Chapter 30

When Esther slowly reached out and took hold of the door handle, a cold energy instantly engulfed her hand.

Hesitating a little from the feeling of bone-chilling cold, Esther decided anyway and with difficulty pressed the door handle.

The door opened, and the interior of the room was revealed to Esther's gaze.

Inside it, someone was sleeping on a bed that was too rich for this hut.

– It's... good morning. I came to paint a portrait.

Esther waited, but didn't get an answer, so she decided to go closer to the bed.

A boy was lying on the bed, seemingly not breathing. Noah.

As soon as Esther saw Noah's face, her breath caught in her throat.

'Such a handsome...' – admiration was reflected in the girl's gaze.

The boy had clear, strong-willed facial features. Thin nose, straight forehead and deep eyes. Even the dark eyebrows seemed to exude strength.

Apparently, he was the same age as Esther, but the boy combined maturity and tenderness. And the pale scarlet lips, contrasting too much with the poisonous white skin, were plump.

He looked like a beautiful statue that God had created, giving him all the best.

Without realizing it, Esther stretched out her hand to him, and when she noticed it, she was very shocked.

'This is crazy. Why did I extend my hand?'

There were not many men that the girl saw because of her life in the temple.

Khalid, Darwin, Judy, Dennis and Ben were all the men Esther saw.

But, even despite their beauty, the girl was not interested in them at all, that's just, for some reason, she could not take her eyes off Noah, because he was incredibly beautiful.

To shake off this obsession, Esther pinched her cheek:

– You need to quickly draw a portrait.

Shoo... shoo... – as soon as Esther started drawing, the color of her eyes changed.

The girl didn't know it, but the color of her eyes changed whenever she used her Divine power.

The divine power of Esther poured into Noah Mursmol.

The stronger the girl's concentration on the drawing, the longer the work on it was and the more she used the holy power.

– Why is it so difficult?.. – after a while, Esther was sweating all over, but she almost finished the drawing.

However, she liked this drawing much more than all the others.

Except, no matter how hard she tried, it felt like something was pulling her down.

And also…

The eyes – the most important part of the portrait, have been empty until now. The girl did not like to draw people with her eyes closed, so she deliberately left them at the very last moment.

– I only have one chance... – thinking what to do, Esther looked at her watch.

'There are still 30 minutes left.'

Thoughtfully looking at Noah, the girl propped her chin.

Suddenly, she felt sorry for the boy who was sleeping like a dead man in a shelter, away from the whole world. It seemed to her that he had fallen into a trap, in which she was also.

Chik-chik! – at that time, a blue bird flew in through the open window.

Esther turned and looked from the bird to Noah and saw that his left hand was peeking out from under the blanket.

The girl instantly grabbed his hand to warm it. Unexpectedly, Noah's palm turned out to be quite large.

– Wow, what a big one! – although Esther's palm was small, the boy's palm was twice as large as hers.

It was so amazing that, only after a few seconds, the girl realized her unconscious actions, but was not embarrassed.

Esther was very sorry for this boy, so she closed her eyes and decided to bless him.

– I do not know who you are, but I want you to be healthy, – the girl muttered, lightly squeezing Noah's palm.

When Esther began to pray, a bright light appeared that could not compare with the power in her drawing.

It was a healing power that could only be used after becoming a Saint.

– Oh, isn't that good?.. – the girl was struck by this strong powerful force and, ceasing to pray, peered into the boy's complexion.

Seeing that Noah's complexion had changed for the better, Esther breathed a sigh of relief, because a strong flow of Divine power could also have a negative effect.

'I think I'm lucky,' – the girl thought and quickly hid Noah's hand under the blanket.

And then she tried to free her palm.

– Oh!

The boy, who had no strength before and was lying like a doll, suddenly squeezed Esther's palm. His grip was incredibly strong.

– Ah! It hurts! – Esther got scared and tried to free her palm again. Having suffered another setback, the girl looked into Noah's face, but it remained motionless.

He just held Esther's hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

– Hey, are you awake? – Confused, the girl waved her other palm in front of the boy's face. But there was no answer.

'Are you sure he's not pretending to be asleep?' – Hesitating, Esther leaned into Noah's face. So she could notice the slightest reaction of the boy.

Something flashed, and Noah opened his eyes.

– Ah?!

He had mesmerizing black eyes that seemed to instantly pull into their depths.

The distance between Esther's face and Noah's was very small. The girl's excited face was very well reflected in Noah's eyes.

Esther's face flushed brightly when she felt someone else's light breathing.

Unlike Esther, who froze in a daze as soon as she regained her sight, the boy laughed brightly.

Esther was charmed because Noah's laugh was so beautiful that it didn't fit this situation at all.

– Hello? – the boy greeted joyfully.

At the same time, Esther seemed to have fallen into a daze again.

– Ah ... hello, – the girl answered confusedly, after a few seconds.

When Noah saw Esther, he didn't ask who she was. Yes, he was embarrassed to see an unknown girl in his bedroom, but he did not show it.

On the contrary, he was unable to take his eyes off the girl, and nostalgia splashed in his eyes.

Noah's eyes were so sad that Esther's lips were dry.

Confused, she mentally sorted through the options in her head for what she should say.

Esther felt that, right now, she had to say something, so she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind:

– My name is Esther, and the portrait… I came to draw him. Look.

– Wow, you're really good at drawing.

– Thank you… But, could you let go of my hand?

Not immediately, but as she showed the drawing, Esther realized the fact that Noah's hand was still firmly gripping her palm. So tightly, as if his life depended on it.

– Sorry, I didn't notice it, but I think I miss it…

– Are you missing something?

– Just…

Esther didn't understand at all what the boy was talking about.

'He seems a little strange…

But, why did it get so hot here?'

The room, which had seemed icy until now, suddenly became incredibly hot.

– Hmm, I'll draw the eyes and the drawing will be finished.

When Esther picked up the pencil again, Noah suddenly closed his eyes:

– What should we do? Right now, I can't open my eyes again, will you come finish the drawing another time?

– But, we're almost done, aren't we?..

– I don't feel very well. I think I'm going to pass out again soon… Oh, cough, cough, – Noah, who had been fine recently, suddenly coughed.

Esther was hot, but when the boy said that he could no longer keep his eyes open, she became worried:

– Are you in a lot of pain?

– Yes. So please come back. Necessarily.

– ...And when you come again, take my hand. Like today, – with these words, Noah fell asleep again, as if dead.

– Wait! Hey! – Esther shook the boy by the shoulders, but he didn't react.

The sound of his breathing suddenly subsided, and the girl stopped feeling the energy she felt while he was looking at her.

'It wasn't a joke, his consciousness really disappeared…'

– What is it? – Esther whispered in confusion, and suddenly she heard someone's footsteps.

The girl's eyes widened because she thought no one would come here.

Heavy footsteps stopped right in front of the front door. Wanting to have at least a moment to catch her breath, Esther slammed the door to the room with force.

– Miss! It's time for you to leave!

It was the coachman who had brought Esther. He did not go inside, but only shouted loudly outside.

– Is there still time? I didn't finish the portrait!

– Come out, you need to leave urgently!

The man's tone was so impatient that Esther packed her things in a hurry.

Suddenly, Noah's hand, with which he was holding the girl tightly, disappeared under the blanket.

Before leaving the room, Esther looked at the boy again. When she saw him lying down, it seemed to her that everything that had happened recently was a dream.

After leaving the hut, Esther was taken away by another road, not the one she went to it.

The coachman seemed very alert and serious, so the girl just walked along silently.

After a while, arriving at the carriage, the coachman took a deep breath and sincerely apologized to Esther:

– I'm sorry I picked you up so quickly. I was informed that someone is coming here.

– It's okay, – Esther said, and after a few seconds, she asked uncertainly. – Does he wake up often?

– Eh? No. It's been more than three months since he lost consciousness.

– Three months?

'And then what happened recently?..

Something strange is happening again…'

– What should we do, you didn't have time to finish the portrait…

– I'll come next week.

– Can you really do it?

Esther just nodded silently.

'Because the drawing must be finished.'

Esther tried to deny that she agreed to this only because he asked her to come again. But the boy's black eyes kept popping up in her mind again and again…

*****

After the girl left, Noah's eyes slowly opened.

In fact, he didn't lose consciousness, it was just a deception for Esther.

Noah, who had regained consciousness, slowly straightened up and, first of all, checked the calendar on the bedside table.

– This time, it's been quite a while.

This time, the boy's deep sleep lasted 3 months and 10 days.

Noah's disease was considered incurable, the cause of which was not known, but this disease was often called the Curse of God. It was also believed that only the one whom God had left could get sick with this disease.

Despite the fact that there was no cure for it, the patient needed to receive Divine power periodically.

The cycle of receiving was irregular and, with age, the amount of Divine Power needed for life increased. It was so hard to bear that most of the patients died before they reached adulthood.

Despite the fact that Noah was treated without paying attention to the cost of it, his condition worsened so much that it was extremely difficult for him to maintain his consciousness.

– It's true, Esther, – the boy smiled, looking at the drawing left by Esther.

'Her eyes and smile light up everything around.'

Esther did a lot of hard work so that Noah, who was receiving Divine power, could regain consciousness.

At that moment, the boy heard the sound of the front door opening.