CHAPTER 35: THE CALL

"Your Majesty, are you inside? May I come in?" Called Aries outside of Kairi's sleeping chamber.

"Yes."

Aerith opened the door for him. She was back to take care of Kairi even though Kairi no longer remembered her. She was sad about the incident, losing even her friends but nothing can be done. She could only move forward and be strong for other people.

Aries went inside and smiled at her. She was no longer having a fit of jealousy against her when she thought she was really immature before. It's fine who Kairi chose since she didn't know how long she could live.

The battle before opened her eyes to understand how short their lifespan was. She might die like them too. That's why she must choose her duty first over her love.

It pained her to try to forget her love for Kairi but she must do it. She should have no lover. She doesn't want anyone to be sad if she was gone or dying later.

"Sorry to bother you, Your Majesty." She said politely.

First, she must talk to Kairi like a normal relationship between a king and their subordinates. This might help her to distance herself from Kairi faster, she hopes.

She looked at Kairi who was sitting on his bed. A few books were scattered on it.

"No, I wasn't bothered at all." Kairi smiled. "Is there something I can help with?"

"Let's go out, Your Majesty. You haven't seen all the palace areas yet, correct? I will escort you."

Kairi was startled by the sudden invitation.

"I can go out?"

But, didn't Leo instruct him to rest for a few days as his body was still weak. Yet, he felt energetic already.

"Of course, you can!"

Aries chuckled and took Kairi's hand. She led him out of the room while Aerith was watching.

"Please be safe, Your Majesty," Aerith told him.

Kairi nodded and followed Aries. On their way, Kairi stares at Aries's hand on his. Her skin was soft and smaller than him. He thought everyone had a rough hand.

He guessed losing his memories, also losing his opinion about differences between gender too. He gripped her hand to feel it.

Aries was startled and her face blushed instantly. She forgot Kairi's hand was still in hers so she let go immediately. She turns her head to him.

"Sorry, Your Majesty."

Kairi was surprised. Why did he feel upset that Aries let go? Truly, this feeling confuses him.

"No, it's alright. Your hand is smoother than mine. Look, my hand is rougher. I thought I was hurting you. Sorry." He apologises too.

Aries laughed when she listened to Kairi's explanation. She gives him her right palm.

"Would you like to take it?"

Kairi blink his eyes before he grabs it gently. He actually feels so happy inside. Moreover, he didn't even realise he was taking advantage of Aries but Aries just let it be.

"This... Might be the last time I'm doing this..." She thought sadly. "Oh god, please lend me your strength to get through my love for him..."

Then, she leads Kairi around and arrives at the palace garden. Kairi stopped walking when they passed one of the long chairs. He stared at it and felt like someone was there before but he can't recall who it was. He felt lost.

"Kairi?"

Aries turn her head to him when she felt he didn't move. They're no longer holding hands due to Aries being embarrassed to show it to anyone.

"Oh, sorry!" Kairi replied and walked again.

They went to the knight headquarters and watched the new intake of knights and guards doing their practice. When they saw Kairi, they all bowed to him respectfully.

Kairi just waved at them. He doesn't want to bother them so he moves away with Aries. Again, he felt the same sensation as in the palace garden. He turns towards a place where Rafiz and others encourage him to fight with Pegasus before.

"Kairi...?"

Kairi turns his head to look at the worried Aries.

"Erm... Aries..."

"Yes?"

"Before this... Was there someone or anyone with me? I mean he was very close to me?"

The question made Aries lower her eyes. If she told Kairi about Rafiz, she was afraid Kairi's heart would be in pain. Auriga already told them to keep it a secret until Kairi was strong enough to battle the Deorc Star.

"Someday, you'll know, Kairi. Right now, I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry."

Kairi's eyes widened at her statements. So there was someone close to him. But, why didn't they want him to know? Does something happen to that person? He wanted to ask but looking at Aries with tears in her eyes made him silent.

He went closer to her and hugged her gently. He doesn't understand what happened but he dislikes the look of sadness in Aries's eyes.

"I promise I won't ask until you all tell me. So, don't cry, Aries."

Aries slowly closed her eyes and hugged Kairi back. Her tears had fallen to Kairi's clothes. She couldn't help crying again because she was reminiscing about what happened here and also at the defence building. Her sob was heard but only to Kairi's ears.

A few minutes later, she calmed down. Kairi let her go but put both his palms beside her face.

"What's this! There's a water droplet over here. Oh, look! There's more on here too. I wonder where these water spirits come from? Look what they've done to my pretty lady. They need to leave her now." Kairi joked with a funny voice.

His fingers wipe away all the tears in her eyes and also her cheeks. Aries chuckled at his funny voice and then she was stunned to see Kairi's face was so close to her. Her cheeks slowly blushed while her heart began to thump loudly.

Kairi was confused at first because she went frozen on him but later realised Aries had breathtaking blue eyes. Moreover, she just finished crying so her eyes look bigger and brighter. These somehow make his heart speed up too.

Her blushing face also makes him fascinated.

"You are very beautiful, Aries." He said truthfully with a smile.

Aries turned red and slowly lowered Kairi's hand on her face. She suddenly noticed there were a lot of people looking at them. She immediately screamed internally. She forgot they were still in the knight headquarters training area.

Most of them look at her and Kairi with a knowing smile. Some even look frustrated because Aries seems to belong to their king. But, they conceded. They finally understand that Aries also likes Kairi so it was impossible for them to pursue Aries anymore.

"Aries, let's go back. I think I'm satisfied with our walk. I'm a little tired now," Kairi makes an excuse to help her.

Inside, he felt awkward too but he must hide it so he won't embarrass Aries more. He took Aries's hand again when she looked so bewildered. Some soldiers cheered at his action. He laughed before running away with Aries.

"My, my, look at what I found?"

Kairi and Aries stop running when they spot Virgo and Agi in the hall of the palace building. Virgo smirked and wiggle his eyebrows while looking at their holding hands. Kairi grinned at him and suddenly he raised Aries's hand and kissed it.

"Kairi!" Aries shouted at him angrily because she had enough of their embarrassing moments.

Kairi laughed and let her go. Aries hides her hand behind her and then disappears. She leaves them like a wind. Kairi was stunned before he cracked up. He felt Aries was so cute just now.

"Kairi, man... You shouldn't have done that, you know?" Agi shook his head at Kairi while disapproving of his tease.

"I know... She likes me, right?" Kairi asked them.

"You found out?" Virgo was surprised.

He thought Kairi, who lost his memories, would be clueless about it. Kairi nodded at him.

"Did my past like her too?"

Virgo and Agi turn to each other before they said at the same time.

"Obviously!"

"I see..."

"Kairi, I'm sure you also noticed that she was trying to forget you, right?" Agi told him the truth.

Virgo pinches him for saying it. So, Agi glared at him and pinched back.

Kairi ignored their conflict. "Yes... But, she wants to forget the past me... Not the me now." He said slowly.

Agi and Virgo look confused at his statements.

"It's nothing. I'm going back to my room."

Virgo shrugged and followed after with Agi behind. They were, after all, going to Kairi's room anyway to visit him.

That night, Kairi looked at his wrist where the symbol of the wolf-head bracelet was melted into his skin.

"No one can see it. It seems this thing is invisible and magical."

Suddenly, someone's call startled him.

"Come here..." The voice said to him.

"Who?!"

Kairi asked nervously and looked around the balcony where he was at.

"Come here..." Repeated the voice.

"Where?"

Kairi doesn't understand which way he needs to go. The voice sounded everywhere. And he couldn't point where it comes from.

"Here!" Answered the voice.

Instantly, a field of stellar emerged under his feet and banished him from the balcony. The field also disappears. Only a letter was left on the floor where Kairi's stood before.

Kairi, who was taken away, appeared in a place surrounded by flat grounds and shady trees. He felt a little scared after appearing there. He didn't know what powerful beings could summon him and move him from Antonia.

"Come here..." The same voice called again to him.

This time Kairi could hear it clearly and follow the direction of the call. He stopped after seeing an old, long-haired man holding a long stick that stabilized his body.

"You have come..." He said with a gentle smile.

"Erm... Are you the one who called me, sir? Why did you call me and where are we?" Kairi has many questions he wanted to ask.

"I will answer all of your questions but only if you pass my test first." The old man states a condition.

"Test? What test?"

He just arrived and now, he needs to do a test? What kind of play is this?

"A test to redevelop your powers."

Kairi was shocked because the old man knew he had power. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to use or summon it. Does this old man have know-how then? He feels so hard to believe.

"You know the power I inherited?"

The old man nodded.

"How can I trust you? Do you even have the same power...? I'm sorry!"

What a stupid question he asked! He had seen the stellar field that teleports him from Antonia to here. Wasn't that already proof enough that this person was using the same stellar power?

Since he makes a mistake, he apologises quickly. He didn't even ask how the person had stellar power because he thought a lot of people obtained it. After all, he has no memories.

He slowly brushes his neck. "Erm... The test you said... Can it really help me develop my power...?" Kairi hesitated.

"You'll know in the test later. Do you want to do it or not? You can reject it if you like. But, the bracelet mark on your wrist would fail to find the person you are looking for."

Kairi's eyes widened in shock. "You can see it?!"

"Yes, I can because it's mine after all." Answered the old man with a chuckle.

"With that, you can find the person who keeps all your memories." He continued.

"The person who keeps my memories? Why did he have my memories?"

"Because he had the same bracelet mark as yours. And he wants to find you too."

"Huh, why?"

"Because you possess all his memories."

Kairi began to feel dizzy at the old man's words.

"Sir, I don't have memories of my past and now you're telling me I have his memories? How did I keep his anyway when I don't have one?"

"It's not you who remember it but the bracelet mark is. It keeps both of your memories in it after you lose each other's memories. Just like you have his memories in your bracelet, he kept your memories in his bracelet.

"I see... So, if I want my memories back, I have to find him...?"

"That's correct."

Kairi went silent for a moment. His memories... He really wants to recover it. He suddenly remembered Aries and his friends in Antonia.

He didn't remember them at all and when he thought back, he could still see the sorrow in their eyes. There's also sympathy.

Yes, they sympathize with him who no longer knows anything about their world. He didn't want to be looked at that way anymore. So, he made his decision.

"I want to find that person and get my memories back. What do I have to do, sir?" His expression looks serious.

"Pass my test and if you succeed, I will train you. I will make you stronger just like your ancestors, Siarah Atrisia who once ruled Syarantonia with her power."

Kairi was startled to hear Queen Siarah's full name. He was told so little about her and her power.

Is it really that great? His power was the same as her... He might find out soon then.

But, he wasn't sure if he could be like his ancestors. The arrival of this old man seemed like a great opportunity for him to learn.

"All right, I'm ready for your test, sir!"

The old man nodded. "This test, you just have to feel your power first and use it if you can. No need to rush, understand? Ready? Then, start!"

As soon as he said 'start', Kairi fell into a dark hole that appeared beneath him suddenly. He was startled and tried to ascertain its depth even though he could not see other than the light shining from above.

"Ow! It hurts!" He groans after falling to the ground.

Suddenly, he heard a sound that raised all his vigilance. He glanced around him even though it was dark. Then, he saw many pairs of red eyes shining in the dark. They freeze him in his place.

"Oh my god... You've got to be kidding me!" He said in horror.