"How about I take you to the hospital?" Clancy suggested gently. Her voice was soft but insistent. She hated seeing him like this, vulnerable and fragile.
"No, thanks. I just need to sleep." Heka said quietly, unwilling to reveal the storm raging within. Sleep felt like the only refuge, a temporary escape from the relentless pressure pressing down on him.
Clancy's brow furrowed with concern. Her eyes reflected the struggle between wanting to respect his wishes and the urge to protect him.
"Maybe I should take you to the hospital." She suggested again. Her voice tinged with urgency.
"No, thanks. I just need to sleep." Heka repeated firmly. He pushed himself up from the chair with a slow and deliberate movement. The effort left him breathless for a moment, but he masked it with a steady gaze.
He looked at Clancy. His voice was soft but earnest. It carried a vulnerability he rarely showed. "Would you like to accompany me to sleep?"
Clancy's expression softened instantly, the worry in her eyes giving way to tenderness. She nodded without hesitation, stepping closer to offer silent support.
"Of course." She whispered. Her presence was a quiet promise that he wouldn't have to face the darkness alone.
Together, they walked to his room. Heka lay down, closing his eyes, the exhaustion pulling him under. Clancy settled beside him. He wrapped his arms around her, finding solace in her warmth.
In that quiet embrace, Heka finally surrendered to sleep. The comfort of companionship eased the weight of his burdens.
****
Heka slowly opened his eyes. He felt a strange sensation in his hand. It was a sharp, lingering pain as if something had bitten him. But unlike before, the dizziness that had plagued him was gone.
His senses were clearer, more alert.
He looked down and saw Jino. The small dragon was clinging tightly to his hand, nibbling gently.
"Jino…" Heka whispered. A mixture of surprise and warmth flooded his voice.
As he was awake, he realized that he was no longer in his familiar home. He found himself lying down, floating in the air.
The surroundings were unlike anything he had seen before, lush, vibrant, and otherworldly. He was in Kiervant Sky. For a moment, he questioned his own senses.
"Is it a dream?" He wondered aloud.
He stood and looked around. The place was quiet, serene. There were only he and Jino inside the room. The line between dream and reality blurred, but everything felt undeniably real.
Suddenly, the soft sound of footsteps echoed nearby. Heka turned to see Marchio approaching. His presence was accompanied by a mysterious figure whose features were hidden in shadow. Without a word, he vanished into the mist.
"Welcome back to Kiervant Sky." Marchio's voice broke the silence with a calm yet commanding tone. His voice seemed to resonate through the very air around them. Nevertheless, it was just his voice and Heka couldn't seek his figure.
The words struck Heka with sudden clarity, dispelling any lingering doubts. This was no dream or illusion, he was truly here, in Kiervant Sky. A realm that shimmered with ethereal light and whispered ancient secrets. The weight of reality settled over him, both awe-inspiring and daunting.
Heka's brow furrowed as he confronted Marchio, a mixture of confusion and frustration tightening his features. Because, he was standing before him suddenly.
Heka said. His voice was steady but edged with a demand for answers. "You said that I cannot visit Kiervant Sky, didn't you? But why do you bring me here?"
Marchio's eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement. He said smoothly. "I changed my mind. I did this all for Jino. But I wonder what made Jino really like you and not want to let you go?"
"I don't know." Heka glanced at Jino, who had stopped biting and now sat silently, almost statue-like. A smile tugged at Heka's lips. For him, Jino's quiet presence was endearing. A small beacon of calm in the swirling uncertainty.
Suddenly, a small pair of wings unfurled from Jino's back, delicate and shimmering. "Jino, you finally have wings." Heka said softly. It filled with pride.
Jino fluttered his new wings with tentative grace. He flew in gentle circles as if marvelling at the gift he had just discovered. Then, with a swift and playful motion, he darted toward Marchio, his tiny form a blur of motion and light.
Marchio's curiosity was palpable, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the transformation. He asked, his tone a mix of intrigue and suspicion. "I'm curious what you do to Jino."
Heka shook his head firmly. "I didn't do anything."
He replied honestly. Though even he wasn't entirely sure what had caused the change. It was as if Jino's growth was a mystery unfolding on its own. A sign of something deeper at work in this peculiar realm.
The air between them hummed with unspoken questions and possibilities, the boundaries of their understanding stretching thin. In Kiervant Sky, where time and fate twisted like the wind. Nothing was ever quite as simple as it seemed.
A moment later, Jino hovered in front of Marchio. He seemed like to demonstrate by cupping his wings and curling his tail beneath them, as if showing something hidden.
Marchio's expression shifted to understanding. "So, you entered Jino's shell."
Heka's memory flashed back to his first encounter with Kiervant Sky, when he had been trapped inside a cocoon-like structure. Now he realized it wasn't a cocoon at all, but a shell belonging to Jino.
"That's right." Heka confirmed. His voice was steady but tinged with a hint of wonder. "Something pulled me inside. I didn't know it belonged to Jino."
The memory was vivid in his mind. The moment he had been drawn into this immortal realm. However, he was unaware that the force guiding him was connected to the small.
An enigmatic creature who now stood quietly beside him. He recalled the conversation he had shared with Marchio before.
After a moment of contemplation, Marchio nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful and measured. He said finally, his tone carrying the weight of a rare concession. "Well... I'll allow you to be here. It's just for when Jino gets his Immortal body."
Heka's gratitude was profound. A warmth spread through him that transcended mere words. He met Marchio's gaze with sincerity and respect. "Okay. Thank you."
He hadn't expected Marchio to grant him access to Kiervant Sky, especially knowing he was, in a way, the sustenance for Jino. Yet, Jino had taken only a small amount of blood. And it hadn't harmed him.
Jino, clearly joyful, flew back to Heka and nestled against his shoulder. Heka smiled warmly, comforted by the creature's affection.
At first, Heka had been intimidated by Marchio's sinister presence. But now, that fear has faded. He felt a growing sense of belonging in Kiervant Sky. More importantly, he sensed that his presence here was accepted, welcomed even.
For the first time in a long while, Heka allowed himself to hope.
"I almost forgot to tell you about a secret you probably never knew. Jino who gave your first Soul Delivery." Marchio said before his figured disappearing.
The words made Heka pleasant. He was out of words to describe how it felt like the disaster led the way to a happy ending.
At this time he didn't care about the other disaster that came to him again. When nobody was not able to guarantee the small wish. The miracle never came at twice.