QUEEN OF THE DEAD

CHAPTER 7

following the hidden reflection

I didn't dream this time. I made love to a Prince Charming who had always seen me as a Princess. I thought I would feel bad about giving myself to him, getting rid of my purity right after confession, but instead a great big deal was taken off my shoulders.

It's not a dream this time. I'm now Heidi's Princess. We are now in an affair that the Kingdom doesn't know of. If it will spark a rebellion, I don't care. We love each other.

Heidi pulled up in my dormitory very late at night. We stayed by the cliff for a few hours judging the stars and eating a lot to take the alcohol off our system so Heidi could drive. Right now, I'm wearing his blazer as he sat in confortable silence.

Suddenly, he stared at me in shock, then scoffed at me before chuckling.

"What now, Levough?" I grumbled with signature hostile tone, this time not serious at all.

"I'm... so sorry," he says, covering his mouth. I was confused before he added, "Do you have a turtleneck shirt or...? I mean, I dont have a problem with people knowing but I think you do."

Putting all pieces together, I grabbed his phone from a compartment and turned the camera on, confirming the awful tiny bruises around my neck and collarbone.

I slapped the phone against him repeatedly. "You bit me! Multiple times!  How dare you, this is--!"

"Beautiful," he grabbed my hands, preventing me from slicing his neck with his phone. He gave me a fun look in his eyes, the one I've been seeing whenever he zones out during our tutoring sessions.

"I wish those can last forever," he says.

"No way, I..." my speech halted when I noticed the sad look in his face. That made my heart dip, because I could never get used to Heidi being sad like this. It's like a hyperactive puppy being sick all of a sudden.

"Perce, do you love me?" He asks sadly, further confusing me by his tone.

"I..." Sighing, I lowered my arms. Even though the answer was there, I wasn't sure how to respond yet again. I have to be brave for just this second.

"I do..."

"Then, please don't stay in Carvalle after Graduation," he said almost immedietly.

"Why?"

"I just... please don't. You'll get a successful career in any other place."

"Why not, Heidi?" I firmly ask. Why does he not want me to stay where he is? Carvalle is owned by his family, and even Vivian Levough is the current President/Owner of the Carvalle we're going to right now. Where Carvalle is, is where Heidi is at.

"I love you so much," he answered instead, kissing my hand. "I'll always be with you. Will you wait for me?"

"Wait for you--what?" I don't know if it's because we're still intoxicated, but I believe Heidi is saying nonsense.

"Please wait for me. Don't stay in Carvalle. I'll find you wherever, and we'll be together."

"Heidi, you're ridiculously scaring me."

He released my hands and pulled me in for a desperate kiss, so tight and possessive I can no longer breathe. Then, I felt moisture in my cheeks. I felt warm liquid full of sadness.

Heidi is crying, yet again.

"Wherever you go, please wait for me. Don't you dare lose me in your mind."

I replied by giving him a confirming kiss. 

a month later

DAY OF THE GRADUATION

I am wearing a red toga with a cap lined with golden gems at the edges. Being one of the top students, I was seated in front. I am so excited to receive my diploma, and I am so excited to be receiving it with Heidi, the Suma c*m Laude.

Which is, despite my final grade not being anywhere near his, sitting right beside me holding my hand tightly. He has somehow manipulated the organizer into making us sit beside each other.

I would've been comfortable with the butterflies in my stomach whenever his thumb runs over my knuckles lovingly, had it not been the eyes that are criminally judging us from afar.

I am talking about the students, and Vivian Levough who is seated at the stage along with the Dean and other Supervisors. Her gaze makes want to melt, and Heidi comforts me by sneaking a middle finger between us whenever he catches Vivian staring.

I hate it when he does that, because it makes Vivian scowl and I have not been more terrified of a beautiful face being angry before.

Tori de Valle was right beside me, probably sensing my discomfort with with Vivian Levough. He leaned in and whispered, "She can sense fear, stop shaking your knees."

I stopped bouncing my knees just as he said and muttered an apology. Then, Tori smiled at me in the slightest way possible which caught me in awe about how beautiful he can be when smiling.

"Heidi," I whispered.

"Yeah?" He happily leaned in to hear me through all the applause and speeches.

"Thank you so much for everything."

He gave me a gentle smile, still charismatic as his entire existence. "Words are not enough. Kiss me."

"You cheeky---no way in front of all of them," I scowled at him.

He then pulled out a chocolate candy from his sleeve. "I'll give you chocolate."

I rolled my eyes. There, I kissed him. Not because of the dumb chocolate, but because it's a genuine thanks for me. A ghost of a smile even crept on my face as he squeezed my hand, ignoring the gasps and whispers from the seats behind us.

"You're mine, Percy. Always remember," He whispered while staring at the Dean who is giving his speech. When he turned to look at me, his smile is so charming but his eyes are full of sadness. "You'll always be mine."

Cheesy, but I responded by squeezing his hands.

"Now let us welcome, our Suma c*m-Laude, Heidi Francis Korva Levough!"

He released a sigh before letting God of my hand to get one stage. I've never felt my hand go hollow without his before.

"Carvalle Institutes is the school of Dreams, as everyone expected it to be," he started his speech. Then he looked straight at me, making my cheeks burn. "Carvalle Institutes is the school of Royalty, according to one person. Those words from one person left a greater impression than what other has said about the school. All of us truly are royalty. Not by the luxury we are born into... but by the people who surrounds us and who admire us."

He took his eyes away from mine. "Now that we are leaving this school and parting ways, success if handed to us right in our faces. We leave this chapter of our lives with the people who made us feel like royalty. These people are friends, classmates, lovers..."

He met my eyes yet again, looking as sad as ever, which made me concerned.

"We leave this school with a bright future two steps away. As graduates of Carvalle Institutes, we are ready to take on the challenges of life, and the lack thereof. We are ready to step out of this place as adults, and we are ready to take huge laps of our lives as functioning member of society, be it Royal or not. We are---" something caught his attention from the right.

He paused and stared at something there, blankly, which made everyone search for what is hindering his speech. When the mic made a tingy noise, he went back to the audience, this time with an indescribable emotion on his face.

"We are ready." He stared at me. For a few seconds, it's as if he had forgotten his speech and the people behind him were starting to get worried.

Heidi looked at his right once again, before going back to staring right in my eyes, this time smiling as brightly as ever, the charisma of the Heidi Levough we know of.

"I am ready," he says while staring directly at my eyes.

All of us were not ready for the sudden

bang!

I was not ready to see the side of Justin's head burst into blood, knocking him to his side. He lays on the stage motionless as everyone around me fell in shock. His eyes still open, the brown ones I had always loved, staring at me with no ounce of life left in them. There was no smile, his face void of life as color around me drained.

There was screams all around me. But I fell deaf, and I fell numb. I could no longer control anything in my body as my eyes produced the fat droplets of tears that ruined my make up. Everyone panicked and ran around, but I stayed in my seat paralyzed as my brain screamed, Go to him. Go to him. Wake him up. Heidi...

The faculty, as well as Vivian Levough went to the motionless Heidi, shaking his body and screaming for the medics despite knowing that a head shot means no survival. While he's being attended to by panicked professionals, he remained staring at me.

He kept staring at me in a lifeless, sad apology.

I could feel my heart stop momentarily, and I can feel my eyes darken. Everything around me spins until I can no longer stare at Heidi's beautiful eyes.