CHAPTER 54: ELUNE’S VISIT

The room was still.

A lamplight warmly glowed on the table, casting quiet gold across the walls. I hadn’t lit it. I hadn’t even moved in hours. I simply sat, elbows on knees, eyes unfocused. The tea Elune had brought me earlier had long since gone cold, its surface a dull mirror.

I was alone in my room, yet I could feel her - Luc.

Like the anticipation in the air before a summer storm, or a spring breeze in my heart - her presence lingered even after she left. Her space was reserved until she returned.

Then a knock. Two soft taps. The door opened a fraction, and Elune stepped in without waiting for permission.

"I brought fresh tea," she whispered, as if speaking too loudly might disturb something not meant to be woken.

I gave a small nod.

She moved with her usual grace and clumsiness, setting the porcelain pot down with both hands. The steam curled between us like a living thing - slow, hesitant, almost watchful. She did not sit until I gestured toward the cushion across from me.

"Couldn’t sleep?" she asked gently.

"I haven’t been able to," I admitted. "Not really. Not since..."

My voice trailed off. Elune didn’t ask me to finish.

Elune poured the tea. Her hands were unusually calm this time.

One sip, and the scent of orange peel and honey filled the air. Elune seemed to have infinite variety of tea in her stock, and always knew when to bring the right one.

"She’s been quieter," I said. "Since she came back. But not in the same way as before. She used to vanish like fog. Now it’s more like... like she’s holding herself back."

Elune didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she ran a finger lightly along the rim of her teacup.

"She returned, yes. But... she is unstable."

I suspected something was off, but hearing it directly from Elune made me concerned.

"What is exactly wrong with her? I’d... like to help if I could."

"Something she had been bound by... had ended."

"Bound?"

"Yes, bound. A reason - a promise. Something unbreakable."

"And yet she’s still here," I was a little confused.

"She is."

"Why?" Not that I hoped otherwise.

Elune looked me in the eyes. Her expression was soft, but unreadable.

"Because she chose to be."

"Hasn’t it always been by choice that she was with the Roens?"

"Yes, but it was also a duty. A chosen duty or not, once it is a duty, she won’t - can’t - break it."

"I never asked her to feel so obligated," I felt apologetic.

"You sure didn’t, Miss Roen. But she chose you."

"She chose... me?"

Elune nodded.

I looked down at the tea again. The surface had stopped steaming.

"She hasn’t told me anything," I said. "About where she went, or what happened while she was gone."

"She will not," Elune said. "Not because she mistrusts you. But because it is not for... people to know."

"But you showed me, Elune. You showed me more than Luc would let me see."

"Because I-" Elune stopped herself from speaking any further. Instead, she grabbed the hem of her dress and looked at her knuckles.

"Elune, you are also hiding something, aren’t y0u?"

I placed my hand on hers.

"I don’t want anything to happen to the Mistress."

There was a quiet desperation, yet a tangible hesitation in her voice.

"Me neither. I will help in any way I can."

Elune’s eyes were getting teary. She averted her eyes from me.

"And there is nothing I can do. I hate that," she sighed - this time almost resentful.

I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was hold Elune’s hand tighter.

"She needs you, Miss Roen," the teary girl whispered.

I blinked.

Never had I thought that Luc needed me in any way.

I could just about accept that she chose to stay and support me - for whatever the reason.

But there was nothing I could do for Luc. I failed to see just what use I could be for her.

"What- what do you mean?"

Elune pouted.

"She’s being considerate. That is rarer in her kind than you know."

There was another long silence.

Elune slowly let go of my hand. Her touch lingered for a second longer than necessary, like she hadn’t quite decided if it was time to let go of something else as well.

"Sigh... I don’t think she knows what she is right now," Elune finally said. "That’s the problem."

Elune was speaking in riddles tonight. But one thing I caught on was that Luc wasn’t only not feeling well in a normal sense of the word as we know, but there was something more fundamentally troubling her.

"Do you think she regrets coming back?" I asked.

"No," Elune said firmly. "Not for a second."

"But she’s suffering."

"Something she’d never admit."

The mood shifted for a moment. We looked at each other and laughed.

"That does sound like Luc," I said.

"The Mistress is like that, indeed."

Another pause. This time not as uncomfortable.

Perhaps now was the time for me to finally press for an answer.

"Elune, I wish she would tell me more."

"She won’t," Elune said, shaking her head. "Because she knows you would try to save her."

I let out a small, humorless laugh. "Me? Save her?"

"Only you can save her. But you’re the last person she’d ever allow to do it."

That silenced me.

"I don’t understand," I said quietly.

"You will," Elune whispered.

Then she slowly stood up, straightened her dress, and bowed.

"Good night, Miss Roen. I’m sorry I said unnecessary things."

"You didn’t really tell me anything though..."

Elune giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Perhaps I did. Perhaps I didn’t."

Leaving me behind, confused, she headed toward the door.

"Elune," I stopped her mid-way.

"Yes, Miss Roen?"

"I... don’t understand everything, but... I appreciate you coming here to tell me, so... thank you."

Elune paused, then spoke. "If you just be who you are and stay as you are - maybe, there is a chance."

"Chance for what?"

"Happiness."

Then she beamed me an angelic smile.