Forest Dreams (End)

"... I'm sick of this."

I exclaimed tiredly.

Azrael turned his head towards me and tilted his head, looked at me with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

I carefully pushed against the tree that I was resting with.

I slowly and delicately tried to stand up from my sitting position while using my free arm to hold my wounded shoulder to hold the pain.

"The moon will be out in a few hours. Or maybe faster than we imagined."

He raised his brow since he didn't quite get the sentence I muttered.

"Azrael... I don't want you to get in my way. Let me handle this alone."

I said out of nowhere much to his confusion in a nonchalant tone.

I looked at him with my deadpan expression, then stared down at him afterward.

Upon realizing what I meant, Azrael's eyes slightly widened.

At first, he looked quite tense but was able to have a relaxed expression later when I add,

"I just want to ask 'Him' a question."

Azrael simply sighed while forming a small smile afterward.

"What kind of question?"

".. I want to ask whether it's possible or not to escape Lucretia and see the outside world."

Azrael subconsciously covered his mouth and chuckled, then he stood up from his sitting position, towering over me with his height.

He looks at me with his dark eyes which slowly turned into a crimson one with inner to outwards spreading.

"I'll give you the answer."

He smiled.

"It's impossible."

"Why do you say that?"

He sighed faintly while a smirk appeared across his face.

"Lucretia Kingdom is surrounded by forest. There are no gates that will let us open to even step outside. With a twist that even when you can pass through the forest, you will just return to where you were in the first place."

He answered thoroughly while looking at me, confident of his answer.

"You can never escape Lucretia."

He exclaimed in an overbearing tone.

I looked at him with a tilted head and narrow eyes.

"Have you ever tried to pass through the forest that surrounds our kingdom?"

Azrael chuckled slightly.

"I had. And it's pointless."

His sounds too relaxed and confident, as I couldn't find any blame in his sentence, because it's the truth-- in his eyes.

'... But it's different from my point of view.'

My lips form a small smile with that confident thought.

I let out a chuckle in the back of my hand.

The unexpected act makes him in a surprise state.

"That's why I'm going to ask 'Him' if we meet 'Him' tonight."

I confidently exclaimed.

"He, who knows everything, the eyes that witness everything. Including outside of Lucretia."

Azrael fell silent for a moment after hearing my certain claims.

"... You believe everything that Witch said?"

Azrael's relaxed expression immediately faded and was replaced with an intense expression.

".. The witch is the one you found for me, Azrael. I think it's better than--"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"--trusting you."

I continued with a doubtful and suspicious tone.

His eyes flared wide and his skin paled.

"... You preferred to trust strangers rather than a companion you know longer?"

We stared at each other for a while as tension in the atmosphere grew.

I smiled helplessly while turning my head towards the sky that had already turned dark blue.

The moonrise seemed to glimmer off half of Azrael's face.

He took a long, deep breath as he slowly walked towards me.

It caught me off guard.

"What are you--!"

Before I could even finish my lines, he pulled me into his arms.

The stars in the sky glimmered overhead as he hugged me thoughtfully.

I could feel the heat of his body as he hugged me, which warmed my heart.

".. You're warm."

He inhaled sharply then his hug tightens.

"Of course, I'm warm. I'm not dead."

I exclaimed with a raised eyebrow, stating the truth.

".. You're warm as well."

I said and slowly hugged him back.

"... I know."

Surprisingly, he pulled out and gazed at me silently.

I only gave him a gentle smile.

"... The stars are out."

I exclaimed and lifted my head, gazed at the night sky with my heavy eyelids.

"... Let's go home, Dorothy."

Azrael caresses my hair gently. It was like protecting me with such possessiveness.

But, I shook my head and gazed downwards.

"No. There's no need. I will ask right here, right now. Because 'He's' here. After that, I will go back. That's the only way we can return."

I will never hesitate.

Suddenly, a soft light appears out of nowhere that is surrounding both of us.

Our eyes met. He also looked quite bewildered like me.

My eyes widen, but later I understand what's going on.

"... Wait--! Dorothy!"

Before he could reach me, our paths were separated.

I quickly opened my mouth,

"... Azrael, let's meet again when we return-- though things won't be the same.. I'm sure you know what I meant."

For one more time, I gave him an encouraging smile along with a disappointed look.

-

I figured that 'He' will answer me purposely separate our paths so we cannot interfere with each other.

"Human, I'm right behind you."

I turned around to be greeted by another creature who is sitting calmly in front of me.

My eyes slightly widened.

'Could he be--'

It looks like a chimera-like creature that looks like a white ox.

It has nine eyes, three on its head, and three on the heads that are on each side of its torso. Each head has two horns.

It basically reaches the size of a mountain.

'-- That 'Him' who knows all the answers.'

From its majestic presence, different from the demon-like creature who attacked me, I immediately know who he is.

".. Well done figuring this simple meeting, human."

The voice sounded harsh and deep, but satisfying and pleased to the ear.

It was as if he was praising me.

'.. Does Azrael also get into the same situation as me? Meeting this creature? I wonder what kind of question he will ask 'Him'.'

The creature was tapping his finger continuously while waiting for a response from me.

He quickly exclaimed.

"Ask me one thing. Then I will give you the correct answer."

It was satisfying feelings that are all over me.

It was so simple that I feel stupid.

'I have to.. ask him the right question.'

I looked at him without hesitation of movement.

"... Please, tell me. How can I change this kingdom and free my kingdom from Directive Order?"

The ox let out a shook gesture.

"You're bold. I will only allow one question. Not two."

My eyes went wide.

"... What?"

Looking back at my question, I clearly asked for two things.

It was how to change and how to free the kingdom.

'Ugh... I don't think this is quite easy. I want to ask so many questions, but he only allows one question. One question and one answer.'

While calming myself down, I try to think of another question.

I took a deep breath while searching for the right words.

"... How can I.. lead my kingdom towards freedom?"

I asked carefully while looking at him in the eyes.

It's a bit distracting since he has nine eyes. So I'm going to gaze at the three eyes on its head.

"... To be honest, freedom for the Lucretia Kingdom is like waiting for humans to not commit another sin in their life."

I look at him open-mouthed.

Suddenly, a thought appears from the event not too long ago.

--"I had. And it's pointless."--

It was Azrael's sentence.

It kept repeating inside my head like it was a broken radio.

I gaze downwards and was feeling a bit hopeless while I grip the fabric of my dress firmly.

'.. So... it's completely pointless?'

"However--"

My head snapped back towards him when he continued his exclamation.

"If it's freedom, it's not impossible."

My eyes beamed hope while my lips form a wide smile of satisfaction.

"I can only satisfy you with one answer. Go to Carnival Trump. You might find your answer there."

I harbor a confused expression.

'Carnival... Trump? No matter how hard I try to dig my memories, I'm not familiar with the name that is around the Lucretia.'

Suddenly, a realization came as my eyes grew wider.

"... Don't tell me.. Carnival Trump is outside the Kingdom!?"

He only smiled at me as his answer.

".. No way.."

I stepped back,

".. We can't even step outside Lucretia!"

He looked at me, uncaring of my worries.

"That's your problem. Now that I have answered your question, I will send you back. It seems that the other demon that was with you had also finished asking my other self."

My eyes slightly widened when he mentions 'demon'.

'.. He even knew Azrael is a demon.'

He only glanced at me in congratulation.

"... Good job on finding me. Good luck."

I gestured my hand towards him with my palm facing forward.

"Wait--!"

Before I could even finish my sentence, I suddenly fell into a floor that seems familiar.

"... So you're back. Welcome back, Your Highness~"

I froze on the spot at the sound of the familiar voice.

I slowly raise my head to be greeted by the same rabbit mask and black knight uniform.

".. Lady... Althea... !"

I noticed my surroundings and my gaze met with Cristo's alluring emerald eyes.

I look at his handcuffed hands and start to panicked.

'What happened while I was gone!?'

Selene is the same, her hands are also handcuffed but her smile didn't fade.

"Your Highness was amazing~"

Selene complimented me freely as I was confused by the situation and my shoulder immediately tensed.

'.. Ha.'

I was a bit frustrated the moment I realized my hopeless situation.

'Just like I anticipated.'

I look at my surrounding as I felt one presence that was not there.

".. Where is Azrael...?"

I look around my surroundings and noticed that he's not anywhere to be found.

Althea smiled satisfyingly.

"Well~ I deeply apologize, but he already left!"

She exclaimed dramatically as I gritted my teeth furiously and glared at her.

"Ahem, Dorothy Lucretia O'bell, for engaging yourself in witchcraft that is clearly prohibited and for violating against the Directive Order,"

She looked at me with a sinister smile.

"You will be sentenced to death. Death by burning."

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