Chapter 15:

The Lively Return Of A New Man

The Door to a Bittersweet Ending


After Akira finished telling the tale of his life, a heavy silence surrounded the two of them. Akira knew that there was the possibility that Samai was scared because of what she just heard and that she could have ran away and avoided him for the rest of her life, but he didn't care: he needed to tell it to someone, regardless of the consequences it could have brought. While that silence enveloped the two of them, Akira found himself unable to look at Samai, fearing her reaction, and, instead, kept his eyes locked on the sky, which in the meanwhile had become darker and darker, making it clear that he had finished narrating his life a bit after midnight, or so he thought. Then, Akira heard Samai speaking near him, with a trembling voice, “I… didn’t think you had such a hard life… I always thought you were cold for some reason, but I couldn’t imagine something like this… I hope you feel a bit relieved, now that you have had the opportunity to tell someone what happened…”. Akira was surprised by those words: he didn’t think that she would have accepted him after hearing his life, yet she still understood why he told her that story and accepted it without blinking an eye. After that, she continued speaking, this time looking at Akira, who, in the meanwhile, had also turned towards her.

“Thank you Akira… you trusted me enough to tell me all of that… It isn’t an easy thing to do, I know that well… So, I wanted to do the same thing… Are you willing to listen to me for a bit? I know it’s late, but, if you could… it would make me happy…”

When he heard those words, Akira immediately reassured her and said that he was willing to listen to whatever she had to say, no matter for how much time she had to speak. That was when Samai smiled sincerely at him, a thing which made Akira smile back involuntarily, then Samai turned her eyes towards the void, just like Akira did when he started his story.

“I can understand your pain… being left alone, hurt, swearing to never have to live those moments again… Since you talked to me about your life, I wanted to talk a bit about mine… Since I think you can understand me. Do you know what my name, Samai, means? It is a word from the old dialect of these lands and it literally means “rebirthed” … and it is not my real name, even though I grew with it. That was because, when I was little… my parents sold me. I don’t really know why, as I don’t even remember them: I don’t even remember that much of my past. What I know… is only what the guards told me at that time, and what I read in the copy of the case dossier that Giorgio handed me when I was sixteen. The first clear memory I have is from when I was rescued: I remember the guards came into this dark room in which I was, and, at the head of the guards, there was Giorgio Natò. Before he became a merchant, he was a member of the guards… the commander of the guards of that city… When he saw me, he was the first to try and reach out for me, at which I retreated, until he convinced me to get near him and exit the room. It is probably from what I experienced there… that I got my fear of strangers… Do you remember when I escaped the first times I saw you? That was why… Since then, I have tried to get over it, but… I still have some problems with strangers… That’s why I am Priscilla’s personal maid: I would be pretty useless around the house, if I got scared from every stranger I met, right? Anyway… Giorgio had saved me, and, as I had no family whatsoever, he decided to take me in, not as family, but as a servant – even though I feel like I am effectively part of the family, or at least the one we had back then. That was also when he gave me that name… He does seem pretty rough, but in reality he knows a lot: he knew the regional dialect like Damoya and even knew Irgundàh! He decided to call me like that so that only I could know the meaning behind it and also because that day marked the start of my new life. After taking me in, Giorgio, knowing about my fear of strangers from how I reacted to anyone who tried to get near me, decided to make me the personal maid of Priscilla, thinking that, by being near another female like me, I would have felt myself at ease and started to get over my trauma. Since then, me and Priscilla grew up together: I was a bit older than her, but still she didn’t treat me like a servant, but like a friend, if not even like I was part of the family. The other members of the family did the same: Leon treated me like Priscilla’s friend, Giorgio like I was something to protect, and his first wife was so sweet to me… Oh, right, you don’t know that… The woman you encountered, the first time you came at the villa… that is Giorgio’s second wife, from when he started his merchant life: he married her for economic interest, not for love, that is why they try to avoid each other whenever they can. However, he really loved his first wife… She was sweet, beautiful, delicate… I felt like she had become a mother for me, even though I knew that she wasn’t… that was because she treated me like I was her daughter, a thing I will always be grateful to her… like I will always be grateful to the Natò family: without them… I don’t know how my life would have ended up being. I know that my life has been probably less problematic than yours – I at least had somewhat akin to a real family, that protected me and helped me grow -, however… trust me, when I say that I can understand your pain… losing those around you… being treated unfairly by others… I may have forgotten the majority of those moments, but, still, I lived them… So I can understand you…”

After those words, she looked in Akira’s eyes with ones full of tears, as if bringing back those memories was enough to break her. It seemed like, even though they were so different as persons, their past was similar, which sort of created a connection between the two. That was evident when Akira voluntarily embraced her, saddened by her expression and probably also helped by the moment of intimacy that their confession time had created between them. In that position, the both of them released the last tears their eyes had stored in them and then, when the sighing of the two started disappearing, they got away from each other, visible embarrassment painting their faces red. That was when Samai looked at Akira and said “Still, your story is… incredible, in some ways… it feels like you come from a world different than mine, yet… I feel this connection, like the sufferance we had to bear makes us closer… even though we are so distant… Is it only my imagination?”

“I think you are right” replied Akira, thinking that she wasn’t too far from the truth, before emitting a small laugh. “You see, in my country there was a research that discovered that, if two persons talk for some time about really personal things to the other one, they form a sort of interest in the other, which can bring to love or friendship. Maybe something like that happened?”

When Akira pronounced those words, a smile appeared on Samai face, which turned towards the void, looking where Akira’s eyes had lay themselves on, and then replied “Maybe you’re right…”

Then, seeing how late it was, they both returned towards the hospital, and, under her insistence, Samai accompanied him to his room, before leaving his side. Moreover, before doing that, she asked him if he could tell her something about his country: if it didn’t bring him painful memories, that is. Akira gladly agreed and felt like a déjà vu, remembering the first time he met Priscilla and the promise they did and fulfilled in that situation: it seemed like his past both succeeded in destroying and building relationships, kind of ironic for something that Akira always felt like a negative presence, watching him from his shoulder like an owl. Then, the two of them separated and Akira returned to his room, laying down on the bed, looking at the ceiling. He finally succeeded in telling his past to someone: the next step was to move forward, trying not to avoid things just for the bad that they could bring him. With that determination in mind, he was welcomed yet again by the wrapping of sleep, looking forward to get out of that hospital as soon as possible to return to his life and live it anew.

From that day onward, Akira worked hard during the routine the doctors had prepared for him. Still, he was completely rehabilitated since the first day and, when, during rehabilitation, he just swam in the pool like an Olympic champion, he could remember the eyes of surprise that the doctors and the nurses that were assisting to his performance had. Even though he had the feeling that the eyes of the ladies were getting caught by something else rather than by his swimming performance. At the first sessions he took, Samai was present, even though he had said to her that he was well and she needed to relax a bit, after doing three weeks of uninterrupted service near him, but then, seeing that effectively he was well, she reluctantly accepted his invite and went home. Thanks to having reacquired almost immediately his full physical form, he literally speedran the rehabilitation, getting out of the hospital after only four days, as the doctors, impressed by the way he recovered from three weeks of stillness – something that, they said, should have been impossible for a normal human being and made Akira look like he was something outside of the human race, even though he was evidently a human – literally told him that they had no more exams for him, but that he still had to go take a check-up once in a while in order to see if the poison had any long-term effect that maybe could have started appearing at a next date. That was when he got out of the hospital, a bag in his hand, with the few clothes Samai and the Natò family brought him. Waiting for him in front of the hospital stood the almost entirety of the Natò family: Giorgio and Leon were there, as well as Priscilla, who, when she saw him, immediately ran to him and embraced him like a dog when its master return home after work. When that happened, Akira replied to her embrace by also embracing her, a thing that caused a little blushing to appear on her face, as she didn’t expect it, then, after a bit, she let him go. That was when Akira saw Samai, who he cordially greeted from where he was, being responded in the same way by her. That was when he asked if something new arose about Priscilla’s failed assassination, as that was a subject he had in mind to tackle the first moment he saw the Natò family, wanting to understand if something more happened or if info was discovered. That was when Giorgio updated him about the few news that there had been about it: they told him about the hitman and the mark she had on her body, which, unfortunately, even the guards in the capital couldn’t identify, even though, supposedly, there had been a lead that could have traced the assassination back to an organisation in Budkieryn, but, apparently, it led to nothing. The guards tried to reconstruct the movements of the hitman, but they could only trace back to when she entered the city: it seemed like she arrived there magically, without passing from any other location before it. However, apparently, she was seen discussing with someone in the outskirts of the city: still, the testimony couldn’t describe the other person, but he was sure that that person was a man, probably of good origin, as he didn’t talk like a commoner. That made the guards consider the possibility that some rival in affair orchestrated the assassination, but even that lead didn’t bring to anything. So now the investigations were slowly dying, also because, since then, no one ever tried to get near Priscilla, which meant that either the interest in her death died or that it was an individual action with no other person involved in. Since then, Priscilla had been guarded by some of the servants that knew how to fight. However the family didn’t decide to move her from Zuvaskja: first, because it would have been the perfect occasion to kill her, and, second, because, if they wanted to kill her, they would have tried it even after she was moved away, so it would have been useless to do that. Still, she had been confined in her room for the last three weeks as a security measure: however, with his release from the hospital, she was to be left go out again, but only with another person with her, ready to defend her in every situation and even at the cost of its life. This information was given to him while they made their return to the Natò residence and, when they arrived, Akira had a better picture of the situation, which really seemed to confirm his opinion: the objective of that mission hadn’t been Priscilla, but he, even though he couldn’t be sure 100%. Still, if a thing like that ever happened again, he was ready to do whatever he needed in order to make things clearer: he would have not frozen this time, if his past had been brought back to him again: this time, he would have acted, also to understand who knew about him. That was a thing he wanted to know: who could possibly know that? Still, he wanted to have a personal look into the matter: he wanted to understand if the police really did what they could in order to solve that case or if they put it under a carpet, like Hajime did with his back in his reality. However, he needed to store that thought in the back of this head, because for now he had another thing to care about: the surprise party the Natò family prepared for his return. He would have expected a silent return to his normal life, without making a big fuss about it, but Priscilla and the others weren’t of the same idea. When they entered the house, the lights were turned off, but, after a bit, they started lighting up and the light illuminated a room with a rectangle of tables all around the entrance room, full of food and drinks, and in the centre an empty space, in which the other servants of the family were waiting them in order to start the party. That evening, all of the people in that house partied until night: the food was great, the selection of drinks was enormous and of good quality and the empty space in the centre had been turned into a dancing floor, also thanks to the music that a little orchestra made of the same servants started playing, on which many of the servants showed off their skills – some with really poor results – and even the Natò family took part in that night of fun, except for Giorgio’s wife, which apparently wasn’t even in the house. For the majority of the night he was kidnapped by Priscilla, who wanted to know everything that happened to him through his own mouth – even though he was sure that Samai had told her everything that happened, apart probably from their little nocturne chit chat – and she left him only when, after drinking and dancing a bit too much, she needed to rest and for that left him and headed up to the dining hall, so that she could rest a bit away from the source of the noises in the house. That was when Samai got near him, a bit drunk, and urged Akira to give her a dance, with an insistence that was totally outside of her character. Still, having no reason to refuse at all, he accepted and they danced first to a fast-rhythm music, but then to a slow one that was the perfect music for a waltz. The two of them started a bit clumsy, but then they danced for the remaining of the music like they were in perfect harmony, without making a mistake and giving off the vibe of a couple that was used to do it. Still, Akira had danced a waltz only once or twice in his life, even though he considered himself a good dancer: however, Samai was on a whole different level. Her skills were amazing, at a point which one could really question why she wasn’t in a theatre dancing at a professional level. Her amazing capabilities made her adapt to Akira’s time and drive him between the movements. While they were dancing, their faces were distant only centimetres, but neither of them were embarrassed, whether because of the alcohol or because they were too focused on the dance. Once, during the dance, Akira whispered to her “You are really a great dancer, Samai. Where did you learn?”

“Eh, I picked up a thing or two from some parties I had to serve in: a woman needs to have one or two secrets, no?” she replied, with a giggle, being completely different to the normal and shy Samai that would have never said something like that. Then, she added “What do you think, do you like what you see?”

“Of course I do, tell me someone who wouldn’t enjoy this view” replied Akira, without even thinking about replying in a different way. That answer made Samai giggle even more, and, while that happened, their forehead touched and their faces really got one near the another, the red lips of Samai only some centimetres away from the pallid one of Akira, both turned in a sweet yet somewhat malicious smile. Still, they stayed in that position for a while, without moving an inch, until the music ended, after which they separated from each other without any hesitation. They then went sitting to one of the tables with drinks and poured out something to drink. They observed each other for a while, like they were contemplating the sight of the other while being a little drunk – a thing that Akira was, but only in part, forged by the evenings he spent with Kjeo and Wahlia -, then they turned looking towards the dancing floor, where many servants were still dancing, this time under a tune that could have resembled a pop song you hear on the radio normally.

“I honestly didn’t expect a welcome back like this, I expected to return in the silence and normally start again my life the next day. Whose idea was it to make this?” asked Akira to Samai, in order not to let the silence engulf the two of them.

“Well... me and Priscilla practically decided that this was a thing that had to be made, but, in general, the one that ultimately decided to do this was Giorgio. He was, like, “Oh, Akira defended my precious daughter from an unknown assailant, we need to thank him in some way or another, so, yeah, let’s throw a big party!” and so on. But the input was given by me and Priscilla”.

“Well, that was unexpected. I didn’t expect you to organise a party” said Akira, impressed by that fact. Those words made Samai laugh with her normal crystalline laugh that even the alcohol didn’t modify and replied “That is many of my talents you didn’t know about: want to know some more? I can show them to you… Whenever you want… Even now, if you just ask me…”.

“You know that what you just said sounded seductive and provocative as hell, right?”

At those words, Samai just laughed, waiting to hear his answer to her proposal.

Her last words had an emphasis of their own, a malicious and seductive one that made Akira’s mind wander in territories he hadn’t touched since a lot of time. However, when he was about to give her an answer, wanting to refuse her offer for when she was more lucid and sober and understood what the implication of that were, a female servant arrived near Akira and, excusing herself for intromitting in their conversation, said that Leon had something that he wanted to talk with him about, if he had some time. When Akira looked at Samai, she said that he could go, but that she would have felt lonely without him, a thing which made Akira smile, now a bit drunk after having drunk another drink, which probably was a bit more than what he was used to. Then, he followed the servant to see where Leon was, and, while they were going through the corridors of the villa, he asked her “Is Samai always like that when she is drunk?”

“What do you mean like that?”

“I mean, expansive, open to others… in general, extrovert and totally out of character”.

When I said that, the servant laughed.

“Samai? No, she is not like that. Even when she is drunk – which rarely happens, by the way - she is rarely expansive, even though she talks more than normal and doesn’t stutter like she usually does”.

With that in the back of his mind, Akira was surprised by the fact that they were going towards the family wing, at which the servant said that Leon wanted to see him in his personal studio. Then, they arrived in front of a door and the servant dismissed herself, leaving him alone. He stayed outside for a second, seeing if he was sober enough to have a serious discussion, then entered the room. What he found was a normal studio, with many bookshelves and books and a big wooden desk near the wall in front of the door. Sat on a chair stayed Leon, with his eyes on some paper sheets that were on the desk. When he heard the sound of the door, he lifted his head, took away the glasses he had on it and said “Ah, Akira, welcome: you can sit on that chair if you want”, indicating a chair right in front of the desk. Before doing that, Akira asked him what did he want to talk about, at which Leon just said to him to sit first, then he would have started. After he did that, even though a bit against his will, Leon looked into his eyes, crossed his fingers in front of his chin, then straight up said him:

“Thank you for giving me a bit of your time. I am sorry to make you leave the party we organised for you, but I really wanted to ask you a thing, as soon as you were able to. Plus, the fact that there is a party just makes the possibility of us being eavesdropped less likely than ever, and I do not really want to make others know about this. Considering all of this, I am going straight to the point and be frank with you and ask you a thing: it is only a theory of mine, but, do you perhaps come from another world?”
Real Aire
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SamishiiShi
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