Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 50: Kommora's Regret

The world seemed so far away.

From beneath, there was an endless spread of clouds: soft, white, and inviting. Her body wasn't hers; the air moving into her lungs was a separate entity, and the whole ocean of emotions washed into the endless abyss of her being.

Amidst all this, Loren opened her eyes. The sterile familiarity made her feel at home. The spotless windows, through which nothing could be seen due to the high, dense trees that lined the outside, winked at her. Crisp curtains sat half-drawn. The yellow runes gleamed above her, so white it was almost blinding. Loren sat up, her body light. At the end of the bed, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees, sat Kommora, the wrinkles deeper than ever across her face as she surveyed Loren with those unforgiving and serious eyes.

"Kommora!" Loren said, grinning. "Fancy you visiting me!"

To her surprise, Kommora didn't even blink at her words. Those eyes stared straight down at Loren's belly. Loren followed her gaze. Her stomach did a somersault when she realised her own face rested on the pillow, eyes shut and cheeks sunken. She reached out to touch it and flinched back, staring at her pearlescent fingers.

"Wh-what is this?!" It just struck her that her voice sounded odd. Almost as if it had no place in this plane. It didn't echo. It didn't reach her ears. Maybe she never spoke out loud. Maybe she just thought the words. "Kommora?"

Again, Kommora just gazed with the same concern at the unconscious Loren on the bed.

Loren cast her mind back, but every thought came slowly, like swimming through syrup. She was in Finberry, talking to Seiren's old neighbours. She'd searched Seiren's old home. The image of the intricate indigo rune in the Harreds' home flashed before her eyes and she gasped. Of course; she was hurrying back to Benover with the news.

"Kristen Harred's alive!" she shouted. "The king's mages are in on this. They must have abducted her and faked her death! Kommora!"

And yet Kommora didn't even bat an eyelid. It was as if Loren was in a different world altogether. Loren bit her lip and threw her arms forward, hoping to grab Kommora -- anything to catch her attention.

Her arms passed cleanly through Kommora's torso. A gasp escaped Loren's mouth.

"Kommora! What's going on?" Her voice cracked. "Kristen Harred -- you need to help her!"

She grabbed at Kommora again, but made no contact. She made a sound of exasperation mixed with growing fear. Out of nowhere, a searing pain tugged at her heart. She gasped, clutching her chest, her breath knocked out of her. Eyes watering, she stared down, but there was nothing causing the pain. Was it a heart attack? Lung infection? Muscle strain? But there was no reason for it -- yet it was too severe to be anything benign. It tugged again and she cried out in pain.

"Edden and Inara will never forgive me if anything happens to you." Through her tears, Loren looked up at the sound of her parents' names. Kommora rubbed her forehead with her hand and groaned, before propping her chin in her palm again and staring with frustration at Loren's body. "I hoped to tell you the truth before... before anything happened. You always asked me why I had such an agenda against the king's mages. I didn't want to tell you, but seeing as we're both in this kind of deep shit now, it's probably time. I only wish you can show me you can hear me."

"I can!" Loren said out loud.

Kommora sighed and ran a hand through her hair, turning it into a tangled mess, and rubbing the bridge of her nose with the other.

"It's stupid. Yet a part of me can't help but hope. Ha! The other mages would be wanting to condemn me for being so out of character." She groaned again, the lines on her face deepening. It hurt Loren to see Kommora, who had always been such a commanding giant, crumble before her. "It was my promise, and my fault. Edden went on that mission at my bidding, back when I was doing military liaison."