Hael opened his eyes and found himself back in the white and vacant room he had woken up to the last time. The same sound of harp playing greeted him as he walked along the long corridors that led to the grand room, where the same goddess was waiting for him.
With light steps, he moved closer towards the woman, and once again found himself in shock by the sheer power of her magnificence. The music came to a stop, as if sensing his presence next to her. The goddess turned towards him, a smile adorning her pulchritudinous face.
"Welcome back, child." She spoke softly.
Hael gave her a polite nod. "You wish to speak to me once more?" He asked.
Her smile deepened. "Yes, my child. This will be the last time we will see each other in this place. There is a message I wish to deliver to you before you go." She said.
Kaleeso beckoned for him to sit by her side, which he obliged. Her gaze bored into his eyes as she spoke once more.
"You have suffered much, child," Kaleeso began, her voice like a gentle current washing over him. "And yet, your trials are far from over."
Hael silently listened to the goddess, taking in her words.
Her golden eyes flickered with emotion. "I imagine you must be wondering why the Bull of Judgement came after your life."
His jaw tightened at the memory, still recalling the piercing pain he had felt when its horns had lodged into his flesh. The look of horror he saw flashing through Ceremus' face and his heart sinking as he felt his life draining from his body, fearing it would be the last time he ever saw the king. He slowly nodded.
"It was not mere chance, nor an arbitrary act of cruelty, I'm afraid," she continued. "The one who sent the bull after you was a god taken over by loss."
Hael furrowed his brows. "Who?"
She exhaled softly. "Dicaeus. He sought to bring vengeance upon you for killing the kakoethes. Hearing its screams of agony caused him great chagrin and so he wished to inflict upon you the same fate. Experiencing the fear of losing someone you hold dear to your heart."
A chill ran through Hael's spine as he recalled the words Ceremus had spoken to him what felt like many moons ago.
"Whether or not it's true doesn't matter. It is unlikely there is a person powerful enough to send a bull who is supposed to be dead down to earth just to defeat us. That person would have to be a god. The last time I checked, I have offended no gods."
Ceremus had spoken those words confidently during that time. Who would've thought they would reign true?
"...Is he still wishing to inflict harm upon us? Will he set his sights on Ceremus now that I am…" Hael couldn't bring himself to finish those words?
Seeing the anguish in his eyes caused Kaleeso great pain. "No," Kaleeso assured him. "He has been dealt with."
Her words, though final, left a lingering unease within him. He did not ask what had befallen Dicaeus, nor did she offer the details. Instead, she pressed forward, her expression softening.
"You were bound to a fate not of your choosing," she murmured. "Somnus held you in chains of eternal slumber, forced to wither away in a void of endless dreams. But Ceremus… he found the key."
Hael stiffened.
"He defied the natural order," Kaleeso went on, "searching for a way to bring you back, refusing to let you fade into nothingness. And in doing so, he has severed the void's grip upon you. You are free."
For a moment, Hael could only stare at her. Free? The word echoed within him, foreign, almost impossible to grasp.
As if sensing his thoughts, Kaleeso reached out, gently placing a hand over his. "You have been given a gift, child. Life. Do not squander it."
A breath trembled past his lips. "What am I meant to do with it?"
Her gaze deepened, firm yet kind. "Live."
The word was simple, yet it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken secrets.
"Cherish what you have," she continued. "Find joy, seek warmth, and do not let the ghosts of the past steal what little peace you can attain. But never forget your role in this life."
Hael tensed at those words.
"You were not just brought back for yourself, Hael." Kaleeso's voice held a quiet authority now. "Your existence is bound to that of your savior."
Ceremus.
"As long as you live, you must protect him," she said. "Not because you owe him, not because you are bound by duty, but because in protecting him, you safeguard all of Trojas. You will keep them from falling under the rule of a tyrant."
A flicker of something sharp passed through her eyes then. "The fate of the kingdom does not rest solely on the shoulders of kings, but on those who stand beside them."
Hael understood the gravity of her words, and a flicker of emotions flashed through his blue eyes, but the emotion that dominated the others was love. A complete and unfettered devotion, one unlike anything the goddess had ever seen. The sight moved her heart and a light smile painted her lips. She was glad he was the man she had chosen.
Kaleeso's fingers then brushed his forehead, and suddenly, warmth flooded through him—like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds.
"Go forth," she whispered. "Arise, Hael."
And just like that, the white expanse of the room shattered.
The darkness faded, giving way to light.
And Hael…
Hael opened his eyes.
~*~
Three days had gone by since Ceremus had returned and made Hael ingest the plant. His complexion returned to its usual golden hue, and his breathing became steadier with each passing day.
When the physician came to check on him once more, he concluded Hael was on the path to recovery. "Now it seems as if he is a man who is simply asleep. Like he might rise at any moment."
When Ceremus heard this, he never once left Hael's side, staying glued to him, afraid of being absent when he woke up again. The others took turns coming to and from the room, all with the same thoughts in mind. For Hael's safe return.
On the fourth day, he sat by his side like usual, his hand clutching Hael's into his own. As Ceremus took a moment of reprieve, laying his head on the edge of the bed, he felt something stir next to him.
And then something gripped his hand.
The king jolted awake, his gaze scanning the room for anything amiss, but saw nothing.
Until his sight finally landed on the bed, where a certain white-haired giant stared back at him with a wan smile.