Chapter 104: Life again
The chirping of birds echoed above the walls of Sunkiss Fortress, the first sunlight adding a warm feeling to the fortress in the middle of the desert, a fresh breeze blew before turning into a hot wind.
The sound of clinking glasses was heard together with the sound of barefoot footsteps, Alex walked through the corridor to return to the building where he was staying, drowsiness attacked him which was proven by himself yawning, tears accidentally came out from his reddened eyes.
When he arrived in front of the closed double doors, he wanted to push them with his shoulder, but the door opened by itself which almost made him fall, Alex immediately looked at the person who opened the door from inside, his black eyes widened.
Alex’s voice sounded hoarse even after drinking a full bottle of milk "Katarina...?" Katarina looked at Alex from head to toe "what are you doing this early in the morning...?" Alex raised both of his shoulders while making the seven glasses he carried clink with his fingers "drinking milk..."
Katarina’s blue eyes looked at Alex’s face, she saw the traces of Alex’s dried tears on his face, unconsciously her soft hand touched Alex’s cheek "you cried...?" Alex immediately turned his face away and wiped the remaining tears on his face "yeah..."
Katarina’s face was filled with confusion "are you still in pain? Last night you were very terrifying, blood came out from every hole on your face, and you were convulsing..." Alex nodded several times "that was pretty terrifying..."
One of Katarina’s eyebrows rose "what happened...? Do you have an illness or what?" Alex let out a sigh, he leaned his back against the opened door "if it’s you, what are you doing here?" Alex pointed toward the living room with the hand filled with glasses "what are all of them doing here? It’s like they don’t have bedrooms..."
Alex clicked his tongue "I should have taken photos of them first this morning..." Katarina chuckled, she leaned her head against the still closed door, sunlight slowly entered the room from the opened door "they were worried about you..."
Alex pointed at himself with the hand holding the glasses "me? Why? If it’s Reva and Ken I can still believe it...but Julian, Arthur, and Eve?" Katarina chuckled, the two of them talked while facing each other and letting the chirping sounds of birds enter the building "well...Julian followed me, while Evefollowed Julian while dragging Arthur."
Alex nodded several times with a joking face, he crossed the arms holding the glasses "woah...must be nice having followers." Katarina clicked her tongue and brushed her dark red hair after sleeping "must be nice being in the same class as two beautiful princesses..."
Alex chuckled, he let out a sigh "they’re more toward weird than beautiful..." Katarina nodded several times with a joking expression, the two of them laughed at the doorway.
Katarina went silent for a while to look at Alex, a fresh breeze blew at both of them and tried to enter the room "what happened to you...? What did you see?" Alex looked outside the room where the corridor and green field were, there was no smile carved on his face this time "a nightmare..."
Alex turned his face toward Katarina’s just-awakened face, they stared at each other without words for a long time "of course I also had a beautiful dream..." Katarina smiled faintly "what kind of dream?"
Alex’s expression immediately changed, he looked like he found a brilliant idea "it was a dream with my friends! Do you want to hear it?" Alex raised both of his shoulders "I mean, I think I can tell about them the whole day today..."
Katarina nodded several times "alright...try telling me." Alex’s expression became bright, he looked like he forgot about the tear traces on his face, he kept telling stories with a wide smile and laughter while Katarina listened while laughing and being enthusiastic.
Alex told stories about the old man, Lucy, Clarisa, Riko, Kiki, and Tika. The two of them kept talking and listening at the doorway while occasionally changing their standing positions.
"That old man, what’s his name?" Alex shook his head "I don’t know, he never talks...I don’t even know if he can talk or not..." Katarina’s expression turned confused "then how did you communicate..." Alex fell silent for a moment "you’re right too...but we collaborated well, I mean even without words..."
Katarina let out a disbelieving sigh "isn’t Lucy still too young for war...?" Alex nodded several times "right? I mean, I also didn’t want to accept it...but what can we do, rather than her starving and doing strange things to survive."
Katarina’s expression turned confused "your old world was very harsh huh? Are you okay?" Alex stroked his chin, the sound of clinking glasses was heard "yeah I’m still alright...maybe a little crazy but still within normal limits..."
Katarina lifted her head from her position leaning on the closed door, her blue eyes focused straight at Alex "then, is Clarisa your three month girlfriend?" Alex’s black eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed several times "how do you know? I didn’t even say it..."
Katarina brushed her rough dark red hair after waking up "of course I know, I was already married before..." Alex nodded several times while smiling mockingly "ahh...the crowded marriage?"
Katarina gritted her teeth, she kicked Alex’s shin which made Alex sit down in pain at the doorway, Katarina also squatted in front of Alex, to check his condition while Alex chuckled shamelessly.
"Why didn’t you dance with Julian at the party?" Katarina’s expression turned confused "because he was pulled away by Aera...wait wait, did you see it?" Alex nodded several times "of course I saw it, many people invited you to dance too right? Woah...you’re pretty popular too huh..."
Katarina lowered her head while squatting facing Alex, her ears turned red, she immediately grabbed Alex’s hair "why do you think I rejected all of them and thought first before accepting Julian’s invitation..."
Alex groaned in pain, tears started trying to come out again from both of his eyeballs, the sound of clinking glasses was heard when Alex’s hand tried to hold Katarina’s hand "but I came at the end..." Katarina let out a sigh, she stopped grabbing Alex’s hair and sat at the doorway in front of Alex "but we don’t have a photo together!!"
Alex laughed while smiling, the sound of his laughter was as melodious as the chirping of birds in the morning when heard by Katarina "don’t worry...I have our photo."
Alex returned to telling stories about many things whether about his friends or the party night they had passed, the two of them only sat facing each other on the floor at the doorway, they laughed and listened to one another.
"Tika? Her name is similar to goddess Athika..." Alex pointed at Katarina with the index finger holding the glasses as if he agreed with what Katarina said "I also assumed that at first, especially after seeing the fairy tale....I mean, their hair is the same but I couldn’t see goddess Athika’s face."
Katarina tilted her face "what if they really are the same person..." Alex shook his head "that’s impossible...I’m sure the woman I met before being transferred here is the same as goddess Athika..." Alex chuckled softly "but Tika being the same as goddess Athika? That’s impossible...I mean goddess Athika looked kind, mature, wise, gentle. While my friend, she’s more like a devil..."
Katarina laughed out loud while hitting Alex’s arm repeatedly "you can’t be like that, what if they really are the same figure?" Alex started imagining Tika’s face placed onto goddess Athika’s shining face, he shivered imagining it and shook his head "shit...! Don’t ruin my image of the goddess!!"
Katarina chuckled sweetly, she wanted to ask again but the sound of fast footsteps made her and Alex turn around, suddenly Alex was hugged by someone which made Alex unable to breathe, that person’s voice sounded like he was genuinely crying "hey friend...what happened to you? You’re not seriously hurt right?"
Alex gritted his teeth, his heart beat fast because he thought it was a sudden attack "hey Ken...what’s wrong with you friend?" Ken hugged Alex tighter, he whispered to Alex but his voice could be heard by Katarina who sat in front of them "you can’t die, friend. You said you would help me, what if later I marry her...you have to become the wedding committee."
Alex let out a tired sigh, he tried to release Ken’s hug but Ken instead hugged him even tighter "this bastard..." Katarina laughed out loud hearing Ken’s request and Alex’s reaction.
Meanwhile someone approached again, it was Reva. She saw Alex and Katarina sitting on the floor at the doorway while covered by warm sunlight, Reva immediately sat beside Katarina "hey princess...what are you doing, why are you sitting here?"
Katarina looked at Reva and raised both of her shoulders "we’re telling stories..." Reva looked at Alex who was being hugged by Ken, strangely Ken who was previously crying dramatically now started calming down, but he still hugged Alex tightly "how’s your condition?"
One of Alex’s eyebrows rose, he exclaimed in amazement "woah...I didn’t expect the day would come where you ask about my condition" Reva clicked her tongue feeling regret for asking while Alex chuckled and pointed at Ken who hugged him with his eye movement "are you also afraid of losing the wedding committee like this guy?"
A tired sigh was heard from Reva, finally she sat comfortably near Katarina "who wants to marry an overdramatic person..." Ken’s body twitched after hearing what Reva said, he finally released his hug and sat upright facing Alex, he patted Alex’s shoulders "thank goodness you’re alright, friend."
Alex and Katarina laughed seeing Ken’s sudden change, the four of them were now covered by warm light from outside together with words that kept being exchanged as if flowing like water.
Alex started learning to smile again like before, but a voice in his mind made his smile freeze ’Alex...’ both of Alex’s black eyes widened ’Krystal...?’
’I’m sorry....’
