“I'll remember that, I promise. Forgive me for not behaving like a princess. I know I disappointed you and the whole village.”
“Don't blame yourself. Life is an eternal learning. Everything has its own time. I will do everything possible to continue keeping the peace in Lumen. I will hope for you to come back, after all I already have fad some eclipses of life.”
Nefarious was a senior prism, had been there for a long time. He deserved to rest, but it would cost my life in the first dimension. I wasn’t yet ready to face all this permanent change. In an attempt to lighten the weight of the conversation, I remembered to show my new family mark that appeared on Leike.
“Oh, I almost forgot to show you. Look! My family mark, the royal lotus blossom, appeared on me!”
“By Gunnar, how wonderful! Let me see.”
When I rolled up my sleeve and showed my new tattoo, Nefarious, who was looking at my forearm with a smile, dropped his third cup of coffee. This time he didn't even care about the liquid drooling across the table. He held his chest, as if his heart would stop.
“Oh, it doesn't hurt, it's all right! In the fight against Elof, I used my arm as a shield and was struck by lightning. I managed to send it back and nothing happened to me, I was just burned in this little part of the tattoo, but soon it will heal,” I said with a nervous smile, by his face my forearm could fall off at any moment.
Nefarious was white. His eyes snapped at my new scar. My heart pounded. I was missing the boring times, now, was one cold shot in the belly after another.
“Professor, what happened? Is something wrong?”
“No. In fact, this kind of mark I only saw once in a lifetime before yours. But don't worry for now.” He tried to calm me down in a half smile.
Whatever it was, Nefarious seemed worried about the scar, which was “nothing,” he convinced himself that this was irrelevant for now.
“Finished your coffee? Let's go to the ward to see how your father and Dakota are doing. Agnes, Agnes! Thanks for the delicious coffee, sorry for the mess on the table,” he disguised it, addressing the kitchen lady who was removing our four cups from the table.
“Don’t worry Professor Nefarious, Your Highness, Lola,” she answered, smiling at us.
We were walking out the kitchen door when I felt a shiver down my spine. Mrs. Agnes was still surgically cleaning the table, taking out our dirty dishes. When she looked at the bottom of my cup, she saw something in the sludge that made her make a sound of wonder, dropping the only mug that was still whole on the table. Nefarious and I looked back, she faced us with fear in her eyes, but disguised.
“Is there a problem, Agnes?” asked Nefarious.
“No, no, I’m sorry. I thought I saw a cockroach.”
She had already offered to read my luck in the coffee grounds once, but I didn't pay attention, she saw something. I preferred not to know. Mrs. Agnes made an excuse and I pretended to believe her. Wiky was on Nefarious's shoulder and let out a long peep feeling something strange in the air. I was tired of those goose bumps down my spine, I was already leaving. I’d ignore it.
We went to the ward. It was the same hospital smell from when I was hospitalized for two days because of pneumonia, back in Florida. I spotted my father lying on the first bed. Dr. Wallin, also a professor in Valkyrie, came to talk to us.
“Hello Professor and Your Highness. Your father is fine, only had a slight abrasion in the head. No other more serious injuries.”
“Thank you, Doctor Wallin,” I breathed a sigh of relief. “There she is, Dakota!”
She was in the last bed resting, where a doctor was checking her still-aching leg.
“How are you?” asked Nefarious.
“I've been better, but I'm in one, all the pieces together.”
“Sorry again for the leg. My fault.”
“Stop being silly. We are alive. Zyba, your father, Kenzo, we all are! The mission has been accomplished, this is what is important,” she said covered by a soft white sheet.
“Everyone showed a lot of courage on this journey, I'm proud of you! You faced evil and conquered it,” said Nefarious, we answered with a smile.
Dakota and I exchanged glances. She knew my opinion about the ‘evil.’
Zyba walked through the ward door before we missed him.
“Hello people! Ready for another adventure?”
We rolled our eyes in response to the smiling boy.
“Okay, okay ... I was joking! Huh Lola, why are you wearing this weird outfit?”
“Zybagron, I'm glad you're here! I was telling the girls how proud I am that you were able to accomplish this mission so bravely,” Nefarious diverted the subject of my clothing choices for later. I thanked him with a wink.
“Thank you, Professor Nefarious! We knew it would work. Fighting that dragon wasn’t easy, but I used my technique learned in the Art of War classes, it was accurate!” bragged Zyba.
“What a liar! Mr. Aoki saved you!” Dakota replied back.
“He was a help! But I could have beaten the dragon, I just didn't have time.”
Between smiles and eye rolls, everyone was glad to have Zyba's mood back. But when we remember the sad part of the story, all smiles disappeared.
“Too bad Kenzo didn't come back. My mother went to comfort Mrs. Aoki, I'm coming back from there. She stopped crying. I don't know if she was sad that Kenzo didn’t come back, or angry that her husband would not return. I heard her say that if she could, she would break Mr. Aoki's jaw.”
“In fact, this story made me very sad. Kenzo wanting to stay in Leike’s Land was a surprise. I will think of something to rescue them later, there must be a solution,” Nefarious looked away and swallowed with some difficulty.
A warrior from the Keeper’s troop approached, delivering a surprise to Dakota and Zyba.
“Excuse me, Professor Nefarious. I can drag the wheelbarrow until Aratama, no problem. Can we prepare Mr. Lars for the trip?”
“Yes, Mats, please. Thank you.”
“Wait a second. Your father preparing to leave, you in this weird outfit...”
“That's right Zyba, I'm going back to the first dimension.”
Disappointment appeared on their faces. Zyba was going to reply, but swallowed hard.
“Lola! After all we've been through here! You are our princess. You must stay with your people. This is your home!” replied Dakota, frowning.
“I know. Sorry guys, but I can't. I have a life waiting for me in the first dimension. I can't abandon everything and stay here. Nefarious understood my decision. I need to think, everything is still too confusing.”
Zyba and Dakota looked down, said nothing more.
“Guys, respect her decision. Let Lola mature the idea, ok?”
They both responded by nodding.
“Dakota, can you follow me to announcement balcony? Kenzo's mother will also be with us to break the news to the people. I promised her we will find a way to bring him back soon.”
“Of course, I just need that crutch Dr. Wallin left at the end of the bed. But how do you think you’ll convince Kenzo?”
“I don't know yet ... I need to think of something. Now come on, I must announce your departure, Lola.”
Looks like I was letting the Village down all the time, every hour was a different bit of bad news since we’d met. My belly felt cold, I didn’t want to go there, but I didn't know where to run either. Dakota leaned one arm on me, the other on the crutch. With Nefarious and Zyba, we set off for the castle's main balcony.