Endless Dreams

“A promise is a promise, remember! HmmmmmHmmmmm”

“I don’t quite know what you are talking about… hehe….”

“I think you dooooooo….”

“Shit.”

***

After their arduous work at the fruit vendor Estra fulfilled Lim’s request for a date out together but something snapped in her. She stood rubbing her chin as something stood at the back of her mind.

“Estra what's the hold up?”

“Wait, I'm thinking.”

Estra turned around and in an instant a lightbulb flashed in her brain.

“Ah that's right.”

“What? Come on, let's get moving.”

The building in front had a red illuminated giant sign that read: BATH-HOUSE.

“A bath... YOU OWE ME A BATH!”

“I refuse!”

“Oh come on! You promised!”

“I didn’t know you actually meant it? And this place looks more like a brothel than a bathhouse. Who the hell uses red as a sign? It's suspicious. I would go with blue–”

Estra grabbed Lim, by his choke collar dragging him inside the building.

“Let's go you diva. You know it's tiring saying one thing but wanting the other.”

“Let me go! ESTRRAAAA!!!”

***

Lim had submerged his face halfway underwater blowing up bubbles with a face bright red from the heat of the warm water. He sat in the bath-house hiding within the thick white steam vapours that filled the large communal room with an opaque mist.

Estra clumsily stormed through the water splashing towards Lim in a chaotic stampede that displaced torrents of water in her wake.

“LIM!!!”

She stomped her feet as the waves of water flowed in and around knocking down unassuming passerby as their screams could be heard echoing in the distance.

“LIM! LIM! You didn’t tell me that it was gonna be this big? You humans are insane! All this for a bath?”

Lim emerged from the depths of the warm water with a face more red than before. His lips buckled, mouthing a few words that seemed to not make it out.

“H…Have you never been to one?”

“I am a demon of Kilnranthe. We warriors would bathe under the heat of volcanoes.”

“So a hot spring?”

“Yeah, a hot spring.”

Estra sat down displacing a large portion of water as she scooched over by Lim’s side. His face turned brighter by the moment as he fell deep into his watery shell again.

“What are you sick?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Although Lim could barely see her through the thick fog, just her presence and warm touch was enough to burn the heavy coals in his heart with fires that seemed to never cool.

Estra raised her arms as coils of water dripped out sliding down and evaporating into the hot air above. She moved her arms around examining the sharp claws that adorned at the end of her fingers.

“Lim, have you ever wondered how weird it all is?”

“WhduDoYoumdmaAneedn….”

“LIM STOP TALKING UNDERWATER!”

“Ahh what do you mean?”

“These past few days got me thinking again about the past and us now. A part of me feels that it is still all a dream and that there will be a day where it will be over. Poof I wake up to reality and–”

“It was never a dream Estra. It was real to me every moment of our time that was lost that day. I replayed everything again and again locked up in that tower. It was real no matter how absurd it may seem. A demon and her human a tale absurd, foolish and idiotic but it is beautiful all the more.”

“I’m afraid Lim. I’m afraid to lose you again to this hateful world that wants at nothing to pull us apart. I…I….”

“Then wake up?”

“Huh?”

“Wake up from this dream and even then I will still be there as nothing but a thorn to your side…Always.”

Estra slid underwater with her face floating as she faced towards the ceiling.

“Hehe… It's funny Lim. To think that I would be falling apart at the seams for a mere human. I Estralytte Irannete von Syturr was tasked with a single mission and that was to kill the only heir to the Holy Kingdom of Aliissia…failed because of her fickle heart.”

“...”

Lim was silent as he intently listened to her words and the revelation of their past.

“We weren’t meant to meet that early and like a fool I fell for a strange human who offered me fruits while his throat was at the end of a knife. I thought that maybe I could coerce you, kidnap or do something but everytime I hesitated. If only I had the courage to run away with you that day. Damned what may come our way then I–”

*Splash*

“Ah!”

Lim suddenly stood up as he grabbed hold of Estra’s arm. He pulled her close as their foreheads locked together with their reflections cast on each other's eyes. Estra appeared within Lim’s eyes whole and complete as a bashful demon void of her armour and confidence.

The roles had been reversed as Estra covered beneath her own shadows.

“Idiot! I don’t care! I don’t care how our story started, we had decided that we would rewrite it together. Do you remember the promise? That we’ll grow old together and prove to them that things can be different and curse every fibre of their being that it doesn’t have to be this way… be it demon, human prince or killer I want you!’”

Estra smiled with teary eyes.

“That's mine. You stole my words. Can’t come with anything original now can you? Hehe.”

“I got another.”

“Sure have at it.”

Lim’s face was stern with confidence seemingly stolen from Estra.

“I want you. I want to show you that it was never a dream. So I’ll make it simple. WIll you marry me?”

Estra smiled nervously as her face blushed far and wide. Her eyes relaxed as if it was in a deep trance.

“You already know the answ–”

“...”

“Ah!”

Estra’s words were cut short by Lim’s deep and warm kiss of affection. She closed her eyes to the never ending bliss of the endless dream.

*Ting*

Silver strings snapped in her head as she woke from the dream. Her eyes slowly opened and as promised Lim was still there, as a cute thorn to her side.

‘Idiot Lim, again, you stole that from me.’

***

Extra:

First night at the Inn.

“I WON!”

“Nooooo!”

Estra threw a stack of cards on the ground as Lim squirmed on the ground in agony.

“AGAIN! ONE MORE ROUND!”