Trampl[E]d - Epilogue
I love you...
And I will always do...
766 M.E.
The lustrous bead of the sun gracefully spread its warmth to the world, illuminating the smiling faces of the people who hadn't seen it for ten years, and giving color to the monochrome that haunted them before. The vast blue sky was decorated by billowing white clouds that floated above as they were being brought by the wind to travel the world. The vivid color of green from the swaying trees was the most beautiful, as they were grey and withering years before. The singing birds were playing and jumping between branches, while the laughing children were running around. It was a peaceful scenery, which was being brought by the King of the Light for he had defeated the dark.
A man in his fifty-five frowned after hearing the story from a man in front of him. What he heard was something beyond his understanding. A woman appeared suddenly in front of the King, from a peculiar magic circle, bleeding to death, and now was being treated by the medics in citadel infirmary. If it was not the King himself who told him, he wouldn't believe such a story.
Cor Leonis excused himself from the King of Lucis, calling few of his subordinates to accompany him to the throne room as he needed to investigate it.
The heavy tread of his footsteps were echoing in the entire room when he arrived at the empty throne room. As he looked down to the floor, he saw the trail of blood but not the magic circle that was mentioned by the King. He frowned more, asked his men to clean the scene and proceeded his way to the infirmary.
He was drowning in his reverie as the elevator brought him down to his destination floor. Blue eyes gazing at nowhere, arms crossed in front of his chest, and his mind travelling elsewhere. There was something peculiar when he saw the blood. And when he heard about the magic circle, it piqued his curiosity.
As his eyes wandered around, the man blinked when the trace of blood on the elevator floor entered his sight. Well, he should tell his men to clean this place too.
Cor made his way to the infirmary, glancing down whenever he spotted the blood stain on the floor along his way. He didn't know why, but somehow this woman intrigued him to know about her. Probably just a pure curiosity. Who wouldn't? A woman suddenly appeared in front of the King, walked toward the King's adviser, caressing that man's cheek even though no one recognized her. He was sure there were no more imperial troops here. Invader? But she should have killed the King if she was actually an invader. Also, instead of caressing the adviser's cheek, she would have sliced that man's throat if she indeed had any ill intention.
"Ignis. Prompto." The man whose all of his hair almost turned grey called the two men who were staring at a ring that was being pinched between the thumb and the forefinger of the Scientia.
"Marshal." Prompto was the one who responded while Ignis followed the blonde's word one second later.
The marshal frowned more seeing the face of dismay which was shown by the dirty blonde man, even his hair was slightly disheveled—not like Ignis whom he knew. There were indeed few traces of blood on Ignis's pale face. And the things that attracted Cor's gaze was actually a ring Ignis was holding. Judging by the attention they gave to that particular ring before Cor came, perhaps it was the witch's belonging.
"I heard from the King. Any idea who the woman is? Is she a Nif?" Cor asked.
"N-no…" Prompto replied awkwardly, a bit stuttered as he threw his glance to the disheveled dirty blonde on his right side who was still holding a ring. The blonde man didn't know what to say to the marshal since he was being shrouded by confusion after seeing all of the woman's belongings.
Few moments ago, not long after the medics treated her, one of them walked out from the infirmary, giving Ignis a necklace, a ring, and the white coat that had been stained by blood. Inside the pocket of the coat, there were two pictures that surely were captured by the blonde Argentum. Those were the pictures of Ignis he took in Lestallum, and yet, he couldn't understand how a strange woman would have those pictures inside the pocket of her coat. Yes, the woman exactly knew who Ignis was, for she called his name before she lost her consciousness. But, Prompto couldn't remember her, even the man whose name she called didn't know anything about her.
"Not yet." Ignis moved his emerald orbs from the ring to the man, "Perhaps, we should wait until she regains her consciousness."
"His Highness said that she called your name before losing consciousness, is it true?" Cor gazed at the Scientia who then fixed his spectacles with his trembling fingers.
Giving a slight pause before answering, Ignis nodded, "Yes. She did."
"You know her?"
"No… I don't know… but..." Ignis turned his head to look at the white coat on his left hand, unable to finish his words since he was being tortured by hundred questions that invaded his mind after seeing the things inside her coat.
Cor followed his gaze to the familiar coat then tilted his head, "Isn't it the coat of crownsguard medic?"
"You knew?" the Argentum asked.
Of course he knew. Cor had been in crownsguard for three decades—if the last ten years was being counted—, and, obviously, he was treated by the crownsguard medic for numerous times. Even though he was the legendary immortal, Cor also got injured and few sutures would be given by them as they treated his wounds. Most of them were afraid to treat him, but somehow he remembered that there was someone who always healed him—didn't remember who, it was an old story.
"Well… It's been a long time since the last time I saw it." Cor mumbled, moving his blue beads to the infirmary. There was something that lured his gaze to look inside, the sense of nostalgic presence, the buried memories, about the white coat of crownsguard medic and citadel infirmary. However, the man couldn't recall it, even though somehow the warmth crept inside his chest, coursing to his entire body, through his vein, and then unknowingly made his heart beating in tumultuous thud.
"How's her condition?"
"Her injuries are… somehow healed, but she's still unconscious…"
Frowning, Cor turned his head to face the infirmary door which was being shutted tightly. He was curious to see the figure of the mysterious witch who appeared suddenly from a magic circle on the floor, the kind of magic he never heard of. Moreover, in this world where the crystal had already been destroyed as the price for cleansing the scourges, magic should have been erased, unless she used the orthodox kind of magic similar to the old woman of Auburnbrie.
Magic was never Cor's field of expertise, but the thing he was certain of: no one should have weird magic in this world.
Oh, wait, there's a girl whose magic was a peculiar one...
"Daddy!"
It was a girl whose hair was as dark as the night sky, whose blue eyes were similar with Cor's own eyes. A girl who unknowingly appeared in his own house in Lestallum two years ago, sleeping on the floor with her twin brother, holding a paper with their own names inside their clutching hands.
"Reira?" Cor blinked and looked down to the left, toward the little girl who wrapped his waist with her tiny arms. Surprised seeing the girl suddenly run onto him, the man in his fifty five abruptly turned his head to see another kid who was running then threw his body to Cor's waist from the other side and hugged it tightly.
"Daddy!" the brown haired boy snuggled his face to Cor's side, gripping on Cor's coat tightly, just like what his sister did toward Cor's body on the other side.
"Rei? Reira? What are you doing here? I've told you to wait with Iris… Wait, don't tell me you two sneak out without her knowing?"
"Reira hear someone is sick! Reira want to heal!"
Right, the little girl had peculiar magic skills and had an obsession in being a medic. She also used a weird magic circle whenever she cast her spell, and this particular girl was the one who saved Cor's life a week ago when he used his own body as the shield to protect the King from the flame that was being spitted out by a dying cerberus.
"Is it a Nif? Rei want to slain the Nif!"
Meanwhile, the boy was very eager to be a crownsguard like the marshal who adopted him. Moreover, even though the little boy was still young—perhaps, the twin was around seven years old now, Cor didn't know their birthday—he had a great talent in handling the sword. Even the boy did slain few daemons at that time when he lived in Insomnia—right, a year ago the twin sneaked inside the car which transporting the supplies from Lestallum to the glaives base in Insomnia and refused to go back to the city, and since, they lived in Insomnia.
"It's not Nif, and the medics have treated her." Cor replied to the twins who raised their heads and looked at him in disappointed gaze.
Reira pouted then pulling Cor's coat, "Reira want to heal!"
Meanwhile, Rei yelled, "Then teach me sword!"
Mouth agape, Cor scratched his own head in confusion then squatted down to place his palms on the twins' heads. The man persuaded the two to play elsewhere, or return to their room—Cor and his twins lived in the citadel.
However, the two didn't want to listen to him and pouted instead. The little twins then began to talk at the same time, asking Cor to play with them or anything because they wanted to be with Cor today. He asked them to wait for some more time and return to the temporary refugee post outside the citadel where Iris and Monica stayed, but the two pouted more and kept refusing his demand.
Well, the twins were always clingy these past days since the sun had gloriously shone upon their world, following Cor everywhere and everytime. The man didn't bother it, for what he did was not dangerous since there were no more battlefields and no more enemies to be slain. But, because he didn't know whether the witch who suddenly appeared in the throne room was dangerous or not, the man asked the twins to stay with Iris and Monica while he checked the situation. Oh well, Cor only needed to walk them back there and returned here after that.
"Ignis, Prompto, I'm sorry, it seems that I should leave." defeated by his kids, Cor stood up straight and turned his face toward the two men who were watching him arguing with two little humans. "Can I leave this matter to you? I'll come back later to see whether I recognize her or not. Oh, I'll assign one or two guards here, in case she's really an invader."
Knowing that their dad fulfilled their wishes, the twins cheered and jumped in excitement. They held Cor's hands, swaying it to the front and to the back while slowly pulling him away from there.
Apologizing for the ruckus the twins created, Cor walked away from there with both hands clutching the small hands of Rei and Reira.
The moon and the stars had returned to the world, adorning the dark sky and showing their beauty from the sky which was no longer stained by the dark cloud. The eerie night had disappeared and no longer gave the threat to the restless souls. When the night came, the people now could sleep in peace, smiling on their beds while admiring the silver light from the graceful moon that seeped from the window. There were threats no longer, and nothing would disturb their night because the daemon would never return.
Cor Leonis slowly opened his eyelids to stare at the unlit ceiling inside his room in the citadel. A sigh escaped his lips as the man found it actually difficult to fall asleep tonight. It was weird because there was no more reason for him not to be able to sleep. Even, he could sleep well when he lived in glaives base camp, not bothered by the fact that his sleep sometimes should be disturbed because of the swarming daemon that suddenly spawned near the base.
He was definitely tired after a whole day working while taking care of his children who were so eager to follow him around, and of course it should be the more reason for him to quickly fall asleep. But, no matter how hard he tried to, the man couldn't sleep even for a wink.
The old man started to let his mind be occupied by the thoughts of the twins. Being a single father was not easy, but, even though he didn't know whose children they were, Cor loved them as much as he would if they were his own children.
The twins were sleeping in the room next to his, after Cor struggled to read them a story until they departed to their dream. Seeing their peaceful face while they slept brought the serenity to the man, and the pleasant warmth never failed to find its way to his chest as he was being blessed by the presence of innocent souls who brought the colors into his life.
He reminisced the first time he saw two sleeping kids in his house in Lestallum two years ago. One night after he returned from his mission, Cor was startled finding the twins were sleeping on the floor in his living room. The door was being locked, and he was sure that no one broke into his house. The windows were tightly sealed, and by no means they could enter his house.
Cor didn't try to wake them up, and at that time, he decided to sit silently in front of them, clueless and speechless. He thought that it was a dream, that the kids before him were only in his imagination. However, they slowly opened their eyes, sitting and rubbing their eyes before looking at their surroundings. Few seconds after Cor's eyes met the pair of blue and black that were staring at him, the twins began to cry loudly and left the old man in confusion.
The Leonis didn't know what to do and tried to calm them down. It took an effort to stop their cry and tried to talk with them. Apparently, they didn't know anything besides their own name. They didn't know their last name, their parents' name, what happened to them and why they were there in his house.
He inspected their clothes, only to find a paper with a weird magic circle inside the little girl's pocket with a foreign sentence he couldn't understand. Turned out, it was a healing spell which could only be used by the girl, and it was the only spell she could use.
After realizing that Cor couldn't handle this matter by himself, he called Monica and Dustin, asking them to spread the information about lost children to every single hunter and glaive. The man then talked about putting them to the orphanage in Lestallum, but the twins abruptly cried upon hearing his sentences, clutching the coat of the marshal and refusing to live in the orphanage.
And at that time, Cor didn't understand why he himself also didn't want to leave them in the orphanage and suddenly told Monica and Dustin that he wanted to take care of those children until they found their parents.
People kept saying that the twins resembled Cor's look. The blue orbs of the girl were the same color as his own, while the boy had the same hair color as Cor's. Even, Cid said that the boy was the exact copy as him. The way Rei acted, talked, and furrowed his eyebrows reminded Cid of the young Leonis, unless the twin boy was smiling a lot more than him.
One time when Gladio visited Lestallum and had the first meet with the twins, the amber commented, "Are you sure you were not playing around and accidentally created those kids, huh?"
And Cor replied with a grunt, "Don't joke."
Well, even until this day, no one knew about their parents, and Cor somehow loved them more than anything else in the world. He loved them as they were actually his own blood and flesh. Their smiles brought the happiness in his chest and their laughter brought the pleasant ring in his ears. Cor wondered whether he could return them to their original parents if in the future someone who claimed as their parents appeared, since he loved them more than anything else in the world. The man couldn't imagine the morning without their voice calling him, "Daddy!" And the man surely couldn't bear it if he should eat his dinner alone without listening to their loud chatter.
Another sigh escaped his throat as he blinked and put an end to his reverie. Raising from his bed, the man rubbed his face with his calloused palm. He stood up, walked slowly to the arch window in his room to stare at the alluring moon in the dark canvas above.
Blinking, the man suddenly remembered that he didn't have the chance to return to the infirmary and take a look at the witch's face who was probably a crownsguard medic. He might remember her, right? He was the longer crownsguard member, he should have known about the crownsguard medic too, right?
Certainly, he could wait until tomorrow to check it. But, he couldn't sleep anyway, and visiting the infirmary which was only a few floors below the place he stayed wouldn't hurt.
Changing his outfit for going out, the man moved his feet hastily toward his door. Even though he was a bit impatient, the man managed to open and close the door as softly as possible since he didn't want the twins to wake up and realized that their dad was going to have a brisk walk in the night toward the infirmary. They surely would beg to follow and then they would create a ruckus there.
The next thing he knew, he was in the elevator, only a few seconds left before he arrived at the ground floor where the infirmary was. He couldn't remember the way he walked down the hallway to the elevator, or when he pressed the elevator buttons. He was walking in daze, didn't stop thinking about the witch, he even let his own muscle memory bring himself to his destination.
When the elevator chimed and opened, he realized that there was still a blood stain on the elevator floor. Slightly crooking his eyebrows, Cor created a reminder in his head to ask his subordinate to clean it later.
Cor moved his feet faster, getting impatience in every second that passed. He eventually scurried, beating the floor harder with his heavy steps as his heart started to beat rapidly.
He wanted to meet her.
He wanted to see her…
But, he should delay his yearning for a few more seconds because he should greet the guard he assigned in front of the infirmary.
"Marshal. Good evening." the young crownsguard bowed down at him. "May I help you?"
"Good evening. Can I check her?"
"Yes. Please." the young crownsguard quickly replied and opened the door for the marshal.
Giving a simple nod, Cor entered the infirmary and moved his lustrous blue to the figure of a sleeping woman on one of the beds in the room. The sound of the door being closed made him flinched, and at the same time, the thudding inside his chest got louder he could even hear his own heart beating.
It started getting hard for him to even take a breath as he saw the raven haired woman on his front. The way his heart knocked him harshly from inside made him uncomfortable. His head began to ache, as if being trampled by an invisible weight over and over. It was heavy to lift his feet, and every step he made added the burden.
He couldn't understand what was happening to him. The dread haunted his mind, the fright gnawed his heart. However, at the same time, he was being enveloped by the nostalgic sense, and there was a warmth in his chest as he brought his body closer to the figure he yearned to see.
And there, he saw the beautiful face of a woman in her slumber, which was marred by scars. Her long hair had the same color as the night sky. Her eyes were tightly shutted, but he could hear how steady her breathing was. She was alive, but… No one knew when she would open her eyes.
The man could feel the throb in his vein as he brought his hand to touch the soft warm skin of the woman. He caressed her cheek gently, trailing his fingers to every of her scars, unwittingly moving his fingers to touch her thin eyebrows, going downward to the cheek under her eyes, and moving to the south where his skin met the soft lips of her.
He blinked when the tears streamed down from both of his eyes, and at that exact moment, the man was being shrouded by the overwhelming sadness.
He didn't understand why. He didn't understand his own feelings.
She was just a stranger… but why would he cry over her?
He missed her. He missed her so much.
And he didn't understand why he would miss a stranger.
It hurt him as he saw her sleeping face. It hurt him when he saw the scars on her skin.
It was an unbearable sadness which now permeated his heart. It was a pain which was torturing his mind. It was the tears that he shed from both of his blue orbs. It was the misery that pierced his chest.
But he didn't know the reason why he had those kinds of emotions, only by seeing a raven haired stranger in front of him.
The man stood still as his eyes were fixated on the pale face of her. His trembling hand didn't stop caressing her cheek, and at that exact moment he wished the woman would open her eyes and stare at him with her alluring black orbs.
Cor didn't even realize that he knew exactly the color of her eyes, but he knew that it would be a pair of beautiful obsidian which were hidden beneath her eyelids. Cor didn't know anything about her, but he somehow knew that her voice was the mellifluous one and he was sure that he loved listening to her voice which called his name.
Thud!
A loud sound of something falling down made the man flinched. Escaping from the reverie, Cor quickly turned his head toward the source of the sound. On his right side, not far from the bed, he saw a book on the floor. He was sure he didn't see it when he entered the infirmary, and certainly, the falling book was the cause of the thudding sound he heard.
Frowning, the old man kneeled down to take the old worn out book with his slightly trembling hand. Staring straight while bringing the book closer to his eyes, the man observed the peculiar book in his hands. It was thick and heavy, with broken tendrils on its cover as the ornament. On one side of the book, there was a broken statue from the bronze. It looked like a face, an eerie sleeping face to be exact, but half of it had been destroyed and no longer there. What was left on the cover was its right eyes and half of its mouth.
The dread haunted him as he stared at the grimoire. His heart was beating in clamour as if it tried to destroy his bone and leap out from his chest. He wanted to open the book, looking at what was written inside, what kind of story it would tell, what kind of truth it would offer. However, he couldn't feel his fingers anymore, for it was trembling hard as he brought them to touch the old grimoire cover.
When he moved his fingers to flip open the book, he noticed a peeking hard paper from the inside. And when he opened it, what he saw was something beyond his understanding.
It was a picture, being tucked in between the half burnt parchment. It was a wedding picture, between the man he knew well and the stranger who was sleeping in front of him.
It was his wedding picture… He was sure it was him, himself, who was wearing a white suit, who was standing next to the raven haired woman with the exact same scars on her skin. The only different thing was her hair. It was much shorter in the picture than what he saw on his front.
The throbbing pain started to pierce his head mercilessly. It was like being stabbed by hundreds of swords over and over. The world in front of him started to sway and Cor couldn't help but to let out a muffled groan from his lips.
He bent his body forward as he tried to hold the unbearable pain which suddenly tormented him. The ache stabbed his chest, even taking a breath had become a suffering.
He took the picture with his quivering hand, trying to see it closer with his very own eyes. Making sure it was not an imagination, he stared at his own figure who looked like he was being surrounded in infinite bliss. He panted, seeing the younger figure of himself, smiling happily with the woman who also smiled widely next to him.
She was beautiful. So beautiful.
He could see how the love was being conveyed from her alluring obsidian and how her smile was the most beautiful one. The scars marred her skin, from her face, to her neck, all over her body. But those scars never lessened her beauty.
Raising his head, Cor looked at the sleeping woman who didn't show any sign to open her eyes any time sooner. The thousand questions rammed into his head, but none of them could be answered.
Until he saw the words being engraved on the broken parchment in his hand, emerging one by one until it formed a sentence.
I've fulfilled my promise.
Right after he finished reading that sentence, dozens of magic circles made its form around his body. They gleamed in bright red color before shattering at the same time.
"Eira…"
The strength had escaped from both of his knees, as he fell to the ground and let the book slip out from his hand.
"Eira, haven't found the seat yet?"
The rain of memories were entering his head abruptly, along with the pain that trampled his head.
"Do you know that I love you?"
"Eira, there's nothing good about loving a man like me."
Cor pulled the short strands of his grey hair as the attempt to hold his pain.
"I love you, Cor."
"You don't understand the consequences of your words, Eira…"
"I do…"
He bit the inside of his mouth, trying to withstand the pain that grew much stronger in every second that passed.
"Cor… Don't leave me…"
Cor strengthened the grip on the picture he held. But he tried not to destroy it, since it was the only proof that their love was real.
"I'm here… I'll never leave you… I promise."
Closing his damp eyelids, Cor struggled to hold the tears flowing to his cheeks. He sobbed, calling the name of the woman he loved over and over.
"Cor."
"Eira."
"Yes?"
"Marry me."
He crawled and took the frail hand of the raven haired witch, kissing the back of her hand while trying hard not to let his wail fill the entire room.
"Cor… I love you… I really do…"
The man gripped her hand with his strength, surely if she was only sleeping, Eira would open her eyes and complain to the man because he hurt her right now. But, Cor knew that she would be sleeping for years…
"Want to dance with me?"
"Yes, with pleasure."
The man called her name over and over, hoping that she would wake up and smile at him, saying that she loved him, like what she always told him in the previous universe where they exchanged the vow to love each other until death did them apart.
"I'm happy… to be their mother…"
And the death did them apart…
And their story had met its end.
"Thank you… for loving me…"
He clutched her hand with both of his hands, brought it to his face while he sobbed in his unbearable sadness.
"Eira…."
She wouldn't hear it. She wouldn't wake up. Perhaps, until a year, two years… He didn't know… But he knew that it was the universe she wanted. The universe where the one she loved never lost his sight. The universe she strived to get. The universe where she belonged to. The universe she deserved to have.
Cor asked the grimoire to make a promise…
...to stop all of its madness…
...and let the woman be with the man she loved before him.
In the previous universe, Cor asked the grimoire to not tamper the time anymore if she chose to leave Cor and return to the man she originally loved. But, if she ended up with the Leonis, the book should promise him to destroy the time for once more and let the woman have the happiness she deserved with the Scientia, the one she truly loved, without the influence of the grimoire who created the love in the witch so that she love another man.
She never truly loved him. All of her feelings toward Cor Leonis were fake, being planted by the Aion who stole the knowledge from the Goddess of Love so that she wouldn't fall in love with the royal adviser, the one who should be her husband, the one who should give his last name to the witch.
But Cor pretended that she truly loved him, that all of the words she said to him was the truth, was not the one that was being influenced by the cursed Astral.
No one knew whether at the end, she really did love him or not. No one knew whether when their fleeting story met its end, she genuinely loved him.
He wished the words of love she stated at him were her honest feeling. He wished she did love him. But, now he would never know the truth because all of those memories and feelings had been wiped out entirely from her life.
Eira would never remember that she was the lover of the Marshal. Eira would never reminisce about the moments she spent with the Immortal. And when she saw her children, she would never know that she was their mother.
"I wish you could see them grow up… as their mother…"
It was the sorrow that stained his lustrous blue as he placed his eyes on her. Digging his teeth onto his lower lips, the man forced himself to lift the corner of his lips to form a wry smile. The tears didn't stop cascading from both of his eyes, but at least, even between the tragedies that befell him there was one thing he was grateful for.
"Zeit brought Rei and Reira here… One day… when you open your eyes… I…"
The man paused his sentences, since he knew what he was going to say would never happen. She would never know about the twins… and Cor wasn't allowed to tell her the truth.
"...I wish that… you can see them grow up… even though… you won't remember them…"
Right, he asked the Aion to protect his kids, to let them live even though the grimoire was going to destroy the time. Because when it destroyed the time, all the things that happened would be erased, the time was being moved backward, and that meant that the wedding between the Leonis and the Heallint never happened, and the twins would never be born.
It was his selfish desire.
He wanted the Astral to protect the twins and restore his own memories when He fulfilled His promise. Even though it would hurt him. Even though the woman would never remember him.
In the previous universe where they were together, the witch was indeed capable of destroying the curse from the grimoire and remember her past from the other universes. But it was only because she still had all of the pieces of her soul. Now, after using almost all of it to change the fate and prevent the royal adviser from losing his sight, she didn't have any strength left to shatter the curse from the Astral.
And… it meant that no matter what, Eira would never remember about her bittersweet love story with Cor Leonis.
That night, Cor spent his time with her. Telling her how much he missed her, how the twins grew up into carefree and cheerful kids, how they always made him smile and blessed, and how he loved her.
He loved her…
Even though she would never love him anymore…
Even though she would never remember him anymore...
Ever since that night, Cor couldn't prevent himself from visiting infirmary. The man would try to find hundred of reasons to go to infirmary, checking her condition by himself even though actually the daily report which was given by the guard or medic staffs had already suffice.
After a month, Cor decided to remove the guard from the infirmary by convincing the King and his adviser that the witch was not related to Niflheim. By doing so, the man would have the freedom to sneak into the infirmary every midnight, sitting next to the woman who was his wife in another universe, talking about their children and about the old memories she had forgotten.
Sometimes, the man couldn't hold himself not to visit the infirmary in the day. He stood by the entrance, gazing at her from afar because he didn't want anyone to be suspicious and wondering why the marshal would care so much about a mere stranger.
Seeing her from afar was suffice to give him the happiness he yearned.
"Marshal."
Letting out an inaudible gasp, Cor turned his head to find the dirty blonde man was already standing not far from him. The man younger than him was staring at him with his beautiful emeralds. The pair of green orbs which were being protected by the witch. The pair of eyes which were being loved by the witch he loved.
"Ignis." Cor replied while trying to maintain his own composure. The adviser caught him red-handed watching the witch from afar. But, hiding his emotion should be Cor's field of expertise. He just needed to frown like what he usually did, giving his usual serious look, and then pretending that he was only trying to investigate who the witch was.
"What a coincidence, I want to inform you that there's an IT expert who probably can restore the data from the crownsguard server." blurting out an excuse—which was actually a truth—, Cor hoped that Ignis wouldn't notice that the marshal was actually staring at the witch, with the affection which was being emitted from his gaze as he placed his blue to the raven haired woman.
Blinking in surprise, Cor gave a thin smile as his eyes caught a bouquet of flowers inside the adviser's hands. "White roses, eh?"
"Yes." a smile passed over Ignis's face as he glanced at the flowers he brought. "I know she won't see it, but it won't hurt to give flowers to her."
Cor glanced at the table next to Eira's bed, finding out that there was already a vase with flowers on it. Right, Ignis was the one who always brought it. Even though Cor actually wanted to be the one who brought the flowers and gave it to her.
But, he shouldn't do that. Because he wanted her to be with the man who deserved to be with her.
"Already find any new information about her?" Cor asked, once again, pretending that he didn't know anything about the woman.
"No." shaking his head, Ignis gave a sigh then glanced at the witch for a second before looking back at the marshal. "Already asked the hunters, glaives, and crownsguards. No one knew about her."
The two went silent after Ignis finished his sentence. Clenching his fists, Cor stabbed his own palm with his nails as he struggled not to tell the truth. He didn't want to repeat the same tragedy as the previous universe, where she should suffer between the loves of two men. Also, this time he wanted to see her spending the rest of her life with the one she truly loved, with her first love, with the man he hurt because of his selfishness as he snatched the witch from him.
"I wish she would open her eyes soon…" Cor muttered unwittingly, but then he widened his eyes because he realized what he had just said.
"I wish the same." Ignis replied then gave a wry smile at the marshal.
Clearing his throat, Cor added in order to avoid suspicion, "Yeah, so we'll know who she is."
"Yes." Ignis nodded then raised the flowers in his hands slightly. The smile was still there on his face, but those emeralds of him were emitting the glimpse of sadness.
Excusing himself afterwards, Ignis entered the infirmary. Meanwhile, Cor was not moving from his position, and watched Ignis as he changed the flowers in the vase before sitting on the chair next to her bed.
If Cor said that there was no jealousy in his chest as he witnessed the scenery before him, it was absolutely a lie. He wanted to be there, sitting next to her, caressing her head and staying there as long as possible. Just like what he did when she slept for two years in the past universe which had been destroyed as per his request to the grimoire.
But he should return what he stole, what he snatched. The woman did not belong to him, but he made use of the fake love that Aion planted inside her, proposed her to be his wife, and made her become the mother of his children.
Sighing, Cor closed his eyes before walking away from the infirmary and let the adviser have his time with the witch. However, when he began to move his feet, two noisy children ran and bumped onto his chest.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
"Rei? Reira? It's infirmary, lower your voice." stopping his feet, Cor looked at the twins whose their new hobby was bumping into his body and hugging him whenever they found him.
Raising his head, Rei looked at his father with his innocent look, "Because the lady is sleeping?"
"But, she sleeps a lot… Why doesn't she wake up?" Reira also raised his head and stared at her father with deep curiosity,
"If we're noisy, will she wake up?" Rei threw another question before Cor answered their previous questions.
"Is it bad if she wakes up?" and Reira added another question.
Finally they stopped asking and Cor got the chance to answer, "No. It would be good if she wakes up, though…"
"Then, there's no problem! Right, Rei?"
"No problem."
And soon after Rei nodded at his sister, Reira pulled away her hands from hugging her father's waist and scurried to the infirmary.
"Iggy! Uncle Iggy!"
Mouth agape, Cor wanted to call his daughter but she had already bumped into Ignis's left arm and leaned at him. Seeing his sister went inside, Rei followed her and stood next to her.
And Cor could only rub his face with his palm.
"Oh… Hello, Reira. Hello, Rei. What's wrong?" Turning his head to the little twins, Ignis patted Reira's head for a few seconds before moving his hand to pat Rei's head afterwards.
"Who is she? You know her?" Reira then walked closer to the bed and leaned her upper body on it. Crossing her hands then placed it on the bed, Reira looked at the face of the sleeping woman.
If only she knew that it was her mother...
"Unfortunately, I don't know her." Ignis replied.
"Then, why are you here?" Rei raised his head to stare at Ignis who then looked at the tiny boy in puzzlement.
"It's because…" the dirty blonde man left his sentence hanging in the air, since he didn't actually know why he was here.
There was something that attracted Ignis to stay with the witch, to see her everyday, and to talk to her everyday. Perhaps, because at the time when she appeared in the throne room, she called his name and caressed his cheeks tenderly. Perhaps, because at that time, she gazed at him with her enchanting obsidian. Or perhaps, because she was actually a witch and she had cast a spell which made him unable to stop thinking about her.
Or… Because there was another reason which he tried to hide.
"Because she's your girlfriend?" Reira's question pulled him back from the reverie and stopped speculating about his own feelings.
"Eh… No…" it's funny how a kid made him stuttered because of that simple question. His heart started to beat in tumultuous thud, and even though he didn't want to admit it, Ignis felt the heat had creeped to both of his cheeks.
"Why your girlfriend sleeping?" as if he didn't want to accept Ignis's previous answer, Rei called the witch as his girlfriend.
"Because she's sick… But, she's not my girlfriend…" and Ignis tried to answer the questions patiently.
"Then who is she?"
"Why she sick? Can I heal her?"
"When your girlfriend open her eyes?"
"If I heal her, will she wake up?"
But the twins didn't stop throwing him questions one after another, they didn't even bother to wait for Ignis to finish answering their questions before throwing another question. Being surrounded by overwhelming questions, Ignis found himself in puzzlement.
"Rei. Reira. Stop bothering Ignis."
Good thing was Cor finally entered the infirmary and prevented the twins to shower the royal adviser with hundred more questions. The marshal dragged the twins from the infirmary, using the ice cream as the bribe so that they wanted to follow him back to their room.
Ignis watched them as they left. He lifted the corner of his lips as he found it funny to see the marshal being surrounded by the carefree children. Giving out a stifled laugh, Ignis looked back at the sleeping lady in front of him and held her hand.
"Girlfriend, huh?"
767 M.E.
When the sun set in the west, Cor finally finished all of his tasks for today. The old man glanced at his watch and hurriedly walked to the refugee tent not far from the citadel.
The people set up a place for temporary school there, where the children could stay for the day and learn or play together. Monica was the one who took care of the children, with the help from Iris and other volunteers.
The laughter reached Cor's ears when he arrived at the tent. Scanning the tent to find the source of the laughter he loved, Cor found Prompto was carrying the little marshal on his shoulders. Rei was clutching on his blonde hair and laughing in amusement as Prompto dashed around. And just like the little boy, Prompto also laughed happily as he hopped around with Rei.
"Ah! Daddy!" Rei exclaimed. Hearing it, Prompto stopped his feet and looked at the marshal. Before Prompto opened his mouth to greet Cor, Rei moved abruptly to climb down from Prompto's shoulders.
"Aaa Rei! It's dangerous!" Rei's sudden movement made the blonde man screamed in panic and quickly squatted down to let the little boy leapt away from him safely.
"Daddy! I want to ride chocobo!" Soon after his little feet touched the ground, Rei ran toward his father. And like what he usually did, the little brown-haired boy hugged Cor's waist.
"Suddenly?" Cor crooked his eyebrows. The old man squatted down so he could see the pair of obsidian orbs which were staring at him in enthusiasm.
"Uncle Prompto looks like chocobo but he's not chocobo. Uncle Gladi said that if I want to ride chocobo I can use Uncle Prompto. But I want real chocobo!"
"Aaa! Rei!" Prompto was blushing after hearing the way Rei explained what happened today to the marshal.
So that's why he climbed Prompto's shoulders, huh?
Chuckled, Cor held Rei's little body and carried him in his arms. "Prompto, thanks for taking care of Rei."
"Ah… No problem." Prompto nodded and grinned at Cor in a bit awkward manner while scratching his head—which of course was not itchy.
Looking around to find another little kid, Cor frowned when he didn't find the raven-haired little girl anywhere. "Where's Reira?"
"Huh? She was here a few minutes ago?" Prompto furrowed his eyebrows, looking around then called Iris. "Iris, did you see Reira?"
"Eh? Reira?" Iris who was talking with another kid turned her head then gave a confused look. She then started to look around to find one of the twins.
"Reira is in infirmary." But then suddenly Rei opened his mouth and added, "Rei here because Rei wants to play with Uncle Prompto."
"You don't tell anyone that Reira went to infirmary?" Cor asked.
Seeing Rei shook his head, Cor gave a sigh then apologized to Prompto and Iris before scurrying to the citadel. He then scolded Rei for not telling anyone that Reira went to infirmary by herself and asked Rei to make the promise to not go alone without telling anyone because it could make everyone worried.
Listening to the serious tone from his father, Rei curled his lips and looked down. The boy clutched the edge of his shirt as he tried not to cry even though he wanted to. And seeing how the little boy went silent and seemingly regretted his action, Cor's heart was melting then he patted Rei's head tenderly.
When the man walked down the hallway which connects the main lobby to the infirmary, Cor heard a soft murmur from afar. Without hearing it clearly, Cor already knew that it was Reira.
Speeding up his pace, Cor finally arrived in front of the infirmary entrance. He then halted his feet as he caught the little girl sitting next to Eira's bed while talking to her.
"...and then… and then... Daddy makes ice cream with me and Rei. It's so delicious! One day let's eat ice cream together!"
The sadness gnawed his chest as he listened to her words. Reira was talking to her mother, without knowing the truth that the woman she was talking to was her mother.
Actually, it was not the first time he caught the little girl sneaking into the infirmary and talking to her mother. The little girl visited her almost everyday. And it hurt him, knowing that she was attracted to her mother even without knowing about it. Was it perhaps because she was her daughter so Reira was unconsciously attracted to her?
On the other hand, Rei was different. The curiosity about his mother was not as strong as his sister. Perhaps, because the little girl was blessed by the same magic power? Or, perhaps, she could sense the peculiar magic power in her mother? Well, no matter Cor speculated about it, he would never know the answer.
Seeing the scene in front of him made the sorrow torment him. The twins would never know how their dad was struggling to keep the darkest secret from them, how much he wanted to tell them loudly that she was their mother, or how much he wanted to hug the woman and tell her that their children had grown up well into the sweetest children in his world. However, this time he didn't want to snatch her from the adviser anymore. He didn't want to see her being burdened by the previous universes where she was being tormented over and over because of the curse from the grimoire. He wanted her to have the life she deserved, the life she fought for. And he wanted her to live with someone she truly loved… before the Aion tampered with her feelings and manipulated her emotion to love somebody else.
"Daddy?" confused seeing how his father stood still in daze and not moving, Rei opened his lips and called his father.
Flinching slightly because of the sudden call from his son, Cor looked at Rei and realized that his mind were wandering elsewhere.
"Rei? Daddy?" hearing the voice of her twin brother, Reira turned her head and raised the corner of her lips in excitement. "Sleeping lady, Daddy and Rei is here!"
Biting the inside of his mouth, Cor advanced his way into the infirmary and walked closer to the girl who was smiling widely.
"Why are you here and not telling anyone?"
The smile disappeared from Reira's face as she heard the gravity from Cor's tone. She knew clearly that her father was not impressed by her action. Looking down to the ground and fiddling her fingers, she bit her lower lips and not saying anything.
"Reira?"
"I'm sorry…" her voice was rather a whisper, mingled with sadness and regret, and it was suffice to stab Cor's chest. He didn't like to scold his children, since they would be sad while the tears welled up beneath their eyelids. But they sometimes made mistakes, and it was his responsibility to tell them what's wrong and what's right.
"I'm sad… She's lonely… I want to be her friend…"
Cor blinked when Reira muttered other words. A wry smile passed over his face while the warmth creeped into his chest. It seemed Reira really loved her mother, even though the memories about her had been wiped off from her life.
"I know. I'm not forbidding you from going here." Cor stated, as he brought one of his hands to Reira's head and patted it softly. "But, please make sure to tell everyone where you go so you don't make Daddy worried. Okay?"
The pair of teary blue stared at Cor when Reira raised her head. The smile which disappeared a few seconds ago was now blooming for once again. She was happy, hearing how her father's tone as he talked was getting softer. It meant that he had forgiven her.
"Un!" she nodded.
"Good." seeing how the smile had returned to her face, Cor also slightly lifted the corner of his lips. And unwittingly, the man moved his lustrous blue toward the face of the woman he loved the most.
In his heart, he talked to her, telling her how much he wanted to spend the future with her, how proud he was right now because he had been taking care of their children, how grateful he was for being surrounded by their lovely smiles and laughters.
If only you'll be with us...
"Rei also want to be friend with sleeping lady!"
For two times today, Rei pulled him from his own reverie. Shifting his gaze from the raven, Cor kissed Rei's head and replied, "Of course you can. But for today, let's return back to our room and make dinner, okay?"
"Yeay!" the twins exclaimed happily.
Reira jumped off from her chair then waved her hand to Eira who wouldn't reply her words, "Bye byee sleeping lady!"
"We'll come again tomorrow." Rei also waved his hand and tossed a sweet smile at her.
"Bye bye!" for the last time, after holding her father's hand, Reira turned her body and waved her hand again at her mother.
768 M.E.
Actually, when Cor heard the news that the witch had opened her eyes, he wanted to leap from his seat and sprint to the infirmary. He wanted to stop doing whatever he was doing right now and made his way to see the woman he yearned to see. Unable to do so, he clenched his fist with such a strength that might crush the pen he was holding.
He wanted to see the alluring obsidians which were hiding beneath her frail eyelids. He wanted to hear her mellifluous voice as she called his name. He wanted to see her smile, to see her hair swayed softly as she moved her head. But he couldn't. He was the one who forbade himself from meeting the witch. For many times convincing himself not to destroy her life anymore. Moreover, their love story was already over in the previous universe. The death did them apart, and this time, she should return to her original love story, without the Astral who tampered her destiny, without the pawn who snatched her away from her lover.
"Marshal?" The crownsguard who gave the information regarding the witch was stunned, confused since the marshal didn't say anything about his report.
"Ah. Right. Yes. Thank you for the information. You may return to your post." A bit stuttered, he gave his command.
Giving a salute, the young crownsguard left the marshal's room. And when the door had been closed from the outside, Cor leaned his back to his seat and covered his face with his palm.
The tears were cascading softly from both of his eyes. The man sobbed in silence, mourning about the truth that when she awoken from her long dream, she would not return to his side.
But it was his wish. He was the one who asked the grimoire to make this kind of promise. He was the one who wanted her to return to her first love, without remembering the past between them, without knowing the bitter truth about what happened between them. Even though it meant that she would never know that she had two sweet children. Even though it meant that their children would grow up without the figure of their mother.
Cor didn't care about his task nor his duty anymore. The man let himself be dragged to the bottom of the sorrow, as he mourned about the painful truth, as he was being tortured by overwhelming sadness.
He wanted to see her, to wrap his arms around her slender body. He wanted to call her name and kiss her forehead tenderly. He wanted to caress her hair and tell her how much he missed her. He wanted to hold her hand and walk together with their children, spending their time together, laughing and smiling as if the thing in this world was only happiness.
But he couldn't.
He couldn't.
Also, even if he told her everything, she would never remember it. Because she had lost almost all of her soul.
.
.
.
That evening, when he left his office, Cor met the royal adviser in the hallway. A smile was there on his visage, and the pair of his emeralds were shimmering in happiness. Cor couldn't remember when was the last time he saw Ignis smiling as wide as that.
If only the dirty blonde man didn't tell him that the twins were in infirmary to visit their favorite sleeping lady, surely Cor wouldn't dare to step inside that room.
"Ah! It's our daddy!" Reira, who was talking with the witch, paused her story when she saw her father enter the infirmary with Ignis.
The weight hit his chest as he gazed at the alluring obsidians which softly moved to see him. The most beautiful pair of eyes with the same color as the night sky. The orbs with the same color as the little boy who was standing next to his sister. Oh, how much he wanted to get closer and take a deep look at those dazzling black diamonds...
Her long hair was falling gently to the bed. They were neatly combed, and Cor guessed it must be the Scientia who was kindly doing it for her. It was beautiful, and Cor really wanted to sit on the edge of her bed only to caress her head softly and fiddle with the strands of her hair.
When those eyes reflected his figure, she raised the corner of her lips. And Cor could only bite the inner side of his mouth while clenching his fists as the endeavor to not dash forward and pull her inside his embrace.
"She can't talk yet." Ignis uttered softly, almost like a whisper. He walked before the marshal and Cor watched the woman move his eyes to follow the Scientia's movement.
Cor could tell, by the way she gazed at Ignis, that she was truly in love with him. He could tell, by the way she looked at those emeralds, the affection was being emitted from her eyes. He could tell, by the way she smiled at him, it was the sweetest one.
She loved Ignis Scientia. She really did.
Cor knew about it, and he truly wished for her happiness.
It had been two months since Eira opened her eyes and lived with Ignis. The man specifically offered to take her under his care and let her live with him in his house. No one argued with him, for everyone knew that Ignis was attracted to the woman. Of course, he was the one whose name was being called at the first time she appeared in the throne room. He was also the one whose pictures were being kept inside the pocket of her coat. And moreover, he was the one who always visited her everyday as she slept for two whole years in the citadel infirmary. Even without words that explain it, everyone was sure that Ignis also had the feelings toward the witch.
And if it was not love, no one knew what else.
The weather was particularly pleasant and warm today. The sun was cascading its ray to every curve of the world. The billowing white in the blue canvas were floating gently as they were being brought by the wind. Really, what a great day to walk out and play under the sun.
Just like what he usually did, Cor brought the twins to the temporary camp not far from the citadel. In these past two years, actually the people had built a school in a certain small building not far from there. However, after being unable to see the sun for a whole decade, some children prefer to study outside, under the simple tent which protects them from the heat, being surrounded by the green grass and flowers which had been planted around them, so that when they were bored, the teacher may asked them to go outside and play under the blue sky.
Actually, it was his day off, but Cor should manage a few urgent things regarding the supply. The school also closed on the weekend, but some children sometimes go there to meet their friends. Therefore, hoping to meet their friends, Cor brought the twins there. But, unfortunately their friends only stayed for a while before leaving with their parents. Good thing Prompto was there and he decided to take care of the twins while Cor was talking with the man in charge of supply—Cor asked the man in charge to meet him there because the twins didn't want to be separated from their father.
He stood in the certain corner while talking with the man, while sometimes glancing at the kids who were sitting on their chairs and had some hilarious conversation with Prompto. But then Cor moved his blue beads as he caught the figure of a woman in her wheelchair, with the dirty blonde man who was walking behind her and pushed her wheelchair gently.
The man in his fifty seven watched Ignis as he talked to Eira, caressed her cheek then walked toward Cor and the man he was talking to. Giving an apology because he was late, Ignis joined the conversation regarding the supply with them.
Cor sometimes glanced at the woman, seeing the way she watched the twins who began to draw on the papers which were given by Prompto—he took it without permission from one of the drawers. The warmth seeped into his heart as Cor saw her smile while she was looking at the interaction between the twins and their favorite Argentum.
"Rei, don't bring your eyes too close to the paper, or you'll wear the glasses like the guy over there."
Cor glanced at Ignis who was being pointed at by Prompto. The new chancellor then glared slightly at his blonde friend without talking since he was currently listening about the problem regarding the supply which was being told by the man in charge. Seeing Ignis reaction, Eira gave off a soft chuckle. She then smiled softly at the man, stared at him for a few seconds before looking back at the twins.
She didn't know that the marshal stole a glance at her in every few seconds. She didn't know that the pair of lustrous blue were shimmering in affection whenever they reflected her figure. She didn't know that he slightly lifted the corner of his lips whenever he saw her beautiful face.
She didn't know… and she would never know.
"She still can't talk?" couldn't hold his curiosity, Cor asked the King's chancellor soon after the other man they were talking to had left the canopy tent.
"Oh, she can." Ignis's lips curved into a smile as he replied to the Leonis.
"She gave you her name?"
"No…" Ignis shook his head.
"Why? She doesn't remember her name?" crossing his arms, Cor tilted his head and glanced at the raven-haired woman who was still watching at the twins.
"She said that she didn't have a name and asked me to give her name instead."
Hearing Ignis's answer, Cor shifted his gaze back at the chancellor. He was being surrounded by the perplexion, not understanding why Eira hid her name from Ignis. Certainly, the memories about her had been erased from the world. But, wasn't it better to give her name to the man she loved and tell everything about her? About her sacrifice? About the truth between the emeralds she protected?
She asked him to give her a new name. Was that mean that she didn't need her name anymore? Did she want to throw her past and start anew?
"Then?" stopping himself from creating thousands of questions inside his head, Cor asked, for he was actually curious about his answer.
"Well, I gave her one."
"Hmm… So, what's her name?"
"Eira."
Cor widened his eyes, didn't really expect that Ignis would utter her real name as the answer. There was a glimpse of happiness in his chest as he heard her name slipped out from Ignis's lips. Even though he was sure that the sadness mingled in between.
Ignis really loved her.
Even though the memories would never return, those feelings had never disappeared.
Right, they had spent thousands of universes before this one. They always fell in love with each other. If only the grimoire didn't manipulate the witch's feelings, surely there would never be a slightest chance for Cor Leonis to be her lover.
"Well... It's... a beautiful name."
Ignis would never know that the man in front of him was struggling to hold his tears. Cor should be happy to know about the fact that Ignis remembered her name. But, it meant that Cor should completely bury his feelings.
"Right? I don't know why, but I think it suits her."
For Cor, it was the most beautiful name in the world. He always loved it whenever that name escaped from his lips. And when the owner of that name heard it, she would call his name tenderly with the smile that was blooming on her sweet visage.
"It really did."
The two men smiled. One was the smile of happiness. While the other one was the smile of sorrow.
They went silent for a few seconds, looking at the woman they loved. One of them was being loved but forgetting his lover. While one of them was loving, but being forgotten.
The fate was indeed... funny...
"Well, Ignis, sorry for disturbing your holiday." By that apology, Cor ended their conversation. He just… was sure that he couldn't handle seeing the two much longer than this. The longer he saw the woman he loved, the longer he wanted to bring her into his embrace, telling her how much he loved her, how much he missed her. No. But the man had no right to do so.
"Not a problem. It's my duty."
"Ignis." Soon after Ignis excused himself and made a few steps away from the marshal, Cor suddenly opened his lips. Halting his steps, Ignis turned his head and looked at the marshal without any preparation to hear the question from him.
"Do you love her?"
It was too sudden, and Ignis didn't expect the marshal called him only to ask that question. Cor was not a man who liked to pry into anyone's private life. He rarely asked Ignis regarding the matter outside their job. Therefore, having the marshal asking about Ignis's feelings was so unusual.
The dirty blonde man almost lost his composure. Fixing his glasses, he felt the loud throbbing in his chest, knocking him from the inside while telling him that he was being flustered. The strange warmth filled his chest, and the heat creeped into both of his cheeks.
Ignis never thought about it before.
Love, something was so foreign, moreover, if what he meant was a deep affection to someone in a romantic way. Indeed, she attracted him in a peculiar way, and Ignis was strangely attached to the woman even without knowing her name.
It was a different kind of affection from what he felt toward the King or his other friends. It was too intense, without any logical explanation that could help him to define what it was. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, he wanted to pour all of his emotion at her, and he wanted to have her to stay by his side for eternity.
They lived together, and it was not odd if the people thought of them as a couple. He stayed by her side these past two years, waiting for her to open her eyes, not even a single day he stopped visiting her in infirmary. If it was not a particular emotion Cor asked him about, then, what was it?
Ignis loved her, and he should admit his own feelings.
"Yes, I do."
Seeing Ignis's lips curve into a smile, Cor sensed a prickling pain in his chest. It was his wish, to see Eira have her happiness with Ignis. It was his wish, to make everything go as it should be. He should be happy to see her being with the man she truly loved. But, the man couldn't deny the pain in his heart as he knew that she would never be his lover anymore.
But, even with the tormenting pain in his chest, Cor managed to lift the corner of his lips and stated, "Take care of her."
"I will." Ignis nodded, with a smile which was still there on his face. The new chancellor then excused himself for once again before making his way to the woman who was patiently waiting for him.
Cor watched them in silence, observing how Eira was giving her beautiful smile at Ignis with the affection which was sparked from both of her eyes as she stared at the man. Then, when Ignis moved to her behind, she shifted her gaze from him to the marshal. Cor blinked when their eyes met, and he was stunned when she gave a sweet smile at him.
If only she knows...
Before Cor could react, Rei and Reira who was playing with Prompto ran closer to Eira and waved their hands while bidding a sweet goodbye as Ignis pushed her wheelchair.
If only they know...
Cor stared at her as she waved her hand at her children, being trampled by the bitter truth that he should keep by himself. Eira would never remember anything, because it was needed to stop all of the madness that was created by the Aion. Because it was better to pretend that all of those universes never existed in the first place. Because it was needed to make her happy, without any weight of the curse she experienced in the past. Because Cor knew, if Eira remembered everything, she wouldn't want to spend the rest of her life with the man she truly loved since she would be chained by the guilt that tormented her.
When he could no longer see her figure, Cor gave off a deep sigh. He reached the pocket inside the coat he wore and took a heavy grimoire he always brought. Moving his finger to its cover, he then slowly opened it and took a piece of photograph from the inside.
The picture of their wedding day, with the sweet words that were engraved on its behind.
The three words that couldn't be heard by him any longer…
"I love you."
The three words he always treasured for the rest of his life...
769 M.E.
It was the happiness that was being emitted by the pair of her alluring obsidian as she looked at the old man who brought his body closer to her. He kneeled in front of her before giving a bouquet of red roses and baby's breath into her lap.
"You're beautiful," he said. His lustrous blue were gazing at her, admiring the beauty of a woman in front of him.
"Thank you."
She wore a white gown with a flower accent on the bodice. The tip of her dress almost touched the floor, but surely it wouldn't hinder her when her wheelchair moved. Iris was the one who measured the dress so it would not get caught in the wheel, had not too much fabric but was not too simple for this special day.
"Are you ready to go?"
Eira nodded, "Thank you for offering your help to bring me down the aisle, Marshal."
Cor chuckled then stood up straight before moving to the back of her wheelchair. "My pleasure, Eira."
Grabbing the handle of her wheelchair, Cor started to walk slowly, pushing her wheelchair to enter the capel where she would exchange the vow with the man she loved the most.
Where they would make a vow to love each other until death do them apart.
Cor would never forget the time when he exchanged the same vow with her. When she stated it with her mellifluous voice. When she gave him her sweetest smile as she put the ring on his fourth finger. When they kissed for the first time as wife and husband. When they walked down the aisle to leave the altair together while holding hands. And when they danced together while being accompanied by the beautiful love song.
However, today he wouldn't be the one who exchanged the vow with her. He brought the woman who was previously his wife and gave her to the one who would become her husband. Even though both of his legs were trembling in every step he made. Even though it seemed that the strength was being snatched from both of his hands.
When they arrived at the altair, Cor was leaving from her behind and sat on the front seat. Together with Rei and Reira who was sitting next to him.
The two whispered softly at each other, talking about how beautiful their favorite sleeping lady was. They smiled, witnessing the raven-haired woman exchange the vow with the dirty blonde man, seeing them putting the rings on each other's fourth finger, and then gasping innocently when they kissed as wife and husband.
The twins would never know how the tears piled up beneath their father's eyelids, or how the man struggled not to cry seeing the woman he loved found her true happiness with her lover.
It was painful…
It was painful, afterall…
However, he couldn't do anything but witness the woman he loved leaving the aisle with her husband.
He couldn't do anything but wish for her happiness.
He couldn't do anything…
He couldn't do anything, but told them, "Congratulations. I'm happy for you..."
774 M.E.
"Hi, Eira."
There was a flower in his hands, a single white rose. The bouquet of it was the one that was brought by her in their wedding in the forgotten universe, the beautiful flowers she held as she walked down the aisle to exchange the vow with him.
Of course, he wanted to bring a bouquet of it and gave it to her. But, not today. Because it was the day when he knew another person would come to visit and he didn't want that man to notice that someone had visited her before him.
He gave off a smile as he looked at the front, to the name that was engraved on the cold grey stone.
Eira Scientia.
"How are you?"
It had been a year since she lost the last piece of her soul. She slept beneath the ground, in peaceful eternity, would not be tortured anymore, would not be tormented anymore.
"I miss you."
Cor knew that she wouldn't have it long in this universe. Just like what she suffered in the previous universe, the witch gradually lost her strength, both hands trembling until she couldn't even hold her own daughter, and eventually she lost her voice. One day, he witnessed the way she cried by herself suddenly when she accompanied her daughter to play with Rei and Reira in the citadel. And Ignis quickly scurried to caress her head and pulled her into his embrace.
"Rei and Reira still love to play with Erina, you know? They think of her as their own sister." a stifled laugh escaped from his throat before the man continued his story. "If only they know that she's indeed their sister."
A line of tears cascaded from one of his eyes. Bringing his hand hastily to wipe it, he took a deep breath before telling her more stories. About how Rei had joined the crownsguard and about how Reira also joined the crownsguard medic—they were fifteen this year.
He stayed there for thirty minutes, talking non stop with the woman who would never listen to any of his story before he took the old grimoire from the pocket of his coat.
"Right… This book said it wants to stay here." Cor walked forward and placed the book against the side of her tombstone. He also placed the flower behind it before stepping back and gazed at her tomb.
He stared at it silently, without saying anything, only looking at it with his lustrous blue which conveyed the yearning.
The cold wind on that morning brushed his cheeks gently, drying off the trace of tears on his skin. He listened to the sound of leaves as they danced on their branches because of the wind. He inhaled deeply, filling every corner of his lungs with the cold air of Insomnia. He lifted the corner of his lips, giving a thin smile to the slumbering woman beneath the soil.
And he uttered, "Eira… thank you for the memories… I love you… and will always do…"
After giving another silence stare at the stone in front of him, he turned his body and walked away slowly from her grave. The dry leaves made the sound whenever his feet trampled on it, and his tread was the only thing heard there.
When he reached the end of the cemetery, the man stopped his footsteps to greet a dirty blonde man who was walking while holding a little girl in his hands. As the pair of her dazzling emeralds caught his figure, she quickly greeted him in a cheerful manner and her black hair was swaying when she moved her head.
"Uncle Marshal!"
Chuckling softly, Cor replied, "Hi, Erina."
the End : Lies an[d] Memori[E]s