The Shadow Awakens
Chapter 5's

The light streaks were yellow and orange shimmered as well as skipping small to form fine gyrations over Luna's wounds. The human girl seemed to be lying comfortably on top of the bed while enjoying the rhythm of the curve of the light. Most of the light gathered in his left eye. No wonder because that part was the deepest incision wound he got.

On the other side of the 7x7 room, a female doctor was seen sitting at a table not far from Luna's bed. She was probably about five years older than Luna. He wears sunglasses that are the same color as his straight shiny hair. His clothes were formal with a lace-patterned pink shirt along the buttons and lined with a long white coat typical of a doctor. A black-robed name tag seemed to hang around his neck. Florentina, that's the name written on the name tag.

Florentina's hand seemed busy writing something on the map supported by his left hand. The pen that had been moving lightly up and down now stopped completely. Flo raised his head. “Your left eye shadow seems to be very deep. But it doesn't matter. There is no wound that I can not heal,” his comment while closing the map and putting it on the table not far behind him.

The bright blue Iris of Florentina stared at Luna's other wounds. He smiled with satisfaction as the wounds almost recovered completely. “Don't worry, your vision will recover soon. Even faster than you think. But..”

Florentina was silent for a moment while looking for the right words to continue his sentence. “It looks like a former incision can not be lost completely. There will be a thin line later,” he said honestly with a regretful tone.

“It's okay. I've been quite grateful you've healed all my wounds,” reply Luna has absolutely no objection to the presence of scars on her face.

The yellow streaks of orange light began to fade one after another. Luna's left eyelid opened slowly by itself. He then blinked his eyes several times, raising his hand, trying to see his own hand with his normal vision. Luna's face beamed when she knew the vision in her left eye had returned to normal.

The corner of Florentina's lips expands, creating a wide smile. “If it wasn't Rei who asked, maybe your wounds wouldn't heal this fast, or maybe you're in a long queue below,” he said while returning to his desk.

Luna got up from her bed. His eyes continued to observe the movements of Florentina who began to re-write something. “Do you and Rei know each other?” tanyanya wants to know.

“More than just getting to know. You could say a very familiar friend and even surpass my sister, Zeriel.” Florentina answered without switching from her desk.

“Well, Rei has been waiting for you outside. Not good make him wait longer.” Florentina gestured towards the door.

Actually Luna wanted to ask more. He wanted to understand the young man a little more indifferently but kept a lot of that gentle side. But it seems like now is not the right time. Other times he could still see Florentina and ask more. For the time being it is better that he immediately go out to meet Rei.

Rei is seen standing against the wall in front of Luna's room. Her brown iris focused on the phone in her hand but was instantly distracted by the sound of the door opening. His lips were suddenly attracted slightly forming a faint thin smile.

“It looks like Flo really brought you back as you were.” His choice of words is a little strange. But Luna understood.

“Well, except in this section.” Rei added while pointing a thin vertical line on Luna's left eye. Luna smiled slightly in response to Rei's words. He himself did not try to cover the incision at all.

“So... how are you?” Rei again asked as he carried Luna towards the inter-level elevator. I don't know where else they're going now.

“I'm fine,” replied Luna naturally returning Rei's gaze. Like being bewitched by the charm behind the pair of violets, Rei felt like he was being snared and unable to escape from the charm. The next second he immediately turned his face looking the other way.

“Good,” sahutnya short. Implied relief behind Rei's words that are still strong put on the expressionless face.

They went back to the elevator. “I've taken care of all your letters of residence here. It's actually Zeriel's job, but I think he's busy out there himself. Don't take care of what.” Rei again said as he guided Luna towards the second level, the hundred and eleven floor.

It was on this hundred and eleventh floor that the humans of the Human Realm whose city had been unlucky to fuse with the Shadow Realm lived. For a while the Center decided to house the humans here. Well, this one hundred and eleventh floor looks like a small town, complete with condominium model homes, parks, roads, sidewalks and more. While on the ceiling is installed a tool that serves to regulate the changes of day and night. If you do not see out the glass window black— who apparently can see the outside view with clear—then no one is aware that they are actually in a building.

Here Luna saw some familiar faces. Some neighbors, college friends and typical human faces are very expressive. They even immediately smiled seeing Luna's arrival. Unlike the faces of the Shadow People who tend to be stiff, flat or only occasionally smile thin—no exception Rei.

“You'll stay here. Don't get off this floor, 'cause you're not gonna get lost. Of course this time I don't want to trouble myself to find you.” Rei reminded as he handed her a small white envelope that was pulled out of his pants pocket. “Croom number and key.”

“Oh yes, maybe Zeriel or someone will come looking for you later. Talk about one or more things.” Rei added before turning around.

“How about you?” Luna held off Rei's departure. “Are you going to face the dragon?” With hesitation Luna guessed.

Again, not for now.

*****

A thick white, cold puff of steam shot out from the two large holes simultaneously and regularly. The air in that place was very cold. The top of the hole appears to expand and deflate in intervals that are not too long. A pair of red eyeballs lit up like magma embers suddenly opened wide not far above the hole. His eyes moved slowly glancing at the figure that was approaching him.

Those eyes suddenly shot upwards replaced by the sight of his row of sharp teeth. The long tongue seemed to be stretched out. The dragon evaporated widely and ended with a strong breath until it hit the fine dust at the end of its muzzle.

 “You almost made me die of boredom, Nathanael.” The dragon greeted the human body-like figure formed by a mixture of black ink-like liquid with a night-dark mist.

The figure of Nathanael just appeared with a shadow intermediary. A layer of matured sapodilla skin was slowly revealed as the black ink liquid began to be sucked to a single point on his right arm, revealing the real form of a young man.

“You yourself flew straight here as soon as you felt that power, didn't you? Always impatient,” grumbled the young man called Nathanael. He then climbed from one rubble to another higher debris so that he could see directly with the giant scaly red brick creature. Within this close distance, he was able to clearly see a pair of pointed horns towering above the dragon's head. While small, thick, and not equally flat teeth appear to stand lined up from the top of the head to the neck, back to end in the tail.

While the full moonlight of the night seemed bright enough to reveal the identity of the shadowy young man. His face was familiar, only his appearance now looked more presentable. Short black hair that is neatly combed up and brown iris eyes that sparkle due to the reflection of moonlight. He was wearing a grey t-shirt behind a maroon hoodie jacket with a zipper that was pulled in half.

Rei Nathanael chose to sit on the rubble facing towards the city. There was no aura of hostility or tension between them, and instead, it was as if the two had finally met after a long time.

“That human girl, isn't she? I saw him through the window. Was he the descendant of the owner of the fire of death before you?” The dragon spoke.

Rei lowered his head, staring at the crack on the rock he was sitting on. “Destiny is not something we can set ourselves, man. Although it has been brought to the Human Realm, but in the end the fire is still back here.”

“True, Luna is his descendant as well as the new owner of the fire of death.” The implied thousands of anxieties were also the uneasiness behind Rei's words. He took a deep breath and then continued again, “The battle a month ago was planned. They deliberately upset the balance of the Human Realm and the Shadow Realm. His goal is only one, which is to take back the fire of death.”

The dragon raised his head. A pair of her magma-red irises were staring seriously at Rei. “Kaum Ifrit..yeah, it has been twenty years since they targeted the fire of death,” muttered grunt.

He had guessed that the great battle in the shadow realm some time ago was the work of the Ifrits, the ruthless and ugly creatures that could not give up so easily. “But I still did not expect the battle to affect the Human Realm and even to unite these two supposedly separate parallel dimensions.”

“Eldian himself also did not expect until he felt for himself the existence of the fire of death in the Center,” Rei replied. The Eldian in question is the Highness of the Shadow. Rei had a chance to meet him while Luna was treating her wounds with Flo.

“Then, have you guys got any clue who leaked the death fire presence information?” The dragon asked again.

“There's some speculation. But all the conjectures are still lacking strongly, the evidence is too little. Eldian only suggested to be more careful,” Rei replied.

The dragon did not comment further. He himself did not expect to get a satisfactory answer. “After this incident, are you planning to take back the fire? Me and Grandpa Elder would be calmer if the fire was in your hands, Nathanael,” he said, and Rei only clenched his mouth tightly. The young man didn't think so.

The dragon picked up a signal that did not match his expectations. He snorted unhappily and caused a cold moist wind to be exposed on Rei's skin. The dragon did not like it if Rei kept letting the flames of death continue to be in the control of a human girl.

Rei paid no attention to the smoldering glare that was emanating behind the dragon's eyes. His brown iris even coolly looked far away towards the forest. He dissolves in his own mind. A mind that is jumbled and filled with thousands of considerations, doubts, fears and strange beliefs that suddenly take part.

“I always respect your decision, Nathanael. If you don't intend to take back the fire, then you have faith in the girl's ability.” The dragon spoke again. His trust in Rei seemed to have managed to suppress the almost overflowing emotional turmoil.

“Tomorrow morning.. bring him here. I want to make sure whether your belief is correct or you just want to run, Nathanael,” said the dragon firmly.