My vision began to slowly blur.
I couldn't believe it.
If this very moment is Noelier's memory, and if he considers this scene the most important. If so.
'The wolf that Noelier had been searching for so desperately.'
It means my mom.
'Then that is... Mom's past life?'
This is ridiculous. I couldn't understand how things were going. Before I knew it, I sprang up from my seat.
"Eve!"
Aria urgently pulled my arm, but I shook her off.
I ran toward them. But the further I moved forward, the more darkness surging in from somewhere blocked my vision. My memory had begun to crack.
The space twisted. My body swayed back and forth. I kept moving forward, but the two of them grew further apart.
"Eve!"
Aria, who had followed me, grabbed my arm. At the same time, the ground began to sink deep.
I hurriedly stretched out my arm.
"Mom!"
I shouted loudly. But my body was already falling into the darkness. There was no way anyone could hear me.
However, the woman turned her head and looked at me. Our eyes met.
It was my mother's face that I remember, a face I have never once forgotten.
I hurriedly stretched out my arm, but my body had already been devoured by the darkness a long time ago.
My vivid consciousness gradually faded away. It felt as if someone was raising a hand to close my eyes, as if inviting me to sleep.
Watching the light fade away, I slowly closed my eyes.
***
I opened my eyes again. Everything was blurry. After blinking several times, a bright view came into sight.
'Did I faint? Or was it a dream?'
As I blinked blankly, forgotten afterimages came to mind.
I suddenly sat up. But tremendous pain enveloped my body.
I had to lie down again and let out only painful groans.
"Baby."
A frantic voice called out to me. My grandmother came over to my side and held my hand.
“Are you okay?”
"Grandma...?"
"It's okay. Everything is fine now."
Grandma patted my hand, her voice trembling. I sat up again, dazed by the warmth of her body. It was to check on Noelier's condition.
"That dragon is fine, too. Nothing has changed."
Grandmother laid me down again and spoke in a soothing tone.
"...So far."
She added, mumbling.
" I don't know... what happened."
I stammered as I continued speaking.
"Did you come back after seeing the memories?"
"Yes. I met Noelier, too. Right before my eyes… It was really vivid… I could even feel the heat."
I answered, stammering.
“You felt it yourself?”
Then, Grandma asked back as if she couldn't believe it. I nodded blankly.
"That wasn't just seeing a memory; it was practically the same as having experienced it..."
Grandmother's face was clouded with confusion. My hazy mind could not immediately understand what she was saying.
It was then.
Bang! The door opened with a loud noise.
"Eve! Is Eve awake?"
It was Aria's voice. Judging by the sound of sobbing, she seemed to be with the children.
As the grandmother nodded, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching was heard.
"Oh my God, Eve!"
Aria, observing my complexion, waved three fingers.
"Do you know how many of these there are?"
"...There are three of them."
Aria let out a sigh of relief. Her eyes were filled with tears, as if she had been very anxious.
I slowly got up. Aria quickly supported me.
“Sister!”
"Could something have happened to me?"
Zion, who hadn't even dared to approach out of fear, came running straight over.
“Si, sister...”
I wondered what kind of strength was so great that my waist, which was being held captive, began to ache. I stroked Zion's back as if to comfort him.
“I'm okay.”
"But I was worried because my sister suddenly collapsed..."
Zion's back trembled slightly. I could tell how much fear this little one must have felt while I was unconscious.
I gently stroked Zion's back out of apology.
“What about Rachel?”
"...I don't know. She went outside after you collapsed."
I wonder where she went. She must be having a really hard time because of the shock.
It was a time when I was debating whether I should go out and look for Rachel.
"Eve."
Aria, who had been watching us, cautiously opened her mouth.
I stopped the movement I was about to make at her call.
"Why?"
"I have something to ask you."
“What is it?”
"...Do you remember what you saw in your memory?"
I nodded. Then Aria hesitated and pulled her lips away.
"I mean the person Eve saw."
"..."
"You shouted this at that person. 'Mom.'"
Grandmother's eyes widened at Aria's words.
"..."
Zion, held in my arms, instinctively grabbed the hem of my clothes.
I nodded slowly.
"This..."
Aria's face flushed with disappointment. She muttered a curse and clutched her forehead as if she had a headache.
"So that's what it meant for your souls to be connected..."
Aria muttered as if chewing on something. I could tell what she was thinking.
"What do you mean? Eve, what did you see in your memory?"
Grandmother seemed to instinctively sense an ominous presence. Her voice was urgent as she urged me on. A frightened Zion hugged me tightly, clinging to me.
The stuck lips could not utter a single word.
If what I saw is the memory that Noelier from his past life considered the most important.
The companion Noelier is looking for is...
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Mermaid. What on earth did you see? Tell me what you saw."
As I closed my eyes, Grandmother grabbed Aria and demanded an answer. She hesitated and spoke.
"I didn't get a good look either. Just that person who looks like a dragon... and..."
Aria held her breath for a moment. Her next breath was a little long.
"...There was a woman who looked very much like Eve. Eve called her Mom."
"Then that wolf..."
"It is the legendary wolf, Eve's mother's past life."
Is this what it feels like to be a prisoner sentenced to death?
It felt as if indescribable despair had shackled my entire body.
'So that’s it.'
That's why they said the colors of the souls are similar.
The fact that I was able to control Noelier's fire, and that 'Eve' in the book died from Rachel's fire.
It was because of my mom.
Noelier's partner wasn't me.
"But that's the past. You might have seen it wrong."
My grandmother tried hard to comfort me, but I could feel it. That woman was definitely my mother.
I slowly shook my head. I could feel my grandmother let out a sigh of despondency.
A suffocating silence followed. Even Zion seemed unable to speak easily.
I understood the meaning of that silence. It was clear that they shared the same thoughts as me.
My mother passed away a long time ago.
In other words, it meant there was no way to save Noelier.
An unbearable sense of helplessness washed over me. I thought I was the only one who could control him.
'It was all an illusion.'
I raised my head and looked at Noelier.
He lay there as if dead.
We are barely holding back the rampage with my grandmother's magic, but if we cannot imprint, a rampage is inevitable.
And he must have known it would turn out this way.
That must be why the imprinting was postponed, since a companion without a heart cannot handle the dragon's power.
'Not knowing that, I, like a fool...'
It was when I was staring blankly at Noelier that something warm touched my cheek.
"Don't cry, Sister..."
Zion, covered in tears, was wiping my cheek.
Before I knew it, I was crying. Tears, unbeknownst to their owner, stained my face a mess.
I hugged Zion tightly.
There was no way to save Noelier. All that remained was his ruin.
***
I slowly opened my eyes. Rubbing my dry eyes, I waited for my vision to clear.
The bluish dawn moonlight poured in through the wide-open window. I stared blankly at the light for a moment before shifting my gaze.
Noelier was still asleep, as if dead.
I stroked the hands I was holding. Looking at his rough yet soft hands, I felt like I was going to cry again.
Mom.
What should I do now?
I feel like if I called out to Mom right now, she would answer.
Just like when I called out to Mom in my memories...
'Wait for a sec.'
The sigh I was letting out stopped abruptly.
When I glimpsed the memory with Aria, she clearly said this.
We have now entered Noelier's memory. Therefore, we must not carelessly disturb it.
But I definitely called her Mom.
And then, our eyes met.
If what we saw was Noelier's memory.
Mom couldn't have heard my shout.
"...!"
My heart pounded like crazy. It couldn't be true. Realistically, it was an absurd situation.
But...
'If this assumption is true.'
I took a deep breath.
There might still be a way to save Noelier.
***
The South, bathed in the morning sunlight, was still quiet.
Therese woke up and headed straight to Eve's room.
His granddaughter, Eve, was quite stubborn. No matter how much she pleaded and begged, she had no intention of leaving the dragon's side.
It would have been nice if she at least ate properly, but she even skipped meals, citing a lack of appetite. It seemed she wanted to see her grandmother's heart burn with anguish.
Therese stood in front of the door and knocked lightly. There was no answer.
'Are you still sleeping?'
Eve, whose physical strength had weakened recently, would stay by Noelier's side all day and fall asleep as if she had fainted.
"... Eve"
Eve slowly turned her head at Therese's call.
Eve's face was heavily laden with fatigue.
However, the eyes looking at her were clear.
"Grandma."
Eve slowly pulled her lips away.
"...I have something I would like to tell you."
Previous Next
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment