The Dream Saga - Chapter 88

My dad pushed me and Lee through the portal while holding a grenade in his hand. I couldn’t understand at first what was happening, and when I saw the firearm in his hands, it was too late.

“DAD!! NOO!” I screamed.

“LEE! GO! GO! GO!” Kai’s dad pushed Lee into the portal while yelling at him to run.

“DAD! WHY!!!!”

I was now inside the portal along with Lee; the portal was closing and through the tiny gap; I saw him smiling at me, as he was proud of me. His eyes were telling that he had no regrets, and with his smile the bomb exploded, killing dad and Sloth king along with it.

“ZOOM!!!”

With a sound, the portal closed, and I and Lee landed on the ground.

“WHY!!! NOOOOOOO!!!” I was in grief; tears were continuously flowing from my eyes. I was in deep pain. I felt as if someone snatched something from me which I wanted for years.

“Kai!!! It’s okay! He never could’ve had made it, anyway!” Lee, who was aside me, tried to console me, but his words meant nothing to me by then.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY? HE WAS MEANT DIE? HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!!!” I was consumed in anger. I didn’t even understand what he meant and raged at him.

“WHACK!”

As he said those words, I punched his face so hard that it made him fall to the ground; it was hard for me to understand true meaning of his words in my state.

“PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH!”

I was hitting his face constantly with my fist. I almost forgot he was my only friend who cared for me. His face was bruised and blood was coming from all over his face, but still, he didn’t defend or attack.

“YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KNEW HE WAS ABOUT TO DIE STILL YOU LET HIM DIE!!! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!”

“It was not in my hands. He asked me who I will choose him or you!!! and I chose you! Because I can’t pick a person who I met just hours ago over my best friend who I cherish more than my life!!”

He pushed me away and punched me in his face.

“It was you who he wanted to live. He had no regrets! Just accept it! Kai! Just fucking accept it!!!!”

“IT’D WOULD’VE HURT HIM MORE TO SEE HIS SON DIE!”

“Why? why? why someone has to die! Why I suffer so much?” I was broken, his death completely destroyed my inner self I had no idea where to go, what I seek ahead. I felt as I fell into deep darkness.

I leaned on Lee’s shoulder and cried for hours and even though being wounded; he welcomed and patted me till I passed out.

“Where are we?” I woke up in a moving room, I looked around me to get an idea of my surrounding. There far next to me sat Lee, massaging his face with a bag of ice while making hurtful sounds. Behind him was a door that had a window on it. I drew the curtain on my side and saw trees and fields.

“Oh, are you awake? Rest a bit longer if you want. We are still a far from home.” Lee looked at me with soft eyes and talked lightly.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“We are home, our home, City of Levlee.” His reply was something I wanted someone to tell me for days. I was home finally back to my new family as the last one of my real died few hours ago. I was calm. I was thinking straight.

“I am glad we made, thank you Lee and I am sorry that I hurt you.” I felt guilty looking at Lee as he did it all for me and yet I raged at him, but still he was not complaining or blaming me for how I reacted and that what made him the best the person in my life.

When I finished thinking, I noticed I was in a carriage but not that we were in a carriage but how did we get in a carriage.

“Hey Lee, how did you find this carriage?” I asked, with a confused look on my face.

“Oh that, look here who we got!” he drew the curtain behind him and aimed his arm toward the person who was driving the carriage.

“How are you, Kai? Are you okay now?” the person turned and looked at me with a smile. He was an old friend. Victor.

“Victor! What are you doing here? Are you back from your hometown?” I was glad and shocked at the same time to see him here.

“How did you find us?” I asked.

“Um, well, let me tell you, since you were unconscious, I couldn’t tell you. It’s been three days since you and Lee went missing. Hundreds of search parties were dispatched to find you.”

“Everyone was worried sick. And today we were patrolling to find you but unfortunately, we couldn’t and then a big explosion with a weird sound happened on the outskirts of Levlee. We ignored that noise but someone noticed.”

“WHO?” I asked

“Skyler, she noticed the sound and informed me about the sound and how it was related to you, she told me that this was the sound that came from the woods when she first met you. So, I rushed with my horse here and found Lee and you in a miserable spot and I called backup to get you, so now you know!” Victor explained.

“Kai! Look, the palace! We are home finally!” Lee shouted while looking out of the window.

“I can’t believe we actually made it back. I never thought we would ever see this beautiful view ever again.” I took a whiff of relief while staring at the palace.

“We arrived. Let’s go people. Everyone is waiting for us!” Victor unmounted carriage and cheered us.

Lee stepped out of the carriage and gave me a hand as my body had few broken bones. He hanged my arm around his neck and pulled me out of the carriage.

“Seems like I will have to walk to the palace. I wish someone can give me a piggyback ride.”

“Say no more!” Victor listened to me whine, even though it was so slow.

“BRING A PALANQUIN FOR THE KING HE CAN’T WALK!!!” He ordered his soldiers to bring a palanquin for me, and it didn’t take more than two minutes for them to bring a palanquin.

They made me and Lee sit on the palanquin and held it high in the air. From there, I saw Victor’s face that was smiling. I looked at Lee; he was smiling as well. The soldiers began to chant “All hail to the king!” and then began singing some traditional song I never heard of.

“LOOK EVERYONE’S WAITING AT THE GATES, EVEN THE PUBLIC!” Victor shouted from his horse when we arrived at the main entrance.

“Welcome back, my majesty. We all were waiting for your return for so long. I am glad you’re safe.” The arch priestess formally welcomed me. Around her, other people were there, who were cheering and were crying. I never thought I was this important.

I heard someone calling my name loudly from a distance; I looked every side and at last I found the source of the sound; it was Skyler and Sabir who were running toward me.

“HEY! GUYS I AM BACK!!! WAIT FOR ME IN MY ROOM I WILL BE MEETING YOU THERE!” I shouted and told them to meet me in my room as I was tired and wounded badly that I couldn’t talk while moving.

“Kai, I will take Lee to his room. Seems like he’s tired. His mana is so low.” Victor told me before parting away,

“Yeah fine, take him. He worked really hard. He should take a rest.”

***

Finally, I made it to my room, that had the same scent as it was before I left. I saw my bed that looked so comfy that I wanted to hibernate in it for a year. I saw my tea on the table that reminded me of the hot cup of evening tea I took every day. I was not here just for three days and yet it felt like three years.

“AH, finally home sweet home. By the way, where is everyone?” I looked around my room and found no one. It was strange because I told them to visit me in my room, but they were not there.

I felt as something else was missing, but I didn’t know what. I looked around my room and tried to remember what it was that which as missing.

While thinking, my sight went toward the bathroom from where a wonderful aroma of soap was coming.

“Why don’t I think about it while taking a hot bath in the tub, and I am dirty as well. These alien blood stains are stinking badly. I better take a bath,”

“Knock! Knock!”

I was just thinking about all this when someone knocked my door…

-to be continued