The wooden chair creaked as I rose after hours of sitting beside her in silence. I glanced at her one last time and got up to find Asher and Kristen, closing the oak door behind me as I walked through the empty corridor.
Eventually, my steps halted in front of the room where I opened my eyes, taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, where Asher seemed to be waiting for me. I looked around, but I couldn't find Kristen.
"Where is Kristen?"
"A Shard emerged nearby", Asher replied, handing me a cup of water and some medicine. It's not too powerful, but it's better to deal with it before it becomes a problem."
"...Have you made up your mind yet?" he asked after a moment.
"I will wait for Zei to regain consciousness, I can't make a decision for her on my own accord."
Asher's usually indifferent face softened. "You seem to care for her deeply."
"She is the only person I have left by my side, I am alive here today because of her." I smiled bitterly, remembering the time we spent together in the forest.
"She didn't abandon me when everybody else did. She forgave me and offered me warmth and care despite what happened in the past. I want to return that favour by giving her all the happiness in the world…however, it seems like I am not even capable of doing that."
I glanced at him, my eyes unwavering with determination. "Is there a way for me to become stronger?"
Our gazes locked for a few moments before he handed me a leather-bound book from his satchel, its cover marked with old symbols.
"Basics of Runes and Enchantment"
"You'll be able to get a prosthetic limb once we reach Eleithiya for the time being, but that will be useless unless you know how to enchant and draw runes," Asher explained.
He continued, "Your body isn't suitable for physical labour right now. But you can still learn the basics of runes, which will be helpful in the near future. The first step is to memorize the first 36 primary runes in that book."
"Your body needs time to recover, so in the meantime, get yourself familiar with the theory regarding runes, then we can move on to the next step."
He went on to explain a few minor details before heading out to check on Kristen.
I took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."
Opening the first page, I started reading through the basics, which included the need for runes and their applications in various fields. Being blessed with photographic memory, grasping the concepts and memorizing all 36 primary runes came easily.
For the next two days, I was immersed in my study while checking up on Zei frequently. She still hasn't regained consciousness, and my anxiety grew with each passing day. Asher, however, reassured me that her vitals are stable and that there is no need to worry about it.
Having already mastered the primary runes, I had moved on to the secondary 36 runes, even Kristen was surprised by my progress and ability to retain everything.
It was late at night, and I found myself walking through the corridor again, eventually stopping before the broken oak door. Opening it, I was greeted by the pleasant gust of wind from the nearby open window, my gaze fell onto Zei, who was still in a deep slumber.
I sat beside her in silence for some time, just being near her calmed me, bringing an odd sense of peace.
"...I'm here, Zei."
No answer. Only the sound of her breathing filled the room.
"My injuries are close to being healed now, however, some scars will stay for a lifetime. But I don't mind them, they are a constant reminder to myself."
"Asher said that if you don't wake up soon…there is a risk you could slip into a coma due to the mental shock and trauma experienced, so…"
A lump formed in my throat, trying to continue, knowing very well my words aren't heard, they won't reach her.
"Please, wake up. I don't care if you have scars or if you've lost an eye. None of that matters—as long as you're here with me."
"I cherish you more than anything in this world", clasping her hand tightly with both of mine, bringing it close to my face, whispering a silent prayer to the heavens and the stars up in the sky.
"I am pathetic, aren't I? Telling you all this when you can't even hear me." Smiling bitterly, I caressed her face.
"You've endured so much, yet you still chose to protect me. So I'll do the same, to give you the happiness you deserve."
"..so please, come back to me"
Zei's POV
I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a bed under an unfamiliar ceiling as moonlight poured along with a pleasant gust of wind from the window nearby.
My vision blurred. Where was I? What happened to me? Countless thoughts plagued my mind, however, soon enough, all the memories returned to me.
Rayne, where is he? Suddenly, a hand grazed my face, and I flinched. However, a familiar voice entered my ears, "So please come back". It was Rayne, relief over my body, he was alive.
"Rayne." His name came out in a hoarse voice like a whisper, but it was enough. His head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelieving hope.