazha nodded.
“Let’s go, Tray.” She pulled me up until we reached her room.
The beautiful color of Sazha’s room dawned on me. Its color is pleasing to the eye and her room looks peaceful. Very clean.
“Your room looks better, Sazha,” I commented when we entered my room.
“Yup,” she agreed, popping the ‘p’ letter. “Mom fixed it so it wouldn’t look lazy. Tranquil is nice if it’s just plain.” She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.
“You’re tired?” I asked.
“Nah, just a little bit. But I feel better now.
“Wanna watch a movie? My friend said it will relieve fatigue,” I suggested. She immediately agreed and turned on the TV to watch.
“Pick one.” She just scrolled until I could choose a movie. The title and thumbnail of the movie are interesting.
“Where is it?” she asked confused because there were three movies in the selection.
“The one in the middle,” I answered. “It looks interesting.”
“That one is a fantasy. You wanna watch it?” She looked at me.
“Yes, please,” I said. I really want to watch that movie. I feel like it relates to me.
She just shrugged and pressed that movie.
“The mysterious fairy prince and his queen,” she read the title.
Hmm… a fairy, huh? I see…
The movie started and various beautiful places were shown. The man was in another dimension and it was a fairy. It’s powerful and really useful. He is a prince in the fairy palace. Their palace is about to be overrun by fairy darkness, and they need a queen to save their kingdom. This is what their enemy ordered them to do.
He is really related to me. The story and my life are almost exactly the same.
Eventually, the male protagonist ends up in the human world. Sazha and I are still laughing because of what he experienced in the search for a queen.
Until he met the girl, Solane.
The girl, Solane, is simple. Their life is difficult and she really needs to scrape by so that they have money to support their daily needs. Her life was so hard that she reached the point where she wanted to give up. But she thinks about her family. Her parents and siblings will be neglected because no one is taking care of their family but her. Her father is ill, while her mother is unable to work due to old age.
I was just happily watching until I heard a sob. I turned around and saw Sazharina crying. I immediately panicked and approached her.
“Hey, why are you crying?” I leaned her against my chest.
“T-that movie made me cry…” She sobbed. I can’t blame her though. It has come to the scene of the movie where Solane’s father died because he was not treated due to lack of money.
Solane and I are the same. My mother died because of the disease she experienced. It has no cure. I was just a child when my mother died. Sazharina, on the other hand, only recognizes her uncle as her father. Even I, hurt for him.
Her mom was right… she is so fragile…
I just laughed softly. “Chill. We’re not even halfway through the movie yet.”
“It hurts…” She sobbed more.
I hushed her and caressed her hair. I hugged her tightly and leaned her face even more against my chest.
“Don’t cry… Do you want me to change the movie? So you won’t cry anymore?” I was about to reach for the remote but she immediately stopped me.
“No. Let’s finish the movie. I really love to know what will be the ending,” she said. I just nodded.
We continued watching until the movie became exciting because the two heroes almost met several times but were always interrupted until the scene where they met. The man saved Solane from the thief and that was their first meeting. As a thank you, Solane invited him to their house. That’s also where the scene happened where Solane found out that the man was a fairy. Shock and fear prevailed in his system but the man explained to him. And because she is indebted to the man for the rescue he did, the woman agrees to help the man find a queen.
“Sweetie, Tray, let’s eat! Lunch is ready!” We heard Aunt say from outside.
“Let’s continue this later. The movie is getting exciting and interesting now,” I said and he agreed. I want this movie to end. The show is really interesting.
We went down and ate lunch. Even though today is a bit heavy, I can say that I am still happy because I am with the girl I love. And the mother of the girl I love who did nothing but support me.
Now, I have to act. I don’t want to get to the point where this opportunity won’t happen again just because of a risk that I can’t take care of right away.
Help me, Thundur. Save us. Save my queen.