Chapter 19: Happy Valentines Day Kotori

Kotori POV:

I groaned as I open my eye lids. However, once I opened it, I was surrounded by daisy flowers. I quickly sat up and scanned my surroundings, and that's when I realized I wasn't in bed nor in my house anymore.

"Where am I?" It's all I could think of.

The sky was so clear, there's not even a single cloud in the sky and all of my surrounding is a large field of daisy flowers. Then I realized when a gust of cold wind hits me, I am no longer wearing my sleeping pajama but only a white dress now.

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared in front of me and it quickly manifested into a person with a blurry face.

"W-Who are you?"

I gazed at him from head to toe his body structure and clothing are all familiar to me. Slowly, his face becomes all clear now.

"R-Riku?"

I took one step forward and another until it turned into a full sprint with my arms opened ready to hold him once more. When I got closer to him, I stumbled face first on the ground, this made my heart shattered when I got hit by the painful realization. I slowly pick myself up, and turned to face him and I can see in his staring eyes are full of sorrow.

His mouth moved and spoke. "I'm sorry..."

He suddenly got consumed by a dark shadow and all my surroundings turned into an endless void. The daisy flowers beneath my feet died and decayed in no time. I couldn't see anything, not even my own hands just pure darkness. All of the sudden, I saw a little light much like a dot. Not hesitating any further, I went closer to it but not daring to touch it.

The little dot of light expanded, and inside I can see a fetus. The light acted like a protected barrier from the darkness. Suddenly, I heard a little girl's voice from the shadows.

"Mom! Wake up!"

"Amai?"

*GASP!!!*

I quickly sat up and panting heavily. My head darted left and right and all I can see are my stuff and some messy clothes lying around. All I can remember is just the field of daisy flowers and the rest are all blurry.

"That's weird, what just happened?"

"Mom, are you okay?"

I glanced beside me and I saw a scared face of my daughter. I pick her up and sat her on the bed beside me. All of the sudden, her cute little hand brushed against my face wiping away... my tears?

"Am I... crying?"

"Mom are you having a bad dream?" Amai asked in worry.

"Huh? Bad dream?"

"Mommy is okay." I put my arms around her and hold her tightly.

"Mom I made this for you. Happy Valentines day." My daughter handed me of what looks like a pink small envelope with a heart sticker sealing it.

I kissed my daughter on the forehead before saying. "Thank you sweetie, Happy Valentines to you too."

Suddenly, my mind started spinning and my vision got doubled like I'm hallucinating.

"Mom?! Mom are you okay?!"

My daughter's voice is turning into an echo. Then I heard another voice.

"Kotori."

A familiar voice that makes my heart beats faster. My vision slowly turning blurry until a few seconds, it turned into darkness.

...

...

...

My eyelids slowly opened and I got face to face with a white ceiling. Then I heard someone shouted.

"Reine, Kotori is awake!"

I heard a pressurized wind sound, I guess that's from the sliding door. After the door opened, I heard footsteps coming closer to me and all of the sudden, my vision got filled by the face of a matured woman with bags under her eyes.

"R-Reine? What are you doing here?" I tried to sat up until a sharp pain in my head made me stay in bed.

"Please don't get up yet Kotori or else your condition might get worse." Reine advised.

My mind got puzzled. Condition? Wait what?

"What happened to me?! Where's Amai?!" I demanded an answer.

"Amai is outside with Shido. For your conditions, we detected a fractured of Azrael's power inside you, this power of his is weakening you and poisoning your body." Reinei explained.

"Azrael's power? But that was five years ago! If I had it, should the power killed me at that same day?" I stared at Reine by the eyes, surely she is just making this up.

"To tell you the truth Kotori, we already detected Azrael's power inside your body five years ago. Me, Shido, and the team of Ratatoskr just didn't see it as a threat since Azrael is now dead. I never thought the day will come for the dormant powers to be awakened again... We're very sorry for keeping this a secret from you."

Reine didn't hesitated to spill the beans. I quickly moved my gaze away from her and just stared at my hands that are clutching the hospital bed's blanket.

"Should I bring Shido here?" Reine said.

I coldly responded. "No, I just need some rest. But can you bring Amai here, I'm sure she is very worried about me."

"I... I understand."

I heard Reine footsteps started to leave the room. Inside my mind I can only think of why they hid this away from me. Shido is my brother, Reine is like a mother to me, and my crew is very loyal to me in the beginning. If they hadn't hid this away from me, I could've found a solution for this.

"Reine, what will happen to me now?"

When Reine was about to leave the room, she immediately stop. Without looking at me, she spoke with sadness in her voice.

"Each year your body will weakened until you just..." Reine paused and I saw her bit her lips.

She continued. "Starting today, you are not allowed to leave Ratatoskr's medical ward."

"What?!" My eyes widened.

"My daughter! Who will take care of my daughter?! She's just a child!" I cried out.

"Shido and Kurumi said they will take care of your daughter. They already beginning to sign the papers as her guardian."

Reine's respond only got me riled up.

"They signing it without me knowing?! How can they do that to me?! They are my family, why are they taking advantage of my condition?! My daughter is just a child she couldn't live without me protecting her! You said she is just outside the room with Shido?!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Are you gonna keep that a secret too?!" I raged.

Despite the pain, I sat up and quickly put a feet on the cold floor, but my legs gave out and I came crashing down to the floor. Reine quickly run towards me and I just shoved her hands.

"I... I need to see my daughter! Please don't take her away from me she's the only one I have!" I sobbed.

Reine put her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. My cries got muffled when I returned the hug and bury my face on her white coat.

A few hours later~

It's been four hours now and my brother and sister in law already asked permission to take care of Amai. I don't have a choice but to agree with the decision, especially I'm starting to feel the effects of Azrael's power inside my body. My daughter also visited me lately, however she can only visit me one hour a day. Being stuck in this ward, I always hear my daughter's voice even though she is not here.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the metal door. Weird, it should open when someone is outside.

"Come in!" I shouted.

The door opened, but no one came. Only a gust of powerful wind filled the room. All the stuff inside flew and the others fell to the floor. I clenched my hands to my blanket so it won't flew away while I close my eyes wishing it will stop.

All I could think of was. "What now?!"

After a minute, the wind storm finally stop and when I open my eyes, I saw a bouquet of red roses laying in front of me.

"Who gave this to me?" I wondered.

Between the roses, I saw a paper that is sticking out of the flowers and a note was written on it saying "Happy Valentines Day from Riku".