Chapter 36

Whilst losing hope to its beauty, she saw her second son.

This time, he was not asleep in some roses.

He was alive, awake, and standing like a true heroic warrior.

"Toren," She whispered and he came to her.

"I wish to apologize, mother," He said with such a regretful face. "I have told a lie to you and to my father. I knew about this world all along."

Airen's face crumpled, then softened with drops of worried tears.

She stood up and locked him inside a warm, comfortable, and tight embrace.

"Worry not about such useless things, my dear," Her voice was almost cracking. "It feels good and different to see you here. I was lonely. I am feeling so lost and alone, as if I was on an endless desert doomed to meet my demise."

Toren calmed her with a comforting caress on the back.

After calming down, the silent world had turned into a romantic air of tranquility.

They each cupped their hands and lifted it heavenwards, asking for the sky's permission.

And with a favorable response, the Orion and Canis Major poured their silvery fluids down to their palms. Together, they drank the holy liquid down to their stomachs and filled themselves with goodness.

"Do you know why we drink stars?" Airen asked him.

"So we could seal the promise to return," He answered. "By sipping their magic, we get to remain in this beautiful escape whenever we needed or whenever we wanted."

Airen gave a pretty and sparkling smile towards him.

She had never encountered so much beauty before until now.

The next day, Airen brought more things that could entertain Toren down the underground room during his hiding hours along with nutritious foods.

She gave him some books and journal notebooks and more painting materials.

Every time she would go down, she would spot him busily painting a picture from a canvas cloth as if that was the only activity he was doing down there.

"Are you sure you are eating at the right time?" Airen asked with concern. "You seemed too absorbed with painting pictures. Even painters must take care of themselves, my son."

"Do not worry about it," Toren chuckled. "I am minding my health too. Look at all the plates and containers you have brought here. It is all empty and wiped out. Proof that I have been eating according to the right time. If not, I would not bother eat it for they would spoil."

Toren glanced at the books that she brought.

One of those caught his attention.

He grabbed the thin one which told about the famous tale of the young prince and his mysterious deep blue flower.

He had heard of the story countless times in the orphanage when the caretakers would tell them of its morals.

They would repeatedly talk about it as if it was some kind of a religious ritual too.

"Are you familiar with that book?" Airen asked.

"I am very familiar with its story," He said with a hint of sadness. "I have always wanted to read it again to see the descriptions of the mysterious flower. I wish to paint it."

Airen smiled, "Then be careful not to fall in love with it. The flower was told to be poisonous and dangerous."

The room fell silent, as if some unseen and unfathomable taboo was mentioned.

Soon, Toren broke the unbearable quietness.

"Why must we be careful about falling in love? Was 'love' something so shallow that it could be meticulously schemed and thought of? If so, the beauty of its madness and its danger that was taken away makes such love a deceitful promise. A land with no ground, only floating into certain things to end up in a dead end. If I were to fall in love, then I shall crash hard and let my bones break. Even if it is poisonous or dangerous."

He glanced at his beautiful mother and had a glimpse of poison and beauty and deceit.