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Lapis was practically glowing with joy as she walked through the gilded ballroom, arms linked with her new husband. Her cheeks were sore from the uncontrollable smiles as she greeted each of her guests properly. Her wonderful new in-laws were just as lively always, toasting to many years of happiness and prosperity with their crystal flutes. There were a few not-so-subtle death threats from Mapharam, should her newly-wed treat her with even a speck of disrespect; the many blissful well-wishes from the lovely Binari, whose daughter was one of Lapis’ flowergirls; the ever-respectful, ever-polite blessings from Enoch; and the restrained, but genuine congratulations from Hector.
Lapis could see Dmitriy raising his glass with Astrad by the windows. She could see Charlotte and Karl dancing together in the middle of the ballroom under the grand chandelier, surrounded by other couples. Off in the distance, Myosotis flitted about the floral arrangements, whilst the young flower children chased after him, chattering gleefully. Warmth, laughter, and the fizz of golden wine beamed from every corner of the room.
The night was exactly as Lapis had hoped it would be. Delicious food, cheerful music, all those Lapis loved most altogether. Lapis herself was radiant, wearing light flowers in her flaxen hair, and pale marital robes embroidered with gold. But what made it perfect, was being able to stand next to the man she loved and call him her husband. After defeating Arverna, Lapis had taken on huge responsibilities to take care of Gaia, using her powers to restore the damage left from Arverna’s treachery. And throughout her role as the New Dark Lord, it was that man who kept her grounded. Who made her feel human. He made her feel like Lapis. She could’ve never imagined getting married of all things when she was just starting Area Academy, but this felt so right that there wasn’t a speck of doubt in her mind when he finally popped the question.
“And I just felt so terrible for her, you know?” one of Lapis’ guests continued, “I mean, who leaves a wedding early?”
“Such a shame,” another woman sighed, lifting her drink to her lips, “it’s obvious there were still unresolved feelings between them, and it just hurt her too much to stay any longer. If only she had the courage to act sooner, then perhaps she wouldn't have had to watch him get married to someone else."
“Exactly!” another agreed, “but that’s also what makes love all the more special. You only have one person you can give it to truthfully."
“And that’s why Lapis is the only one for me in the whole of Gaia!” Lapis’ husband chirped, raising his crystal glass.
Lapis chuckled, pecking her husband on the cheek. But before she could get too comfortable, the great double doors leading into the ballroom suddenly opened, and the previously sprightly chatter dimmed down to confused murmurs. The whole party seemed to turn their attention to the looming figure now stepping into the ballroom. Guests paused in their conversations to crane their necks. The dancers took their eyes off their partners for a moment. Even the music slowed for a split second. Everyone pined to catch a glimpse of the alluring latecomer.
Seeing the strange looks and questioning mutters, Lapis followed their gazes in confusion. Slowly, she turned around. And as soon as she saw those streams of crimson hair, that glistening violet eye, that single star earring, she felt her blood freeze.
Calla.
A moment so poetic it felt cruel.
Her husband nudged her, “isn't that her? I told you she would come!”
Lapis didn’t respond, her mouth hanging open. The world around her seemed to fall silent. Her heart began to hammer in her chest.
Calla met her eye, and Lapis felt a spike pierce her heart. Each second felt stretched into a million. Calla smiled, before looking away to greet Dmitriy and Astrad. She was dressed simply, but regally. A form-fitting velvet black dress, with long sleeves and a skirt that stopped just at her ankles. The back was bare, and Lapis could see her sculpted shoulders.
The reception soon resumed where it left off, and Lapis felt the world come flooding back. She regained her senses and yet, she was shaken. She could not silence the thundering beats of her heart, deep within. She dismissed the concerns of her ever-kind and well-meaning husband, who seemed to notice something was off. But Lapis' heart only pounded louder as she could see Calla beginning to approach her through the sea of guests. It was as though with every step Calla took, years of memories and emotions would return to Lapis' mind one-by-one, till they all came crashing down upon her in a chaotic cascade.
“Master,” Calla said, reaching them with a smile on her face. Though her eye seemed distant.
“C-Calla!” Lapis finally got out, still reeling from her shock, “I didn’t think you would make it.”
“How could I miss such an important day?” Calla continued with her ever-inscrutable half-smile, “I give you my most sincere congratulations. I hope you will be very happy together.”
“It’s such an honour to have the Second Dark Lord at our wedding reception!” Lapis' husband cried, almost bounding up and down in his excitement.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Calla placed her hand over her heart, and bowed her head gracefully, “after all, my presence is no match for my Master’s.”
“I’m still Lapis, Calla,” Lapis suddenly said.
Calla was silent for a moment. Her violet eye shifted to her. Her hair, as red as streaks of scarlet fire, floated over the right side of her face. Ethereal. Like a sigh. Lapis felt her cheeks flushing. Not on her wedding day.
“Yes, it seems so,” Calla tilted her head slightly, “congratulations again.”
And she turned away from her.
Though the energy of the night remained high, Lapis couldn’t help but let her eye follow Calla. It didn’t matter where she was, or who she was with, Lapis’ gaze kept finding that head of crimson red hair. Oh how Lapis loved to admire Calla. She always had, despite the tumultuous maelstrom of emotions now swirling inside her. She berated herself. How could she be feeling this way on her wedding day? When her new husband was right here?
Lapis excused herself from her husband’s beaming circle of friends. She stumbled over to the tables of food, and took another glass of wine. She swallowed it in one go. Her organs seemed to tie themselves into tense knots. She gripped the stem of her glass hard as she grappled with the confusion swelling within her. How her heart pounded. Ached. Memories of how Calla's hand would rest on her waist as they danced; how Calla looked at her as though she were the most precious thing in the universe. Oh how Lapis’ heart beat for her. How Calla effortlessly pulled her into her orbit. How they had survived every adversity and the near end of the world together.
As if driven by a sixth sense, Lapis looked up to see Calla slipping through the glass double doors, into the loggia outside. Lapis felt something stir inside her. It was that pull again. Calla’s magnetic pull. And before she knew it she had set her empty glass down and was following after her, brushing past guests and friends who came to bid her their blessings. She couldn’t hear any of them at the moment.
The night air seemed to wake Lapis up a little more as she stepped from the spirited golden warmth of the ballroom into the cool, calm shadows of the loggia. The flower fields surrounding the loggia seemed to gleam under the moonlight, the silvery glow streaming through the archways and pooling on the shining mosaic floor. It reflected onto Lapis’ face with a soft blue hue.
She saw Calla standing at the stone balustrade, facing away from her, gazing out at the wide fields. Her fingers caressed the petals of a white rose, whose vines had spiraled up the pillars. Even now she was absolutely breathtaking. The moonlight silhouetted her lean figure, and her hair looked almost wine-coloured in the bluish light. The evening breeze did little to thwart the bright red heat blossoming on Lapis’ cheeks. Here they were, under the cover of a quiet starry sky. Reality muffled in the ballroom behind them. Alone.
“Calla,” Lapis finally spoke.
Calla turned her head a fraction.
“You should be inside. Celebrating,” Calla muttered dryly.
“You know I can’t do that right now,” Lapis immediately replied.
Lapis’ eyes flitted downward, seeing how Calla’s fingers tensed on the top rail of the balustrade.
Calla sighed, looking up at the sky. “Things really have changed.”
“Calla, you know that I-” Lapis cut herself off, “I… I’ve missed you, all these years.”
“I missed you too,” Calla replied.
Lapis’ eyes widened. The ease at which Calla had just admitted something quite vulnerable caught her off guard. Another pause.
“You’ve put together a wonderful reception,” Calla murmured.
Lapis felt her fists tighten. The small talk was about to drive her mad. Useless frivolities. Dalliances.
“Calla, why have you been gone for so long?” Lapis finally asked, “you were gone for years. Not a word. Not a single indication of how you were. And of all the days I finally get to see you again… ” Lapis felt that lump rising in her throat, “I… I don’t know what to think.”
Calla did not turn around. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to surprise you like this. I’ve had many other obligations I’ve had to attend to, but I couldn’t bear to miss out on such a day for you.”
“I had no idea where you were for so long…” Lapis choked up, “and… of course I knew you would’ve been alright but… things are so different now. And yet some of my feelings are the same as they’ve always been…”
Calla did not move. Lapis longed to see her face. Lapis felt her hand rising to her chest, as though she could suppress the thunderous beats of her aching heart.
“Did you think I didn’t see how your face fell when I said I wanted to continue as Lapis?” Lapis muttered, “did you know how much it hurt me to see you that way even when I knew I made the right decision? I cannot be your former Master, Calla. Deitasterra was my past, but we can never be one and the same.”
A gentle breeze blew by. It rustled Calla’s flame-like hair.
“Is that why you left?” Lapis gritted out, “were you so anguished by this that you had to abandon me altogether? Don’t you remember what you told me all those years ago in Zycarphus? You told me to remain as I was. Did you not mean those words? Did you only say them so I wouldn’t destroy myself under the weight of my guilt? So that my body could be preserved as the vessel for Deitasterra’s return? Is that all I was to you? Was there nothing else? Not even for one moment?”
Lapis’ voice quivered. The tears began to rise.
“That’s not-” Calla began.
“Did you know how long I spent hating myself because I felt that way too? Did you know I was willing to kill Lapis if it meant your life would be fulfilled with Deitasterra?” Lapis interrupted.
“My relationship with my Master is far more complicated than you could ever imagine-”
“You’re wrong, Calla. I can imagine it because that’s how I feel about you! I love you, Calla!” Lapis finally spouted, tears fogging her vision, “I always loved you! And I would be lying if I said I don’t still love you now. Calla, I think I will love you forever. I don’t think I could ever stop loving you.”
A brief pause.
“That’s not fair to your husband,” Calla’s knuckles turned white as she held onto the balstruade.
“I don’t care about that right now!” Lapis cried, “I love him, but you, Calla… I just… you… you are… my world.”
Calla froze.
“It’s you I see when I look up at the sky. It’s your voice I hear when the wind passes. I feel your arms around me in my dreams. My mind always comes back to you. It's always been you. I don’t know if it’s infatuation or just a schoolgirl crush that somehow hasn’t fizzled out but I couldn’t care less. All I know is that I love you, Calla, with every beat of my heart. Every fibre of my body. With everything I have in me.”
The silence was palpable. Lapis’ words had torn themselves from her wretched throat and she was now suspended in the valley of her confession. Between acceptance and rejection. Between elation and sorrow. Lapis pulled air through her teeth, seething. Not even seeing Calla’s face was about to make her lose her mind. She felt her desperation clawing at her from the inside. All she wanted was an answer. A hint in her eyes. A reaction. A sign Calla had been pained just as much as Lapis had. Anything. Even when she knew the answer she hopelessly yearned for was the wrong one. The one she couldn't accept anywhere but the lawless domain of her dreams. Not unless she wanted to hurt even more of the ones she loved. But try as she might, she could not smother the crashing heat within her. The tears finally began to roll down her flushed cheeks.
“Please, Calla…” Lapis' voice rasped, shaking, “tell me there was something more… tell me you can feel it...”
A few strained moments passed. Finally, Calla sighed. Lapis watched as Calla slowly turned her head back up to gaze at the night sky. She seemed to stare at the spot in the sky where the Dark Lord's constellation used to be.
“Those immortalised together as constellations are meant to be remembered for their eternal sigificance to each other,” Calla murmured, “lovers forever in embrace, enemies forever in pursuit. Even as they move through the night sky and their stories change, the only thing that remains certain is that seeing one must mean the other is close by.”
Lapis could explode. Her fingers dug into her delicate skirts. “What does that have anything to do with-”
“Perhaps we are like two constellations,” Calla’s voice came, “I’ve spent my entire life chasing after my former Master. And when I thought I had truly lost her forever, she returned to me, albeit, in a different form. Perhaps we will always find each other like this. Perhaps there is nothing that could truly prevent us from meeting. Not even death or rebirth. I have a feeling even as millennia pass, I will continue to remain at your side, and you at mine. Even if we have lived a thousand different lives. Even if the skilled hands of time slowly mould us to become unrecognisable. And perhaps… in one of these infinite possible futures, there is one where things were different.”
Calla broke off the white rose from its stem, and finally turned to Lapis. Lapis continued to stare. Calla's expression was creased with melancholy resolve. A bittersweet realisation. The tantilising moonlight skipped off the edges of Calla’s flaming hair, accentuating her sharp facial features, and illuminating the glint of purple in her left eye.
Lapis felt that soaring heat burrowing into her stomach as Calla stepped towards her. Lapis’ breath hitched in her throat as Calla raised her hand to let the backs of her fingers run down Lapis’ cheek. She threaded the rose behind Lapis’ ear. Even though Calla was gentle, Lapis could feel the light prick of the rose’s thorns. And yet she closed her eyes, and tilted her head closer. Calla'a hand moved down, cupping Lapis' cheek. She leaned in, and she planted a soft kiss onto Lapis’ forehead. Lapis felt herself rising onto her tiptoes. Felt herself chasing her warmth.
“Till we meet again, Lapis,” Calla’s voice was no louder than a whisper, “for I will always be your most loyal, and most faithful disciple.”
Lapis’ eyes shot open as Calla’s warmth left as quickly as it came. Calla pulled away, and turned from her. She descended gracefully down the steps from the loggia and onto the grassy pathway. Lapis watched her go. She felt tears welling in her eyes yet again. It wasn’t long before the vibrant red of Calla’s hair disappeared into the night.
The cold was crushing on Lapis’ chest. She stumbled back, the balustrade catching her. Her legs shook, as her hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her sobs. She slid downward, landing in a pile of pale fabric onto the tiled ground. She barely registered the door opening curiously, followed by the frantic rush of her newly-wed husband as he hurried to her. He fell to her side, his hand already wiping her tears. Lapis could not hear his panicked questions. What was the point? How could she put into words the searing agony that was mercilessly ripping through her? How could she make him understand the unbearable weight that still hung on her heart, steeped in a millennium of war and pain and grief? How could she admit to the unyielding love that continued to simmer within her?
The petals of the rose began to wilt as Lapis dug her fingers into her hair. The stars twinkled distantly above, and she continued to weep.