To Be Whole Again

My time with Solomon has been eye-opening. The day I chose him over Saya and Haji still haunts me. A part of me feels guilty, but the constant migraines and flood of memories leave little room for reflection.

Crackling

The intercom overhead crackled to life, followed by the familiar voice of the man who's been watching over me. "Are you experiencing any nausea as of late? It's been 42 hours since your last blackout."

The man I've now come to know as Van Argiano has been tending to my medical needs. Hearing his voice over the intercom irritated me, as he's only spoken through that device and not once come to speak with me personally since my last episode. I understand why—after I attacked him during one of my painful migraines, he started treating me like a dangerous specimen. But I still want to be treated more humanely.

"Why don't you come down here and see for yourself?" My aggravation was enough to fill the room. The crackling sounds returned, but without a response. It annoyed me even more. I threw my hands in the air, frustration bubbling over. Deciding to stretch my legs, I got up and began to wander through the rooms. Four in total, each with a distinct motif designed to help me acclimate to my regaining memories and provide a sense of calm.

The first room was a bedroom adorned with simple antiquities, many from the early 1800s. It felt like stepping back in time, the old-world charm offering a strange comfort.

The second room was more modest, reminiscent of a civil servant's living quarters. Its humble decor spoke of a simpler life, one grounded in practicality and routine.

The third room, though adequate, lacked modesty. Its ostentatious decor was overwhelming, and after one glance, I decided it wasn't a place I wanted to revisit.

The fourth room, the one I chose to spend most of my time in, was simple and elegant. Light French décor made the room pleasing to the eye. Soft hues of blue and lavender adorned the walls and trim, creating a homely atmosphere that brought me a sense of calm.

Despite the soothing environment, I couldn't shake the feeling of being held captive. Van hasn't done anything to harm me or make me feel threatened since I woke up, but the dizzy spells and periodic fainting have confined me here for my own safety, or so I'm told. It doesn't change the fact that I'm experiencing cabin fever, desperate to escape this boxed prison.

The crackling of the intercom came to life again, but this time Van decided to speak. "Madam, would you care for some refreshments? Perhaps some hors d'oeuvres?"
I gave it a moment of thought, then settled on having it since my stomach growled. "Alright. I'll take something simple for the time being. But can I at least have someone to talk to? Or maybe tell me when Solomon is returning here?"

"Monsieur Goldsmith is a busy man and must attend to his duties. He placed you here for safety under my careful supervision. As you have been in and out of slumber, it was the right call to make." The intercom crackled down, echoing in the open room as the thought of not seeing him since he dropped me off hurt. But I understood why he did so. Just wished that there was a moment in his busy schedule to see me from time to time so I don't feel so lonely.

"Are you able to at least tell me how long I've been here for? There's nothing in here to tell the time—no windows, no clocks, nothing."

"I'm sorry madam, but giving you a real estimate of time is not needed." He answered. The intercom went silent after that, most likely being done with the conversation. I walked over to the small sitting area with the oak coffee table and soft cushioned chairs, taking a seat in what felt like clouds. The time that passed being here still bothering me, but the phantom images that crept up each time I started thinking about my past kept me going.

I thought about Haji. How he looked at me with such pain and betrayal when I flew off in the helicopter. How Saya's manic change in personality baffled me to what she wanted and what she felt was right. Though finding Solomon to be Diva's chevalier would have come across as a shock, it really didn't feel like it was to me. Like I've known it the whole time.
I couldn't keep up with it all.
My head flooded with more images of my past, always bringing up the scene with snow covered plains, someone singing in the background, and people I cared about gathered in celebration. Solomon taking my hand, dancing whimsically and making the world disappear as long as I was with him. There was more to it, but it always ended when I went towards the trees. I can never bring myself to go there. Though it's significant somehow, I always tend to snap awake from the reverie.

Click
The door that led outside this four-room prison creaked open. I didn't move, not wanting to scare Van if this was his attempt to have a proper conversation with me again. But I was wrong. To my utter surprise I found a young man entering the room carrying a silver platter. He was quite charismatic entering the room, donned by a crème-colored suit and blue tie that was tailored to his lean build. Taking notice of his sharp features—chiseled jawline and shoulder-length hair loosely tied back gave him a sort of depth to him being a young entrepreneur. I noted the fragrance he wore. A gentle note of vetiver and Cedarwood. He glanced at me briefly, and it was enough to catch his seafoam green eyes that also held a hint of the earth in them. Taking him in and wondering who he was, he set the platter down that was filled with an assortment of fruit, cheese and crackers, he even took a seat across from me without uttering a single word.

"Thank you…" Not feeling threatened by him, I took a look at the assortment and chose a few cubes of cheese and fruit and nibbled on them to quell my hunger. The silence between us though was palpable. Shall I break the ice then? My thoughts left in a fog as I sat upright, he was quietly watching me with a hint of a smile. "You're not leaving I take it?"
The way his smile came through and how he tried hiding it with his hand made me smile in turn. "No. No I have a desire to speak with you, if you don't mind the company."

"I don't mind at all. As long as you tell me your name." Grabbing some apple slices and another few cheese's, I caught that he was withholding a chuckle and I could hear how deep his voice resonated in his chest. Peculiar of him to be so unusual around me, it didn't change the fact I was happy to speak with someone not behind an intercom.

"Right," he murmured briefly. "I think introductions can wait for a time. I'm quite interested hearing about you." Those eyes of his felt like he desired the world of knowledge behind them. As though hearing my past would give him what he wanted most. I straightened my posture, taking in the setting of the room and wondering what to start with. "Anything…maybe even your earlier journey's?" Quite a formal way of asking. I thought I'd be more upset about it, having someone want to hear about me, but with him I felt so at ease.

How odd it is to feel this way to a stranger. When my hunger pains didn't give me any further issue, I crossed my legs into the chair and spoke a small portion of my travels with Haji. He seemed to be listening intently, his hand resting beneath his chin as his eyes never wavered from me. It felt as though he was painting me in his mind, and the more I stared at him, it occurred to me how I was comparing him to Solomon.

"…huh," not realizing I stopped speaking of my journey and being drawn into the young man before me, he seemed fixated on me as well. "My apologies," nervous laughter escaped me. "I don't mean to stare, but has anyone told you how similar you look to Solomon?"

The way he smiled at me made my heart so full. I couldn't even describe how it did, but he seemed just as enchanting as him and I couldn't help but compare.

"C-can you answer a few questions for me?" Changing the subject quickly, not understanding why I was comparing the two, he let out a soft chuckle and leaned back in his seat.

"If I'm able I will be more than happy to oblige." His mannerisms were charming to say the least. And with that answer I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear and looked down at the coffee table to avoid his gaze.

My first question was one that Van has denied me too many times. "Do you know how many days it's been since I've come here?"
He didn't answer me right away, so I figured that he too wasn't going to tell me. But surprised that he showed such an elegant smile as he folded his hand onto his lap and began to speak. "Fifteen days… you woke up thirteen days ago after Solomon brought you here to be cared for, but you were not lucid and went back to sleep almost immediately." The way he said Solomon's name felt like it was unnatural of him to call him such. Why it would bother me, I let it go and couldn't believe how long it's been.

"Two weeks…" Counting the days and recalling my last eating cycle and sleep cycle, it added up. Before attending the school I ate my fill and slept a couple days on the boat to regain my strength. Since that time, I have not had a chance to recover at all with all that's happened. And now that I'm here with all these memories flooding back to me, it's no wonder how hungry I've been and why I slept for so long.

"You seem flustered? Are you alright?" His concern creased his brow and I felt myself wanting to pat his head like a child and tell him I was fine. But that would be strange. We've only just met and having such thoughts was strange and silly to have.

"I'm fine. Onto the next question I have." I cleared my throat. "This place I was brought to, is it a facility known on the outside or is this a private building?" I didn't stop there. "Have you any knowledge on Saya and Haji's whereabouts? Are they still continuing their search for Diva?"

Chuckling
He covered his mouth to hide his smile, waving his other hand in apology for the laugh. "An onslaught of questions sure seems to run in the family." Standing up and coming towards me so suddenly—there was something about him that I should know of but couldn't quite place it. "To think our meeting would be this much fun and full of wonder. But I will try to answer all you've asked." He stopped and took some fruit off the platter and stared at it for a moment like it was an art piece. Before he answered, his eyes looked at me deeply as though trying to read an open book he sought answers from, he placed the fruit back down. "You are in Bourges, France, in a specialized facility for research and recreational support. When you lost consciousness, we brought you here so you can be monitored if you had any injuries to your head in any fashion." He paused. "Saya and Haji's location are unknown to us as of right now due to the Red Shield's evasive standards."

Impressed and bewildered to have those answered, there was one more that I came up with to ask.

"…my last question then…" staring at his eyes as they never wavered away from mine, I reached out to touch his arm and something warm flowed through me. A strange yet familiar feeling crept into my chest that made my lips curl into a smile as though reminiscent of something. It felt like a lifetime while feeling his touch and seeing a small memory run through my head. A joyous occasion…a small life held in my arms as each day presented to be a new venture. A baby's laughter rung in my ears and I snapped back to reality and felt tears running down my cheeks.

"Sorry, this isn't like me." Wiping my tears away quickly and startled seeing an image of a boy run behind him playing in the room, I didn't know how to respond. The apparition was just so real to me that I felt if I moved, I would lose it again. It took me a minute to realize he had knelt down and had his hand on my knee, looking at me like a lost child behind those beautiful seafoam-earth toned eyes of his.

"Is it painful?" He asked tenderly, almost as if I would break if he were to speak an octave higher.

"Sorry…I…did I ever ask you your name?" My lips quivered when his hand moved to wipe the tears off my face and have me look at him. His brows knitted together and there was something so familiar with the way his face looked to me that I couldn't stop my hands reaching for his face and touching every angle of his features. "I know this face…" I whispered. It was more than just similar to Solomon. Damn it all it was seeing a carbon copy of the man.

He seemed ready to cry himself when I ran my fingers through his hair, my touch trembling with the weight of mixed emotions and incoherent memories. The apparition of the boy walked up to his back, smiling at me knowingly as he placed his phantom hand on his shoulder. As quickly as the boy appeared, he vanished, leaving me touching a stranger so intimately that I pulled my hands away, my heart pounding in confusion.

"I…this is not appropriate, I'm sorry." I stammered, pulling my hand back and trying to move away. But he caught my hand, his grip gentle yet firm, and had me sit back down. He gently rubbed the back of my fingers, his eyes filled with a longing that seemed to span lifetimes. His touch was tender, as if he feared I might break or vanish before his eyes.

"Pardon me for this act, but I have wished for this meeting with you for a long time." His forehead touched the back of my hand as if in prayer, his voice strained with a lifetime of sadness. "Please don't mind me…" he begged, his voice breaking.

"I…" I struggled to find words, letting him do as he pleased. Mixed feelings surged within me. I wanted to comfort him like a mother would her child, but the thought seemed absurd for a grown man. Yet, the urge was so strong it pained me, and I bit my lower lip in frustration.

"Mère…" he whispered, so softly that even my enhanced hearing barely caught it. My chest tightened, and a searing pain exploded in my head.

"I—AGH!" I cried out, the pain overwhelming. Images flooded my mind, hundreds of them, too many to focus on. As my mind felt like it was about to shatter, I heard Van's voice echo in the room, and something cold pricked my neck, pulling me back into unconsciousness.