Wake up...

"Nova, wake up."

My eyes fluttered open to the calm yet infuriatingly insistent voice, witnessing the world in a haze of blur.

Slowly, very slowly, my vision focused onto the messy dark hair, the brown almond eyes, the mischievous smirk that brightened his features and a red tint rising along his neck–something I have to thank the weather for.

Ray. My wonderful handsome Ray, his entirety focused on me. Only me.

"Rise and shine, princess," he said, his voice soft and warm, as if speaking any louder would break the fleeting peace. "We have to start moving."

I groaned, wiggling on the strangely soft material that served as our bed for the night–something I have to thank Ray's talent for, since I clearly did not expect something this comfortable in the middle of the forest. Where did he get it from? I don't know.

"Come on," he quipped as he stood up. "The daylight won't last forever."

His smile turned warm and bright as I found myself pouting, the gravity of the situation settling back into my soul.

I pushed away the only blanket I brought with me for the journey and stared at the tent's ceiling like it had personally wronged me.

Ray's hand extended towards me, patiently waiting for me to hold, and I took it without hesitation, and just like that, he pulled me up like I weighed nothing–though reality is far from it.

My hands found my messy hair as we walked out, trying to tame it to the best of my extent.

My eyes squinted to the red dawn light and the cold breeze that touched my face. The birds chirped merrily all around us, beginning their simple life with a beautiful song.

"You're going to miss it if you keep fussing with your hair," Ray commented as he turned to look at me, standing at the edge of the cliff, his form radiated by the sun that was hiding behind him.

"I thought it was already past sunrise," I quipped with genuine curiosity in my voice.

"See for yourself," he said, stepping away for me to view the most magnificent art of nature. The sun looked so big and close, like I could almost touch it. I walked closer to Ray in a trance, my hands instinctively wrapping around his arms, my head resting against his biceps.

"It looks beautiful," I whispered, afraid to break the tranquility, my eyes glued on the rising sun.

"Yeah," he murmured, his hand finding mine, holding it like it was the most fragile thing in the world. "Reminds you why we are still fighting, doesn't it?"

My body seemed to shut down at that, thought after thought clashing in my mind at a speed I couldn't process. Images of barren lands and sunken eyes flashed before my eyes–too quick for me to grasp, to breathe, to think. The dying crops, cloudless skies and the never seizing cries rang in my ears, making me deaf to my surroundings.

My legs staggered back, my eyes closing shut, just in time as Ray held me, his steady arms wrapping around my shoulders. I forced myself to breathe, to exhale and just be, listening to his heartbeat, then mine, feeling the warmth that seeped through his caring hands.

I felt Ray's fingers curl around mine, forcing me to open my eyes as his calloused tips brushed against my ring–our engagement ring, that still sat like a promise and an anchor. His lips found my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine, a silent vow that we exchanged every morning.

We will make it out of this.

The packing was done within minutes, considering the countless times we have now done it and how little luggage we actually have.

Princess of Stellaria... living in the wilderness, braving everyday without a hairbrush and a decent bath. Even I wouldn't have believed what I just said if it were a few months back.

"Rocks," Ray said as he sent one flying with a kick. A silly game we've come up with on our journey of six months.

"Kingfisher," I said as we passed the bird eyeing us from the post it had chosen.

"No, I said rocks," he explained. "Plural."

"I saw a snail on the rock that we passed a few minutes ago," I tried to reason.

"We already passed it," he said with a calm determination. "So it doesn't count."

I rolled my eyes, already getting bored of the game. It's depressing how time can make things that were once exciting into something you despise.

Deciding to change my mind on the pressing matters, I actually scanned my surroundings–the first time I've done it ever since we started walking.

"This place looks new," I ventured, confident that my finding is right, considering the amount of time we circled a particular area over and over. "Where are we?"

Ray reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper, which when unfolded was roughly half the size of him.

He pointed to the bottom right corner and said, "Song-Birds. We're done with Echo Valley as of yesterday."

A week. Another week had gone and I didn't even notice it. Time... Why is time so cruel to me?

Ray's hands wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me closer, as if sensing the despair that I outwardly projected.

"A new start is good," he said near my ears, as if that alone could help me hear. "I have a good feeling about this."

I exhaled–slowly, very slowly–then nodded, acknowledging his words. A new start is good, I repeated in my mind, convincing myself to believe it.

I can't even imagine what it would be like if we couldn't find the temple of light–a myth told by the grandparents to the little kids of the kingdom. I don't know what made me believe that we could actually find it, but right now, that is our only hope.

"Let's move fast then," I said in a low voice. "The sun's already half way up."

After hours and hours of reckless exploring, our feet brought us deeper into the heart of the Song-Bird forest.

Vines twined everywhere, grabbing at our limbs as if it didn't want to let us go. And sometimes, I wish that to be true. Oh, how peacefully it would be to just give up and listen to the beautiful music the birds had to offer.

Ray had already walked forward, slashing through the canopy like a weed wacker.

"Did the forest make you weak, princess?" He called in a mocking tone.

"Oh no, my prince!" I exaggerated in a tone equivalent to his. "I just wanted you to be the sacrifice of whatever monster that lay in these depths!"

That made him stop and turn, his eyes narrowing on mine, though no real anger was behind them. But mischief on the other hand... there were plenty.

"Ray..." I warned, my voice cautious, my hands rising up as shields. "The place is already dark... you don't want me getting lost, do you?"

"Oh sweet sweet Nova," he quipped, casually strolling towards me, his attention solely on his fingers that were picking at his nails. "How will you get lost if I catch you first?"

His gaze turned to me and I knew then that I was in serious trouble. Without wasting a second, he lunged towards me and I took off running with a squeal. My legs hoped over knitted roots and my head ducked under twisting whines, but nothing was enough for me to lose Ray from my trail.

Laughter reverberated through the trees as our voices intertwined as one, both breathless from the hase, yet thoroughly exhilarated.

"No!" I squealed every time his arms reached out, almost catching me before I veered away.

After what seemed like hours of chasing, the thick forest paved way to a clearing, giving Ray the leverage to hook his arms around my waist and lifting me from behind, making me scream.

"Put me down!" I cried in laughter, wiggling in his hold, his grin visible through the corner of my eyes.

"Will you ever think about making me the sacrifice again?" He asked, his voice sending shivers down my body. I shook my head, biting down on my lips to stop myself from laughing. "No," I finally squeaked.

"Good," he said in satisfaction as he set me down.

I tried my best to hide my grin as I turned to him and said, "But I will make sure that you'll be my test case."

Before he could catch me again, I took off running, laughing my heart out.

I refuse to wonder how I would've survived without him.

Ray and I stumbled to the ground as he held me close to his chest, both of us tearing up in laughter. The sun was already starting to set, casting a reddish glow over the opening.

And then... we both paused as we saw it–a golden light, as clear as day.

My breath hitched and my head whipped to Ray, my eyes searching his for the much needed confirmation.

Slowly, very slowly, Ray nodded, clearly considering what his confirmation implies.

I stumbled to stand and rushed towards the light.

Months... six months of search and for the first time, I have hope. A very fleeting hope, but a hope nonetheless.

My legs wobbled as I hurried down through the clearing, then the twisted trees and canopies.

I see the light...

I can actually see the light...

And it doesn't seem to disappear...

I'm close... I'm very close...

I can end this. This journey, the barren lands, the unforgiving plague... the curse that had been taken on Stellaria–it can be broken once and for all.

As the trees cleared out to plain lands, my eyes were forced shut because of the blinding lights.

Struggling past it, I open my eyes and witness marvel.

The temple of light stood with all its glory.

The story tellers seemed like experts when they recited the temple's beauty, but they had clearly done it wrong.

No words as normal as such could describe the mesmerizing jewels, the golden walls and the incomparable brilliance.

The answer to all my problems lies within its walls. My salvation.

I can finally be free of this stress.

People of Stellaria, await my arrival for my journey is about to end.

"NOVA STOP!"

I feel strong hands wrap around my waist, pulling me back against my efforts.

"Ray!" I groan, struggling against his hold. "Let me go!"

He doesn't loosen his grip. He doesn't let me go. My heart hammers in my chest, my body heating up in agony.

It's right there... The temple is right there!

"The sun is setting," he gritted, his voice strained. "There is not enough time."

"No, no, no, no, no..." I mutter, my legs kicking in air, my arms clawing at the image before me.

"I have to go in," I tell him. "If I don't, it'll disappear," I try to reason.

But he didn't budge. He isn't listening to me. He isn't letting me go!

"That's exactly why I don't want you to go!" He says. "There isn't much time for you to go in and come out."

"But the gem—" I start only to be interrupted by him yelling, "I DON'T WANT YOU TO DISAPPEAR WITH THE TEMPLE, NOVA!"

The sun sets.

Darkness falls all around us as the temple vanished like a mirage.

My chest rose and fell, my vision blurred with tears and my eyes were glued to a spot that was once magnificent.

Ray's grip finally loosened. The crunching leaves under his boots as he stepped back felt a little too loud.

My body shuddered as the reality came crashing in.

The solution was right there in hand's reach and I lost it...

I lost it because of him.

I turned to face Ray, my fury boiling over, my body shaking due to the constraints.

"You," I said, my voice unrecognizable, filled with menace. "You did this!"

"This is for your own good," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

"My good?" I asked, incredulous. "You did this for my good?!"

My voice raised in anger, echoing through the forest in the otherwise silent night.

"If you really knew what was good for me, you would've let me go in!" I screamed, my thoughts solely focused on the opportunity I missed.

"There was no time," he said, calmly. Infuriatingly calm. How is he calm?! Did this mean nothing to him?!

"There was time!" I screamed but he simply shook his head.

"We'll find it again," he said, cautiously taking a step towards me. "Together."

I scoffed, feeling it to be the most absurd thing I have ever heard.

"Find it again?" I ridiculed. "The temple of light changes location every day!"

Ray exaggerated his breathing... heavy breath in, slow breath out... forcing me to follow his rhythm, to calm myself down...

I shook my head. No. He won't get away with this. I won't let him get away with this.

"You don't care because Stellaria isn't your kingdom, is it? It's mine. This battle is mine. The curse is my headache—"

"Nova, don't be ridiculous—"

"You don't care because you don't have to! This is my fight not yours!" I scoffed, the entire situation feeling absurd.

He doesn't care about the kingdom... or me. That's the only explanation.

Strong hands clamped on my arms, forcing me to look at the piercing determined set of eyes.

"I care about Stellaria," he said, his voice restrained, insistent. "Because I care about you."

I exhaled. My body slumped with exhaustion—both physical and mental.

Ray pulled me to him, holding me close against his chest, letting me feel his steady presence, the silent determination.

And I broke.

Tears flowed freely and strange sounds I never knew were mine escaped me.

And he held me through it all.

I sat at the base of the tree, staring at the stars that had gone dimmer by the days.

Ray worked to set up a tent in silence, the darkness clearly not aiding him. But he didn't complain, he didn't ask me to get up and help. He just let me be.

And I'm grateful for it.

He paused to kneel beside me, dropping things I couldn't make out in the darkness.

When he struck the stones, I knew. And not too long after, confirming my thoughts, a blazing fire took its place atop dry leaves and wood.

"This should keep you warm," he muttered and stood up, getting back to the tent.

It was half way done now, a vague figure of a triangular prism taking form.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his hand still busy making ropes from vines that I almost lost the words to the air.

"What are you sorry about?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the hour long silence.

The only reply I got from him was his piercing gaze, the one that had gone soft with something like worry.

"you were right," I finally accepted. "I was being reckless."

Turning to place the final leaf to complete the tent, he turned back and walked to me, his eyes never leaving mine.

Our eyes spoke words we never could. Silently, he thrust forward his hands, his eyes looking at me expectantly.

With a sigh, I took his hand and he pulled me up. I stumbled into his arms, my palms placed on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart and feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest.

He placed his finger beneath my chin and lifted my face to look at him. He smiled–a warm lazy smile, highlighted by the flickering orange light of the fire.

"Well," he said, his smile unwavering, his eyes seemingly glowing in the light. "I did fall in love with you, the reckless part and all."

My breath hitched, then I laughed–relieved and a little giddy.

He chuckled, his eyes laughing with him, as his hand slowly trailed to hold my cheek and neck, the other resting against my waist.

"I promise," he whispered, pulling me closer to him. "I'll always stay with you, through the highs and lows. We will find the temple again, and we'll take that gem home."

Home... not kingdom. Not Stellaria. Home.

There was no regret in his eyes, nor doubt. He was here to stay and I was sure of it.

His lips met mine, soft and warm, taking his time, conveying promises of a future together.

Our foreheads pressed together, completely breathless, a smile on our lips that refused to leave.

"How about we go into the tent?" He asked, gesturing with the tilt of his head.

So, I followed him, our future unpredictable yet certain.

We lay flat on the ground, our arrangements not comfy enough due to the lack of light for the material hunt.

My eyes stayed on the roof, wondering if I'll ever get to see the chandelier of my room again.

"I'll stay under the stars all night," Ray sang hesitantly in his rough voice. I chuckled, clearly understanding what he was doing.

"if it means I get to be with you," he continued, and I felt him shift beside me, his face turning to look at me.

"Do you have to do this?" I mumbled, burying my face behind my hands.

"Go on," he insisted, making me peek through my fingers to look at him. "You know the words."

I sighed, slowly lowering my hands and rolled my eyes, though refusing him was far from my liking.

"I'll never go out of your sight," I continued the song. "If it brings hope to you."

"In the dead of night, I'll hold you in my arms," he continued.

"And in the broad daylight, I'll stand beside you," I continued.

"Through the rising tides, standing now under the tree... I ask you this, my love. If I get on my knee, will you marry me?"

I chuckled, the memory bright behind my eyes. Ray wasn't the best singer but I had once told him that I loved poems. So, he took it upon himself to write this song and sing it to me while proposing. I won't say it is peak poetry, but he did it out of love and it has been our song ever since.

"I can't wait to marry you," I murmured wistfully.

"Neither can I," he said, his voice equally low.

A deafening silence followed, for both of us knew that it was not possible until we found the gem that would break the curse and bring back our fortune.

His arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest, and I let his warmth lull me to sleep. 

The morning light filtered through the leaves, forming beautiful patterns along the ground.

I blinked awake in Ray's arms and found him just waking too.

"Ready for the journey?" He asked, his voice hoarse with sleep.

Crushing him under my weight, I stood up with a groan and stretched out while smirking at him. He rolled his eyes and sat up, still yawning.

"Come on!" I shook him by his shoulders. "The temple must not be far away from here!"

Completely relaxed, he leaned back against his hands and looked at me with an amused look.

"What?!" I asked, growing impatient every second.

"What if I tell you the temple is right outside?" He chimed, his voice laced with the same amusement.

"Then I'll say that you are so naive," I retorted and stormed out of the tent to the forest.

The golden glow of the ground caught me off guard. Surprised, I turned around, and... there it was, in all its glory, just as magnificent as yesterday.

My mouth fell agape and my throat went dry. This is too good to be true.

Ray walked out of the tent, his steps lazy and taunting, stretching like he had all the time in the world.

"How did you know?" I asked in wonder.

"I felt the golden glow on my face," he stated simply, shrugging like it was nothing serious.

I stood frozen, basking in the golden glow... then, the spell broke.

I ran towards him and hooked my arm in his, pulling him with me with such force that he stumbled to a run.

"Come on, hurry!" I screamed at him, not bothering to slow down. All he did was laugh as he steadied his steps and fell in rhythm with me.

We entered the temple without much resistance, unlike my expectations. The golden castle had a quiet hum to it, like it was reverberating with magic.

But other than that and our footsteps, the temple was utterly silent.

Our pace slowed down to an exploratory speed.

"Should I be expecting bats?" Ray asked, crouching down to my level to whisper in my ears, though the walls caught it and echoed it back.

I bit back a laugh that threatened to slip as I watched him look around like a vulture.

"No bats," I breathed, schooling my face to look serious. He glared at me and my hands flew to my mouth to stop myself from laughing. I'm sure if we weren't in a situation like such, he would've chased me down and tickled me until I begged him to stop.

He simply pulled me closer by the shoulder and exhaled, his eyes back on the surroundings. He is cautious, obviously, and clearly protective.

I let him be, knowing he would be at peace if he knew we were safe.

Just as our feet hit the next tile, a piercing snap echoed. A speeding axe, aimed for our head, came swinging out of the wall and I pulled us both down just in time.

Maybe being cautious wasn't a bad idea...

Ray chuckled, the sound warm near my ears, echoing throughout the temple. I looked at him in confusion, wondering if he had gone insane.

"What?!"I whisper yelled, my frantic eyes searching for a reasonable explanation.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," he said, his features complete in amusement. My hands flailed frantically at the now stable yet hanging axe above our heads.

He simply shrugged and said, "Minor set back."

I swear I wanted to strangle him right there.

We continued our walk deeper through the golden walls, our hands clasped tight against each other. I can feel the magic reverberating all around us, our breaths getting more labored and sharp. The magic was taking a toll on us and we had no clue what to expect next.

"The first ever to visit the temple of light," Ray muttered. "Do you think we'll live to tell the tale?"

I swatted at his arm, glaring at him with warning. "You better live to see our marriage or I'll kill you myself!"

All it did was put a smile on his face as we continued walking.

After facing a dozen fire balls, ten or something flying swords and a rain of arrows, we finally stood in front of a grandly decorated door.

Our ragged breath was the only audible sound, making me shiver with the creepiness.

"Should we open it?" I asked, looking expectantly at Ray.

"Depends," he breathed, tilting his face as he assessed the door–though I have no idea on what he is able to understand from the strange engravings. "Is it the only way forward?"

I glanced around, being met only with brilliantly glowing walls. "Seems like it."

Ray and I exchanged glances before trying our luck. With a deep breath, he placed his hands on the door and pushed it forward, then... nothing. The door didn't budge.

"Maybe there's a lock we forgot to notice," I volunteered, eyes already on search for any hidden detail.

"The inscriptions," he said. "I've seen it before in Stellaria. It could mean something."

Surprised, I squinted at what he was pointing at. I saw it then... in the midst of intricately carved art was a language so old that it is no longer in use by the citizens.

"Galactica..."

Ray's face lit up with happiness as he exclaimed, "Great! You learned it from your tutor, right?! You can easily decrypt it and we can walk past the doors!"

Immense guilt engulfed me. Shame too... and regret.

I chuckled, my hands doing salsa choreography together. Ray's brow shot up in question, asking me, What did you do?

"So...," I started, swallowing my pride. "I may or may not have paid attention to the class."

"Nova?" He said in warning. "Please tell me you are joking."

I chuckled nervously again and muttered, "I wish."

He breathed, his hand finding his head in defeat. My careless decision in prioritizing my studies has now doomed us.

And the worst part was, we didn't know how long we'd been exploring. Is it morning, afternoon or evening? We didn't know. I mean, it could've already been night and we could be still in here, completely unaware if we had disappeared along with the temple.

"Can you atleast make out a few words?" He asked me, sounding desperate. "You've been learning this language for years! There must be something you know!"

I looked at the words again, skimming over the entire sentence half of the time.

"Ok," I said, flexing my fingers and breaking knots. "Let's do this."

"Blah blah blah..." I muttered and Ray already face palmed himself, his face in a confusion between whether to worry or laugh. "Blah, blah... Oh! That's love! I know that is love."

"Why?" He asked in a detached tone, "Because it is shaped like a heart?"

I crossed my arms as I glared at him and said, "I'm not the one who came up with the language."

He exhaled again and turned back to the words. "Anything else?"

I skimmed through the words again and said pointing at another one, "That one means together."

"Because it has four lines that are made to stand together. Got it," he muttered, placing his hands on his hip.

"That's all," I whispered, turning my attention away from him.

"Love and together..." he said in a low voice. "Not a lot to work with, but..."

He held my hand, taking me by surprise, and placed it against the door, casually placing his next to mine.

"Push on three," he told me. "One, two, three..."

We pushed...

Nothing.

"Maybe we try another approach," he started muttering but we weren't given time for brainstorming as the door glowed.

We took off our hands together, stumbling back in fear.

The doors swung open, blinding us with bright white light.

Once the light subsided, we blinked, trying our best to focus. Then I saw it–a beautiful red ruby shaped like a heart sat in the very middle of the room, illuminated beautifully by the light that fell on it through the window just above.

My mouth fell agape in awe.

We did it. We found the gem.

I ran in towards the gem, ready to snatch it in any second.

Ray stopped me by my hand, forcing me to look at him with confusion.

"Just to be safe," he said, "Let's reach it together."

I nodded, his words making complete sense. Always the reasonable one among us.

So we did, our hands wrapping around the gem's cool surface, our eyes frantically on look-out for anything suspicious, and yanked it out of its stand.

Rays of red light emerged from the ruby. My mind was filled with images of evergreen lands, abundant waters, healthy children... Images of Stellaria free from curse.

These weren't just images, I realized, but mere visions of what was happening right now.

We did it.

Our journey is a success.

The people of Stellaria chanted praises as Ray and I made our presence at the balcony of the castle. Our wedding band stood against our fingers–a testimony to a love that transcended beyond hardships and struggles.

The red ruby was placed in front of us, its light still bright, illuminating all of Stellaria.

Kids laughed happily all around us, sunken eyes no longer a part of them.

Ray squeezed my hand and I turned to look at him. His smile was warm and kind, holding a promise we exchanged everyday.

We'll always stay together, come what may.