On his fourth day in the Favia household, Ruhien decided to survey the remaining unexplored portion of the mansion, which included some rooms downstairs, the main hall, and the library, which he supposed contained a large collection of written accounts judging from the two-door entry to the said room. Also, he must not forget to check out the lush garden outside, whose whiff would almost always catch his attention whenever Aipreal’s windows were open. Being confined in her room definitely made him long for the scent of fresh air. Not that he disliked the atmosphere inside. He simply thought it would be a good practice to air himself out once in a while.
He had been to practically every corner of the house, or at least was planning to, except for the lone room right next to Aipreal’s bedroom. For one thing, the door was always locked. And his ethics told him that if it’s locked, then it must be off-limits and the secret it kept was not for him to find out. So he opted not to push it anymore.
But he could swear he had seen Aipreal come out of it twice. Then again she would never talk about it, that’s for sure. So giving the door a final glance, he walked off and headed for the stairs. First, he would see the garden, and then go back inside for the main hall, and finally the library for he liked to save the best for last.
Ruhien glanced at the pocket watch Aipreal lent him. Of course, he knew how it works. He just had to adapt to the earthly norms regarding time. And one quick look told him that he had been strolling for half an hour already, just in time to finally take notice of the faint melody playing in the background.
He looked around and found himself in the shade of blossoming yellow trees. Trellises covered with vines stood on either side of the walkway, framing the paved path in a fairy-tale fashion. He looked up and saw through the leaves ruffling in the wind the wonder of the infinite blue above. This enchanting picture of his whereabouts coupled with the soft music he surely thought sounded familiar made him conceive of a particular place not of this world.
He stopped, wondering where the idea had come from. No, his surroundings could not have brought about that impression for they did not even, in any way, resemble the world in his mind. But even before his train of thoughts could go any further, the music stopped.
And the magic immediately vanished.
Ruhien turned around, realizing the absence of the melody. It must be the music. He decided, staring at nothing in particular, though straight ahead was one of the large windows of the main hall of the mansion. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it before.
Checking out his watch once again, he noticed that he had been standing there for about ten minutes already. And it would probably take him another five minutes or so to walk back to the front porch. But as he began his retreat, the music started playing again.
Or rather, someone decided to play the piano again with the same melody.
Listening to it more intently now convinced him that the tune did sound familiar. But to his dismay, it stopped once again, very abruptly, just like an unfinished piece. Then after taking a couple of steps forward, the music began again. This time, he found himself staring at the lofty window ahead.
It’s coming from the main hall.
Ruhien hurried back with quicker steps. For some reason, he was dying to find out who it was playing the piano. Heck, he didn’t even know that this house had a piano. Not that he was surprised to know that it had one. It just never occurred to him. With this, he frowned. He definitely had more exploring to do.
As expected, the music stopped again. But more importantly, it was cut short on the same part. He heard this happen three more times and the part where the composition gets cut off was the same everytime.
Upon coming in through the front door, Ruhien saw Aipreal emerge from the main hall, face tainted with irritation. And so without further ado, he ran up to her. “What do you want?” she snapped at him. Obviously, she’s not in a very good mood.
“I just thought…” Ruhien looked sideways, knowing his question might worsen her mood, “Were you just…”
“I don’t play the piano,” she answered coldly. Somehow, she knew he was going to ask about it.
“Then, who…”
“That’s not important.”
“May I come in, then?” he asked, reaching for the door to the main hall.
“No!”
“Fine,” Ruhien scowled, “That’s why I asked. No need to scream it at my face.”
“Sorry,” she apologized, “Just don’t come in there no matter what.”
So now, we’ve got two off-limits zones. Ruhien scratched his head as he watched Aipreal walk away.
That evening, Ruhien emerged from the library, bringing with him the top three books that had caught his interest. Upstairs, he met Aipreal in the hallway, who frowned at him upon seeing his cargo.
“Atlases?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Why, what’s wrong with them?” he asked back through narrowed eyes.
“Though you keep calling us stupid, you love my planet, don’t you?” she teased.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” it was his turn to frown.
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of keeping you here forever,” she jeered, giving him a pat of assurance on the shoulder. “Hurry up with those. Dinner is waiting downstairs.” For some reason, her more pleasant mood had returned. You are such an enigma.
As they were about to turn in for the night, Ruhien initiated an unusual chat even though he himself was not sure why he had done so. Anyway, since he had already spoken, he might as well go on.
“I don’t intend to stay on Earth for a long time either, just so you know,” he began, “This afternoon, I think I’ve caught a glimpse of my true homeland but I don’t know where the place is.”
“Are you that convinced that Iverem is not your homeland?” Aipreal asked.
He stared at her for a while before giving a well-thought answer, “One day, I just woke up with knowledge of practically anything except for my past and some vital information about myself.”
Aipreal, too, stared back in contemplation before stating her follow-up question, “Anyway, how were you able to see this place you’re talking about?”
“I think it was the mu—” he paused abruptly, realizing it would be bad to bring up anything related to the piano, “I don’t know. Maybe a memory globule had leaked out again.” That’s probably half-true, though.
“Then, remind me to give this back to you when the time comes,” Aipreal reached for the red pendant that clung onto her neck, “Make sure to think of a very good reason the next time you give this precious thing away.”
Ruhien stared at her as she took off the nupcharm and set it aside.
“I thought I’ve warned you to always keep it on,” he reminded her. Then, he looked away, mumbling inaudible words, “And I could only give it away once. That’s the law.” “I might choke myself to death, you know.”
He rolled his eyes, “Only an idiot would do that.”
“You can be an idiot when you’re asleep,” she barked, “That’s why people drool and snore.”
Ruhien grinned at this, “Then, do you want me tell you about your sleeping idiocies?”
“Shut up and go to sleep!” Aipreal yelled, hiding her embarrassed self beneath her sheets.
“You’re always the first to fall asleep that’s why I get to witness everything,” he reasoned out, “So it’s not my fault at all.”
After stating his argument, he anticipated a muffled retort from her but none came. Finding it strange, he looked over to the other side of the real bed, only to find a curled up body shrouded in peace.
“Like I said, you’re always the first to fall asleep,” he sighed, as he reached for the nupcharm beside her pillow and threw it on the disused bed.
Thirst awakened her from her deep yet dreamless sleep. Good thing the trouble of going downstairs was no longer necessary for Meona was thoughtful enough to leave a pitcher of water in her bedroom every night. Aipreal knew very well where the tray was located so even in her state of half-asleep, she was able to drag herself towards the coffee table across the room.
But it looked like this intuitive ability never worked with roundtrips. Or perhaps, it did and in fact, it must be working perfectly fine except that her subconscious memory was outdated. For after taking in as much as necessary liquid to refresh her dehydrated throat, she heedlessly threw herself back to sleep in her original cradle, never to be disturbed again for the rest of the night.
Ruhien hated breakfast the next morning. Not because of the food—no, of course not. Plus, he simply had no right to hate it, by the way. Rather, he had to endure Meona’s disapproving look ever since the old nanny found out that Aipreal was missing.
Yes, the owner of the house is missing. And that fact alone was enough to efface the flavor of every spoonful of food he consumed.
This morning, he woke up and found Aipreal’s cot empty, which meant that she must be up already. But his instincts told him that something was not quite right, as he examined her messy nest. Aipreal always made it a point to fix her place of sleep before anything else.
He headed for the dining hall right away only to find it void of anyone. However, the table was already waiting for him to sit down and have his first meal of the day.
A few moments had passed in complete silence. But for some reason, he could not begin his meal. He waited until finally Meona came in, carrying a bowl of hot soup from the kitchen.
“Where’s Aipreal?” he asked immediately. That question was probably keeping him from eating.
Meona simply stared at him as if to tell that he should know. And now as he thought about it, perhaps, it really was a ridiculous question coming from him.
“Maybe, she’d gone out to jog,” he replied casually to his own question, pretending to be cool when in fact, he was already deeply alarmed.
“All doors were still latched from the inside when I woke up,” Meona informed him as she set the bowl down.
With this, Ruhien swallowed hard the first spoonful of food. Something’s definitely wrong.
“I’m going to look for her,” the old nanny offered and left the dining hall.
When Meona was already out of earshot, Ruhien instinctively pounded the table with his fist.
“Don’t tell me she…”
Of course, it’s not impossible. In fact, what he had in mind was the only plausible reason why Aipreal was nowhere to be found right now. Meona had confirmed her absence when she returned to the dining hall several minutes later. And Ruhien must think of a way to escape the old lady’s watchful eyes so he could go back to Aipreal’s bedroom and beat the crap out of the bed until the portal opens.
Once more, Aipreal found herself in serious trouble. How could she have transferred to her real bed in the middle of the night? Falling off from it was more believable. Either way, waking up in yet another unfamiliar and outlandish place could only mean one thing—the portal in her bed had opened again, and then one thing led to another that’s why at this moment, she’s in the middle of nowhere.
Another likely scenario would be that Ruhien saw it open and, despite her sleeping, he dragged her into the portal because it was all part of the stupid deal. If such was the case, then he’d better be prepared for a juicy lecture.
But she had no more time to think of a third possible situation because right now, the croaky voice of an old man from behind had occupied her thoughts.
“Young lady, do come with me, please,” it said.
Aipreal turned to see who had spoken and found a short groggy-looking old man with a stylish white beard smiling serenely at her.
Moments later, she found herself following his tracks as they climbed up a winding dusty road, until a silhouetted file of cubical structures came into view above them.
“We’re almost there,” she heard the man speak for the second time since they met.
“Almost where?” she asked.
“Surprises make life colorful, don’t you think?” he chuckled.
Aipreal cringed, “No, thanks.”
When she realized it was useless to rephrase her question, she looked back to where they had come from, only to be greeted by the most dizzying vista she had ever seen. There she was, gawking from the edge of this unbelievably huge funnel, as if it was capable of swallowing the whole world in one gulp. Then, she allowed her gaze to shift from below and just settle on the view across to neutralize her queasiness, where she discovered more cubical structures bordering the conical hole.
“Just wait right here. I’ll get a wagon,” the old man instructed. “By the way, my name’s Boaz and I’m in charge of this village, Kyros.”
Village? Aipreal looked around. They had finally reached the shore of the huge basin, which was crammed with die-shaped abodes of various sizes. So that’s what they were.
“We thank you for gracing a poor community like Kyros with your presence!” Came a shout from the lively throng.
“Eh?” Aipreal was definitely bewildered.
“Hurry, show us some magic!” Another yelled in excitement.
“No, you must’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she cried, shaking her head frantically.
“Aren’t you a Whiz, young lady?” Boaz asked.
“A Whiz? What’s that?” she asked back naively, silencing the crowd in a snap.
“Then, where’s your nupcharm?” he asked again.
At once, Aipreal reached for her chest to grope the jewel in question. Then, her face paled at the same instant as she realized her mistake.
No way, I left it!
It was a rather long ride but the place was so monotonous, with only cubes everywhere she looked, that she had practically ignored everything along the way. And so the next thing she knew, she was already standing amidst a strangely expectant crowd.
Somehow, Ruhien managed to get away from Meona’s heedful eyes and headed for Aipreal’s bedroom right away. Once inside, he locked the door and scanned the room with one swift scrutinizing look. His skimming eyes landed ultimately on the bed, which had been evacuated. Actually, it had been since four days ago. But its bareness at the moment was telling him only one thing—
“It’s gone!”
He climbed up the bed and looked over to the other side, where Aipreal’s cot was, to verify his hunch. And indeed, the scarlet jewel was nowhere to be found.
But he had to grin at this. Leaving the charm on the bed last night definitely served a purpose.
“If my plan worked, then she should be fine,” he breathed, somewhat relieved. If the nupcharm ended up wherever Aipreal was right now, then there really was nothing to worry about.
Right?
With this, he sat on crossed legs at the center of the bed still in deep thought. Anyhow, that’s still a big IF…
“Damn it, Aipreal, where are you?!”
Near the heart of the parched hollow lay a crimson gem, its luster becoming more and more ashen by the minute, courtesy of the dust carried by the blowing wind. But the last of its sheen did not escape the eyes of a zealous vagabond, whose primary aim was to discover the extraordinary amidst the drabness of Kyros.
And so, with one scratch of his boot against the dry soil, he unveiled the treasure that would otherwise remain hidden and lost forever.
“Believe me, I have one!” Aipreal cried in plea, “I just left it at home.”
“You know that that’s not a valid excuse, young lady,” Boaz muttered regretfully, shaking his head. “The nupcharm taps the woman’s psyche once she steps out of the house without it.”
“Really?” she accidentally mumbled in awe, which only made the villagers more suspicious. Well, in my case, I don’t actually go out of the house.
The stage had now been set for her execution. With the huge crowd creeping up, she looked like a beast that was about to be offered to the gods. Certainly, these people were not joking when they sentenced her to be lynched. Running away would be futile for she’d be greeted by the same horrible fate as long as the Greater Universe confined her.
Then, Boaz decided to delay the punishment for a few moments by asking her, “Assuming you have indeed left your nupcharm at home, who asked you to have it then?”
That’s an easy one, she thought, a little relieved. Her answer was almost automatic, “Ruhien gave it to me. Ruhien Louvrei.”
Then, her reply was followed by a series of whispers from the crowd, which she hoped was a good sign. But the sharp glares coming from the young ladies of the mob was telling her otherwise.
“You mean that young mischievous sentinel of Zilch Tower?” Boaz asked in disbelief.
“Well, yeah. I guess that’s him,” Aipreal replied, biting her lower lip in hesitation.
“Though rumor has it that he’s on the loose right now, with some random woman whom he instantly took in as his wife to save her, you can’t expect us to believe your claim right away,” Boaz pointed out. “Actually, I’ve been anticipating that you will use his name to defend yourself.”
His wife? That is so not true! Aipreal could feel her rage building up, which made her want to strangle the person in front of her. But she could not primarily because she was firmly tied up on a post. What kind of rumor was going around, anyway?
“Wasn’t that so princely of him?” a girl exclaimed from the crowd with dreamy eyes.
“But that woman had better be good and beautiful like him!” another adoring but angry shout came.
Aipreal could only gawk at the two ugly girls in amazement. No wonder they were glaring daggers at me.
Now, she didn’t know if she should still insist on her claim or not because it would be useless either way.
“Lady, I’m very sorry but this is your fate on the word of Fa Riha,” Boaz finally declared, commencing the death sentence.
No, please! Not this way! I don’t want to end this way! She could only cringe in fright as she watched the insanely excited crowd close in on her.
And so, out of sheer desperation, she had managed to cry out, “Ruhien, please, come and save me! I need you right now!”
Ruhien, meanwhile, pummeled the bed for what seemed like the hundredth time in frustration. “Come on! Just take me to wherever hell you’ve brought her!”
And like a wish coming true, the surface of the bed cracked open, allowing warm beams of light to gush out from within. Then, he felt the mattress crumble beneath him, sinking him into a bottomless abyss.
The trip was quick but still stomach-turning like always. When he sensed some solid ground once again, he got up and examined the new surroundings. What he saw was just scorched soil all over, with hot airstreams sweeping the thick layer of dust off the ground.
And definitely no sign of Aipreal.
“If I’m not mistaken, this is the renowned Crater of Kyros.”
“What’s the fuss all about?” a sonorous yet sweet-tempered voice broke through all the yells and hooting, putting the impending lynching to a stop.
All eyes shifted to where the inquiring voice had come from. And there, sitting blissfully on top of the nearest cubical abode was a man clad like a hermit, his face concealed by a cloth mask that matched the white turban crowning him in an elegant fashion. Together, they framed his beautiful amber eyes, which were now gazing intently at the center of attraction.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Boaz shrugged upon seeing the newcomer.
“What do you mean it’s just me?” the man chuckled.
Whoever you are, I thank you for you just saved me. Aipreal sighed in relief, looking hopeful.
“Anyway, this woman must die. She carries no nupcharm so definitely we have to perform the punishment even without trial,” Boaz informed him, “So I hope for you to be of the same mind.”
“Of course, I agree with you, Great Boaz,” the hermit concurred with a smile, as evident by the crinkles around his eyes. “But if that’s the case,” he instinctively reached for his pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a red pendant attached to it, “Then this must be yours.”
Instantly, Aipreal’s head perked up, her face enlivened upon seeing the nupcharm in his grasp. “Does it say Aipreal?”
With this, he held a scrutinizing expression as he inspected the gem in his hand.
“Sorry, but I can’t read Fa Riha’s writing,” he muttered, scratching his head in apology. Then, he turned to Boaz, who jolted in surprise when he threw the nupcharm at him, “Here, kindly read the name aloud for everyone!”
Boaz caught it clumsily with both hands and read the name etched inside the charm right away.
“April,” the old man read out accordingly with a tone of amazement. “The etching says April indeed.”
“There you have it. You heard him!” The hermit announced to the crowd, “Now, let her go.”
“But before that, let her wear the nupcharm first to see if it’s truly hers!” came a disapproving shout.
“Sure, if it’ll make your day,” he agreed.
They untied her and she did as she was told. And before everyone’s watchful eyes, the name engraved inside the gem remained as vivid as ever, proving Aipreal’s true ownership of the charm.
However, Boaz was still doubtful and he shot Aipreal’s rescuer a skeptic look, “I’d hate to think you sacrificed yours just to save this girl. Are you sure the nupcharm did not belong to you?”
The hermit grinned at the old man once more, “I thought you’d say that. But I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” Then, he pulled out another nupcharm, this time from his purse, and showed it off for everyone to see, “Mine’s still here so don’t you worry. Now, set the girl free. You’ve harassed her enough.”
Everyone knew there was no more reason to hold her captive so they released her without further questions.
Now that the show was over, the crowd dispersed little by little, leaving only Aipreal, Boaz, and a few other men on stage. Aipreal had never felt so relieved in her entire life. But most of all, she was glad her nupcharm was safe and sound in her bosom once again.
“You’re one lucky lass, did you know that?” the Kyros elder told her, “That guy rarely comes up here, let alone mingle with people.”
“Really?” Aipreal mouthed in amusement, “Then, let me thank him prope—” But when she glanced at the top of the nearest house, he was already gone.
“That’s just like him,” Boaz chortled.
Aipreal kept staring at the top of the house where her redeemer had been. “Who is he?”
“No one knows,” Boaz shook his head in reply, “But we call him the Nameless Wonder.”
She simply looked at him askance.
“He had done quite a number of great things in the past that improved our way of living here in Kyros,” he explained, “But up until now, no one had seen his face yet, nor found out his name. Even where he lives is unknown.”
Aipreal was astounded. She thought that characters like him only existed in movies. In any case, she was thankful that he existed and chose to be here when needed.
“Anyway, would you like to have some tea?” Boaz offered, “It’s also to express my sincere apologies.”
Aipreal realized it must be about time for breakfast. So once she felt her stomach complain, she agreed right away.
The tea that Boaz offered ended up as a meal when he saw some symptoms of fainting in the wobbly way she walked on the way to his house. Then after taking in some nourishment, Aipreal decided to stay a little longer for a nice chat. Besides, she had nowhere else to go.
“By the way, why did you call me a Whiz?” she asked, recalling the events a while ago, “What’s a Whiz, anyway?”
Boaz smiled at this, “You know, I was just about to ask why you didn’t know what a Whiz was.”
Aipreal gulped. Well, is that a common thing in Rivka?
“Because if you don’t know, then you’re probably not from Rivka. And if you’re not from Rivka, then I don’t know where you’re from,” he stated, not knowing that he had just hit the bull’s eye.
“Well, you see, I’m kind of…ill-educated,” she reasoned out timidly.
“Even so, that’s common knowledge,” Boaz frowned.
Aipreal sighed. I thought so.
“Anyway, I won’t ask you unnecessary questions,” he assured her, “So you want to know what a Whiz is?”
She nodded.
“In Rivka, as stated in the law of Fa Riha, a woman has two options—either to marry and bear children, or become a Whiz and remain a maiden forever. Those who do not wish for a married life must go to Belva, where they will be honed to become the future guardians of Rivka. These guardians are what you call Whiz. They say that a full-fledged Whiz can create a world out of nothing and destroy it if she wills it.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” she flinched.
“That’s why only five Whiz are bestowed with such authority every eon,” Boaz pointed out, “And these five definitely know more than to perform such foolish act.”
“So that’s where the famous saying must have come from,” Aipreal shared, “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
“I’m glad you understood,” Boaz smiled.
“Anyway, going back to my first question, you thought I was a Whiz when you saw me without a nupcharm, am I right?”
“Yes,” he nodded, “Because a man can never propose to a Whiz. Likewise, a married, or even an engaged woman cannot enroll in Belva anymore.”
“I see,” she mumbled in understanding, “So women who don’t fall under any of the two categories must be executed.”
“Yes, that’s how it works.”
Just then, a huge commotion erupted in front of Boaz’s home, where squeals of female fanatics dominated the uproar. Seconds later, they heard the sound of quick footsteps approaching, followed by a loud rapping at the door.
“Great Boaz, someone’s here to see you!” came a shout from the outside.
“Now, what?” Boaz marched towards the door to welcome the unexpected visitor while Aipreal followed closely. He swung the door open to reveal the runaway sentinel of Zilch Tower, who wore a smug expression on his face at the moment.
“Rui!” Aipreal gasped, loud enough to silence the crowd outside.
He stared at her and waved indifferently, “What’s up?”
“Oh, you came to fetch her?” Boaz asked.
“Not necessarily,” Ruhien snubbed.
Aipreal frowned, “How uncute.”
Boaz, sensing the very unromantic exchange between the two, suddenly dragged Ruhien into the house, along with three other people from the crowd, “Come in here for a moment.”
“So, the rumors are true, eh?” Boaz fumbled with his beard as he sat at the dining table, while Ruhien and Aipreal each took a seat across him. The three men who tagged along stood behind Boaz after he asked them to act as the witnesses. The rest of the crowd competed for the few small windows of the house so they could nose around.
“You’re not going to interrogate me and force me to go back to the tower, are you?” Ruhien glared at the old man.
“No, of course not,” Boaz laughed, “But I do want to see some proof of your marriage.”
“What for?!” Ruhien asked in protest, “Isn’t the nupcharm enough?”
“Besides, we’re not even married,” Aipreal added more calmly, though she couldn’t hide the pink shade that had graced her fair cheeks.
“Oh, is that so?” the old man sat back in dismay. Then, he turned to Ruhien, “But I suppose you have already proposed, seeing that the lady now has your nupcharm with her name in it.”
Aipreal glanced at Ruhien in confusion, “Proposed?”
Then, it hit her. No, he hasn’t! In fact, it’s more like a deal.
“We’re going now,” Ruhien readied to leave as he pushed his chair backward to get up.
“Not so fast,” Boaz gestured warningly at him, “Why don’t you be real man for once and give this young lady a decent marriage proposal?”
The couple cringed at the idea.
“N-No, thanks. That’s really unnecessary. I-I’m fine,” Aipreal’s smile twitched in embarrassment.
“You heard her. Now, we’re leaving,” Ruhien said finally.
“Then, allow me to inform the Zilch staff about your whereabouts,” Boaz threatened, “Remember, they can always trace you through the portals you use. And they can start with the one here in Kyros.”
Upon hearing this, there was no more need for Ruhien to think twice. So, he knelt on one knee, turned Aipreal in her chair so that she was facing him, held her hand, and proposed in his most heartfelt voice that she had never heard before.
“Aipreal, will you marry me?”
Aipreal simply stared at him, speechless. Of course, she hadn’t seen that coming. And she never expected him to fall for such a dirty trick.
But somehow, she was glad that he took it to heart. That it was not just part of the deal. That at least for once, he saw her as a woman and not simply his landlady. After all, though a little late, he still came to her rescue, right?
Then after a few more moments of intense silence, Boaz cleared his throat, snapping her out of her reverie, “And your response, woman?”
Aipreal jumped in her seat, blinking twice to compose herself.
“Y-Yes.”
The response was brief and a little stuttered but still earned a relieved expression from Ruhien, who sighed in gratitude. Wait, what am I sighing for?
“There, there, there. Let’s cheer for the newlyweds!” Boaz declared.
“Just wait a second!” Aipreal suddenly smacked the table angrily with her bare hands. Though painful, she was more spirited with fury at the moment.
“I don’t remember marrying her!” Ruhien yelled in equal frustration.
“You proposed. She agreed. It’s the same thing.” The old man explained in delight. “Anyway, you may carry on with the engagement for as long as you want. Besides, there’s more thrill that way, right? It’ll make you crave for it more.” He winked at Ruhien knowingly, who blushed furiously.
“Yeah, dream on, boy.” Aipreal muttered in sarcasm, tramping on his foot.
“Like I’d do it with you,” he rebuffed.
She fought back the urge to kick him in the groin right then and there. And elbow his triumphant face when necessary. She was seriously losing face here, all thanks to her now so-called fiancé, who knew nothing but to offend her still recovering heart. But of course, she would never show that feeble side of her to him. As much as possible, she would like to keep such sensitive matters to herself. Besides, what good would it do if she was to tell him about her melancholy?
“You had better remember those words very well,” was all she could mouth to challenge him.
“Sure, no need to remind me,” he retorted.
“And you can only regret in the end,” Boaz advised him.
Ruhien looked at the old man intently, wondering what his words of wisdom could possibly mean.
They made it back safely to Earth without so much hurdle like ending up in another random world or the meddling of Ruhien’s fangirls. Aipreal sighed at the thought. She had never imagined him to possess such degree of popularity. He was simply an arrogant jail warden to her, who knew nothing but to run away from his obligations whenever he could.
But now, due to a strange twist of fate, he had also become her fiancé.
To others, the engagement might appear official. But for the two of them, it was only a pretense, which they hope would make life in Rivka easier for them.
At any rate, she was still responsible for all the trouble she had to go through in Kyros. If only she took his advice seriously, then perhaps, she could have gotten away very easily.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled in apology, as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Ruhien shifted in his position on the other side and turned to her, “For what?”
“I’ll never take it off from now, I promise,” she went on.
He nodded simply when he realized what she was talking about. “Good thing you found it.”
She paused for a while, refusing to admit that she was awfully scared when she thought she was going to be lynched for real. “And thank you.” It was all she could express.
He stared at her before answering, “Don’t mention it. After all, you’re my responsibility.”
With these words from him, she had to rethink. So, there were still some responsibilities that he would not run away from.
“Glad to hear that,” she had accidentally voiced out her thoughts, which Ruhien mistook as sarcasm.
“Don’t you dare take advantage of that fact,” he snapped at her.
“And don’t you also dare take advantage of the fact that we’re engaged!” she retorted.
Ruhien sneered, “Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
Aipreal blushed, knowing that she indeed kind of overreacted.
“Either you still can’t accept it or you’re too overjoyed,” he continued mocking her, “That’s why you can’t put it out of your mind.”
Her face had now turned a deep shade of red.
“Anyway, whichever it is, it won’t change anything,” he said in conclusion, shrugging the matter of, “You’re still mine.”
She was now as red as a tomato.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he disclaimed right away, rolling his eyes, “Now, do you mind if I change the subject?”
Knowing he had a point, she shook her head in response. And upon getting her permission, he began at once.
“Have you noticed the portal didn’t open for three days?” he asked her, “It only did again on the fourth night.”
Aipreal mulled over it for a bit before agreeing, “Come to think of it, you’re right.”
“You know what I think? You must have activated it when you crawled back into the bed and slept in it by mistake.”
“How did you know that I did?” she asked in suspicion.
“It’s just my theory.”
With this, Aipreal glanced across the room and found her glass of water half-empty.
“Maybe I really did,” she mumbled to herself. Then, she turned to Ruhien, “So, what are you trying to say?”
“Some portals are activated by heat,” he declared.
Her face fell. “You’re not simply making that up, are you?”
“Of course not!” he exclaimed in defense, “I just don’t know which ones but I know there are.”
“So, what’s your point?”
“The bed must be used to keep the portal active,” he answered.
“And why do we need to keep it active again?”
“So we could establish the links to the other worlds until it becomes stable,” he reminded her.
“Then, you sleep in it,” she appointed him, “I’ve had enough of these accidental transports.”
“You’re missing out the most important part of our deal,” he warned her.
“Which is?”
“You’re coming with me,” he pronounced, “You’ve said it yourself, remember?”
“Well, yes, but…” she tried to object. There’s no way I’m going to sleep with you!
“Oh, yeah, another thing,” he recalled as he moved on to the next topic, “Your nanny said this bed was made by a famous bed designer. Don’t you want to check on this person? He might know something about the portal. I mean, yes, he’s an Earthling. But who knows?”
The news immediately piqued her interest, “So, who’s this famous person?”
“She said there’s a nameplate somewhere on the bed,” Ruhien got up and began searching.
Knowing that she had nothing better to do, anyway, she joined in the hunt. After all, should this person give them some explanation concerning the portal, it’s really going to help them big time.
Fortunately, the nameplate wasn’t that hard to find. It was affixed underneath the wooden framing at the foot of the bed.
Aipreal read the engraving out loud at once.
“Adolphus Fanchon.”
“Never heard of him,” Ruhien commented, shaking his head.
“Obviously,” Aipreal rolled her eyes in sarcasm, “And neither have I. I’ll look it up on the Net later.” Then, she headed for the door, “Come on, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
Apparently, Adolphus Fanchon was quite famous, judging from the countless online resources she had been provided with. She had already visited a dozen of websites about him and based on what she had read in them, he seemed to be an ordinary happy man that lived a blissful normal life.
Of course, that piece of information wasn’t helpful at all. And even if she only visited one site, it was already enough for them to know that this investigation was never going to lead them anywhere. For Adolphus Fanchon had already left this world more than a decade ago and was now resting in eternal peace.
“And here I thought I could e-mail him,” Aipreal sighed in disappointment as she shut down the computer.
“We’ve only come this far but we’re already stuck,” Ruhien said in comment, scratching his head. “Looks like this bed is one of a kind,” he added, recalling the feedback from people patronizing the Fanchon brand. All of them were nothing out of the ordinary. “There’s probably no one else who knew about the true nature of this bed.”
“Then, we can only ask him,” she concluded.
He nodded, “Yeah, only he can answer our questions.”
“Then, let’s go and talk to him!” she yelled in delight, as if it was the brightest idea of the century.
Ruhien stared at her in incredulity, “Are you nuts? The guy is dead! He died twelve years ago, in case you’ve missed that part.”
“Yeah, I know that,” she muttered stubbornly as she headed for the bed and hopped on, “But can’t you use the portal to travel back in time?”
He just continued to stare at her in disbelief, “Hey, do you even know what you’re saying?”
“I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you,” she pointed out, “Well, is it possible?”
Ruhien took a seat to think it over. The deep sigh he heaved indicated his helplessness and that he had no other choice but to heed her supposition. How come she’s taking charge all of a sudden?
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Déjà vu is very different from the time travel you’re theorizing, just so you know.”
“I’ve realized that,” she nodded. Then, she rephrased herself, “I mean, is it possible to go into this portal,” she patted the bed three times, “and emerge from the same portal but in a different time?”
Somehow, he thought he understood what she was trying to say.
“Let’s go back to the time when this bed was still being made,” she added, “I’m sure Adolphus Fanchon will still be alive and kicking by then.”
Ruhien didn’t have any more time to blink. Right before his eyes, Aipreal started to sink into the bed as she was engulfed by a sudden burst of light, vanishing her shocked face from his sight.
And so, there was no more time to think as well. Jumping into the portal and going after her were the only thoughts he had. Good thing he wasn’t that far from the bed. Thanks to his quick reflexes, he was able to dive into the hole in no time.
He was conscious during the entire trip but chose to remain motionless for a little longer as he lay on the sandy ground. It was cool and breezy, causing a unique sense of tranquility to emanate from the place. He could hear the faint sound of water splashing from a distance that added even more freshness to the mood.
And though he could only see a small portion of this new world from his position, he could tell that this time, the portal had decided to transport them to some random place near the ocean.
“Where are we?” he heard her spoke from a distance.
Good question.
He finally got up and was greeted by an overwhelming stretch of water, extending as far as the eyes could see. There was nothing at the horizon, not even a mountain or an islet. It was water everywhere.
And so once again, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere, proving Aipreal’s theory wrong.
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