I woke up in the middle of the night as I heard the curtains fluttering with the wind. Who left the window open?
I opened my eyes and rubbed them to see more clearly in the dark then suddenly the hairs on my body went up. The same feeling I had inside the carriage, and although it is faint I can tell it is coming from outside the window.
I slowly move over the edge of the bed to have a clearer view outside. I’m not afraid of anything, I’m just curious about who is giving me these murderous intentions.
I went down from the bed and walked towards the window as a dark hooded figure loomed over me. I looked up and saw his intense gaze and a wicked smile.
“Well, hello there.”
I looked up at him calmly, trying to have a better view of his face. I observed him closely and he reminds me of me. His murderous intents, crazy wide smile, and eyes filled with anger and at the same time excitement. This was how I looked like when I was under the influence of the drug the organization used to let me take.
He looked like he was waiting for me to scream or to cry but I did neither.
“What? Nothing?” He looked disappointed and immediately sat down on the floor as if having a tantrum.
I walked closer to him and saw clearly his face under the hood.
“A boy?”
“What?” He snapped at me.
“Why aren’t you screaming? You are no fun!” This time, he looked like he was pouting.
The person in front of me was only a boy around the age of 10 or 11, he had dark eyes and pale skin with rose-colored lips. If only his eyes weren’t screaming murder, he can be considered a beautiful boy.
One look and I can tell immediately that this boy is crazy, or something made him crazy. He’s now punching his thighs almost screaming and muttering to himself, why am I not afraid of him.
He seemed like he was fully aware that he must not wake the others inside the mansion.
While he sat there being all gloomy, I went to get some candies from the jar, when suddenly he was now standing behind me as I tried to reach the jar.
“What are you doing?” He whispered to me.
“Getting you some candies, do you want some?”
His face looked disgusted, but nevertheless, he picked up the jar and handed it over to me as he sat down in front of me again. This time, he was no longer having that murderous gaze inside his eyes.
He watched me trying to open the jar and sighed, “Here, give me that.”
He had a grumpy look on his face as he opened the jar and handed it over to me again. I chuckled at his reaction.
“What?” He looked annoyed but he did not do anything to harm, well maybe not yet.
“Here,” As I gave him the candies his eyebrows furrowed but he still opened his hands.
“What are you doing?” He scanned the candies I gave him, “Is there any poison in these?”
I shook my head and smiled at him, “They are for you. And no, there’s no poison.”
He curiously opened one and ate it.
I watched how his face turned from being annoyed to being curious and then to being satisfied by the flavor. When he saw me smiling at him, he changed back to his annoyed expression. I chuckled again to myself. Although this boy was probably here to kill me, in the end, he is still a child. I do not know his reasons for doing such actions but I do know that he is similar to what I used to be.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
If someone had shown me a little bit of kindness back then, would I have the heart to go against the organization? Everyone that ever looked at me before had either fear in their eyes or disgust. I never had a real motivation to leave the organization. I was fine being used as if I was just a mere tool for destruction. Well, of course right before my death, I wanted to struggle but my body can no longer respond, can no longer go against them. It was all too late.
I remembered how crazy I was back then, and oddly enough this boy reminds me of that. I was once crazy, I can’t even think straight before. Can’t even feel pain, was this boy feeling the same way too?
“You look like you are inspecting me.” He rubbed his face, “Is there anything on my face?”
I chuckled again, I guess it’s not yet too late for him. He has not yet crossed the line, there is still hope for him.
“Will you come often and play with me?” I asked him trying to sound like a clingy baby.
“What?! Wha-“
“Ugh.”
I suddenly covered his mouth since one of the twins moved. I waited for a few seconds before concluding that they are still asleep.
“Play with me?” I tilted my head as I removed my hands.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you want someone to play with.”
He stood up with his annoyed expression again, “You are crazy! I’m leaving.”
With that, he jumped out of the window.
Who was that boy? I never had the chance to ask him his name.
I climbed back up from the bed but can’t. I tried again but I stumbled down. I scanned the room for a chair I can use but there was nothing. Though there was a sofa, so I walked towards it and climbed up.
I closed my eyes but my thoughts kept thinking about that boy, was he okay? Was he in danger? Why was he trying to assassinate me? I hope I can see him again, someday.
With these questions on my mind, I fell asleep.
Suddenly I saw myself inside a cavity of a cave and as I scanned the area, I saw myself in the mirror. I’m around the age of 11 or 12, the same age as that boy.
Where am I? I walked outside the cavity and followed a path, that is dimmed but I can still see where I was going.
“Flizeria? Where are you going?”
I turned to the voice and a man stood in front of me, he was around the age of 20 or 21 and I thought he looked familiar.
“What are you spacing out there for? Come with me, let’s go to the falls.”
He offered his hand to me and I accepted it. He led me through the cave and then we arrived at an area that was still covered in mountain ranges but at the center was a waterfall.
The stars glimmered at the sky as fireflies can be seen every now and then. He led me further to a spot where we can sit and watch the waterfalls.
“Are you okay Fliz?” The man asked me with a worried look on his face.
I don’t know what he was talking about but my lips responded by themselves.
“I guess so.”
Woah, it’s like I’m only a spectator inside my own body.
“We can always go against their commands and leave this place.” The man touched my cheek in a brotherly manner but I felt different inside.
“When I grow older, will you still be with me?” I asked the man.
“I will always be with you Fliz, just like you were always with me from the very start.” He smiled lovingly at me and deep down I felt like my stomach is churning.
“You will start your training tomorrow, it will be hard but I know you can do it. You already knew why we are doing this, right?”
I sighed as I can feel my heartache, I felt lost and betrayed, “Yes, we are doing this to overthrow grandpa- no, I mean the emperor.”
With that, I immediately woke up from the dream with sweat on my forehead. What was that? I tried to recall the events of the dream and realized who that man was.
I scanned the room to see if someone is there again, but the room remained empty except for the twins sleeping soundly on the bed.
I climbed down and walked towards the balcony as the sun started to rise. I watched it rise before me but my mind kept on coming back to the dream.
That man, the man I was within my dream.
“It was the boy from last night.”