Episode 129- Dreams and Reality

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Reality...

“Wake up!! Please wake up!”

A young voice woke Musician Hal up from the depths of his worst nightmare.

His entire body froze the moment his eyes opened. He tried to adjust to reality by blinking his eyes to get rid of the severe headache that was pounding on his head. He tried to smile when he saw two youths staring at him with concern, and before he could smile to reassure them, his face fell.

His dreams and reality sunk in hard.

“Ah…Ah...”

The memories related to Lea that he had forgotten played in his head and raised his cortisol level up. Unable to control his body that was trembling violently in pain, he screamed.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

His hands raised to clutch his throbbing heart as he screamed in misery! Pain. The pain was the only thing he could feel. The feeling of torture, losing his loved one, angst, and despair took over until he became unable to breathe. His memories suffocated him so much cold sweat began releasing from his sweat glands and his stomach churned with nausea.

Arie and Dea were the two youths who woke him up and they immediately started to panic. They knew Musician Hal would have a hard time when he woke up but never thought that Musician’s Hal nightmares would be this terrible.

“Musician! Musician! Please calm down!”

“Haa. HAA… HAA!” Musician Hal did not respond and could only be seen dry heaving.

Before they could attempt to calm him down again, Musician Hal was already bent over and puking out watery substances from his stomach.

“Ah… AHH… AHH!!” His face was drenched in sweat and tears that were flowing unconditionally. His sobs and weeps were terrifyingly chilling, causing those in the vicinity to have their vision blurred by transparent liquid.

Eugene’s heart clenched uncomfortably the more she listened so she approached Musician Hal and kneeled beside him. She wanted to comfort him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with anything that would make him at ease. And for some reason, her heart was squeezed so hard with his pain that she felt that she could cry.

“Lea… Lea…” he murmured listlessly with his head down.

‘Hah…’ Eugene sighed, ‘No wonder he is this heartbroken…’ Eugene could roughly guess why he woke up in a mess, it was because of love.

Dea, who was wiping the corner of Musician’s eyes, paused in hesitation, “... Lea?”

Eugene frowned immediately, ‘Is that not the wife of…’ her eyes showed confusion as she stared at the man who suddenly snapped back to reality.

Intense hatred covered his eyes as they searched for a ‘figure’ in the room.

“I WILL KILL YOU.”

His words startled Arie, Dea, and Eugene who turned to the man Musician Hal was looking at, Commander Kal.

Musician Hal dashed to Commander Kal before anyone could react. The man with no arms had only his feet and teeth and looked as if he was going to use anything he could to kill the man in front of him. That he will do whatever it takes to kill the man.

“DIE! DIE! DIE!!” His hysteria alarmed Duke Marleigh, and without a word said, Duke Rodriguez immediately grabbed Musician Hal back. Though they didn’t know what happened to cause Musician Hal to react this badly, touching Kal was very dangerous at the moment.

No one knew why Kal’s face disintegrated and corroded so suddenly, but getting too close or touching the face that was eating itself wouldn’t do anyone good.

Hal struggled to break free from Duke Rodriguez’s hand as he shouted, “Let go! Let me go!!” His voice was hoarse as he screamed, “He’s a monster that deserves to die! He needs to die!!” His eyes filled with intense hate, fury, and resentment that made Duke Rodriguez unable to speak.

Duke Marleigh walked to Duke Rodriguez and Musician Hal and he sighed.

“Look carefully.” He said, “Karma got him.” He lifted Eugene’s jacket from Kal’s face and showed Musician Hal the state Kal was in.

Hal’s teeth bit into his lips deeply as his eyes glared daggers at… Kal.

Whatever he was about to say was caught in his throat. As his struggling body froze limply, his eyes bore deep into the man’s nearly completely eaten face. There was no such thing as springy youthful skin on the man’s face and his bone structure on his face had 80% melted away. It was black and red, almost hollow. The only way to tell if the man in front of him was still alive was by his voice, which was still weeping, albeit in a weakened state.

Duke Marleigh and Duke Rodriguez were... just as shocked as Hal was. The corrosion and disintegration happened faster than they had thought. Duke Rodriguez’s grip on Hal loosened, making Hal plop to the ground.

His body faced a faceless Kal, and his white eyes bore into Kal’s innards. At first, Hal was hesitant to believe the man in front of him was Kal, but his voice convinced him otherwise.

The Kal in front of him did not seem human and was representing itself in the right term, monster.

“....” Musician Hal could see. He could see that the only thing keeping Kal alive was the visible brain tissue and neck that was still intact.

Eugene, Arie, and Dea didn't immediately follow Hal, but when they did, Arie barfed on the spot and Dea ran away to gag, leaving Eugene standing there, unsure of what to do.

“....” Eugene stared blankly until a pale hand covered in callous covered her eyes.

“Don’t look.” The voice threatened.

Eugene rolled her eyes, “... A bit too late for that.” She stepped away from Louis and brushed away his concern.

‘I mean...I think I was the one responsible for that?’ she thought quietly but didn’t dare to say. Her heartfelt heavy when faced with what Kal had become, not because of what she did to Kal, but because of the unknown thing she perhaps caused.

To be honest, she was relieved and grateful that everyone was down when the corrosion on Kal's face occurred. Because if they asked when they were awake, she wouldn't know what to answer them. It baffled her as much as it shocked them.

Duke Marleigh picked up Eugene’s jacket and threw it on Kal’s face again. Though there were a million questions he wanted to ask, he didn’t know where to begin. Well, he knew where to begin…

His eyes glanced suspiciously at Eugene and Aernest, ‘Only they know what happened.’ Because at that time, only they were awake.

Duke Marleigh rubbed his throbbing forehead and turned to the silent Hal, “Though I don’t know why you want him dead, he will die soon. A very painful death at that. If I were you, I'd let him suffer until he drew his last breath.” Meaning, if he wanted Kal to suffer in agony, the best thing he could do was leave Kal be.

Seeing that Musician Hal wasn’t going to respond, he was about to walk away when a barely audible voice spoke.

Duke Marleigh stopped, “Excuse me?”

“ He...stole my fiance,” Hal repeated. His voice was rough and lifeless.

Eugene blinked. “Lea?”

“... Lea... Yes, my Lea.” Hal’s eyes teared up as his voice choked in sadness. The stench of the man’s face being burnt wafted through the air reminded him that the monster finally got what he deserved.

“Ha.Ha.Ha.Ha” He laughed, but happiness could not be heard in his voice.

“Yes, he got what he deserved. However-” He stopped mid-sentence as his tears dropped to the ground. Lea died in agony and Kal’s death could never compensate for her and her child’s death. It was not enough even if he suffered 5 years in agony.

“What about Lea who died?” he choked on her name, “She can’t come back. She can't take revenge anymore… She’s gone, forever.” He had no one left. Not even a hand that could cover his face when he’s crying.

No one spoke and only Hal’s cry could be heard. The atmosphere turned cold and colder as Hal finished his story.

Arie hummed, “The forbidden room…”

Hal glanced at him with his puffed-up eyes and said, “If I go there, I may be able to learn more about Lea...” And her life in this place.

Eugene remembered something and asked, “Say, do you happen to know anything about… concrete or stones?”

“... concrete or … stones?” Hal repeated slowly. He was unable to comprehend what she was saying and blanked out.

“Do you perhaps mean stoned figures?” asked the Crown Prince of Zene who popped out from behind Eugene.

Duke Marleigh, Duke Rodriguez, Louis, and Ron turned to the Crown Prince who seemed to know something about the stoned hand they found at the lake.

“Yes.” Eugene nodded and turned her side.

The Crown Prince tapped on his chin before answering, “There are many rooms called the ‘forbidden’ room in the Palace, but if you mean forbidden room with stoned figures, I know where it is.”

Hal’s face scrunched up,“.. They do sound slightly familiar..” he added, hesitantly.

Duke Marleigh nodded and motioned for Duke Rodriguez to get ready, “I think this is enough stimulation for the children today. Staying in the palace isn’t safe, everyone should head out with Duke Rodriguez.” He said, before turning to Zene’s knights who were waking up one by one, and the Crown Prince who was staring at him blankly.

The Crown Prince sighed and stepped up, “Knights. Bring His Highness, Majesty to rest. Call for the Royal Physicians to examine His Highness, Majesty, and tell them to also send some people over to our esteemed guests.”

“But Your Highness, Crown Prince! What about Commander-”

The Crown Prince stopped the person who spoke and cut him mid-sentence, “That man has sinned our country, our people. He dared touch His Highness Majesty, our King, the father of Zene. Executing him is not enough, but no matter, he will breathe his last soon. Do as I order as the safety and well-being of our King is most important.” He glared at the group of knights before turning to Duke Marleigh.

“I will bring you to the stoned room. Forbidden room, as you call it.” He glanced at Hal with the corner of his eyes and was about to leave with only the two when he turned around and paused.

“You should come too.” He stared at Eugene’s grey and blank eyes.

Duke Marleigh rejected, “That wouldn’t be appropriate, Your Highness, Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince, however, stubbornly glared dagger at Eugene.

“Ah.” That face.

That face somehow reminded her of someone who uses the same facial expression from time to time. It reminded her of someone important she forgot. The Crown Prince right now looked just like…

“Ah, Euria!” Eugene jolted as soon as she said that name! “I totally forgot about you…” she confessed to the air.

“........” Everyone in the room who, like Eugene, forgot about the cheerful ball of fluff.

“Eggs.”

Eugene rolled her eyes at the Crown Prince’s threat and walked to Duke Marleigh’s side. There was no word needed. It’s not that she wanted to go, but she has to go. She has to pick up her dimwit twit roommate who somehow managed to escape from this entire ordeal without a single scratch. That lucky twit.

“......” Duke Marleigh sighed, he couldn’t stop Eugene from picking up her other half.

And so just like that, Duke Marleigh and Duke Rodriguez split into two groups.

Duke Marleigh’s group included Musician Hal, The Crown Prince, Eugene, Aernest, Aedelak, Con, and Dea. They are to investigate the stoned figure room as well as pick Euria up.

Duke Rodriguez’s group included the barely alive Kal, Louis, Ramon, Ron, Aeselak, Arie, Aren, and Argen. They are to leave the Palace and seek reinforcement.

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