Sol opened her groggy eyes to a pitch black room. Her eyes drifted to the window that presented the scenic night sky. Thoughts about the future floated through her mind for a moment after recognizing she lost even more days to sleep.
Flexing her limbs, she took account of her body’s state. Her conclusion? Weak. There was a weakness throughout her body far worse than in the past. Her thoughts darkened after realizing her recovery after each lapse was taking longer.
Sol was clear that her recovery was still incomplete, however despite her exhaustion, she couldn’t find the desire to sleep within her. Turning her head, Sol attempted to find the cable and ring alongside the bedrest to call for a maid.
Her eyes locked onto another pair of pupils not a foot away from her. A quickened maturity did little to suppress the reactionary squeal that slipped out. As if to keep her silent, a hand covered her squeal and was followed by a light chuckle.
“Hahaha, you’re pretty ditzy after waking, Sol. I know you’re surprised, but can we talk calmly? I’m not here without your parent’s permission, after all.”
Distrusting eyes stared into An as if to decipher his hidden motives, yet in the end Sol could only nod her head. As the boy spoke in a familiar tone, Sol chose to ignore propriety and engage on the same level.
“You said your name was An?”
“Your memory is working well enough despite your sickly appearance.”
“Ignore that. There’s nothing a dying person can do about their symptoms. Why have you appeared in my room this early? How many days have I slept?”
Sol glossed over her health as if it were a normal thing, though she took note of her body’s declining state. This was probably the first time her health remained inhibited after extended rest. The news certainly didn’t bode well for the future. The boy kept his eyes fixed on the exhausted girl and responded a near instant later without any hesitation.
“15 days since I arrived, so maybe 16 or 17 days total depending on when you collapsed. As for why I’m here… I’m your new playmate. Treat me as a close friend. I’ll protect you as well until you turn 16.”
“16? Are you suggesting your role is finished after this Lady’s death?”
The atmosphere turned cold in an instant after hearing An’s response. How could Sol not recall her expected life expectancy? Him telling her until 16 is the same as reminding her of the impending death. Despite the palpable change, An continued as if to dismiss it.
“Correct. Let’s just get along until then. Your parents have already agreed, so this is more me telling you and less about if you agree with it. No worries though, I’m sure you’ll find a use for me. My skill sets are pretty extensive.”
“Oh? Well, why not then. It’s only 5 years…”
An heard the girl mumble the last half of her words to herself before she took the string for the notification bell and pulled it a few times.
“For the time being, you can get out of my room. After I’ve freshened up and get some food in me, we can talk more.”
“Ah, that’s fine. It’s just past noon, by the way. I’ll have the kitchen to prepare some thick soup for you. You’ve been living off a thin liquid diet for the past few weeks. It’s best to slowly ramp up.”
An gave his final words to the sickly girl and waved to her as he left. Entering the room immediately after, a maid broke into a smile after seeing the lady of the house awake once more. Not long later, Duke and Duchess Reviarra arrived.
Darting eyes across the relieved expressions of her family drew an inexplicable pain from the corner of Sol’s heart. She felt something dramatically changed inside her during this last collapse. Her body no longer felt the same with the exception of the ever present weakness.
Her memories teetered towards a jumbled mess as well. Knowledge she was unfamiliar with somehow inserted itself into her mind, however there was a clear sense of desolation whenever she tried to access and utilize those memories. It was as if the knowledge was too complex for her lack of understanding the foundations prevented her from acting on it.
Despite that despairing lack of control and understanding, she also found there were strange symbols which she understood with relative clarity as if she had studied them for years. Those symbols were crisp in her mind and if not for sheer disbelief in the memories, Sol felt the symbols could alter her environment in predictable ways.
This was something she had to look into after she recovered a bit more. That knowledge included the drain each symbol would apply to her and so she could only hold off for now. More importantly, she had to do something about this Duke and Duchess whose hands kept roaming her body with care.
“Mother, Father. I’m fine. I heard I slept longer this time around, but I’m better now.”
“You slept for over 2 weeks straight Sol. You’re anything but fine. From now on, pass Iridescent over to your brother and father.”
The concern dripped from her voice. Tears leaked from Duchess Reviarra as she caressed Sol’s face. She held them back as much as possible, however it was impossible to miss the pooling around her eyes. Sol found it hard to tell if the tears were from relief, sadness, or anger.
Sol’s eyes drifted to Duke Reviarra and found his eyes conflicted as well. Was this a parental decision between the two of them? What was she supposed to do then? Stay in bed all day? Absolutely not.
“Mother and father both promised me autonomy. Are you going back on that? The last thing I want is to waste away chained to a bed and forced to look at the freedom just outside my window. Such a situation would only kill me faster. Please… Don’t do that to me.”
“It’s fine. They won’t hold you back. Live as you like. I’ll stick by your side to keep you safe and help out in place of your parents since they’re that worried about you.”
Arriving back in the room with a steaming bowl of soup, An managed to overhear Sol’s fear and immediately took to her defense. Although the boy was a mystery, Sol found herself grateful for the timely support. She could see the rejection in her parent’s eyes and was truly concerned about their reaction.
After all, in the past, Sol had only ever slept for 2 to 3 days at a time. Even from her perspective, 16 to 17 days in one go was excessive and worrisome. Even so, she knew this was only the beginning. Her health could only decline from this point. Thinking such, Sol felt she had to speak the ugly truth.
Her gaze dipped down coincidently missing her parent’s reaction to An’s declaration. She encouraged herself internally then acted.
“My health is only going to get worse regardless of what I do. I’ll distribute more work out to Iridescent assistant managers and take more naps to help keep this body healthier. Father and brother can slowly take over the head position and I’ll move over to research and development while assisting with business strategy. Will this suffice?”
Sol’s head raised with hope glittering in her eyes. Her gaze froze after discovering the pale countenances of her parents. Had she said something wrong? Her heart dropped at the thought of being rejected and her earlier fear of wasting away inside the house flashed across her mind.
As if sensing her increasing despair, Duke and Duchess Reviarra broke from their cold sweat and rushed to clarify the situation.
“Sol, baby. Act as you please. Your father and I will support you… We just worry…”
Tears brimmed across Sol’s eyes and she grasped her mother’s hand in a tight hug. The family remained there engrossed in their moment unaware of the smile creeping across the young boy’s face. His eyes fixed on Sol as if seeing something else beside her.
An’s hands were held behind his back, each index finger drawing strange symbols in the air. Ripples in space trailed his gestures with each symbol glowing for a moment before dissipating into nothingness. Though engrossed with her familial love, Sol somehow felt an odd ripple pass through her.
The sensation was strangely familiar, as if she had felt it for years and yet her memories were too cloudy to accurately identify it. Her gaze drifted subtly in An’s direction, however she couldn’t understand why she felt the urge to glance at him.
Catching her gaze, An’s smile grew larger.
