Alma 122 The Parting Gift Don't Purchase Until This is Gone!

Sorry about this, guys. Hold still while I speed-write this bad boy from memory again.  The following text is just filler to meet the MGS requirement and is meaningless filler. Don't purchase this chapter. 

As soon as the words came out his mouth, he and Lu'um bolted out of the bakery in a mad rush. There were many obstacles that hindered their way, be it destroyed infrastructure, ruined buildings, and lost, hurt people who were outside looking for help.

It was an awful scene to witness. Blood, glass, and broken concentrate littered the streets in abundance. Screams for help echoed across the ruined streets of Cem-Elle. Children crying out for their parents, lovers calling for one another, some not receiving replies…

Reed's stomach started to churn in dread as he and Lu'um rushed past the overflowing streets filled with misery. His heart started to beat faster and faster the closer they got to the Hartfords' residence, an old single-story house that... had seen better days.

"Don't worry… the seal's still intact, despite the wretch's continued attempts to break through it," said Reed. "…It's gone, for now."

It had taken a long time for Reed to reach the level he was at now and a considerable amount of effort on both his and Lu'um's account. The events that had transpired during the Twilight War had taken a heavy toll on Reed.

Not in a physical sense; he was healthy as could be. His spirit, however, had not fared as well…

In the beginning, it'd started off as nothing more than a faint, indescribable feeling of unease in his heart, but then… it had progressed into something far worse.

Anxiety, fear, and guilt poisoned his mind until he could no longer tolerate it…

Lu'um clearly remembered that first started happening sometime early during their first year in exile, when their relationship had finally started to get serious.

She'd been woken up by him in the middle of night, out the blue. He had looked paler than death as he stood in front of their bedroom mirror. It'd been a heartbreaking sight for her as she watched the one she loved break down until he'd turned into a total mess.

Never before had she seen him so vulnerable and weak. He'd been drenched in cold sweat, trembling like a newborn fawn when she'd woken up. Tears pouring out his eyes as he struggled to breathe.

After that night, she'd come to realize that he was not well and that he needed some serious help. Lu'um could heal flesh wounds, purify corrupting miasma and slay monsters, but she wasn't sure about fixing what afflicted her beloved.

She understood that wounds of the mind — sickness that resided within the spirit — was not something to be trifled with. It was a serious affliction would have to be handled by an expert on matters of the mind.

For the longest time she'd known that he'd been afflicted something, even before night of his panic attack. That something had been eating at him from the inside as far back as when they'd been trainees in the Spire.

It took a lot of effort on both their parts, but after several months and many intensive therapy sessions, he finally began to move past what'd been haunting him — the self-perceived regrets, failures, and fears he had kept buried for the longest.

What he had unhealthily bottled up inside of himself as a result of not knowing how to properly cope and manage his negative emotions and thoughts…

It's not the same as back then, though. This was nothing more than a hiccup in comparison to what he was like before we started going to therapy.

Been months, maybe more than half a year since the last time he's had his last episode…

Reed felt better almost immediately after Lu'um had taken him into her arms. It always astounded Reed how Lu'um could always make him feel safe with her presence alone. She'd come to possess a borderline magical ability that he'd come to rely upon whenever he felt awful.

Naturally, it wasn't something that Reed was all too accustomed with — being tenderly and lovingly held by someone — given his troubled history.

He'd scarcely ever made physical contact with others, so it'd been quite the experience for Reed when he realized just how intimate and close a real relationship with another person was, especially one of… romantic love.

The dark, brooding clouds that hovered over his he always seemed to part whenever she was beside him.

"I don't have the slightest idea about what you're talking about," said Lu'um with a blank, confused expression on her face.

"I was just... exploring a little bit, that's all."

Reed chuckled and said, "Yeah, I bet you were. Probably getting some exercise too, right? You know, I felt these really peculiar tremors not too long ago, a little bit after you disappeared… I also heard a lot of hubbub from the critters until things got strangely quiet, too…"

Lu'um awkwardly coughed and said, "T-That's odd; I don't remember hearing or feeling any of that while I was gone. I didn't anything out of the ordinary…"

"You've got a bit of blood on you, right there," said Reed and swiped a small dab of blood off that'd been on her exposed back.

When Lu'um saw the blood on his finger, she let out a deep sigh and said, "I... might've done more than just exploring."

Reed stroked her hair with a haughty smile and said, "Oh, really? I would've never guessed that. …Come on, out with it. Don't even think about worming your way out of this either, sweetcheeks."

Lu'um cursed herself for not triple-checking if she'd gotten all of the blood off of her. She eventually yielded; In the end, she couldn't handle the disappointed look on Reed's face…

After she explained the island's special history and the experiments that had occurred on it, Reed finally understood why she had suggested that they should, "go to the beach," several days ago.

"…Some romantic getaway this turned out to be," said Reed, "…but I understand why you wanted to come here now."

He held Lu'um close and said, "Look, I wouldn't have said no if you'd told me the truth, sweetcheeks. I haven't gone so soft that I'd say no to snuffing out a potential threat to the continent."

Lu'um buried herself in Reed's chest and said, "…Is that so? And who might this idiot be? Have I met him before?"

Him? …Seriously? It really is scary how perceptive she can at times…

Reed rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You really are too cheeky for your own good. I don't know what to do with you sometimes, you know that?" He ran one his hands through her chestnut-brown hair and said, "So what were you trying to tell me?"

"I've been thinking that we should go out and visit one of the bigger cities sometime. You know, get some fresh air and explore something new. Not that I dislike Cem-Elle, but…"

"I understand," said Reed. "Cem-Elle's wonderful but even I'm starting to feel a bit bored, too. …I'm not against having a change of pace if that's what you want."

Reed had come to love the little town but it'd long since become a bit boring him as well if he had to be completely honest.

Cem-Elle was located near the sprawling mountain ranges of the West and the wild grasslands of the South. The town itself had been built in a beautiful valley and was by all rights, an arcadian paradise far removed the hustle and bustle of the major cities.

It was a peaceful little slice of heaven that'd been by mortals who'd wanted as little contact with the outside world as possible.

It was the initial reason why he'd been so hesitant. In simpler terms, he'd found her intimidating, to the point it'd been somewhat off-putting for him to take the lead in their relationship. He had force himself to do it, as if it was a cumbersome, daunting task.

He knew that it was wrong for him to think of her that way, but he couldn't have helped it back then. After all, he'd been obsessed with the idea of being someone special. Having someone as outstanding and brilliant as her had been extremely confusing and vexing for him at the time…

Hidden envy and shallow attraction were what had once formed the basis of his interest in her. He had only seen the power she possessed and not the person behind it — the concerned, lovable girl who'd been there for him since they'd first met.

Chapter end