Chapter 308 - He's Waiting

At Denenchofu, Suzuki Ara was on her bed sketching. Because she didn't want to worry her friends further, she went home. However, she was too restless to go to sleep and too lazy to go out, which was strange. Since awakening as Alencica, her thirst for reckless adventure had lessened considerably unlike before.

When she was Ara, she was bored with her life that she wanted to die. When she was Alinea, she always sneaked out to go to reckless adventures, dragging her vassals to quests and dungeons like a free spirit. When she was both Ara and Alinea, she was restless and went out on night strolls to de-stress. But now… nothing.

She wondered if her nature for too much mischief was because she was a broken soul. Now that she was complete, she didn't feel as much thirst for danger as she did previously.

However…

Ara closed the sketchbook as she rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. She wondered why when she's finally a complete soul, she felt so incomplete. She let out a burst of derisive laughter.

Who was she fooling? Of course, she knew why she felt that way. In all her existence after that fateful day by the lake, Alencica could never be complete without Kresnik, her other half.

Her lids fluttered as moisture filled her eyes, and when she closed them, fat tears fell down her cheeks.

"I miss you…" she whispered.

Since leaving the Cedar Palace, she asked herself if she's able to continue living without Kresnik. Because of her grudge, she tried to be stubborn and stayed away to the point of not even answering her phone. But his absence only gave birth to an emptiness that festered within her, eating her up inside.

Alencica was the one who fell in love with Kresnik first. After meeting him at the lake and seeing him again at her home to bring her voice back, he'd always been in her mind, her dreams, and in her heart.  She didn't realize her happiness and excitement whenever she saw him would turn to be something very powerful that parting with him after the day's at an end would put her in despair. She longed and yearned for him.  

Alencica was the one who pursued Kresnik as he had declared himself too old for her. He had tried to distance himself from her in respect to her father, Perun, but she was more stubborn than him.

Ara's lips turned up into a nostalgic smile, remembering the past. She couldn't believe how she's able to pull it off, but she did it. After some time, she finally made the Flame Emperor admit that he loved her too, and he made sure she knew how much whenever there's a chance ever since.

"I miss you…" she whispered again.

Ara knew that after a long, long, time, they finally had a chance to really end it all. They now held the power to finish the curse, to just be happy together just like what they wished to happen from the very beginning. She knew; she's aware, that she's the only one blocking the way that had presented itself to them after thousands of years.

She had the right to be angry. She had the right to hate after the suffering she went through. But just as what she realized when she thought she had killed her husband, she also knew that she couldn't bear to be apart from him. Not really.

So, what did she want? That's what she wanted to know.

She was confused, but both Aki and her uncle Stribog assured her that it was fine. She was told that she could take as much time as she wanted and everyone, most especially Ryuu would wait for her, would still be there when she's finally ready to face him.

"I'm so unfair, am I not, my love?"

She wondered what Ryuu was thinking right now. Did he miss her too?

With a heavy sigh, she got up the bed and went over her drawer to take her phone out. She switched it on and was surprised at how many messages arrived right after. There were many; some were from her uncle, but most of them were from Ryuu.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Did you eat?"

"I miss you…"

"I'm just here…"

"I'm thinking about you."

"How's school?"

There were many messages and small talks. Even if she was not replying, Ryuu kept telling her what he's doing almost every hour. Last, but definitely not least, from time to time, her husband would send her a message – a message that broke the dam in her chest.

"I love you…I'll be waiting."

More tears welled in her eyes. They cascaded down her cheeks as she cradled her phone against her chest. For each and every message, she could totally imagine him saying those words to her, and her heart broke at how melancholic he must have been.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Ara promised silently that she would try hard and settle the grudge in her chest as fast as she could and return to him free to love him again. She couldn't do that yet now. When she faced Ryuu, she wanted to be someone who would never bring up something of the past and blame him for it. She wanted to be a person free from baggage so she could start again with Kresnik.

She was debating whether to send a reply to him when a familiar wave of energy came to her and she froze with a frown.

Huh?

Kres…nik?

But no, it was not her husband's energy although it was similar.

Uncle Stribog?

Still no. Although it was also somewhat similar, the energy was more subtle compared to Kazehaya Gin's whirlwind energy.

"But whose was it then?" She wondered as she tried to place the familiar energy, and her eyes widened as she realized whose it was.

IVAN!

"No way…"Ara couldn't believe that the Flame Emperor of Ged, her former fiancé, was here.

But of course, it was possible! Even if her uncle already sealed off the portal, it only applied to enemies and beasts.

Ivan was not an enemy. Also, with his bloodline, it's not strange for Ivan to be able to cross the portal when he wanted. He's Stribog's descendant via his mother. Her uncle allowed those to which his blood flowed within their veins to pass through. It was why Alencica was able to freely come and go.

Uh-oh…

She scrambled to her feet as she prayed that Ivan hadn't done something that would attract normal people to their kind. Ivan of Kres might be a genius war strategist, a strong warrior, and a charismatic emperor, but there were times when he could be a musclehead just like Sonoda Hiroaki.

"I gotta find him fast!"