Chapter 8: Exhaustion and Collapse

----Andromeda POV----

---Cosmos Royal Palace---

"Dic mihi, Riko. Quid tibi dixit filia mea?" *Tell me, Riko. What did my daughter tell you?*

Riko is my assistant as it is my wont to forget less important details, I needed someone who is very thorough and willing to reprimand me. He, like everyone else, wore laboratory coats with formal outfits inside.

My voice echoed in the empty office as I strained my eyes to see what was written on the project proposal. I should have been eager to peruse over the manuscripts that are piling on my desk but I didn't see anything that catches my attention.

I stood towards the wide, open window: wearing a retro style gothic coat jacket with a retro black cape atop it. I looked down from the window and saw the floating continent in its own unique beauty. Although made from tons of metal hammered together, there's a lot of plants crawling on small cracks, poles and anywhere it could reach the sun.

Each building are at least 20 meters apart and the road is double the area of a normal one having 12 meters wide. I saw people walking in their laboratory coats: children, young adults, adults and senior citizens alike. Some wore black lab coats, some wore red and some wore white. I observed a family walking in the park hand in hand, eventually drifting my thought to Athena. However, once I recall her face, I could no longer look her in the eye. Then, there is this surge of anger everytime she called me mother.

"Princeps notitias magnas emanavit de persona responsali ad procurationem testium subditorum destinandam. Specialissime, voluit eam mortuam." *The Princess leaked an important information about the person responsible for foiling the procurement of test subjects. Most specifically, she wanted her dead.*

I'm surprised that my daughter who ran away from me took the initiative to use my subordinates. [To get rid of a person by borrowing a knife instead of doing it herself, means she doesn't want someone to know that the would-be murder is instigated by someone.]

"Files da mihi eam. Cupio videre quanta sit unius zeli filia." *Give me her files. I want to see how great of an individual she is to be able to incite jealousy from my daughter.*

When I saw the file with regards Venus Alva, it was the find of the century. The child has the ability to receive visions of the future conflicts save herself.

"Annon istuc est quod facultas est nos illam rapere? Illic 'aliquid quod cum ea loqui vellem?"

*Doesn't that mean that we have the chance to kidnap her? There's something that I would like to talk about with her.*

Riko bowed slightly, "Puella lune hic aderit." *The girl will be here by Monday.

I think I know what I want but I just can't figure out what it is. The things I used to enjoy, they rot away and stop being the things I always found amusing. Or perhaps it was me that stopped being able to find them like so. There is that void but I can't seem to make the first step and the next like I always had. This path treads on an impulse, the likes of what I secretly wanted. The days no longer shined as they always did and here I am, shivering in the cold; trying to thaw away this too long a side show.

----Venus POV----

---Forest---

Without a doubt, I was confused. The sun had set moments ago and here I am, staring into the horizon. But the view I saw wasn't what I see. The wind blew and the forest screamed desperately. I was there asking myself 'it was in my account wasn't it, the fault which strangles them?' I knew I was right but wanting freedom must equal the power to stand alone. Nobody can ever gain such a thing if they only demand it from others and forget to demand it from themselves. It is one kind of luxury which we partially have and don't have.

"Why is it so far? I remember clearly

...ha.. that we arrived at the.. lake at no lesser than 4 minutes ..yesterday. I... ah..ya...is...this the..ah....ga..gap in our speed?"

I kept on walking in the forest at turtle speed, panting after trekking no lesser than 50 meters. Unfortunately, as I realize it, [the only thing special about me is the ability to receive visions of the future conflicts and the ability of the system window: both of which carries greater weight on my shoulder.]

It is such that I always feel obligated to help when the visions come. [I cannot ignore them because I can see their pain, hear their cries, and I know the gravity of the situation. Without the system window, I wouldn't even know if I was lied to, I wouldn't even know that Athena wanted to kill me that much and I wouldn't know what condition my fiancee is going through.]

"In simple terms, I am useless without them."

"aaak!!! I can't believe that I tripped on that!"

That's right, I tripped on a pine tree root jutting out like a vein. I felt very thankful that I wore sweatpants over a skirt. At least, now the bruise on my knees are reduced. My palms, however, were not able to escape as I can see my flesh.

"No, don't look!"

[I don't want to pass out because of hemophobia and then waking up in the middle of the forest at night.]

I rolled towards the tree, resting my back on it. My eyes began to wander as I observed the forest floor littered with pine needles and pine cones, noting to myself [ If not from a tree root, I would have eventually slipped because of those fallen leaves.] *sigh*

Taking a deep breath, I can finally hear the sound of the forest. The sound of the wind passing through the tree leaves are alike to the sound of a waterfall. I know there are many birds even though I don't see them because of their exchange in dialogues.

"witiw witiw witiw wut!"

"tuuu, tweet tweet tweet tweet!"

"caw! caw! caw!"

Unfortunately, I can't whistle because if I can, I would have attempted to imitate the birds. Instead of a birdcall, my stomach began to feel as though there are bubbles competing as to who can swim out of my stomach acids first. That's right, I'm hungry and the sound my stomach is making reminded me of a stormcloud thunder.

I scanned the forest within view and saw 2 edible plants indicated by the system window.

*Sword Fern or Nephrolepis cordifolia: Edible Watery Tubers

Nutritional Value: 13.42 percent carbohydrates, 1.34% protein, 1.25 percent starch, 14.88 percent crude fiber, 6.53 ash, 0.75 percent calcium and trace phosphorus.

Composition: 96% water

Color: cream, yellow, dark tan, brown.

* Rubus rosifolius Linn

Description: Thrives in forests with medium and higher altitudes, and in very wet regions at low altitudes

Habitat: native to the rainforests and tall open forests

Fruit: bright red, succulent,1 cm in diameter, with numerous carpels14, and a hairy receptacle15

Flower: 2 cm across, in small clusters, with white, obovate19 petals.

Height: 2-3 meters, can grow as high has 6 ft

Leaves: thin, flat, usually 3- to 5-lobed, deeply cordate (heart-shaped) at the base, and 5-15 cm wide.

Branch: covered with wooly hairs

Taste: sweet-sour-slightly-bitter taste, similar to a ripe tamarind when eaten fresh.

Not wanting my palms to get infected, I opted for the Rubus rosifolius Linn. It is abundant in that part of the forest and somewhat reminded me of strawberries.

----Gayara POV----

I was peacefully recovering from my injuries when the wind carried a familiar scent to my nose. It was the smell of milk chocolate and a slight smell of blood?!

[What is she doing here?!]

I rushed to where she is and I saw her eating something.

[She has never gone to the forest before, how did she know that those berries are edible? What if they're poisonous?!]

I hid on the biggest tree where I can see her face, seriously picking berries and directly shoving them to her mouth. Her face is pale and I never failed to notice her now bruised knee, including the blood trickling from her palms. She is carrying a backpack on her back to which I didn't need to guess what it contained.

[Did she come here to get me?]

It was then that I could not endure letting her roam around the forest in that condition. Besides, she must have walked very far since she does not have the speed that Athena or I have. As such, I concentrated in my mind, searching for her telepathy link.

I said, "Venus," and a purple string vibrated.

She was startled by the sudden call to her name, looking left and right in a panic.

"Face front," I told her.

"Gayara? It's really you! I'm so glad to finally find you. Why didn't you come home?" Venus ran to me and hugged my neck.

I returned the hug with my paws saying, "You're not angry anymore?"

I waited for her answer but she suddenly collapsed, surprising me as I morphed back into human to catch her into my arms.

"If you are awake right now, you would have kicked my private again. You must have been very exhausted to have collapsed at this point."

I remember from the engagement, when we found Athena near the lake, when she went without sleep just to paint a present for Athena and for walking far too long a distance she never did before just to get me to go home, it wasn't something her body could endure. As such, I rushed her to my villa.

---Gayara's Villa---

"Shal!" I shouted at a volume the maid can hear no matter where she is in the house.

I was waiting in my and Venus's room wearing a bath towel over my waist, feeling Venus's forehead to check if she has a fever or not. The door opened and in came Shal.

"What can I do for you, young master?"

As always, she was in her get-up consisting of a black dress and a white apron.

She obeyed my commands at most times while openly stalking my everyday life at the behest of my mother.

"Tend to her injuries. I need a shower before I come back to take care of her. Also, be careful not to wake her up." With that, I hurried to the bathroom.

The water fell onto my skin, warm and comfortable. I applied bath soap on all parts of my body before rubbing shampoo on my hair. Then I rinsed my body before drying myself in a rush as I was anxious to check my girl's condition myself.

I stepped out of the bathroom, steaming and still partially wet. I put on a black pajama and is about to join my girl in bed when the landline rang. In a moment, I lifted the telephone to my ear, waiting for the caller to initiate the conversation.

"General Gayara Veldora, report to me tomorrow on duty. You are not yet fully free from service until a new replacement has been chosen."

The voice isn't a stranger to me, as it is, the other person at the end of the line is actually my aunt: my mother's elder sister to be exact. She is more commonly known as the President of Eldram country. Unlike my mother, she is serious and uptight: single from 40 years ago until now.

"Affirmative, madam President."

*toot*

She ended the call after getting the answer she wanted. Honestly, she only ever acted cold to everything: evil to all but most evil to herself.

I wanted to decline but I know that if I so much as make trouble by not following the protocol, my aunt may just do everything in her power to keep me in the military and I don't want that. I have already decided to concentrate on my girl since she's like a trouble magnet. Sometimes, I wondered whether ...

[ Were you aware that many people wanted you dead? You're lucky, your father is good natured, otherwise, you might have landed a father who took advantage of you or used you as nothing more than a tool.]

I kneeled by her side, taking her palm in my hands and licking them. Her brows creased and she grimaced but remained asleep. I continued to do so with her other hand and to both her knees. The pain was evident on her face but her exhaustion overruled everything as slumber forced her captive.

Shal seemed to have cleaned her with a warm, damp towel and dressed her in a white pajama as it made me wonder, [how did she do that?]

I observed the wounds on Venus as it started regenerating slowly. Even though they regenerated, it still left a scar on her fair skin. She took the side facing the window while I took my place, facing the door. Without warning, Venus rolled to me to which I let her use my chest as her pillow. I, of course, wrapped my arms around her body while inhaling her scent: I felt so peaceful.

Eventually, I fell asleep thinking,

[My new normal is good, I hope that applies to my girl as well.]