Chapter Text
Lumine stopped running once she reached the edge of the jagged cliff, trembling as she watched the bridge connecting the two mountains crumbling to pieces and falling down the dark, endless gap. Aether was standing on the other side. He was far, yet she could perceive his cold gaze and slightly parted lips as if he was no farther than a step ahead of her. There were no words exchanged between them, but she could tell that he was indifferent about this meeting. He didn’t care if she had been around or not.
Grey was the only color surrounding them. The sky looked like it was filled with smoke, and their bodies were pale and cold. The scenery changed into a lakeside, still as gloomy and cloudy as before. With his back facing her, he now stood beside a waterfall. She called his name, but he was unaffected. She knew she said it loudly, but perhaps the sound of water hitting the rocks overtook everything else. When she tried to move forward, she was stuck in place even though nothing was tying her to the ground.
Aether! This time, she couldn’t hear her own voice. Aether, please look at me! She kept shouting while struggling to free herself from the invisible bind, but she was mute and helpless. All at once, the distance between them expanded, and the place turned into a tiny kitchen. She remembered the horse painting next to the table for two and the cheap coat rack they purchased from a flea market. It missed a handle, but five other people were fighting to win the deal. They were chosen merely because they were friends with the seller.
“Lumine, I need to tell you something.”
Her eyelids fluttered as she realized that she was sitting in the dining chair right across from him, who appeared out of nowhere. Finally, she could grab and feel his skin, but the sense of urgency was no longer there. It was their usual morning before they embarked on a new day; he would toast some bread while she handled the fried eggs or sausages. For the beverage, they would have hot coffee with lots of cream. Just as she finished wondering, every item she thought of suddenly existed on the table.
“What is it, Aether?” she asked, noticing how he was looking at her fondly. She liked him like this. It was the brother who could tell she was upset before she knew it herself. They had lived together for centuries, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they could read each other’s minds.
“You’ll choose me over Dainsleif.” He rested his chin on his hand and smirked. “Any time, Lumine. You’ll choose me over him.”
She shook her head and explained that she would never have to choose because they would be understanding. It was impossible to measure the amount of love she had for them, but she would find a way to keep them in her life, but just like before, no words came out of her mouth. Seeing her inner conflict, Aether cackled with laughter. His face became twisted until it didn’t look like him anymore. The change terrified and angered her, especially since he couldn’t shut up about how she would never pick Dainsleif.
When she woke up, it took her a while to register the nightmare that she just experienced. She felt saddened and empty because it had been a while since she dreamed about Aether. On the other hand, she was grateful that it was nothing more than a dream. The spot next to her was empty, leaving only a wrinkled sheet and a blanket too big for her. She could hear the sizzling sound of oil on a hot pan from the outside, so she got up and left the room. Usually, she would wash up before doing something else, but she was too restless.
Dainsleif was humming Khaenri’ahn nursery song in the kitchen. The first time she heard it, he said it was what one of his knight friends used to sing when they were guarding a post, several years before he was chosen as a royal guard. The melody was embedded in his mind that he found it difficult not to randomly pick it up whenever he could. Today was his turn to prepare breakfast while she would take care of their laundry before noon. Tomorrow, it would be the other way around, and so on.
“Dain!” She ran toward the man standing near the stove and hugged him from behind. He hadn’t changed his shirt, but he still smelled like citrus and mint from the time they spent together in the bathtub before heading to bed. How could Aether be so sure that she wouldn’t mind being separated from the love of her life? If both men were dying and she only had one potion to spare, she would rather go with them so none of them had to feel lonely.
“Good morning.” One of Dainsleif’s hands clutched at her arm. “What’s the matter? Can you wait until I’m done cooking?”
“Oh. Sorry,” she said as she let him go. When she jumped to the side and leaned her back against the kitchen counter, she could see that he needed to flip the grilled tomatoes within seconds before they burned. “I had a nightmare. It was about Aether,” she revealed.
“What happened?” He glanced at her before focusing back on the pan. Beside him was a platter of raw sliced white onions, two pork patties that they bought from the market last afternoon, and a block of cheese. On the dining table, he had placed two empty plates and cups. The only missing part was the bread, which he would get from the pantry while he waited for the patties to be cooked through so the meal would be served hot. He had always been more organized than her.
“I saw him. I called him, but he didn’t want to turn around for me. Then once he did, he told me that I would choose him over you. Repeatedly,” she stressed out.
“Oh? Why does it bother you?” he asked.
She heaved a sigh, looking at the ceiling and clasping her hands below her waist. “I can’t remember the last time I dreamed about him. It was probably more than a year ago. Two years ago? More importantly, I don’t dream that often.”
“They do say that dreams actually reveal your hidden emotions.” He lifted the pan and transferred the tomatoes onto an empty plate on the countertop behind him. As soon he put the pan back above the fire, he dropped the onions to caramelize them. While he was doing everything, she could only frown at him.
“What are you implying? Do you think I would just desert you? You make me seem like a bad person,” she groaned.
“That’s not it,” he cooed with a chuckle. “What I meant is you’re actually scared if you do have to choose between us, hence the nightmare. Aether won’t be that cruel to put you on the spot like that. For sure, I won’t do it to you.”
She knew he would appreciate it more if she didn’t do it, but she embraced him again, now from the side and tighter. “I love you, Dain. We’ll be together for as long as we can,” she said before kissing his chest and neck. Their eyes met, and he ducked his head down to kiss her lips.
“For as long as we can? So, not forever?” he teased.
“It’s the same thing, but forever sound cheesy! It’s been used a million times by everyone!”
Her childlike response must have been what caused him to laugh. “All right. We’ll hold on to each other for as long as we can.”
She nodded her head and grinned. “That’s perfect.”