Chapter 638: Goodbye

The little meadow was calm, and silvery moonlight was streaming down from the moon softly glowing in the dark sky. The surroundings were so tranquil and peaceful, which was the exact opposite of the range of emotions that was recently experienced by the two people who were currently occupying the meadow. A gentle balmy breeze blew on them as Zeres slowly approached a fine flat stone lying right in the middle of the meadow.

Zeres carefully removed Alicia's cloak and spread it on top of the flat stone before gently placing her down on it.

He bent and carefully brushed off the rouge strands of the ashen hair that was on her face and then wiped the remnants of her tears which were still flowing down her cheeks. Her peaceful face looked sad and pained even though she was unconscious. Zeres felt his heart clench painfully as he looked at her. This pain was greater than the physical pain that was inflicted on his flesh.

And all Zeres could say was "I'm sorry," as he stared down at her. The look in his eyes were soft and the tone of his voice was miserable. However, the look on his face would cause onlookers to feel as if that this person is seemingly unrepentant of his actions. He could not repent for something he truly believed in. As things stand, he was not sorry for doing all this for someone like her. He was sorry however, for the fact that she had to go through all this because of him. This was all his fault. And he wished she was not dragged into this. He could endure and take all the pain in the world, but he would never let anyone suffer the same because of his existence. And the saddest thing was that Alicia really does not deserve this. She was the most amazing queen he had ever met in his long lifetime and yet, of all the queens, she had to be the one reigning when he appeared.

"Don't worry... this is the last time, My Queen. I promise." He whispered as he reached out to caress her face again.

But his hand halted in mid-air and he eventually retracted them. He suddenly had the doubt whether or not he should be touching his queen so freely. He had hurt her, caused her so much sadness and even the reason for her losing her powers. Though unintentional, it was still all due to him being there. His existence was perhaps the bane of hers - that was what held his hand back. His gaze fell to the ground before lifting them towards the sky. After some minutes, he drew a deep breath before straightening himself and removing his cloak.

He took a look at himself, taking note on which section of his flesh he should cut on this time. There was almost nowhere else left for him cut, but the small expanse of skin on his left shoulder and that which was over his heart that were left untouched. Every other part of him was already sacrificed as payment over the multiple times he had to cast the spell for Alicia to gain some strength. It did not even cross his mind that what he did was a sacrifice. A sacrifice would mean that his health and well-being is more important than Alicia's, but since he never thought of it as such, then this could not be counted as a sacrifice. It was without a doubt, a voluntary and willing act on his part.

Without any hesitation, he started the ritual. He uttered a spell and lights began to envelop them. The greenish lights angrily whipped like waves through the air, getting stronger by the second. The forest had gone utterly silent, and the only sounds that could be heard was his low chants and the wheezing waves of the lights enveloping them.

Lifting a dagger, Zeres stabbed deeply into his flesh over his heart and bright scarlet blood gushed out. He didn't even wince. The light surrounding them slowly turned reddish.

Alicia's brows creased as her eyelashes fluttered and she began to struggle violently as if she was having a nightmare. Zeres had to hold her still lest she accidentally injured herself. She was already so weak, she does not need more wounds to weaken her.

The blood taken straight from the caster's heart was the strongest and most potent, so Zeres knew that this would give Alicia strength to last her for a few days straight. She would still remain weak and powerless, but at the very least, she wouldn't be collapsing every time. The amount of blood he is giving her this time would be enough to keep her alive until... until Zeres finally dies, and her powers would finally be returned to her.

"N... no... please..." she uttered even in her unconscious state and Zeres could not help but feel a warm flutter in his heart and he bent down to lightly press his forehead against hers.

A bitter smile slowly curved on his lips. "Please don't fight it, Alicia. I'm begging you." He pleaded. "Let me do this or you'll die." His voice became hoarse and strangled. "I can't let you die. If you die, I won't be able to forgive myself and the world... please... for me... accept it."

She eventually calmed down and her struggles lessened until she finally stopped moving, the only sign showing she was still alive was the gentle rise and fall of her chest, signalling her breathing. A single tear fell from the corner of her eyes and Zeres was finally able to breathe easy. "Thank you," he whispered.

Once the ritual was complete, blood can be seen to be dripping from the side of Zeres' lips. He stared at Alicia as her condition slowly improved, her complexion becoming better by the minute. Her breathing also no longer sounded weak and laboured but was back to normal.

A small smile graced his face and he looked up the sky again. After taking a long and deep breath, he put on his cloak and then gently picked Alicia up in his arms once again.

Moving with much haste, Zeres immediately disappeared along with her and they both materialized in Alicia's room.

Zeres laid her on the bed before tucking her under the covers, ensuring that she would not catch a cold. His eyes never leaving her as he smoothed the blanket down and checking to see that other than her face, nowhere else was exposed to the cool air. His hand then reached out, wanting to caress her face again. But he stopped himself at the very last moment.

Instead, he bent over and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for crying for me." He whispered, smiling slightly. "Goodbye, Alicia." He added and then, he was gone.