Sunshine poured down like a faucet, casting shadows through the cracks of the old walls.
My eyelids tore themselves apart, awakened from a nap they shouldn't have had.
Yenica laid lifeless still, even the shimmering scales had gone pale and cold.
"hah…hah…"
Her shallow breaths were the only sound I could register amidst the breaking of dawn.
"..."
My fingers carefully wiped the tear traces under her darkened eyelids.
It would be a lie to say I'm ready to talk. Yenica, the only one I dare yet to face in this damned world
A mere plot device in the novel, the side character of a side character and nothing more.
Beyond all of that, she is but a widow left to rot in a cruel, disgusting world. Counting her remaining hours oblivious to the fact that the people she loved would eventually be thrown away like trash.
She would have fulfilled her role and died a few years later. Looking at her now, even a day would be a stretch.
The house, void of everything it once was, hummed a voice of silence. Wishing its mother a nice rest.
But peace is the furthest expression to describe the gasping widow.
"argh…garh…"
Occasionally, painful groans interrupted her serene breathing, creating a melody familiar to people whose loved ones aren't long for this world.
Such a mess.
Dawn came with a light drizzle, greeting me a new day. The fine droplets spurted through the wooden frame uninvited.
My hand swiftly reached to the window, lightly repelling against morning rainfall as It pushed back the shutter.
Despite my efforts, the drizzle soon grew into a grey monsoon. It knocked and knocked endlessly on the small window, asking to come in.
I might have to thank the past me for not selling the house.
''...sigh''
The day went on. Noon fell and the monsoon faded into the background, leaving only the wind to carry an unpleasant odor of sewage through our door.
My eyes couldn't leave Yenica even for a moment, watching over her every twitch.
Sometimes her body would wiggle lightly, followed by a slow pained groan. From time to time, she seemingly stops moving for an entire minute, along with her breathing.
The only thing I could offer was to wipe the sweat trying to puddle on her wrinkled forehead.
Afternoon came, and the sun rose to dry out the rain-soaked ground. The sweet fragrance of sewage I was getting familiar with, now overtaken by the earthy aroma.
And finally.
Yenica opened her eyes.
Her fractured words clawed the ceiling
"I…I'm not dead?"
"Don't overdo it, you've been in a coma for more than half a day"
Draping the blanket over her, electric like needles stung my legs when I stood up.
''Rest Yenica, please."
But before I could walk away, something gripped the hem of my shirt..
"Dear…How I'm I…not dead?"
"I remembered putting every last drop into that kiss, it would have fully healed you and…and-"
She had almost died, had my tears not landed on her face to give back bits of her own vitality.
"And drain your life dry, correct?"
"..."
Her eyes locked onto mine, their teal shades glimmering beneath the dying afternoon sun.
"Why do you keep calling me by my name?"
Her delicate fingers grip on my pinky, holding onto me as she struggles to sit up from the bed.
'I… really don't know how to reply'
How can I call you what a husband calls his wife?
"I'm heading out, it's almost late noon and you haven't eaten all day"
My legs tried to move, but all effort to walk disappeared as the callous hand hugged tighter.
The words, they just won't come. I'm not her husband, how can I be comfortable calling her "honey", or " love" or whatever pet name they had given to each other?
With every minute that my back is turned against Yenica, the option of walking out of the house becomes more enticing.
But the grip loosens.
"...?"
Silence came naturally, overflowing what little space we had.
A warmth I haven't felt for ages swarmed me tight. The heat that is trapped between one body, aligning perfectly against another.
Hot breaths flew down my back, a heartbeat that danced more rapidly as she embraced.
"Heh, It seems I could still make your heart race?". A cheeky voice echoed from within my ribcage, before flowing out to my ears.
Understandably, having a warm body tugging you from behind would make any man's heart go wild.
"You know dear…when I woke up yesterday, I was really taken back by…the renovations you've made to the house"
Ah.
"The first thing that came to mind…was you. Where have you been? And why were you looking at me like we've just met?"
My back tried to turn, but her embrace kept it from moving even an inch.
"But there's only one question, I need an answer to"
Yenica pushed her head harder against my back.
"Were you alright, my dear Roland?"
"My husband, my love."
"My life."
Ah.
This is not it, it's just wrong to receive these words from someone else's wife!
For a moment, I faltered. I want to turn back, to embrace the woman embracing me. With every second, her arms pull in tighter, desperately holding on to my waist.
What should I do? If I hugged back it would be immoral. If I stay idle, things will only get more awkward. This is harder than the dilemma in the questline!
"Umm Yenica?"
"Yes, my life?"
"Can you loosen a bit? I'm not fully healed. It's getting a bit hard to breathe with you tugging me like this"
The arms opened up slightly, still holding onto my hips.
"Is this better? Should I lower my arms…?"
Her voice sounds a bit dejected, mixed with a tin of sulkiness.
'Hah…Might as well use this body for what its worth'
I pulled her arms away anyway.
"Yenica, I want you to leave. Now."
"...?"
Her teal eyes scanned me, perplexity clear in their irises.
"We don't have much time. Please, leave."
Amidst the voided house, the awkward silent slips passed. Leaving the cold and breathless air to take its place.
The sun is coming down from the roof, darkness gracefully descended upon us.
Through the silence enveloping, I can hear them clear.
"ding…dong…ding…ding"
"ding..ding..ding…."
"dong…"
Damned fate.
The rhythmic bell ringing, swayed back and forth. Sparks of light lit the night in the back streets. Not just one or two, a swarm of fiery light orbs shade tin orange flickered lively just across two houses.
"I'm sorry, I truly do Yenica."
The loan lords had come to collect.
My eyes lingered on her face, a textbook example of beauty beyond absurdity. Only found in fiction.
The teal gazed behind me, dancing shades mixed with red and orange reflected on its surface.
"It's alright, my love. Those loan sharks, they're not here for a friendly reminder aren't they?"
"This moment might be our last."
A small screech escaped my gritting teeth, letting to flow words I could no longer hold back.
"Do you loath me, Yenica?"
The teal in her eyes anchored on my amber lakes. They say the eyes are doorways to one's mind, yet I could not discern a single thought through them.
Yenica stood still for a moment before taking in a deep breath.
"Roland, was this the only way?"
It was the only way I could think of.
"It was the only path I could take. Even after pawning everything, it was still not enough to fully get rid of the debts."
Even if I had sold my organs, there would still be gaps to fill in.
"...I really want to scold you Roland. I do"
'You can take my life, if it pays back even a fraction of what I've done.'
"But…"
Her words came weak, without malice or contempt.
She walked slowly, closer to me.
And then without warning. Our lips touched once more, I tried my best avoiding her approach but it was for naught as she had already locked on me with her tongue.
"I love you"
…
"I love you Roland."
"…"
"What you did, it was for me was it not? You could have sold everything, kept the money and rented a comfy carriage to carry you across this city. You could have forsaken me and start anew."
Yes…I could have done that.
"Even at this moment, you could just abandon me here and run away. With your strength, you could make it out of these walls if you will it."
"Yet even when those fox bastards are just two walls away from us. Here you stand, still holding my hand."
I instinctively pull back the hand, but her fingers are already locked tightly on mine.
"How can I loathe the man who threw his life away for me?"
I sighed.
"In the end. It's still ruined, everything is."
"Does it matter? I'm not long for this world, Roland. Even If I hadn't healed you, holding on to life in this pathetic state would be worse than seeing you suffer those wounds"
"I just hope that our kid, that damned brat, will visit just once before my time runs out."
Angeline's last letter arrived almost two years ago, she hadn't written them anymore letters or notices since.
"She must be busy with school work. The academy is stricter on commoners after all"
The brat's just burning her heart away for a boy who barely noticed her.
"I…guess you're right, Yenica."
"That again, try calling me something cuter next tim–"
The bells that were silent moments ago, tolls once more.
"Ring ding ring…Ding ring…ding…"
The ringing of bells vibrated through the thin walls, entering our space like uninvited guests.
A knock on the door.
And then another, and another.
Despite saying she's leaving soon, Yenica quietly buried her face in my chest. Embracing it tightly to the point asphyxia returned to me. Her legs are growing weaker, barely keeping her standing.
"It's going to be alright." I whispered.
A melody only I knew flowed amidst the constant ringing of bells, and the nonstop assault on the doorboard.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"
"You make me happy when skies are gray "
Her breathing slowed, her eyes already at rest.
"You'll never know, dear, how much…"
"Please don't take my sunshine away "
Her legs finally gave out. I gently helped her lean against my chest.
"Good night…Mrs. Yenica"
Silence filled the spot where her heart once beat, it was slowly tightening its gaps a few moments after the lullaby started. The chill of her skin brushed against my face, it paled even more than we first met.
Her fish-like scales wilted, before peeling off like old coagulated scalps.
Yenica, the tragic widow whose fate was predetermined, a mother whose longing for her family lingers even in the end.
Has died.
The knocking stops. As someone had already busted the door open.
I lay Yenica's lifeless body on the bed, the intruders don't seem too bothered by my total ignorance of their intrusion.
"Roland the hunter, it took us a while to look for you. The junior who was dispatched to your location had a little trouble with our boss, leading to him not being able to perform his extraction of your outstanding dues."
A man dressed in a well-ironed, black suit announced. He was holding a brass pull lighter, same as the ones the other well-dressed were holding. Their flames glow in unison forming an illusive array behind the man.
"We apologize for the lack of punctuality, your lodging is simply too hard to find among the general populace of the backstreets."
He pulled out a slip of papers, each about a palm in length.
"Without wasting anymore time, I'll speak of today's agenda"
The paper slips were given to each of the men in the back, stacking up to their chests.
"We had given you abundant time to repay what you had owed us. The amount exceeds 150000 gold coins, counting interest and late payment penalties that will total to 400000 gold coins."
"Would you prefer paying in platinum, or in blood?"
The platinum coin in my pocket shook.