Ch 43 / Pnro Tombstone

Ibro kept moving forward with persistence. Throughout his journey, he didn’t stop scanning the area around him.

He was desperately trying to get any clue about where he was. The only hope left for him was that strange area ahead of him. It took him a few hours until he finally reached this place.

When it appeared clearly in front of him, Ibro understood why he couldn’t reach it easily. This place was moving at a rapid speed and wasn’t still in its place.

He wasn’t going to it but was chasing it. Ibro took a few moments until he could totally understand the nature of this place. It was like a giant tumor that rose from the ground.

It had the same pattern as the ground as it was full of projections and depressions. It kept pulsating with the same green faint color as the ground.

What was different was that its color was fainter more than the ground. The closer he looked to the top of this small hill the fainter that color would be.

He felt there was something that was absorbing these green pulsations in this giant tumor. He also felt that on the hazy top of this hill the reflected light from the mirroring sky was dimmer than anywhere else.

He knew he noticed it because of this fact. There must be something that takes all this light from this weird place. What was it? Why was it absorbing light? And why was it moving all the time with this high speed?

These were questions without answers in Ibro’s mind. All he knew was he would find more answers when he reached the top of this place.

He didn’t stop for a second and moved rapidly towards that hill. Once he reached it he started climbing it with full concentration. As there was such a weird place here then he might face dangers.

Danger lurked in weird places. Every step he took he felt a slight change in gravity with it. That reminded him of the change of gravity which he felt before when he entered the pit.

That pit had a huge ferocious monster guarding the remnants of the Pnroian gate. Would he find another monster here too? Was this place related to that gate? He stopped abruptly and hesitated.

He lacked a lot of info to make a decision. He checked the ground which wasn’t very far from him. There was no hope for him down there. He made up his mind and continued his journey to the top.

Although he could move faster, he didn’t. He was afraid of any sudden emergence of any danger of any kind. Every step he took with caution.

His ears were trying to get the slightest sounds without any gain at all. This place was dead silent like a tomb. When he reached the top he froze immediately.

There was a very strange coffin in the middle of this peak. It was a huge coffin that was absorbing the light from everywhere around it. It was the reason for the dim light in this hill.

He was far from it but he couldn’t see any green color in this dark-colored coffin. Near this coffin, there was a huge block of strange stone he didn’t recognize.

From his place, he felt this block of stone was like the tombstone of this coffin. He was really at a tomb. But if it was really a tomb, why did it keep moving? Why was this coffin absorbing the light?

He thought he was going to find answers here, but now he got more questions. He was frustrated from this place. He decided to keep himself up there. This hill was moving around in decent speed.

He could rest here and examine everything around him. As he was going to rest here, he started to pay that tomb a visit. He moved towards that coffin and its tombstone with no great interest.

When he neared that tombstone, he noticed there were carvings of the smooth surface. He felt curious. Was it the last message of this deceased person?

When he stood in front of this tombstone, he felt he was like an ant. This huge stone was higher than 50 m no less.

This stone was just touching the ground. Ibro even felt there was a very narrow space between its base and the peak of the hill. How could such a massive stone stand there without any support?

Was there a remnant of magic holding it? He concentrated over the surface of this stone. Once his eyes set onto the writings on this tombstone, he totally froze in place.

He started to read what was written on this stone seriously. It was written in an alien language, but he could understand it. He didn’t know why!

“

Don’t forget me.

Maybe it is time to tell you everything that I kept deep in my heart.

Although there are millions of miles between us, I believe I can see you right now in front of me. I feel like you are beside me.

This huge space really doesn’t exist. This huge space really can’t break us apart. You will hear my voice echoing in your ears as I hear yours in mine.

I want you to know that I waited for your return all the time. I was opening door after door hoping to meet you behind one of them.

Every obstacle I passed I looked around you waiting for your praising words. Every battle I fought I missed your praising words and silly advice.

But you weren’t there.

Every day I waited for you. I waited for you every sunset and every sunrise.

I waited for you at night. You might miss me and come to me. But you didn’t show up.

You didn’t come to me all those nights, so I wanted to conjure up your soul by writing on my tombstone.

I brought my stones and pencils and started writing about my torment and my pain.

I wrote about my sorrow, my longing, my lust, my love, and my soul that was addicted to you.

I begged you so much in my letters… don’t forget me. Do you remember our old days? Do you still remember me?

Do you really want not to be with me?

Do you really forget me?

Just…

Send me a messenger.

Maybe your voice.

Maybe your breath.

Maybe the look in your eyes.

Maybe your lips.

I can’t live without you anymore.

I can’t stand your negligence towards me anymore.

I can’t stand you forgetting me.

I am now without you a weak, a poor, and a stranger.

I’m scared.

I’m sending you my memoir from the land of fear, the land of the Beast, and the land of the poor.

Promise me. promise me to keep my memory by your heart.

Promise me to keep your word

I’m still on my word that I gave to you back then, do you know that?

I’m still on my word.

Here I and my heart are waiting for you.

But it seemed you already forgot about me.

Like the old you who used to forget watering his flowers.

I’m a flower-like them. A flower that withered!

I withered because of your negligence.

Your hand has forgotten me.

Your eyes have forgotten me.

Your heart has forgotten me.

If one day you felt homesick

My heart is still your home

It is still waiting for you to return, waiting for his lover.

I love you. I hate you. I miss you. I don’t want to see you again.

But

I love you.

“

Ibro stood there petrified like a stone. He didn’t know what happened to him. Once his eyes fell on these words he couldn’t move his eyes away.

He felt a strong grip on his heart that pained him deeply. His tears flew like a flood from his eyes. His tears were hot like lava, but he kept standing there with no movement.

After an unknown time for him, he finally could move again. He was freed from his state. He didn’t know how many times he read these words but he had memorized them by heart.

He swept his fallen tears and looked around him in a loss. What intense feelings these words held. What deep love the person who wrote them had?

He gave these words a look as if he was seeing them for the last time. He wanted to know who the person that wrote these words was.

He looked at the coffin and he felt that person was lying there. Would he go for it and open the coffin? He didn’t want to do that. Suddenly he had a thought.

Was it possible for this tombstone to have writing on its other face? He moved rapidly to reach the back of this tombstone. There were many writings too on it. When his eyes fell on it, he became frozen again.

“

This is a souvenir from your withered flower.

So you don’t think that I ever forgot your words to me.

And my promise to you.

This is my record of the important events that happened to me.

So you know I’ve never forgotten you.

Even when I was suffering.

Even as I’m dying now.

I’m still waiting for you to come back to me.

We left the Bionil world together. Our journey didn’t last long.

We had to split up.

This parting was the beginning of my torture.

Do you still remember me?

Did you remember your silly girl? Your flower? Your little princess?

Even if you don’t remember me, you never left my mind.

When I left you, I knew it was due to our dire situation.

You told me we’d meet again.

And you didn’t.

When we parted ways, you gave me a plan.

A map

A safe place for you and me to escape to.

But what you don’t know is this place wasn’t a sanctuary.

It was a nightmare.

I found the place you told me about was invaded by the Moleece armies.

I suffered and fought a lot. I did everything I could do.