Bab 34: A peaceful journey(4)
(Author: Chapter over 3000 words, no chapters Tuesday.)
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At the break of dawn, the dim light filtered through the tent's fabric, warming the air inside and signaling the start of a new day. Still dazed and weakened by the experience of the previous evening, Mark opened his eyes with difficulty and, with effort, sat up.
Strangely, the effects of the process were less severe than usual, and he had almost no injuries, but he knew the reason was the person who was watching him exhausted.
Zoe was there, beside him. The girl, with eyes ringed by palpable fatigue, looked at him with concern. She had watched over him all night, trying to ease his torment, but without success. The sight of her filled him with a strange mixture of gratitude and shame. He hadn't wanted her to witness such a display of weakness, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that he had found comfort in her presence.
"...Morning." -He murmured hoarsely, trying to break the silence that hung in the tent.
"Are you feeling better?" -She asked, worried.
"Haah... it's nothing." -He tried to lighten the atmosphere, but only made things worse.
"Nothing? Mark, you were lying there in agony and convulsing, how can you say it was nothing?!" -Zoe exploded, unable to hold back the frustration and anxiety that had built up during the night.
Her tone was full of a mix of anger and fear. She couldn't understand how Mark could downplay such a serious situation. The memory of him bent over in pain, was still vivid in her mind, and seeing him try to shrug off what had happened so lightly made her angry.
Looking at Mark's expression, Zoe thought she had overreacted and tried to calm herself. -"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."
"You don't need to apologize, and first of all, I should thank you." -Mark said honestly, as he had never woken up feeling so well after the energy extraction.
"This isn't the first time, is it?" -Zoe asked.
She had seen many scars similar to the wounds he was causing himself and, seeing his accustomed reaction, she could understand that he had been through this several times before, something that made her feel bad just thinking about it.
Seeing that hiding it no longer made sense, Mark tried to explain without going into too much detail.
"It's something that happens to me every seven days, so I've pretty much gotten used to it... sort of."
"Are you telling me that once a week you always go through something like this?" -Zoe said, shocked, to which Mark responded with an awkward nod.
"How... how do you stay sane?" -Zoe asked, speechless.
"Sometimes I wonder that myself." -He said with a bitter laugh.
In the month and a half he had lived in this new world, he had experienced so many crazy things that sometimes he felt numb to everything else. All his focus was on becoming stronger and finding Selene's fragments, but he had to admit that when all those elements settled in his mind, he started to truly fear for his sanity.
"Okay, fine, but what exactly is it? It doesn't seem like a physical or mental illness, and considering that it happens after a certain period, it seems like a curse." -Zoe thought, moving to a more analytical approach.
"I have no idea." -Mark said vaguely.
"I can always ask my mother and-"
"No." -Mark's response was abrupt.
"What do you mean no? Don't you want to solve your problem? My mother knows a lot about these things." -Zoe said, confused by his attitude.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'd prefer that no one else knows about the situation."
"You don't think my mother is trustworthy?" -Zoe said, slightly offended.
"I'm not saying that." -Mark said with an exasperated sigh. -"Let's put it this way. Let's say I discover one of your secrets and then tell you to confide in someone I know perfectly well and trust completely, but whom you barely know. How would you feel?"
"I..." -Zoe tried to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.
How could she, who was hiding the fact that she suffered from amnesia, had a fear of water, and could read people's minds, tell someone to talk about their secrets with others? She immediately felt embarrassed and ridiculous for her behavior toward Mark.
"Look, Zoe, I'm grateful for the help you offered me all night, really, but it's also true that I didn't want to be seen in that state." -Mark said with a sigh.
It wasn't that Mark didn't trust Zoe or Astrea, he just didn't like confiding in others, a trait he had always had. He also wanted to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, considering he wasn't from that world.
"Hmm." -Zoe nodded in silence.
"Anyway, I'm not angry or anything. You're the only person who knows about this problem of mine, and I'd like it to stay that way." -Mark explained calmly.
Technically, there was also Vincent, but he had never seen him during the energy extraction, so he didn't count.
"Wait, so you're saying that no one knows what you go through every week?" -Zoe asked, shocked.
"Exactly." -Mark nodded.
It took Zoe a while to digest the information. She could see from Mark's expression that he wasn't joking and that he didn't want anyone to find out, but things had happened that way, and she had to at least respect his wishes.
"Okay, I swear on my name that I won't tell anyone, though I hope you'll let me find a solution, alright?" -Zoe asked seriously.
"Why do you want to find a cure?" -Mark asked, confused.
"I don't like seeing others suffer, it's just a personal matter."
Mark looked her in the eyes before letting out a resigned sigh.
"Do as you wish, though I doubt you'll find anything."
Only after those words did Zoe smile, even if only for a moment.
"Well, I should have some time to train before we leave." -Mark said, getting up when he felt a strong grip on his shoulder.
"Where did you say you want to go?" -Zoe said with a smile that was clearly not genuine.
"...Training?" -Mark said, confused by her reaction.
"Are you crazy?!" -Zoe shouted. -"After everything you went through last night, you want to go train? I forbid it!"
"What are you, my mother?" -Mark said, speechless.
"I'm the one who has taken the responsibility to find a cure for you, and now lie down!" -Zoe ordered.
"Absolutely not. You took on that responsibility without my consent, so it's not my problem!" -Mark said, trying to grab his sword, but was stopped again by Zoe.
The two continued to argue heatedly inside the tent, with Zoe preventing him from leaving and Mark trying, until Zoe lost her balance due to the wounds on her legs, falling onto Mark, who in turn fell to the ground outside the tent due to the cramped space.
"What's your problem?!" -Mark shouted, exasperated.
"My problem is that my legs are in this state because of you!" -Zoe replied.
"No one told you to stay the night!"
"And no one told me that you'd cling to me like a beast!"
"What do you mean-"
*Thud.
Hearing something fall, the two turned their gaze forward, where Astrea was staring at them, mouth open and with a pale expression.
"I-I-I think it's too fast a-and so open, i-it seems... better i-if I leave."
Mark and Zoe looked at her strangely when they realized what they had said and how they were positioned, their eyes immediately widened. With Zoe on top of him, the situation was too easy to misunderstand, and the two separated at lightning speed.
****
It took a long, long time to clear up the situation, and Astrea still showed signs of doubt as they found themselves in the moving carriage.
"So to conclude, I would never, ever do something like that with her, the mere thought makes me shudder. Okay?" -Mark asked pleadingly, trying to resolve the misunderstanding.
Zoe nodded too, though when Mark said those last words, she felt a strange sense of irritation.
"Alright, alright." - Astrea finally said, raising her hands in surrender. - "I understand it was just a misunderstanding, but I have to admit the scene was rather compromising."
It was normal for Astrea to misinterpret such a situation, but it was also true that she hadn't analyzed it carefully.
"But were you really that unwell?" - Astrea asked, her voice tinged with confusion and concern.
"Yes! Yes, terribly, let's not talk about it!" - Zoe replied, trying to escape the topic with a tone that was far too hasty. However, her clumsy attempt to avoid the conversation only fueled further doubts in Astrea.
'Something tells me she's not a great liar...' - Mark thought, observing Zoe's unusually nervous expression.
Astrea glanced suspiciously between Zoe and Mark, alternating her gaze before letting out a deep sigh. It was clear that the two were hiding something from her, but she decided not to investigate further. First, because she knew Zoe was no longer a helpless child; she was a young woman capable of taking care of herself and making her own decisions. Second, because, despite everything, Mark didn't give the impression of being someone inclined to cause trouble.
With a nod, Astrea dropped the subject, and Zoe and Mark exchanged a look of relief as if they had narrowly escaped an uncomfortable interrogation. Finally, they could continue their journey without further hindrance... Or at least that's how it should have been if it weren't for the fact that Mark constantly felt Zoe's persistent gaze on him as if she were trying to study him in every possible way.
"Zoe, you should sleep... you need it."
Dark circles and bloodshot eyes were visible on the girl's face, yet she still refused to sleep.
"I can't, if monsters appear, I can't leave you to fight." - She said stubbornly.
"For heaven's sake... Astrea, do something." - Mark said exasperatedly.
Astrea, concerned about her daughter's condition, approached her gently, and without saying a word, took Zoe's head and gently laid it on her lap. Zoe tried to resist, squirming like a wild puppy, but after a few reassuring strokes from Astrea, her will to oppose melted away like snow in the sun.
"Even so, I won't sleep." - She said, though her eyelids were growing heavier.
"How about just ten minutes? We haven't encountered any problems so far; I doubt anything will happen if you sleep a little." - She tried to persuade.
Zoe seemed conflicted, before giving in completely. - "Just ten minutes... then... wake me up."
She slowly closed her eyes, and after a while, her breathing became steady.
****
Dreams are mental experiences that occur during sleep, a mix of images, sounds, emotions, and thoughts that the brain weaves together in a chaotic and often incoherent manner. They can be vivid and realistic, or hazy and surreal, reflecting desires, fears, daily experiences, or the deepest and most hidden thoughts of the mind. However, for Zoe, sleep had never been a refuge of dreams.
Since Astrea had found her, Zoe had never been able to dream, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that her dreams manifested as endless darkness, a boundless void in which she wandered, alone and without any guidance.
In that indefinite space, Zoe could move, maintaining a surprising mental clarity, aware of everything, yet she always found herself groping in total darkness.
That void was not unfamiliar to her, yet every time she found herself in it, a deep sense of loneliness and an unsettling feeling of being lost assailed her, almost as if she feared she would never escape that suffocating darkness, remaining trapped for eternity in a night without end.
According to Al, the second person after Astrea to know about her problem, he believed that darkness was a mechanism of her brain to remember, a sort of unconscious refuge, but Zoe had never really been convinced. Until that day.
'A door?'
For the first time, something stood out against that infinite blackness. A door appeared before her, emerging from nothingness. It was an almost surreal sight in that world of darkness, and for a moment, Zoe hesitated, unsure of what to do. In the end, though, she reached out a trembling hand towards the handle and lowered it. As soon as the door opened, a blinding light hit her, forcing her to close her eyes.
When she reopened them, she found herself in a completely different place. The darkness was gone, replaced by a large building with white walls, adorned with beautiful stained glass windows that filtered the sunlight into a kaleidoscope of colors. Every detail was perfectly crafted, from the lavish decorations to the people filling the hall, though all of them had their faces wrapped in a strange haze, making it impossible to distinguish their features.
'Where am I?'
Zoe looked around, unable to move or speak, feeling the stares of all those blurred faces that seemed to be intensely watching her. Next to her were two other figures, also with their faces obscured. One of them was wearing ceremonial attire, while the other, standing in front of her, was dressed in an elegant outfit.
The man in the robe began to speak, though Zoe could only hear snippets, making it impossible to follow the conversation.
'What's happening? And why on earth am I holding his hands?!'
Zoe felt increasingly bewildered by the situation, especially by how she was holding hands with the person in front of her.
The entire process continued for a while, as Zoe gradually began to understand and hypothesize where she was.
'It's very similar to a church but more intricate. A priest. Finally, spectators... this looks exactly like a wedding?' - She thought in confusion, and it seemed her guess was spot on.
"Do you #### take #### as your wife, to love and honor for the rest of your life?" - The priest asked, catching Zoe by surprise.
"####" - The man in front of her said something, but it was impossible to hear.
Then the priest turned to Zoe, who was starting to feel truly uncomfortable with how the situation was unfolding.
"Do you #### take #### as your husband, to love and honor for the rest of your life?"
"Yes."
'No! No! I said no!'
Her lips had moved on their own, and the voice that came out was both familiar and unknown to her, but that was the least of her problems.
"You may kiss the bride."
At the priest's words, Zoe's hair stood on end, realizing that she was the bride.
Slowly the man, or rather "husband," began to approach her face, while Zoe did everything she could to pull away, but it seemed impossible.
The man's face was just inches from hers, and Zoe began to feel increasingly agitated.
'I need to wake up! Wake up!'
Just before the figure reached her face, everything stopped, as did everything else, and as if struck by a mirror, the entire scene shattered, and the next moment, she was once again enveloped in light.
****
"It seems we won't be able to go any further today." - Mark sighed.
During the journey, some carriages were attacked by a mole-like monster that damaged them, forcing them to camp earlier than planned.
Slowly the sun began to set, and Mark wisely used that lost time to let his ring grow when he heard Astrea's voice.
"Mark, I'm going to get something to eat for Zoe and me, do you want anything?"
"Don't worry, if you'd like, I can go instead. It feels wrong to leave you to do this." - Mark said politely.
"No problem. You spent the day dealing with the monsters so Zoe could sleep; it's your turn to receive a favor." - Astrea smiled at him, and at that point, Mark could only accept the offer.
With Astrea gone, Mark briefly looked at Zoe, who was sleeping peacefully. He couldn't deny that Zoe's appearance and Astrea's true form were wonderful, but his admiration was purely aesthetic. The divine aura of Astrea prevented him from seeing her as a woman, while for Zoe, the mentally thirty-year-old Mark saw her only as a young girl who still didn't understand how the world worked.
'She seems cold.' - Mark thought, seeing how she was moving.
He looked around and found a fairly heavy blanket. Slowly, he approached the sleeping girl and carefully placed the blanket over her, making sure not to wake her, but suddenly, Zoe jerked awake.
Fortunately, Mark had good reflexes, blocking the headbutt she might have thrown at him with his palm. Confused, he looked at her carefully and could see how she looked around dazed and covered in sweat.
"Are you okay?" - Mark asked her.
"I-I'm not dreaming anymore, right?" - Zoe asked, still confused.
"No, it seems you had a bad dream." - Mark said with a laugh, as he withdrew his hand.
"A bad dream?" - Zoe asked, still puzzled.
"Well, a nightmare, right?"
"So I dreamed?" - She said in a slightly higher-pitched voice.
"A nightmare is a bad dream, so yes, I guess you did dream." - Mark said strangely, noticing the girl's reaction.
"I can't believe it... I-I need to see my mother."
Without further elaboration, she abruptly got up and left the carriage. Mark, who had been watching her the entire time, looked after her with even more confusion before shrugging and realizing it wasn't his problem.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone