LOVE WILL LEAD YOU BACK ANGEL'S SPRING

CHAPTER V

(PARADISE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW)

“PERFECT!”

Greeting me with their utmost delight and glee, the producers and sponsors for my concert showers me with gifts and their praises wants for the successful first night of my first world concert and ever since I became the famous pop star everyone adores and love. All after almost three years of working my way to the top with the conviction and longing wants to see him and reach the road and stage of his pedestal and into this third life and a chance for our lives. I clutches and firmly holds unto the bouquet and one of the thousand I receives in that night, smiling and professionally took their greetings and praise.

“Please, it will be nothing without your help.” I compliment and back, which put the mood into even a lighter tone, and where they laugh and smile in return.

“Then shall we see you at the after-party?”

Deliberately asking me in return and way ahead by which I could not say no even though I want to. I professionally took the invitation with a smile and words as I reply.

“I surely will.”

With respect and a kind of cultural gesture, I bao and immediately directed by my manager and with some guards in two, away from everyone and into my dressing room. All after we evaded the press, locked the door and with Bea settling the press outside. Finally left alone where I wanted, I am surrounded with gifts and flowers from my fans, yet as I am left alone and like this, I could not help, but think of him. Taking a deep breath out and glance at the gifts and flowers around which makes the entire room into a mini flower field I wanted to describe it be. I smile as a certain memory flashes back as the moonflower catches my eyes and once more brought me back to that fleeting memories of the past.

“I am the King of this forest, protector, and knight, Rafael.”

“Standing before his highness, I am Miyu, at your service.”

To my beating heart and the longingness, I ease for long. I took the bouquet of the flower and hold it close to my chest and upon my heart. Where I kept the promise and that second, yet first chance where we met, and like a gentle wind that gently blows everything into that warm feeling, that reminiscing past turns back to where it all began.

“THAT very place is a cradle for demons, the place where no one ever existed as no one dares to go and no one ever come back alive.”

My mother gasped, uttering the words that she always sticks unto my mind with the horror beyond a warning that gazes her face with it. And where it is one of the lessons that I strictly needed to keep and follow. Holding my hand as she caresses my face, she made me promise one thing.

"Promise me one thing Miyu, do not ever dare to enter that forest."

The words that were pin unto my innocent mind ever since I started wondering and asking about the place no one dared to even talk about, but are cautious as they brand it to be a cursed forest that no one dares to set a foot as it means death.

"That place is the lire of demons, the cradle of all evil legends, they all call, My Lady." Our servants would describe, with the exact words I always have each time I ask about it.

I do not know when, why, and how such things and rumors spread. But to my innocence and curiosity, the path not close nor too far from my place is whispering a gentle tone I could not ignore. Sticking my sight to my window sill, sitting as I gaze from afar to that forest, they brand that place to be, I wonder as I ask, “Cold, yet not. Quiet, yet full of dreams, just what awaits at the end of that path?”

I often ask myself but did not dare to share with anyone, for if I did, they all will scold me in return, warning the words of how dangerous that path will lead anyone to be. Yet, I could not help it as I often get myself in marvel towards that mystery, of how peculiar, mysterious, yet, unusual is it. That somehow rings a familiarity unto my life.

“I know nothing, but my heart is knocking something in between, by which I wanted to go and see that place for myself,” I ask back, resting my chin on the palm of my hand as I often dream of riding my horse going to that place as I added, "Just what is in that place that something within me is asking for a favor to be lead inside?"

I whisper, taking it all unto myself as each passing day of my guarded life and lonely days, my haven in comfort is to look at my bedrooms window tracing the path unto that place.

"Birds," I utter, asking deep, observing the birds that come and go to that path that somehow isn't bothered or anything at all, by which often comes to me in debate. "If that very place is somewhere a demon hide, shouldn’t there be animals as beautiful as the canary would dare to enter?" I added, muttering to myself.

Yet, I know that everything from the words that they say, from the tales that made every little child shiver in fear, and the demon they all call is someone nothing alike, nor any noble ones. For probably, no definitely, that someone is far unlike what they brand him to be, but an angel or even a fairy that I can call my friend.

BUT.

“SHE IS SHELTERED, BUT SHE CAN DO WHATEVER SHE LIKES. SHE’S FREE AS SHE CAN HAVE ANYONE TO BE HER COMPANION, BUT THAT IS WHAT SHE IS NEEDED TO BE. USING MY DAUGHTER AND HER KINDNESS IS THE MOST BRILLIANT STRATEGY I HAVE EVER COME UP WITH, WITH THE COMMONERS AT BAY FOR THEIR RESPECT FOR HER IS JUST A REFLECTION OF ME. IF USING MY DAUGHTER TO SNIFF THE TRAITORS AND PUT THEM IN THE PROPER ORDER OF WHAT I WANT, I CAN SAY THAT SECOND CHANCES ARE NOT WORTH BEING GIVEN TO THE LIKES OF THOSE COMMONERS. FOR WHAT IS MUCH EFFECTIVE? BUT TO HAVE BOTH HEART AND SWORD TO CONTROL EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING.”

I know I have faults, but standing up for the commoners, the people he mistreated, is the most satisfying thing I ever did, yet it causes a rift in our family. Hurt and quite rebelling, I run away that night, heartbroken by his words. In the thunderstorm and heavy rain, I rode my horse running aimlessly away as I did not care where.

"I hate you." as I mutter unto myself, leaving the heavy rain to soak my body through and through.

With my tears on the way it is hard for me to see the dim rough and dirt patched road ahead. Yet, I did not care as I did not mind, for all that I wanted is to escape from everything of this disappointment and lies of my life.

“Twilight!”

I scream while trying to calm my horse down from the sudden bolt of lightning that strikes in front. Yet it only makes everything worst as my horse sis startle from its guts and I am left losing control of him.

“Twi-”

Leaping to much as another lightning worsen the panic of him, I lost hold of the rope as I fall rolling in a dirt path and way down. Closing my eyes as my screams is muffled by the storm, I hit my head unto a rock making everything turns into blank and black.

"Hmmm." I moan as I gain my consciousness back, yet to the expected raining waters of the storm and the dark ditch I fall into, I found the place.

Slowly opening my eyes and picturing the whole place, I am speechless to its beauty. With the warmth from the sun that didn’t let me feel the coldness. To the vast meadows, crystal streams, and jewel-like flower buds, the warm yet, gentle air provides me with comfort from the cold of being drench, from the storm of the night that in this place is exchange with a beautiful fantasy I have never been.

"Who are you?"

Just then, I hear his voice, deep yet cold, the one I lay an eye on in the time I realize that I am in twine inside the forest they all called to be a curse, I find him. His complexion of as white as snow, his eyes that is comparable to the ocean and of the beautiful sapphire blue, and his hair that resembles the pearly silver coins. His existence, and somewhat cold appearance, not a human nor a devil they claim him to be, but somehow an angel.

Looking at the epitome of perfection, as my heart flutters and excitement sinks, the words we exchange in between is the first special memory I had.

“I am the King of this forest, protector, and knight, Rafael.” as he introduces himself.

Replaying in a courtesy, I smile genuinely, introducing myself, “Standing before his highness, I am Lady Miyu, at your service.” To his gentle, genuine, and warm smile that took my breath away, I found what I am looking for my entire life.

“Rafael.” Whispering his name inside my mind. The name that I will never forget, the name that he ever had, the identity that I let him have, the very name of his existence, and the pledge of our special friendship is the unknowing start of our curse.

Innocent, yet not, too young, but perhaps not, the days that become months into years, as I found my haven to call in all secrecy.

To the forest and gate that opens for me to enter, the sanctuary he guards for a hundred years is the place I forever come back to. Sitting down at the grassy meadows as his head rested on my lap, I look at him with awe, wondering if I could ask the question, I am somewhat scared to even start, yet.

Slowly opening his eyes as he smiles, he slowly nodded as he says, “I have never been lonely, Miyu.”

Reading my mind, he assures one thing by answering the question I needed an answer to. Thinking that it is quite unfair, yet knowing that for a magical being that he is, I could not hide anything, even what my heart desires and beats for, I smile in an assuring way, as he added the word.

“Yet.”

He suddenly said, added by a burden in his tone and slowly reaching for my face, with his cold hand the seconds touches mine. A dash of sadness is what I read in his eyes.

"I will be," he confesses as he looks past me and into the vast blue sky, raising his hand gently unto the rainbow that went near and places to the tip of his finger. For a second, he closes his eyes as he whispers, “I will feel that emotion, and for the first time, I will cry if I will lose you, Miyu."

Sitting down as he faces and look at me in the eyes, placing the butterfly in my ear, creating an illusion of the most precious pin no equal amount of money in this world could exchange. A gesture that for eighteen years old me that knows what it means, I close my eyes as his cold hand touches my face once more, and slowly overtaken by the loud beat of my heart and the butterflies that escape from within, his soft lips touch mine.

Knowing that everything is a lie about him, about this very forest and his existence, my life as of his, painted the beauty I never knew, but I wish to have. Somewhat sealing a promise from a taboo that we both should not take, his days, his life, and the silence that he has been all these years are shaken and struck because of me.

"Then I promise you that I will never leave you, Rafael. "

The day that I met him, the time that took the cog placing it perfectly completing my ever-lonely life and turning it into the warm I ever wished for years. A taboo, a threat, or a fault, I did not care, for I found my smiles with him, as my heart has long been fallen for him. The day I run away, the accident that I brand it and use to threaten everyone as they all had it scared and enough for me to have the freedom I wanted. I rejected every proposal, every suitor, and every gentleman who came in my way and wanted my hand, for neither that they all know, I long have given my heart to the devil they brand him be.

Raising my pinky finger, I wish. "Then promise me,” whispering as our eyes meet each other, and with a smile, we promise the words. “No matter what, you will stay by my side.” The promise that I selfishly made and wanted in that time.

Marking a smile on his face as he took the same pinky knotted unto mine, he gladly replied. "I promise." Holding the promise with his words, his smile, and the truth that it brings, I did not know then that my happiness is his suffering as his freedom is my curse and vice versa.

Maybe if I am aware of the inevitable future ahead of us, I should not have been selfish, teach him how to smile, be sad, be grateful, and cry. I should not say yes, opened the gates, and see him all to my grandest desire. As I should have run away as I came quick and should be gone, now everything was left open, to the taboo that I cause for the second time without knowing.

Holding the current melody of our gleeful symphony, I took his hand, wanting once more. “Will you sing for me?"

With a smile, he gave me everything. To a promise, I tied him down. To the song that never fails to make my heart at ease, I never knew that it could be the last time before everything turns to ashes. For not everything will run according to one’s desire.

“Burn everything and do not let a single thing remain. For once and for all we need to end the terror of the devil that dwells in that forest!’

The horror that I am afraid all this time to hear, yet it is happening before my eyes. With their spears, swords, torches and the people’s wrath as they do not understand and know the truth. Everything changes in that day.

“RAFAEL!”