Alma 24 Worthy of Bliss

Nay, he could not call these events blessings at all, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. A part of him feared the consequences that fall upon him of he voiced out his true thoughts.

Those who blasphemed against the gods were often struck down in the most horrifying ways, or so myths and legends warned.

Rees held his tongue, for he was superstitious at heart. Even more so since he arrived in this land of mystery and fortune.

He did not dare affront the gods in this land; after all, he now lived amongst them...

It'd do him no good to make enemies out them.

"Hmm? Gods, Ka'an? None exist in these lands. I do not know how you have come up with such a hilarious joke, but you need not be concerned with such nonsense," said the girl.

"You jest," said Reed. "This is a world filled with living, breathing gods that can shape the world at will. I, an ant, would be crushed under a single finger of theirs if I ever angered them."

Lu'um scoffed. "Fool, they are nothing more than cheap imitations that have been granted a sliver of borrowed power. Do not concern yourself with them, for they are nothing more than tools." She drew close to his face as her eyes glittered with an intensity that caught Reed off guard.

"You belittle me, yourself, and the enormous responsibility that had vested upon you. Never forget that you stand above everything; it is a right given to you by the nature of your office," she passionately stated. There was a natural confidence in her tone that made one feel every word she'd said was the law.
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Her eyes spoke for themselves; they had a dangerous gleam about them. It was clear as day that she would not allow anything that contradicted her gospel.

She would not permit such a heretical idea to exist so as long as she lived. He was sure of it. This beautiful angel would destroy any heathen that'd dare insult her beliefs.

Reed was scared, but he also experienced something he'd never felt before. His blood boiled and he felt a rush of excitement when he locked eyes with Lu'um intense gaze.

Oh, no.

(.....She's pretty hot when she's angry.)

Reed realized something important about himself that day. His eyes had been opened to the light; what that entailed was up for debate.

"alright, alright! I get it, so calm down a bit, okay? Let's focus back on the main problem. How do we go back to the correct time? Do you have a way to get back?" asked Reed. He swiftly concluded that she was dangerous; in what way, he dared not admit out fear that she'd use it against him.

"....."

He checked his tome for the current date and was left speechless.

October 31st, 7418. 8:37 PM SMT (Standard Mulia Time)

Wasn't it August 31st when he had woken up today? He felt cold sweat form on his hands as he held his tome in disbelief.

Two months.

They'd jumped two whole months in the future!!! Oh shit!!

No wonder everyone had already left; they only had a month left on the island when he'd left. It made sense now why the island was abandoned.

Everyone already left back to the spire. But it didn't make sense at all; he only been (astonishingly) in the Flux for an hour at most. None of this made sense to him as he groaned in frustration.

Lu'um twirled her long locks in boredom and said, "It shouldn't be that surprising. The Heartless Domain is lawless by definition; it does not abide by the laws that govern this world." She was unconcerned with the boy's supposed worries as she nitpicked over a split end she had found in her gorgeous hair.

"When you put this together along with the fact that I'm still a little rusty with using my powers it's not too surprising that we ended up here," she spat out. Her face scrunched up and she said, "Look, I did the best I was able to do at the time, so stop whining about it. Don't be such a child, Ka'an. It's a just a couple months, what's the big deal?"

Rees felt dumbfounded as he gazed at Lu'um who had the face of someone who'd been wronged. Who could she not understand the implications of this situation? He knew that he'd landed on a landmine this time.

Two months was long enough that there was a good chance he'd already been pronounced dead.

He speculated that maybe, just maybe, his disappearance might have been covered up but even still, it was a real hard sell to make. The longer he was gone, the hard it would become to keep up the lie. He'd been gone far too long for it to work, so he assumed that he'd been declared dead by now.

The least likely possibility was that he'd be declared missing. The facts wouldn't support that conclusion, he thought.

(A contender -- a trainee, no less, who had entered the Flux. Common sense dictated that this was guaranteed death sentence.)

Wait, would they announce the truth? If it was revealed that I opened a spatial tear, the repercussions would be.....

There more he thought about it now, the more the idea of him being M.I.A made sense. It was all on the assumption that Violett would never reveal his secrets. He had no doubt she must have suffered a bit of grief covering his ass if his hunch was right.

In any case, it'd do him no good sticking around.

The best course of action would be to use the maintenance altar that and he and the boys used before. It was simple enough to reprogram it with the necessary coordinates for the spire...

An enticing idea flashed through his mind suddenly that prompted him to rethink his plan. He even chastised himself for not thinking of it sooner.

(...Isn't this the perfect opportunity I've wanted since the beginning?)

The altar could take him anywhere so as long as he had the proper coordinates for the other altar. He had his tome. It had everything he needed to make this plan a reality.

Nothing was stopping him; all he needed to do was pick a place and he'd be on his way. He could pick any destination he wanted and leave with Lu'um.

Sure, he'd lose the protection that the training academy had given him, but he was already strong enough to obliterate contenders. Given enough time, he was confident he could grow strong to deal with conquerors, too.

As long as he kept a low profile and went somewhere remote like some backwoods town off in the middle of nowhere, the world would never know about his whereabouts.

Time would pass; the world would eventually forget he even existed. He would fade away into the fog of history, never to be spoken of again.

It'd be a gamble, but he was more than confident he could walk down this route. The allure of a peaceful life with a (weird) beauty was a powerful temptation.

Reed would be forsaking his first real friends for a life of freedom and peace -- he could never meet them, or else he'd be pulled into their world again.

He couldn't make this decision easily; if he made the wrong choice, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. Both routes had their own unique appeal to them, and after what seemed like an eternity of contemplation, he gave up on thinking about it.

"Indecision is fogging your mind; why do you hesitate, Ka'an? You will sink further into that pit of hesitation the longer you wait. Eventually, you won't able to escape and you'll drown, you know?" said Lu'um. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Does it matter what you decide to do? I personally don't care either way."

"Yeah, thanks. I figured that out a while ago. That's why you're unreliable for any sort of advice," he mumbled.

"Just do whatever you makes you the happiest -- follow your bliss, Ka'an," she whispered. Lu'um put her hand on Reed's chest and said, "Follow the thrum of your own heart and do as your own will commands you to do so. I will support you no matter what you choose..."

"....."

The sun sunk under the horizon and the twinkling stars shone brilliantly in the sky; the three moons that hung above in the firmament continued their silent observation. Reed silently gazed upon the rolling waves as he thought of nothing in particular. Lu'um lay beside him and had long since fallen asleep.

His feet grew heavier and his breathing slowed down, bit by bit.

The ebb and flow of the sea filled the empty villa; the gentle and warm wind blanketed the pair in a comfortable blanket. All was well, here and now. This was what he had always secretly wanted since he'd been old enough to daydream about it.

A peaceful life without a single worry. Someone who cared about him unconditionally. 'Wasn't this it?' he thought to himself. Was there a need to venture out further than this? These circumstances were unconventional by all means but at the very core, it was what he wanted.

He lived a desperately his whole life in the slums and now that he'd been given this golden opportunity, he felt.....unworthy of accepting it.

It felt...like he had not earned the right to enjoy this. What had he done to deserve this? He was having difficulty accepting that he could be so fortunate, that he was allowed to put down his guard and finally rest. He was frightened that this was a cruel joke and that something would rob him of this moment. It didn't feel right. He wanted to earn this, not be handed it on a silver platter.

There was great meaning to the idea of hard-earned bliss, not like this shallow imitation. He knew deep inside that if hung his boots tonight, he would never be satisfied with himself for the rest of days.

He couldn't let go of the feeling in his chest; that if he gave in tonight he would die by morning.

Perhaps this was his fate, his destiny calling out him; he did not know, nor did he care. It did not matter to him -- as she had told him, he would do as he pleased.

Reed gazed at Lu'um beside him and a small smile formed on his lips as he forced down a small chuckle. This girl only became a sleeping beauty when she wasn't awake, he thought.

She was certainly an oddball but it was also charming in its own way, though he would never admit out loud. They were words that didn't need to be said. After all, she probably already knew...

(And yet, she never commented on that when she caught me with my guard down. She was considerate enough to avoid that for my sake.)

He made his final decision that night and fell asleep soon after; the three moons watched the pair longingly and the stars twinkle even more brilliantly than usual as if in a celebration that night...

Chapter end