148 King's Game

I sat down on my bed with my legs crossed as I looked into Luna's eyes. She was also sitting on my bed with her legs crossed so that we were on the same level as we prepared to start this King's Game that she wanted to play so badly. On her face was an amused smile as she gazed into my eyes. This gesture made me quite nervous, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore. Like I should be accustomed to this after all this time that I've spent with her.

"Alevian," she suddenly started speaking,"do you still have the key I gave you?"

Key? I subconsciously brought my left hand up to my chest, feeling the irregularly shaped object that hugged tightly onto my skin underneath my cotton long-sleeve shirt. This was Luna's gift to me on my birthday. Come to think about it, it's been quite some time since my birthday, and because I've been wearing this key as a necklace for everyday, I had forgotten about... No, not forgotten. This key has became a part of me as it had been with me for everything that I've been through. This key... if I recall correctly, it was the key to Luna's locked diary that she said that she'll allow me to read once she's dead. So... so this key that constantly accompanied me, it's a constant reminder for her fate...

"I have it with me," I said, reaching into my shirt and pulling out the necklace to show her the silver key that I wore on a light platinum chain.

Upon seeing that key, Luna's countenance relaxed into a gentle smile. She gazed at the key with a silent nostalgia and then closed her eyes almost as if in remembrance. She maintained silence for a moment as she shielded her mind from me, making it so that she was completely shrouded in mystery.

"I'm glad that you kept it with you," she smiled.

"It was you who told me to keep it," I muttered as I slipped the key back into my shirt. "Why'd you ask me that?"

"I just want to make sure," she chuckled. "That you can still remember a promise that we've made."

"Isn't that my purpose..." I muttered to myself.

I sighed as the silence continued on for a bit longer as I looked away from her. I glanced over at her from the corner of my eye, observing her as she sat there in an odd and eerie silence. She simply stared in my direction, almost as if she was searching to meet my gaze. However, for some reason I was oddly afraid to meet it. A deep wavering mental state probably contributed to this feeling, and I know for sure that... she's the cause of it all.

"Um..." I sighed and rubbed my arms. "Can we start?" I concluded by finally meeting those amber eyes of her's

"Right," she smiled."Let's start then. Rock, paper, scissors."

The end result of the first round was that she won and I lost. I stared at my opened palm and then over at her two fingers that were out in scissors. On her face was a happy and joyful smile, but on my face was a grim countenance as I was unsure of my future fate. What would she command that I do? What have I got myself into?

"So... what is it?" I asked as I peeked over at her sheepishly.

"Let me think," she closed her eyes and brought a finger to her lips as she started contemplating her options. With her eyes closed, I could stare at her beautiful face without her amber eyes absorbing my gaze. With her eyes closed, I am shielded from her personality as what was left behind was merely her physical appearance.... If she's dead, then would it just be like this?

Subconsciously, I reached out a hand towards her face as a strong desire to feel her face overcame me, making me want to make physical contact and gently feel over her beautiful face. I wanted to feel her smooth skin and feel the warmth of her body because... I have a strange feeling that... this might be the last opportunity I have to make contact with her living body.

Slowly, my fingers poked her cheeks, prompting her to open her eyes. However, it was already too late as even her confused amber eyes were incapable of stopping me. From the tip of my fingers, I felt a cool sensation from her smooth cheeks; it was the feeling that I had expected. For some reason, I had always assumed that girls will have a lower body temperature than guys, and I guess I am correct on Luna since her body was cooler to touch. However, the temperature wasn't at a deathly level. Instead, it was at a normal and soothing degree, one that I can rest my hands on for a prolonged period of time without fears.

"Alevian?" Luna muttered my name, waking me from this mesmerizing trance and making me quickly retract my arm.

My eyes darted over to hers, and that was when I saw that there were no signs of disdain in them. Instead, there seemed to be simply confusion and maybe some embarrassment. In any case, she stared into my eyes and it would appear that she had thought of something to command me to do.

"It's time to issue the king's order," she said with a smile. "Give me your hand."

In a confused manner, I slowly moved my right hand over to her open palm. I stared at her face for hints as to what I was to do, and since there were no commands for me to stop, I gently laid my hand on top of the open palm of her right hand. Like expected, my hands were larger than hers, but... it wasn't that that had drawn my attention. Rather, it was the cool feeling of her hand as her fingers clasped with mine that peaked my interest.

"You're hand is so warm," she smiled as she stared at it in a dreaming manner and placed her left hand over my right hand as well. Slowly, she brought my right hand to her face, allowing my palms to come into contact with the side of her cheeks. "So nice in this cold winter night..."

I blushed as I watched her position my hand. I assume this is the king's order so I had to obey. This wasn't as bad as I had expected, so I really see no reason as to why I should deny this. Rather, it was quite comforting for me as well.

Sitting there with her eyes closed as she pressed my hand against the side of her face, Luna had a relaxed and tranquil countenance. Seeing her like this as well as the gradual warmth that was conveyed to my hand, I felt as if I also shared some of her tranquility, making me feel extremely warm in my heart as well as my face. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if time just stopped and this moment continued on for eternity, but... nothing good ever last and time will always eventually flow forward.

"I guess it's time for round two," she smiled and released my hand in a reluctant manner.

"Right," I blushed as I nodded.

Round two ended in my victory, meaning that I must begin to think of something to command Luna. I first looked down at my bed sheets as I scoured my brain for an idea. Then, I glanced over at her face. She seemed to be quite excited as there was a smile of fervor on her face. She must be anticipating my command...

"The king's order is," I began speaking in a soft whisper. "Tell me something that you'll miss after you dying."

"That question?"

Luna let out a sigh as all the pent up energy wasn't given an opportunity to be released. She frowned from dissatisfaction and peeked up at me, eyeing me with a slight pout on her face, yet this slight expression of discontent soon disappeared as she leaned back and used her arms to support her and gazed at the ceiling possibly to think over the question and scour her mind for an answer.

"There's so many things," she smiled in a defeated manner. "So, so many things in this world that I'll miss. My family, my friends... I'll miss everything in this world." She then looked back down at me with a bright smile on her face. "But would you even feel anything after death? Would I even be able to feel the emotion of missing something or someone?"

I did not have an answer for this question of her's. What is death? What comes after it? Those has been questions that humanity had spent the amount of time it has existed contemplating. No one knows what death is like, for no one that has experienced it could relay the information to us. Even for me, the person who has contact with the divine beings, cannot give a correct answer. The angels said that after death, ones soul gets reincarnated. But... how long would that take? Will it be instantaneously? Or would the soul have to linger about in the void? Are there even such a thing as ghosts that haunt this world?

For me personally, I am afraid of dying. I believe other people do so as well. Just the idea that after death, there might be the possibility that there is nothing, that my existence would fade away makes me afraid. People escape from this fear by clinging tightly to religion, and those that aren't religious just try to not think about death by occupying themselves with life since death for many are still far off in the future. So, what does someone whose death is imminent think? For Luna, does she feel the same fear? Is her fear amplified? The way she acts... it would lead to one assuming that she holds no true fear for dying... What's her secret? How can she be so calm in the face of death?

"I don't know," I responded to that question of hers and looked away.

"Now that's answered," she sighed and shrugged. "Let's start the next round."

Round three ended with my victory once again. I stared apathetically at the scissors that I put out with my two fingers and at her opened palm. She stared at it as well, sighing a sigh of defeat and chuckling as she realized that she will have to comply with my orders once again as I am the king. The king's orders are absolute. Once it is given, the other must do whatever they can to accomplish what the king had ordered. That is the rule of this game, of our king's game.

"The king's order is," I started saying a soft voice and paused as I brainstormed for something that I can have her do. "...Tell me, how long can you still live?"

"These kinds of questions again?" Luna muttered to herself and sighed. "The longest I can still be alive for is until June, which... if I'm lucky, will be after graduation."

But would she still be Luna in June? That's the question that I truly wanted to ask. Seeing how terrible her condition was already in December, I really cannot imagine her being a weak and gaunt figure that's contained on a sickbed in a hospital. Would "Luna" really be considered alive if she's no longer herself? This Luna before me right now... she is the real Luna, yet she's also the fake Luna. She's simply an illusion propped up by medications...

"Alevian," Luna leaned forward so that she was slightly beneath my level of vision and stared up into my eyes. "Stop with these questions. You're ruining the mood, alright? Now, next round."

The result of round four was...I lost.