Coretta

It was dusk when I and Aarmen, completely out of breath, reached the forest's border by the Nile. A lone fire torch beamed in the distance near the trees, somewhat making Dunkin's silhouette visible.

In the dark, windless evening, as we neared their spot, Cheryl's body became visible. 

I faltered in my steps, a downpour of tears blinding my sight at her still frame, pale as the moon, laying in the sands. Her clothes were still soggy, clung to her lifeless body.

"Fuck the department! Fuck you all!" Lorenzo screamed, breaking into a harsh cry as he desperately rubbed her lifeless hands, "Please, please c'mon please, Cher," he hiccupped, tears streaming down his face.

No. I refused to believe that she was dead.

Why is he blaming us? Aarmen sent a message connecting me and Dunkin, but Dunkin's eyes were just strained at Cheryl, barely paying any notice to us.

"Did any of you stop her?!" Lorenzo's lethal cry directed our way, seething in such malice as if we were his enemies.

"Except me, did any one of you? Tell me!" he shook in a bitter cry, his eyes bloodshot, "Oh, why the fuck would you all care? Someone had to volunteer to test out that shitty way those morons asked us to return, but she did…" his voice convulsed as he stared at her face, "She was a true friend…" he whispered.

"But what did you all do? Let her kill herself, right in front of your fucking eyes!"

"Lorenzo," Aarmen cut him off when he couldn't bear the curses anymore, stepping ahead with a controlled voice, "Cheryl planned her death without informing us. It was an impulsive decision on her part. Had she discussed it with us, we would've figured out safer ways, tested out which-"

"Oh please, shut up already, leader." Lorenzo let out a mocking laugh. "Where were your leadership skills when a team member was on the brink of death, without your tested ideas to die, huh? Did you pull her back? Did you even fucking talked to her about it before she died?!"

"Lorenzo, I swear she never-" I held Aarmen's hand, stopping him from going any further, with his words or actions. I sent him a quiet message.

He's angry and very heartbroken. Let him take it all out. 

"I swear I would've gone with her if this coward piece of shit didn't stop me," Lorenzo snarled, looking at Dunkin with so much disgust, I covered my mouth, my hands shaking to control another sob of tears.

In a time when we should be together, to discuss further actions in this situation, we were falling out.

He raised from the ground beside Cheryl, going to stand in front of Dunkin whose head was still lowered, expression grim. 

"Why, Welsh, why did you stop me?" Lorenzo breathed out, sounding like a mad wolf ready to tear his flesh apart. "Why did you separate me from my girlfriend? Because you didn't have any? Because you wanted me to drown in celibacy and a loveless life as you are?" 

"He's taking it all to an entirely different topic," Aarmen grunted beside me, removing his turban to move a hand through his hair.

I gasped when he held Dunkin by his collar to shove him back. Dunkin did nothing to defend himself as he staggered back, his eyes strained on the sand, but his knuckles were clenched. He was breathing heavily, so much control as I just stood helplessly at my spot, having no idea how to fix it all.

"P- Please don't fight…" I wanted to shout, but the words died on my lips. 

"You're nothing but a fucking coward, Dunkin!" Lorenzo's words were nothing but venom stabbing through each of our hearts, mercilessly.

Now I knew why Dunkin wasn't saying anything. The moment they had found Cheryl's body, Lorenzo must've been blaming him for her death. He had wanted to go after her, be the first one to go to avoid any risk on Cheryl. But she wasn't ready to let anyone die before her. 

Dunkin had only taken the rational step of stopping Lorenzo because if two members were gone, it would've been difficult for just the three of us to handle further writings here.

Lorenzo wasn't realising that Dunkin had, in a way, saved him from dying.

With shaky steps, I walked over to kneel near Cheryl's body. Her fingers were cold, so cold as I felt no pulse at her wrist. I moved a hand through her hair, my tears choking my breath as I fought hard against them.

"No… you couldn't," I whispered, tightening my fingers around hers. "Remember, you'd told me… death was too afraid of you…" She would always tell me that this was her second chance at life. Something terrible, beyond my understanding, had happened to her. But she couldn't speak about it. That was the only thing that would break her every time she even thought about it.

The fact that she was immune to snake poison, the bone-chilling fact that the original colour of her eyes was green, but after whatever had happened to her, had changed to a complete grey. I didn't know what her life was before she met us. 

She always promised me when the right time comes, she would tell me. But now, it was gone with her. I clasped her hand in my equally cold ones, praying for her soul that she was at peace. But my eyes betrayed my will to be strong through it all.

"Move, Coretta."

Lorenzo's gravelly voice, the consequence of his dried tears, reached me as he sat across. His eyes were dead set on me, but their colour was reminding me of nothing but Julian's eyes.

Julian's light brown tear-soaked eyes. 

"Weren't you in your own little bubble these past days? I'm sorry, but do you even care?" he prompted.

His words struck right at my heart as I silently removed my hand from Cheryl. Humiliated that I was still thinking about Julian when my friend lay dead in front of me.

He was right. I hadn't bothered to ask about any of them these past days. As if somehow I wanted to forget them. Because I was lost in my very own fairytale with Julian.

"You are crossing the average decency of friendship now, Lorenzo," Dunkin seethed silently, his voice hardened. 

Lorenzo laughed like a madman, as if the recent incident had brought out a new face of him. 

"Struck a nerve now, have I?" he smirked cruelly.

"You can bear all my words, Welsh, but not a single one towards your Coretta. Why don't you just leave your cowardly shell and tell her already, huh?"

I did not know how the situation took this turn as Lorenzo sneered at Dunkin, then faced me with a smug expression.

"That you were crushing on her, all this time."

The silence that followed was ear-shattering, more so from Aarmen, who had no clue what was going on. While Dunkin… he looked mad beyond measure. 

As for me, I wanted to let out the biggest sigh and bury my face in my hands.

Because I already knew what Lorenzo said.

But what he didn't know was that Dunkin had a crush on me in fifth grade.

"I've had enough of your bullshit for the last three hours, Swarwoski," Dunkin snapped, his fists still clenched as he stood fixated at his spot. "Don't cross your line now." 

"I'm not crossing any line, dude. I'm just changing the terminology." Lorenzo snickered, and I had this premonition that whatever he was about to say would lead to the ultimate disaster. 

He dusted himself to stand in front of Dunkin again, amusement dancing on his face.

"I was wrong to say that you're a coward." he threw his head back in mocking laughter. 

"Cause the truth is, you're just a fucking simp, Dunkin."

I let out a shriek of cry as the sickening sound of a fist connecting to the jaw echoed in the area; the hit throwing Lorenzo off balance. 

"You want to know the truth, right?!" Dunkin had lost all his composure as he hauled Lorenzo by the collar, his voice hoarse, "The truth is that unlike you, I don't go around fucking my own friends, okay?! Unlike you, I'm not coward enough to wait for the right girl instead of ruining my friendship of ten years with a girl just for a quick fuck, damnit!" He shoved Lorenzo hard, his face all red with the anger I so rarely saw.

"Shit, they're going to kill each other. Come fast, Coretta!" Aarmen screamed. We rushed to tangle them off each other, who had started a bloody fistfight.

"Lorenzo, let go! That's enough!" Aarmen looped his arms around Lorenzo's shoulders, trying to drag him back, but he continued his curses and shouting.

"There's no rule that says you can't fall in love with your friend, you moron!" he screeched as I tried backing Dunkin. It was beyond difficult for me because he was so much taller and stronger.

"Yes, I love her! I would die for her! But I do not fantasise about sleeping with her, there's a difference, you dickhead!" he screamed back.

"You'll die in the friend zone, suck it!"

"And you'll die a thousand times more with your friends with benefits!"

"God, Dunkin, stop, please!" I shrieked, grabbing his wrist that was about to land another punch on Lorenzo. He didn't look in the mood to retreat, his arms all popping with veins in such hostility.

"He doesn't mean any of it! He's angry!" I tried again.

"I mean every damn single word I said!" Lorenzo howled back.

I shoved Dunkin backwards as hard as I could and this time; he let me as his fist fell back to his sides, knowing well if he continued, it would hit me instead.

I dragged him as far as possible from Lorenzo's still howling self. But it pained me when Lorenzo broke into a bitter cry once Aarmen had dragged him back near Cheryl.

"Sit," I pushed Dunkin on the sand and he reluctantly obliged. Still breathing harshly, looking anywhere but me. There was a cut at the side of his lips.

I moved forward and pulled him into a hug. 

"Count," I whispered.

He hardly became angry, ever; diverting it with jokes and laughs. But when he did, it was volcanic. He was a dormant volcano.

"Coretta, please… not now." His body hadn't relaxed at all, voice still controlling the anger. As if he was going to bust a vein.

"I said count!" I thumped his back.

My relation with Dunkin was fantastically complex. If one threw a friend, a boyfriend, and a brother into a mix, the relationship that came out was what I had with Dunkin. It wasn't surprising when people mistook us for siblings and couples all at the same time.

He huffed, then sighed heavily. "Okay. One… two… three-"

"You know you're doing it wrong," I scolded, banging his back again.

He let out a distressed sigh, then went slack against me, "One donut, two donuts, three don… uts, four…" he rested his forehead against my shoulder, breathing contently at last.

A small smile came up to me. The trick always worked, and I was glad that he was never so angry that he had to count beyond five. He always stopped at that.

But my smile faltered once I felt moisture seep into the fabric over my shoulder.

And once again, I wasn't able to think of anything but Julian's tears.

"Isn't it… pathetic," he backed away slowly, staring at the sand, "I'm always using your shoulder to cry on." 

He coughed, pressing his fingers over his eyes. "He's right to say I'm a… coward. She used to say so too. When she- she went away or when I became the cause of-"

"She didn't go away. She cheated on you, Dunkin. And we are not talking about those toxic exes of yours right now," I told him firmly, but my face softened. 

Lorenzo's words, although in anger, had hurt Dunkin. More than he could ever know.

"But wasn't she right?" He held my gaze, pain and insecurity swirling in them as he lowered his head, pressing his lips together, helplessly.

"I just know how to joke and laugh. I'm not serious, I don't have tattoos because they look painful to me. I do not have that bad and moody aura about me. I just joked and made her laugh and that made her look like a loser, with me," His lips trembled, "Coward would… suit me…"

Steffi Beckinsale, epitome of the spoiled rich girl. Dunkin's love for her was clear honey, while she was like that cheap fondant over a cake. Sweet and beautiful just on the outside. He loved her, but she just used him to get back to her ex. What a girl.

I just wrapped my arms around him, patting his back. "Should I start with what the guys talked about me?" I whispered. 

"You dare not." His voice stiffened as he placed a shaky hand over my hair.

"Then you dare not, too," I smiled at him. His eyes wavered on the sand as he backed away.

"How would Lorenzo ever know that sometimes you do not need another girlfriend to fix your broken heart," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. 

"You just need a friend. Who would listen and… understand you." He looked up at me. "That's what you are to me, Cors. I'll… I'll go insane if you ever believe in whatever gibberish he spit out before. I don't want to lose you." 

I laughed, slapping his shoulder. "People shipped us like crazy back in school when we faked that relationship. Did you feel electricity zing through you when I touched you?" I smirked.

That made him laugh, which he couldn't stop. I smiled, glad that finally, his sadness was lifting.

"The best-friends-falling-for-each-other phenomenon is mad crazy," he snickered. "We were laughing our heads out at how we were pranking everyone. Best time of my life."

That indeed was the funniest and craziest time. 

"Who told him about the crush thing, though?" he grunted.

"Maybe… Cheryl did," I mumbled.

"You told her?" he gasped, "Didn't we decide to take this secret to our graves?!"

I chuckled. Now when we were grownups, he was beyond embarrassed by the little proposal he'd given me in fifth grade.

I- uh, I love you, Coretta Hayes. His eleven-year-old self had stuttered.

Why? Eleven-year-old me really had to look down at him. He was so much shorter than me back then.

"I still remember what you said." I rested my face in my hand, grinning at him. He looked on, horrified.

"No, please don't start that again-"

"Why do you love me?" I mimicked my fifth grader voice, pouting.
"Uh, because I- uh, because you are pretty," I imitated him, unable to control my laughter. 

"God, no Cors stop this is embarass-"

"There are other pretty girls, go love them!" I made a high-pitched noise, stifling my laugh. Being a single parent, my dad had taught me enough how to turn down some random boy telling you he loves you.

"Nooooo," I continued, now starting Dunkin's words as he buried his face in his hands, "I- I love you because, um… you finish your homework on time and… and you are every teacher's favourite and Ms Tori always gives you candy. OhmyGod," I burst out laughing.

"That was the millionth time you made me remember that," he snorted, breaking into a laugh himself.

He stretched back on the sand, gazing up at the starless night, his hands tucked under his head. "I miss that childhood innocence. But, goodness, girls of our time are crazy. When I started hitting the gym for the ancient man training, which I absolutely hated, they started chasing me for the muscles and abs, which by the way I also hate. Before that, I was practically invisible."

He was one being who liked to remain fit without all those extra muscles and six-packs. Lorenzo literally had to drag him to all those gym sessions. Unique was what I'd call him.

He continued with a bored expression, "When I was all smiling and talked to whoever said me hi, they didn't pay attention," he tched.

"But when I started ignoring them right at their faces and, as part of the training, changed my behaviour to that of an ancient caveman, they were running after me. Some even sent nasty DMs," he scowled, "Like what even, Cors? I swear those twenty-first-century girls are damn masochists."

I went into a fit of laughter at the reality of it, but pressed a hand to my mouth. Cheryl is dead. And here I was laughing… 

Please, you two are so funny. If you happen to visit my funeral someday in the future, please laugh. My poor soul won't be able to handle hundreds of peeps crying their eyes out!

Staring up at the night sky, I remembered what she'd said one day, wondering if she was watching us. And laughing with us.

The buzz of insects from the nearby forest was the only sound as we fell silent. 

"Cheryl's words are haunting me now." He whispered, "Do you remember what she said the last time I and Lorenzo fought?"

Stop! I said stop both of you right now! Next time if you fight, remember! You'll be doing that 'over my dead body' Get it?! 

"Yes, I do…" I whispered.

We sat quietly for a while. He glanced aside, looking in the distance to see Lorenzo's head bent over Cheryl's unmoving frame.

"Did the department lie to us? Are we really stuck in this goddamn world?" He gritted out. "Heck, I cannot survive being a priest. I have good moral values and all, but I do not wish to remain holy pure for the rest of my life!"

"Who told you to become one?" I asked solemnly, crossing my legs. "You became a priest without informing us. Just like Cheryl took this step."

"There wasn't anything, really," his shoulders rose and fell, "I don't have the guts to be a warrior and fight in a war filled with axes and spears," he trembled. "Nor could I sit in an institution like Aarmen and solve meaningless mathematical geometries with Euclid all day."

"You could've looked for some jobs in the palace?" I suggested. 

He paled out at that, getting back into a sitting posture. "Are you serious? You know well what's the first eligibility for men to work in palaces." When I gave him a confused look, he ran a hand over his face. Even thinking about it had goosebumps rising on his arms.

"They are fudging castrated, Cors," he gagged, closing his mouth with his hand. "I'd anytime want my neck chopped off than that."

I cringed. Back when the three of them were taught about eunuchs as part of their ancient men's training, the first thing Dunkin did after reaching home was to puke the hell out of himself.

"Anyway, I guess I should be happy being a priest." he rested his face on his palms as I stared at the wig covering his bald head. "How's it going for you?" he asked.

Memories came crashing back, ripping my heart. I closed my eyes.

"I met a warrior. Surprisingly sweet. I kissed him, but then I left him, stating I was cursed and would have to become a priestess."

He looked up at me, worry etched on his face, "That sounded like a sad ballad, Cors, are you alright?" He held my arms.

I shook my head, and this time, he pulled me into a hug. 

We were like an emotional support system to each other. Sharing each other's sorrow. I loved him. It was pure platonic joy only a few were lucky to have.

"I know it's hard, but we have to resist it," he uttered, "You know, the other day, I saw this really cute priestess…"

Despite my sadness, I couldn't help but stifle a smile.

"I'm sorry," I apologised quickly. Maybe he was as sad as me.

He snickered, "No, it's alright. Look how weird I'm getting? Priestesses are becoming my type," he laughed.

"But but but," he bit his lip to avoid a threatening grin, "I have only one type at the moment. And that is, my sway."

I gave a perplexed look. "Your sway? Who's that?"

"The girl who'll sway my way." he gazed up at the few stars that had started to peek out in the night sky. "She won't be as amazing as you or anyone else. She'll be as amazing as me…"

He looked in such deep emotion, as if he was so in love with her already. I looked on with a sad smile. Being a priest and following strict moral values, maybe he had fabricated a girl in his imagination.

"I hope she's waiting for you, back in our world." I offered some solace.

"Yes, she is. I just know it." There was a vigour in his voice, as if he was so sure of himself. 

Should I also start fabricating someone in my imagination? I sighed. It won't be possible. Because there would only be a single man smearing my conscience.

I didn't know how I would forget Julian when everything I'll do in my world; whether it be excavating the remains of his empire, writing my PhD thesis, publishing loads of research papers or rereading the travelogue I wrote, every single thing would remind me of him. 

I could not forget him. It was simply impossible because Romanowskian Empire, Romanos, and Julian Romanowski were all I had to work on.  

But was all that even possible now… Could I… go back to him if this is where I have to live for the rest of my life… 

"Chill guys, we do not need to live here for the rest of our lives, if that's what you're thinking," Aarmen came up to us, his hand pressed on the side of his abdomen awkwardly.

"What happened?" Dunkin furrowed his brows.

"Lorenzo's elbow hit me when I was dragging him," he winced, looking back to where he left him as he mumbled something to himself.

"Holy Aarmen, did you just say mf?" Dunkin gasped dramatically.

"No, no I didn't." Aarmen coughed, clearing his throat as if we had caught him red-handed. "Anyway, we should not come to any conclusions about Cheryl right now. Because we still have received no message from the department. If she was in a near-death situation, the electric compulsion would've definitely started, hence alerting the department." He breathed out a sigh. "It's only them who can confirm her death."

"What do you mean? She's practically lying dead in front of us," I said.

"I'm assuming it to be a play of conservation of history and time integrity," Dunkin piped in, his brows creased, "Or maybe the department figured out the electric compulsion wasn't working and altered it in a way that Cheryl's body went into some sort of deep sleep?"

"Comatose," Realisation struck me, "Maybe she's just comatose. Has her body started to decay, or is it still intact?" I asked hastily.

"I couldn't feel any pulse. Also, her hands and feet are cold," Aarmen informed, "But body functioning is at its lowest during a coma so we don't know for sure. The only way is to cut a bit of her skin and check the blood if it has started to deoxygenate. But I doubt Lorenzo would let us do that."

We looked at each other, anxious. Conservation of history said that historical happenings were conserved. Surely to a time traveller, it would look as if they were altering events by their actions, but the end result was intact. 

Just like when a firecracker bursts, we can't really calculate the kinetic, thermal and sound energy, but the total energy is conserved, anyway. Similarly, Cheryl should've reached our world, irrespective of her actions in this world. Because it was the end result, conserved, which couldn't be altered.

But the theory of time integrity contradicted it. It said that happenings at a particular time in the past were undivided and preserved. A person who played a significant part in a past time period cannot just vanish in thin air. It had to stay.

Though the department did ask us to be wary of our actions, this was the theory that they neglected, stating that their electric compulsion was strong enough to transport us back by defying time integrity.

"What I am wondering is that the time integrity and historical conservation theory got mixed up to kill the time traveller instead of transporting them back. The scientists back there just worked on hypothetical situations. It's we who are experiencing the reality of it," Dunkin argued. 

Aarmen nodded. "The team that was sent before us to the ancient world was there for less than a day. But we were here for five whole years. Maybe the mechanism to go back, in our case, over time got way more complex than what the department conceived.

"My best guess is that Cheryl's body is experiencing a time warp. Maybe she'll disappear tomorrow or a day after that?" Aarmen looked at us for approval.

"If she's in a time warp, how can one body be at two places at the same time?" I questioned, "unless this is some unknown aspect of time travelling we don't know."

"Yeah, we aren't sure of anything. That's why we've decided to keep Cheryl's body in my hut till further notice by the department." He uncrossed his arms. "I think you should come along, Coretta. It's getting dark. Lorenzo is coming too with Cheryl's body."

I nodded, then turned to Dunkin. "Are you returning to your temple quarters?"

"Yep, took a day off. Couldn't roam around in priest attire, so I took on a trader's dress. I'll have to change soon."

I hummed, "Can you ask the head priest or someone that you want to marry, so what all should I do to become a priestess?" I asked. There was no way to go back to Julian, even if this was the world where we had to live. What would I say, that I lied about the curse? I couldn't afford to lie more than I already did. 

"Uh, Cors, I don't think priestess is a very good idea…" he trailed. "There's shit ton of creepy rituals and the life of a priestess is tougher than a priest, I guess." He looked at me, waiting for my response.

"Just like you, I do not have many options, Dunkin." I confessed, "You know how dangerous it is for a lone woman outside here. They'd make me a slave or a concubine."

"No!" Anger flashed in his eyes, "I'm telling for your safety only, Cors. Maybe you can… marry Aarmen? He's earned enough money to start a small business over here, or maybe you can teach small kids with him, you know. He's even planning on starting a little teaching business with the knowledge he-"

"What, no, I won't marry Coretta," Aarmen gasped, suddenly so terrified. "I just played the role of her dad, and now husband? Do you know what'll happen if the ruler of Romanos found out? 

"Look Coretta, you are a dear friend and I have no issues with you staying at my place. But we're still in Romanos. What will you say if you happen to cross Julian's path? That you lied about the priestess and the curse stuff?"

"That's the problem." I bit my lip, holding my head in tension. "There's no choice, Dunkin, I'll have to become a priestess." I exhaled.

"What's the worst that'll happen? They would sacrifice me in some ritual?" I made a poor attempt to joke, but they just looked at me, clearly worried.

"Alright, I'll ask them. We'll proceed accordingly," he agreed tersely, getting up from the sand to dust himself.

He called me out one last time once I began following Aarmen.

"I'd been dying to read your travelogue," he snickered, excitement dancing on his face. "Can I borrow it for a night?" he whispered, eyeing the cloth bag I had slung over my shoulder.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, quietly telling him what I did.

"Gosh, no," he looked on, bewildered, "I'm sorry, but that's the most foolish thing to do, Cors. What were you thinking?" he panicked.

Even when I explained about what the first court writer of Romanos did and how it didn't make sense for me to ask Julian to return my book because he knew it was for his kingdom's benefit, not me, Dunkin wasn't buying any of it.

"No, no and no," he declined, "I'll bring that book back. Time to put my spying skills to use."

When I became anxious at the thought, he held my shoulders firmly, levelling his eyes to mine.

"What is more harmful to Julian? The book remaining with us or the chances of its info getting leaked by some palace traitor?"

"T- The latter," I nodded, staring at the sand. "But I couldn't just… I didn't have more lies left within me, to…" To break his heart more than I did.

He engulfed me in a hug, holding me still. "I understand. But don't worry. This bestie of yours will bring it back. By hook or by crook." He pulled back to stare in the distance where Lorenzo had picked Cheryl in his arms.

"Once Cheryl's situation is solved, I don't think he'll remain mad with us for long." He broke his gaze when Lorenzo's eyes directed our way.

"He knows some warriors and guards from the Romanos palace. And this," he pointed at his wrist, "The metal chip would help detect where your AI book is. Along with some more stuff from my AI book, we'll get it." He shook me a little when I seemed lost. "The department did train us to spy as well. I'll be alright. I'll get it, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered.

The pale yellow moon was up in the night sky as I trudged beside Aarmen. The three of us didn't speak a word as we reached his hut. Cold anger was all I could feel from Lorenzo.

The hut was situated outside the border of a forest, with a few more huts scattered nearby. Aarmen lighted the fire torches inside, the damp whiff of sand mixed with mud giving an eerie vibe to the place. 

No place felt as safe as Julian's palace.

There were just two rooms, separated by a brick wall. Lorenzo said nothing as he went to one of the rooms with Cheryl's body in his arms. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like for him. To sleep with her dead body for the entire night, grieving, crying, reminiscing their memories together.

I entered the next room with Aarmen. It was dark, with a small window and a dim fire torch burning in one corner. A little wooden table at one side and an earthen water pot at another corner. The floor beneath my feet was pure mud.

He pulled out some rug and spread it, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, this wouldn't be the most comfortable place to sleep after all your time in the palace's luxury," he laughed nervously, feeling somewhat embarrassed. 

"Aarmen," I shook my head in a smile, "Part of our training was to sleep on uneven ground for a whole year, every night. I've got this," I assured him, settling on the rug to pull out a linen sheet from my cloth bag. 

He nodded, opening one of the wooden boxes to hand me something.

"Cotton plugs for your ears. Uh, cause we're sleeping on the ground and there are chances of some insects…" I took them from him, slowly, as he stood up, glancing around.

When pretty insects get into bed… a pretty spider… and a pretty butterfly. 
Their activities aren't pretty at all… Or are they?

A surge of dampness enveloped my eyes, and I hastily lowered my head, focusing on fixing the earplugs.

I couldn't afford to shed tears in front of my friend.

"But don't worry, I'll burn some herbs around the doorstep. The insects usually go away." he looked down at me as I fixed the plugs. "I'll have to remove this old man's makeup and check once on Lorenzo. Sleep well, yeah?" 

"Yes," I gave him a smile, "Thank you, Aarmen. For everything you did today." I didn't know what I would've done if not for him.

"My heart was on my sleeve the entire time," he gave a tight smile, shaking his head. Bidding me good night, he exited the hut to fetch those herbs.

I laid on the hard ground, using my bag of clothes bundle to hold on to because I couldn't sleep without holding anything. 

But it's better when the pillow is living and breathing.

"P- Please… stop…" I helplessly bit into my lip and took in deep breaths, trying to stop his words from haunting me. But the water from my eyes had started falling long ago, mercilessly drenching my face as I held onto whatever I had, shaking beyond control.

I still remembered how disappointed I was when Alexander wasn't the one to invade the kingdom I previously lived in.

In fact, I was horrified. Of the one person I used to call, master invader.

When I met that seemingly brutal warlord for the first time, captured in his warrior camp, I didn't know that he would allow me to write, more so, allow me to feel free in a time so restricted for women.

Or would allow me to open up, so tenderly, in a way I had never imagined doing with anyone else.

As I slept that night, without the safety of his arms or a future with him, I understood the stark reality. As much as it wounded our hearts, not everyone we came across in life was meant to stay. Sometimes you just met people, cherished them, and left. 

I closed my eyes, but I could never close them enough. Because that wouldn't let me forget the look in his eyes as I bid him my goodbye. 

The look that said he would've loved me with everything he had.

Failing desperately through the endless tears, clutching onto his necklace, I willed my heart to strengthen, knowing since the very first day of my training, I was told to survive, not stay in this world. 

Because the sole purpose of my existence in this time was just to meet new people and write about them. Without an emotional connection. Like a rendezvous with an unknown warrior in an unknown kingdom.

Like my rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire.

**THE END**

Are you ready for the epilogue?