With the aid of her palms, she supported herself in the window to take a peek inside the room.

There were two children sitting together behind a long desk. Their works and notes were open while they glanced at a board in front of them. Elisi could not know what was on it, for it was out of her view underneath the window. The lecturer, who was standing in front of it, shrieked in anger.

Another two men dressed as guards stood behind the boys like wax statues.

“How come you don’t know what happened in the 1550 to the cardinals!?”

The boy with amber hair giggled to himself mischievously. The snow colored hair kid next to him seemed stiff and afraid.

- Dalion and Algot? How?

“Little crown prince, come here.”

The man put his grip in his pocket and scattered corn seeds on the ground.

“kneel.”

“Dalion!” the teacher called to him flatly.

“Eh! no!!!!” with her fists she tried to hit the glass, but her force did not move the window. Elisi was a ghost without power. Completely unseen.

She shouted again and again hopelessly.

“What are you doing!? please!!!”

She could not stop the frightened kid from feeling pain.

While the kid’s knees rested on the needled floor, the men hit him with a long ruler as if it were a whip.

“Stop, please Stop!!!!!” how can they do something like that to a small child? He is the crown prince blessed by the gods.

He did not cry, just stayed there with a red face, trying to endure the beating as he looked out the window. Elisi’s eyes were fixated on him. It was like he saw her. His silvered eyes refused to let the tears fall.

Her heart shriveled at the sight, at her hopelessness.

The scene suddenly changed.

She was in a dark room, the blue color of the moon lighten the space ever so slightly. That’s when she could hear the crying sound of a child. As she turned her head to the side, he was sitting in the corner with his arms wrapped around the knees while his head was resting between, sobbing as quietly as he could.

Slowly, she reached to the boy, her Dalion.

She did not want to him suffer; he is a child.

she put her hand over his head trying to comfort him.

“Dalion, don’t cry...”

“Mother?”

The kid rose his head abruptly.

“Mom!” he broke down.

- Can he feel me?

The healer shut at her mouth with her hands, struggling to not cry harder, shaking her head.

He continued to repeat his plea for his mother.

“Elisi, wake up!” she felt shaken by him

“I fai.... I failed....” she tried to say while recovering her breath “I hurt you!”

She grabbed onto him, sobbing and begging him.

“I just hurt him more...”

No one has ever cried like that for him. He enjoyed seeing her like that and hated it at the same time.

“Because of the protection shield on the carriage you entered my dream...”

But she wouldn’t hear him. In the end, he couldn’t bear to watch her that way, crying her eyes out. Maybe because of him or because she remembered herself.

For how long will they be trapped in their past?

“It was my dream, it wasn’t real” he held the sides of her arms, trying to compose her and make Elisi focus on him. “You did nothing.”

Her teary eyes stared at him once again. How could he console her? He needed to see her happy; he wanted to make her happy.

He dropped the grip on her arms and caressed the side of her cheek while passing his fingers within her hair, and pressed his lips on hers.

Elisi felt his warmth. Do kisses melt you this way?

She slowly closed her eyes as if to capture the intense bliss tingling her lips while she fallowed his lead as he gently kissed her.

She didn’t understand why he would do that, but it was too sweet to make it stop. It felt comforting and soft.

A tear met Dalion’s thumb, and then he remembered how much she begged for a hug in her sleep.

He backed away and put her inside his arms, closing them strongly, seeking to give her the warmest embrace.

“please, don’t suffer anymore.”

Elisi squished herself into his chest. Somehow, it felt natural to cling onto him and to take shelter in his arms. She was shameless.

When Dalion felt she was about to hesitate, he tighten his grasp.

“If you feel despair, just hug me,” said Dalion.

How could she refuse?

“Can I really?”

“yes.”

She hugged him back and cried loudly, but it wasn’t because of sadness, it was relief. Finally, could she leave that useless heavy weight leaching on her shoulders? It gave her the opportunity to feel anew. She was trying to not get this chance to slip away before he took back his words.

This might be the closest she will get to be embraced by the one who loved her. Even if Dalion did not, she wanted to pretend for as long as it will last.

Being inside his warm arms, feeling his kiss, then leaning her head on his stiff chest that felt tender to her. It was a moment of happiness.

Dalion’s uniform was getting wet as she pressed her face into his chest, catching her breath. He held her little shivering body even tighter, trying to help her not to drift away alone again.

He wanted to make her happy.