Ch. 8: A Heart Coaxed Open... (SUN)
Doctor: “Lord Orion gave you his power…a little longer, and you would have died.”
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3 days after that…-.
I gazed at Orion, who had yet to wake up.
Orion, I’m sorry.
I tightly grasped the necklace, which had been beside me when I woke up, then reached out to touch his hand with my own.
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OO: “What happened…?”
I was shocked as I looked at the wound Orion had gotten, and questioned the man who appeared to be the physician.
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Orion: “However, in order to get the ability to return to the surface… you’ll have to have an even deeper bond with a sea floor dweller.”
Orion: “You bear their child.”
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OO: “I was told that, in order to leave the bubble, one needs to bear the child of a sea dweller.”
Man: “…there is one other way. You can acquire the same ability, if you are given a large amount of blood by the sea dweller.”
OO: “…!”
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He did that for me… Orion, I’m sorry.
OO: “…!”
His hand!
Orion’s fingers twitched, and I stood up from my chair.
OO: “Orion…”
At my voice, Orion’s eyebrows knit in discomfort and he opened his eyes.
Orion: “OO…”
OO: “Thank goodness! I’ll go get the doctor.”
I made to hurry out of the room, but Orion pulled on my hand.
Orion: “I’m fine. Besides…there’s something I want to ask you. Was it an accident? Or…were you trying to leave?”
OO: “…”
Orion: “Why were you outside the bubble?”
I have to be honest and apologize.
OO: “…I was careless. The necklace you gave me was floating in the water and went outside the bubble. I was so absorbed with chasing after it that…suddenly…”
Orion: “…that’s all? You weren’t trying to run away from me?”
OO: “Well…”
It’s true, I had wanted to run away. I have to tell…the truth.
I looked Orion in the eye, and slowly nodded.
Orion: “…why? Up until now, I’ve been able to get close to everything I had ever thought I wanted. Things…women…anything. Why did you run? How can I make you mine? Why won’t you be how I want you to!?”
His complexion…!
Orion: “…I love you. Even if your heart doesn’t return my feelings…I’ll put that aside. I just can’t imagine being parted from you.”
His words, so straightforward, were prying my heart open.
OO: “Orion, please…”
His face had grown paler, and as I tried to calm him…
Orion: “…”
He suddenly started coughing violently.
OO: “I’ll go get the doctor right away!”
Orion: “No. If he shows up, he’ll make me take medicine to make me sleep. And while I’m sleeping, you might try to disappear again.”
OO: “I won’t disappear. I’ll stay by your side until you wake up.”
I spoke frantically and with conviction, and Orion looked into my eyes.
Then he reached out his hand and pulled mine in closer.
While holding my hand like that, Orion fell asleep.