บท 77: A Boy’s Dream Is Immortal
"Yeah see. How interesting it may be, what does it have to do with me?" I was, by the time he told me half his story, already relaxing my head on the table, my left cheek sticking to its surface.
The boy stopped narrating, he asked, "what do you mean?"
"Look, I don't care about your sob stories, I simply want to know what I get from it." If it wasn't for the soup the owner-waitress delivered and I was waiting for it to cool down, I would have taken Raya and been long gone.
The boy's eye twitched, he asked me, "you are joking, right?"
"Do I look like I am laughing to you," I rebutted. I wasn't, by the way.
"You are such a bad person." His face darkened. "There's nothing worse than people like you."
"That is awfully mean of you," I tilted my head, "when it is you who needs my help."
"I mean people who think the sun revolves around them are what is wrong with society," he corrected, "nothing personal."
"No worries, I take it as a compliment." I rolled my head from side to side and added, "however, dont say things you may regret, I can be pretty unpredictable at times."
"I will remember it." He then shifted the topic by eyeing the soup, "are you going to eat that stew? If not, can I have it?"
"Of course not," I grabbed the bowl and hugged it, the sweet aroma overwhelmed my senses. "It's the best part about living here."
"Cheapskate, your sister is a lot nicer than you," he complained and sulked.
"Anyways, is that all you have to say? I am quite busy these days, so if possible, go play with someone else." I waved my hand at him to 'shoo' him away.
The boy then lowered his head and pleaded, "please! I need it to pay for my mother's illness. You are the only one I can rely on."
I realized that the soup had reached an acceptable temperature after blowing at it one last time. "You sound like these scams I used to pull as an amateur," I told him before eating a spoonful, my first bite was always packed with bacon, so I could let the smokey flavor cover my tastebuds, in preparation for the mellow, milky texture that came next. "You also sound like a big hassle."
"It is the truth!" He slammed his hands on the table.
"I believe you," I told him calmly, "I have a talent for telling lies, you see. That doesn't mean I will give you your money back, though."
He calmed down from my words, and leaned into his chair. He said with a chilling voice, "does that mean you admit to stealing from me?"
"Quite clever." I laughed. "Alright, you got me, I will tell you the truth," I pointed at Raya, "truthfully speaking, she was the one who stole your bag."
Raya who had been silent the whole time, opened her eyes wide and shouted, "liar!" She pointed back at me with her persecuting finger. "How can you be so shameless?"
"What?" I took a few more spoonfuls. "Isn't it true that you currently have his money?"
"This," she shrunk back and replied, "it was only because you gave it to me."
"Well, no need for excuses, you thieving cat." I stood up and grabbed her face. Her soft cheeks were squished by both my palms and she looked at me with a questioning gaze. "Don't get surprised," I said to her.
She grew more confused and seeing my innocent smile, she felt a sense of foreboding which turned her pale.
I knelt down and shoved myself into her dress—everything immediately turned dark. "Kyah," I heard her scream while I moved my hands around her body, feeling my way around.
"The only place the money could be was underneath the dress you are wearing," I said. She pushed her dress down, and clamped her thighs tightly around my face. I couldn't see what expression she was making, but I was sure it was a nice one.
"It's not in there, it's not in there," she screamed and squirmed, her voice became more frantic. "Geez, please, it's not there. . ." She trailed off.
As they said, when you lost one sense, your other ones get heightened. I couldn't see but I smelled her distinct lavender smell—a smell I already began to associate with her. I went deeper and felt my face stumbling into a spot very soft and smooth. It was wet too—maybe her sweat? I immersed my nose inside the glut of viscous liquid, and pressed against what felt like cotton, hot and gently pulsating, like a heartbeat. Curiously, I dug around, moving my nose left and right.
"Hold on, ah, wait," she shouted and Raya firmly pressed her hands against the back of my head and leaned forward. "Your breath is tickling me," she said silently and trembled. Her own breathing grew ragged.
"Hey, you are pressing too hard," I pinched her and said, "you are crushing me." I grabbed her by the sides, and yanked myself out of her grip.
I left from where I came from, and returned to earth, greeted by the light and a Raya who with big eyes staring at the floor, both her lips tugged underneath her teeth, and a bright red face. She sat there, frozen, her hands on her dress and shuffled her feet.
"Are you okay, you almost killed me," I asked her, confused by her reaction which turned even her ears red. "That's the reddest you have ever been."
She glanced at me and then quickly shied away. "You, did you not realize?"
"Realize? Everything was dark. What is there to realize?"
"Eh, nothing." She turned even more abashed and held her cheeks with both hands.
"Anyways," I faced the boy who remained seated the whole time, "as you can see, my dear has nothing she is hiding." I rested my arms on Rayas shoulders, and slowly stroked her face from behind. "Right?"
Rayas head turned hotter, as if it was a motor overheating, and she simply nodded. Her mind had already drifted somewhere else and her body, left alone, swayed in the winds.
The boy shouted, "that doesn't prove anything!" He glared at me in anger.
"You are correct." I hugged dazed Raya tighter. "It sucks, right? This country that is not build on truth, but worth. To paraphrase the king, 'everyone stands equal. When inside the arena, it does not matter whether you are king or slave, only the stronger one survives'." I pointed at the boy, "which means you die. No support for the weak. This country tries to be too equal, making it incredibly unequal in process. And this Judgement Table is the cursed manifestation of his majesty's philosophy."
"What are you saying?"
"Psst," I told him and pressed my finger on Rayas lips, "I am saying, in this country, you do not get to decide what proves what. Hey, don't stare at me like that. I didn't make these rules. I am just disgusted as you are."
The boy was shocked and turned mute from my words. His mouth remained agape before he closed it and gritted his teeth. He looked down at the ground, his hands clenched until his knuckles turned white, fingernails digging into his palm.
"Well, I guess you are done now, at least you managed to entertain me," I said and ate the remainder of the soup. Afterwards I picked Raya up and left the table, my back facing him, while I walked to my room. I glanced at the boy one last time and sighed. Underneath all the loud noise, he seemed particularly small.
I stepped onto the stairs, my face already obscured by the wall, when I heard, through all the voices, his piercing scream that drowned them out: "Magic exists!"
I stopped in surprise and looked at the source. I saw the boy standing up, his eyes determined and burning with overflowing passion. The people in the inn all stared at him in wonder, but he didn't care. He repeated, even louder, "Magic exists! No matter what everyone says, I know it does!"
The crowd bursted into cheerful laughter, "what are you saying, kid?"
"Yes, magic exists, yah, I do magic every night with my wife," a man shouted from behind.
Another man yelled, "did you hit your head? Want me to show you the way to the church?" The girl in his arms giggled due to his antics.
"Kiddo, just like the elusive 'Cloud', magic and immortality are just stories parents tell to make their children fall asleep at night, you should have grown out of it!"
The boy did not mind the words around him. He only watched me with intense eyes. "Because if this forsaken world has no miracles, it simply would be too cruel a joke from God," he said then continued in a much smaller voice, "and I will learn it, so I can stop people like you and destroy the wretched Judgement Table."
"Who cares," a drunken guy said and threw a bone at the boy's head, "god's gone since long, and he took his miracles with him. Magic's just the new trick the nobility thought of to justify their standing."
"Hey, watch your mouth," someone shouted at him. "Do not ever dare to take the lords name in vain, lest he smites you."
"Have you not heard his majesty of this country?" The drunken guy said, "it is the Era of Dawn, proof your words with your ability, not your faith."
"What did you say," people exclaimed, "let me show you how hell looks like then!"
The people soon broke into a fight, they screamed at each other with vulgarities and grabbed each other's collar. The women went into hiding, while the man soon exchanged punches. They threw fists and food, drunken people staggering around turning the place into a mess. The owner, witnessing what was occurring, had to break what was about to escalate into a brawl. She did so skillfully, as if it was an everyday task which she was used to, and the crowd then returned to their merry chatter, forgetting already what had started it.
Safe for one person; his stare remained glued on me.
"Fine," I muttered and went back to my seat, "you can have your money back. Even some more if you want. You are quite the interesting lad."
"Really," the boy exclaimed happily.
"On one condition," I added and his face turned livid again, "introduce me to your sister."
He immediately became suspicious, "what do you want with my little sister, what bad things are you planning?"
"Relax, don't accuse me of things I haven't done yet. If you don't trust me, I will give you my little Raya as collateral." I pulled Rayas cheeks up to form a smile.
"I don't want her," he replied nonchalantly.
"You better watch your dirty mouth," I said in the coldest voice I managed to muster, and his face drained of blood from my icy glare. I then corrected myself, "sorry, looks like the emotions got the better of me again. If we continue like that we won't get anywhere, so let me explain. I have a little sister on my own, so believe more or not, I can quite relate with your dilemma."
"Okay," he said after a pause, "it's a deal. Come with me."
"I don't wanna, though."
"Huh, why?"
"See, my cute little girl here was quite hurt from your words, and I have to comfort her," I kissed Rayas head who was still inexplicably dazed, "also, I don't want to know you more than necessary."
"You are so annoying." The boy left and clicked his tongue.
I waited for about half an hour, by then people had left and arrived, food went and came, and Raya woke up from her stupor (much to my sadness) and shoved me away with her usual eagerness coated in hate.
As I finally saw the boy return, there was a shy little girl standing behind him, and when I saw my face, I realized to my surprise that she was quite familiar.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
Hyowha
Hyowha So here’s a question, what do you guys think about this novel going premium? I am not saying it will, just asking for opinions.
What would happen is that the release would be much more stable and maybe there will be in editor. On the other hand, some chapters will be locked behind a wall, you guys probably already know about it.
I personally do not wish to lock them myself, but I do wish for more exposure—so I am stuck in a conundrum
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง