Chapter 19: He’s Back...

The next six days felt stolen from a fairy tale, where time stood still, and the world shrank to Milliscent’s small house, where the crackle of logs in the fireplace and her soft laughter wove an illusion of eternal peace. Milliscent and I fell into a rhythm of everyday life that felt both new and natural, so much so that I sometimes forgot about Shadow Beasts, the elders, and the voice in my head. But for Milliscent, these days were filled not only with warmth but with a shadow lurking in her heart, though she tried to hide it from me. He’s my light, she thought, watching me sit at the table as her fingers trembled, holding a pitcher of herbal tea. But how can I keep him close when I know I’m leading him into danger?

Mornings began with her quiet movements around the house. She rose earlier, her bare feet padding softly on the wooden floor, the light of the magical crystal casting golden glints on her tousled hair. I woke to the scent of herbs filling the room and saw her standing at the table, brewing tea. Her movements were unhurried, but I noticed her hands sometimes trembled as she set a cup before me. Once, she spilled a bit of tea, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Why am I so clumsy? she thought, hastily wiping the table. He’s watching me, and I can’t even hold a cup. How can I hold his heart if…

“Hey, don’t worry,” I said, smiling and lightly touching her hand. “In my world, people spill tea every day. It’s practically a ritual. I once spilled tea three times in a week! On my keyboard.”

“Finally, a new word!” Milliscent brightened. “It’s been a while since I heard something new!”

“Hah. A keyboard’s like your quills, but you can write text super fast with it.”

“Super, super fast?”

“Yup! Saves time.”

“Mmm, got it… But listen, don’t you dare start saving time in bed, okay?”

She laughed, but her laugh was slightly tense, and she quickly turned away, as if afraid I’d see something in her eyes. He’s so kind, she thought. Her heart tightened with love and guilt, but she hid it behind a smile as she handed me bread with honey.

We spent our days walking the city, holding hands. The bridges over chasms, where waterfalls roared below, became our favorite spot. One day, we sat on the edge of such a bridge, legs dangling, as she told me elven legends—tales of heroes who fought darkness for light. I listened but couldn’t take my eyes off her face, the way the wind played with her hair. She’s my home, I thought. In this world where I’m a stranger, she’s the only thing keeping me alive. I joked that in my world, heroes fought not with swords but with keyboards. It was an absurdly silly joke, but she laughed, her laughter like bells ringing over the chasm.

“Thank you… You know, I never expected to find a home here,” I said. “You’re my home, Milliscent.” Her cheeks flushed.

She nudged my shoulder, but her eyes glowed with warmth. He sees me as I want to be, she thought. But what will he think when he learns the truth? Her heart tightened, and she gripped my hand harder, as if afraid I’d vanish.

Evenings were spent by the fireplace, where she taught me to identify herbs, and I tried to explain what “Netflix” was. One evening, she attempted to say “series” but it came out as “seri-yal,” and I couldn’t hold back my laughter. She pouted, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. I’ve never been this happy, she thought as I hugged her, her cheeks flushing. But every moment with him reminds me I could lose this. Her fingers clutched my shirt, and I felt her tremble, though she tried to hide it.

But despite these moments of warmth, I noticed Milliscent growing more nervous. One day, while we prepared dinner, a knife slipped from her hand, clattering loudly on the floor. She cursed, her voice sharper than usual, and I saw her shoulders tense. What’s wrong with her? I thought. She’s carrying an invisible weight. I stepped behind her, wrapping my arms around her, and said softly, “Easy, it’s just a knife. In my world, I’d have broken half the dishes by now.”

She smiled, but it was fragile, and she quickly turned away. He deserves the truth, she thought, but how can I tell him? Her heart tore between love for me and fear of what she knew. She knew every touch, every kiss, brought her closer to a choice she dreaded.

Another day, she accidentally knocked over a pitcher of water while we sat at the table. Water spilled across the floor, and she rushed to wipe it up, her movements sharp, almost panicked. I grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Milliscent,” I said softly, looking into her eyes. “What’s wrong? You’ve been… off lately.”

She froze, her eyes avoiding mine. He sees right through me, she thought, her heart racing. But I can’t tell him. I can’t ruin this. She forced a smile and gently squeezed my hand. “Just… too many thoughts,” she mumbled. “It’s nothing serious. You’re here, right?”

I nodded, but something tightened in my chest. She’s hiding something, I thought, but her warm smile made me push the thought aside. I trust her. She’s my world. Whatever it was, we could figure it out together, right? With her by my side, I felt like I could stop the world. While my fear and uncertainty slowly faded, in Milliscent, they flared into a raging fire.

On the seventh day, Milliscent suddenly said she had to attend a meeting. Her voice was calm, but I noticed her fingers grip the edge of her cloak as she put it on. Her eyes, full of warmth but also worry, lingered on me for a moment. I don’t want to go, she thought. I don’t want to leave him. But Ruby’s waiting, and I can’t back out. Not now, when it’s so close.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said quietly. “Just… business. Don’t worry.”

“Business?” I winked, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughed, but it was strained, and she quickly left, leaving me alone. I stood by the window, watching her figure disappear across the bridges, a tightness gripping my chest.

But as soon as the door closed, darkness engulfed me. My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, my consciousness slipping. Everything turned black, and I heard the voice—the same one that had whispered in my head before, but now it was louder, brimming with malice.

You think she’s yours? it thundered, like a clap of thunder. She’s using you, fool. You’re just a pawn in her game. She and Ruby are laughing at you behind your back.

“Shut up,” I hissed, clutching my temples, though I knew it was in my head. “You don’t know her. You don’t know us.”

Don’t know? The voice laughed, a grating, metallic sound. She’s hiding the truth. You feel it but are too afraid to admit it. She’ll lead you to your doom, Bogdan. Her “Failure. Pathetic. Ugly. Trash”—those are her own thoughts you heard. You think she loves you? We both know better! The only problem is you’re too smart! You doubt everything—except her! And you think that’s right?

“I said shut up!” I shouted, anger surging in my chest. “She’s the only thing keeping me here. I trust her. Get lost!”

“This is nonsense! You like this?” The voice softened from a shout to a conversational tone. “Sorry…”

“For what?”

“I told you, the problem is I don’t have the tools to explain it to you. You doubt everything, so naturally, you won’t just listen to me. It was foolish and crude of me.”

“Oh, thanks! And does it have to come with pain?”

“I don’t fully control that. It’s more your body’s reaction to rejecting me and my power.”

“Then maybe just leave me alone.”

“I don’t want to. I like you, I told you that. But I don’t like your Milliscent.”

“What’s she ever done to you? Or are you just jealous?”

“You’re a cute couple, I won’t deny that. And honestly, based on my guesses, she’s only helping my cause. But knowing you, I’d rather not see this story play out to the end.”

“What are you talking about?” Now I was completely lost—his signals were bizarre.

“Don’t trust her… I can’t say anything about her feelings for you. But you’ve noticed she’s holding something back. Milliscent’s clearly playing a double game. Maybe she truly loves you. But what if… what if you’re just a pawn in her game?”

“That’s not fair… Why do you think you can say that to me? I’m alone in this world, and she’s the only thing that matters.”

“I know… I know. But is that really true?”

“…”

“Enough. I won’t bother you anymore. You’re a smart guy… You’ll figure it out. My job was just to point it out. Either way, as long as I’m with you, you won’t die (unless I want you to), but it’ll be hard for me to achieve my goals if you’re a broken, crying mess.”

The darkness receded, but my consciousness only partially returned. I lay on the floor, breathing heavily, when the door creaked, and Milliscent returned.

“Bogdan!” Her voice trembled with panic as she saw me. She rushed to me, her hands gently touching my face, and I felt the warmth of her fingers. He can’t be hurt, she thought, her heart pounding with fear. I can’t lose him. Not after everything. “What happened? Are you okay?”

I tried to smile, but my lips trembled. Her eyes, full of worry, were so close I could feel her breath. “Just… got dizzy,” I mumbled, trying to sound casual. “Must’ve drunk too much of your tea. It’s so good it knocks me off my feet.”

She didn’t laugh. Her hands carefully cradled my head, helping me sit on the couch. Her fingers shook as she poured water from a pitcher, and I noticed the cup nearly slip from her grasp. He shouldn’t suffer because of me, she thought, her eyes filling with guilt. But I can’t stop what I’ve started.

“You need to rest,” she said softly, her voice tense. “And… we’ll need to go to another meeting tomorrow. The queen will be there. It seems they’ve made a decision about you… about us.”

I froze, her words hitting me like a punch. The queen? I wanted to ask, but her eyes avoided mine, and I decided not to press. She’s scared, I thought. But I’ll be there, no matter what. Her fear, her trembling, made my heart ache, but I couldn’t pull away from her. Besides, we’d finally get to talk… talk to the queen.

“Okay,” I said, squeezing her hand. “We’ll go together.”

She nodded, but her smile was faint, like a shadow. He trusts me, she thought, her heart torn between love and fear. But what if I can’t protect him? What if they destroy everything? That night, we fell asleep together, her head on my chest, but I felt fear radiating from her. Her breathing was uneven, her fingers clutching my shirt as if afraid I’d vanish. I won’t let her face this alone, I thought, holding her tighter. But deep down, I felt that voice wasn’t speaking for nothing. Despite my resistance, its words planted doubts in my mind, and I began replaying everything I’d learned.

What was it even talking about? The only thing that still puzzled me was her strange private meetings with Ruby. But the last one had only brought me positive feelings. She didn’t seem bad or untrustworthy… Damn it. Either way, the meeting should clear things up, as long as it doesn’t turn into another rehash of everything we’ve already been through. I couldn’t take that again.

Before falling asleep, I focused on Milliscent’s soft breathing as she nestled comfortably in my arms. Arms pulsing with a power ready to explode… an explosion that would leave none of us the same as we were, safely falling asleep now.