‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍The king laid on his bed . He tossed and turned like a worm on scorching sand. Finally his discomfort got the best of him so he kicked off the covers and laid supine in agitation.

" Aghh, I can't fall asleep because I dream about him nor can I find peace awake because the guards remind me of him. The worst part is I feel like he is always watching. And now I am talking to myself! ", He got frustrated and jumped off the bed

He pulled the talisman from the side and he prayed using it .

" Sir, can I go now? ", A guard who was standing awkwardly by the corner fidgeted .

The man was holding a tray of wine while standing next to a full jug. Some used cups were scattered all over the room because they still had some wine inside and he was forbidden to touch them . All in all he didn't even know what the king was talking about. Maybe it was the result of having drunk four vessels of white wine continuously despite having drunk less than five times in his life

The king welcomed the guard's words by asking him to repeat everything ever since he gave them a mission.

" Sir, the old woman who was found is currently missing and there was dust on the mortuary cage she was in . The same dust was recorded several times outside the boarders as well as in some temples and churches. Collectively there are twenty-five such. The child who was heavily injured as been confirmed to be brain dead. His father..."; " ... is also missing!",

The king placed his hands on his face as these news have been shared before and for this reason he has been been holding a campaign for their finding . So far all efforts have been useless. It's really strenuous to being in the spot id . The king questioned himself. He wonders if he is really fit to be a king

" Go and bring me more wine ", he commanded despite there still being four barrels untouched. The poor child bowed and left .

His people are disappearing like they are snow on a hot day. earlier today he heard that some civilians want to start a rebellion that the king isn't trying hard enough to find the wolf that killed the family. To add to that , he had the lady of the house arrested ' for being a devoted mother'. But that is not the case , she was arrested because she used her grief as a motive to badmouth the king as well as try to burn the police station and the palace . It was the right thing to do no matter how the civilians represent it.

He went over to the balcony, opened the doors and proceeded to pray again. Afterwards he stood up and leaned against the banisters looking back into his room.

The night wind was very cool and the sky looked saturated with clouds but they were unpromising of rain .

" It's a bad omen for the heavens to cry during distress but it is also a sign of good luck for the sky to shower the sorrow after a period of commotion ",

His heart started to beat loudly and he tried to cool it with the wine in his hand.

" Where are you? ", He whispered following down to sit in the same place that had caused him to catch a cold.

***

sat the study quiet. Was reading some reports and signing other things commenting where he can. Occasionally he would give his worker an instruction to get a reference document from the shelve or to bring back a document he had signed so he can cancel it then explain why.

With all this commotion of disappearing wolves, reports have become more frequent and urgent that he doesn't waste time by tending to business side of Inor. Of course with each report attached to the disappearance ,he would compile everything or review what has already been summarizes then approve it to have it sent to the king in the capital. If it was that easy , he would just have Syin take these to his father but he can't do that so he has to appoint someone to go ahead of them . For convenience it seems that he would rather work overtime and have the messenger leave along with Kijad and his group.

" Your highness, please take a rest you have been writing all day since yesterday evening. It's not healthy", she spoke carrying a tray of warm tea to him but then he instructed that it be placed on the table in front .

That was another way of saying that he is not interested.

She left . just then Jakhyer walked in and he went then took the cup on the table and went towards him.

He sat on the table and he didn't even seem to notice.

He carried on sipping it causally and lovingly like it was honey. After he was done he pulled one of the documents and began to read them as well.

Slam! The servant ran away as they were trained to disappear at the first sign of a heated argument between nobles

" I can't focus !", He screamed throwing the brush on the table but Jakhyer responded that it was lies.

" You are only saying that so I can leave and you would have the freedom to work yourself dry. You can't fool me , remember when you admitted this in one of OUR letters", he placed it down and picked the other.

" I just want to finish so that I can be able to properly send you away. It's not a crime ", he pouted to Jakhyer who shook his head.

He can feel that him saying this implies that Deliw wants to do the best. Either so that Jakhyer comes back or that incase it is the last time Jakhyer visits then ,Deliw won't wish for an alternate ending.

Though they were making it light, this moment adds to a thousand that have happened before. All the times when Jakhyer came to Inor and had to leave him looking like an abandoned poodle. It was always a big deal and nothing has ever changed despite it being nothing new, the pain is nevertheless still unbearable. At one point there was a part in those letters where he took a risk to ask why Jakhyer never visited that often and he responded that saying hello was swift but saying goodbye hasn't yet to gotten easy . In other other words though he wanted to see Deliw, he wasn't looking forward to the feelings that manifested when they parted especially because they don't know when and if they will ever reunite.

They say don't put a glass of water in front of the tree only to walk away and never irrigate it . Jakhyer thought if he doesn't give that much happiness to Deliw then it will be easier for him to find it on his own. But no one ever thinks that maybe the tree isn't thirsty , they just want a sip of the water because of the hand that bothered to fetch it.

" I really can't focus... because I just wanna finish and go be with you the longest I can", he whispered and Jakhyer smiled.

" It's a sign from the gods. If the floods are coming and you haven't finished cutting the wood by the river, just bring the whole log with you", he exhaled and smiled at his confusion. He could feel Deliw's eyes burning gentle fireflies onto him from the side

He meant that if Deliw can't finish working to send him off , then maybe Deliw should bring his work with him. Implying that Jakhyer isn't minding arranging for him to come along.

" Can I do that? ",

" Of course not! ",

His wife could give birth anytime. His people need him the most.

Like an avalanche, his mood dropped and made Jakhyer feel awful for raising his hopes that high only to let them slam face first on the mud. He could deduce this much. In fact he already knew what the reaction would be but he just wanted to lighten the mood. Unfortunately his joke was too far and all he called was a dark cloud ..

His speed dropped and he began writing a lot slower.To him, this joke presented itself as that regardless of him incubating himself in the room all-day , it was meaningless because Jakhyer didn't seem that ecstatic to the idea of being together with Deliw. Maybe afterall, he might be the only one trying.

Jakhyer raised his head and hit him behind the neck knocking him unconscious! He quickly and carefully lowered him onto the table and he picked a document to carry on reading it.

Just then Reed emerged in the room.

He bowed to Jakhyer and said that he had followed some lead among the humans of dust appearing at missing residents. He reported that the destination Adrian described the wolves to have gone, he also found some dust.

They both knew what that meant and what was important just was to find a way to inform Kijad of these development.

" Two wolves were found in the school forest exhausted from running. The other died this morning and the other, sect masters are trying to keep alive. No matter the case , their energy is definitely not solely consumed by the long run", Reed answered and reported that the carriage is ready and he has surveillanced the next five hundred miles.

It was impressive that Reed had run to and from so many places. There was an akward silence until Jakhyer asked if there was another pressing matter

" I am waiting for your permission to cloak a different face on the chief and his on a water puppet that will assume his place and will dissolve before the birth of his child while he leaves with us as the royal messenger.", he bowed and though he thought he was courting death, he knew Jakhyer was weighing this .

Reed excused himself but then Jakhyer tossed him a coin.

" Buy clean clothes for a government official", Reed knodded.

He was happy to be partaking in this mischief only because he had read all the drafts for the letters that Deliw wanted to send Jakhyer. He knows of all the fantasies that Deliw has had of eloping with Jakhyer. although this turnout is very different, he is convinced Deliw will be happy about it to the point that he won't even question of its possibility.

" I guess you are carrying the log after all", he took the documents and started answering them on his behalf . He was so suited for this job

(Four hours later)

All the documents were done and Reed returned with the clothes.

Deliw was still sleeping on the desk .

Jakhyer moved from the table and went to check the clothes purchased. Reed used a balloon of water to raise Deliw from the table and float him in the middle of the room

This ritual is supremely dangerous because like any transplant there is a risk of rejection and that reaction is a war of the nerves. And considering that this is Deliw, the level of caution is summed to infinity. Nevertheless Jakhyer wouldn't undertake this operation if he was skeptical . While Reed prepared the water puppet , Jakhyer cemented the whole room with Qi so that should anyone they would see the chief alone effortlessly writing.

Reed opened the balloon. Then he used a large fluid scanner to carefully map out every aspect of the chief's body. The scanning projects the result on the puppet where Reed can it life using water. It was unnecessary to undress Deliw as the scanner can differentiate skin and clothes. In fyi the whole process took over an hour to create a true form which is the form that one exists the womb as .

Afterwards Reed imagined several faces at once. Through subconscious connection, Jakhyer used those images and mapped onto a sheet of spell paper hovering over Deliw. Following then , Jakhyer closed his eyes and started to construct a mask for Deliw . While Reed was supplying the projection, he unknowingly looked at Deliw and he was reminded of himself laying unconscious at the hospital eventually then he thought of RAIN!!

Unfortunately that imagine of the human king was also incorporated into the mask .

Reed shamelessly panicked and quickly thought of the next face which was of Jakhyer and the chief. While he was adjusting reference images , Jakhyer was molding seamlessly . In no time the mask was complete

A large bluish light was emitted as the mask was lowering to Deliw's face. He groaned as the mask formed tentacles and pierced directly, penetrating into his skin like a thousand thunderbolts. Suddenly he blast out bellowing because of the immeasurable agony . At this point, a stable assimilation was apparent but very costly to the administrator , not that it presented itself as an obstacle for Jakhyer

After twenty minutes , the attachment was complete. Reed wrapped Deliw with a large volume of cold water and large pressure to ease the pain. He left him floating there as any change in conditions can deter the healing and adaptation process

" It's going to take just a few hours and he will be fine. I am going to take care of the messenger and I will come back to dress him once he wakes ", Reed answered to Jakhyer was looking at the chief's true form that was next to the real body.

His face cracked into half because he consumed a lot of energy . He was cloaking the whole building as well as making it sound proof. Ontop of that he was giving a puppet life as well as making sure that the chief doesn't die while receiving the transplant.

" The tea is drugged", he commented as he was getting hazy.

Reed innocently produced another water bubble to attempt to restore Jakhyer's meridian level but he rejected it saying the drug might get incorporated into his body . The best alternative right now would be to extract it first. If he was in his youth, this wouldn't shake him but he is not that anymore so a drug like this can simply set him off course.

Reed knew that meant he had to obtain a cleansing leaf from the travelling luggage that Herim is tending to. He vanished and to compliment this , Jakhyer's whole face began to get supremely droopy and his skin parched , periodically becoming distorted.

" If you saw me like this , would you still treat me the same ?", He walked back to the table to finish writing while Reed went on the trip to retrieve the leaf

Chulee chuckled while he floated above the village, witnessing the selfish yet selfless deed.