By Zephyria 
The lack of change in scenery made my sense of time gradually disappear. Maybe it was because I ate when I wanted and slept when I wanted.
When I came to my senses, ten months had already passed. It seemed like Aska would be waking up soon, so from then on, I couldn’t sleep properly. What if Aska woke up while I was sleeping?
Even if I tossed and turned a little, I had to quickly go to his side and call his name.
I spent two months in great tension like that, but Aska didn’t move. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but it was okay. The expected period was one year, but it didn’t necessarily mean he would open his eyes within that time.
After that, another month, two months, three months…
“Is there something wrong?”
As each day passed, I became more anxious and couldn’t hold back my question. I tried to wait patiently, but I felt like my nerves were burning.
“It seems the wound is deeper than I thought.”
“He’s okay, right?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
But I was still worried. I wanted to go into the water and stroke his face, but Ophelia said I absolutely couldn’t, so I couldn’t do that.
To think I can’t even go next to him when he’s so close.
Three more months passed. Now, Aska had been asleep in that water for a total of one year and six months. From that point on, I also became strangely sleepy.
I would often doze off and fall asleep lying down in the place where Aska would see me first when he woke up. When I opened my eyes, Ophelia and Neruja were doing something nearby.
They would cook, make bouquets, water plants, and talk. At first, it was strange to me that they talked to plants, but now I was used to it.
Sometimes small clumps of water would float around. At first, I thought I was finally going crazy and seeing hallucinations, but Ophelia said they were spirits. She said that my affinity had naturally increased while using Almas, so I might even be able to make a contract, but I wasn’t really interested.
It was around the two-year mark that I started having dreams I never used to have.
Not only my close aides, but even people I had only seen in passing, whose names I couldn’t even remember, appeared. I even had dreams with Aska sometimes, so I felt like it would be okay to just keep sleeping.
“Kyle.”
But Ophelia woke me up, perhaps feeling sorry for me being so depressed and sprawled out.
A small log cabin had appeared in a place where there had been nothing just a moment ago.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a bit strange to keep sleeping on the floor. Come on in.”
The inside of the log cabin was much smaller than it looked from the outside, but it had everything. A warm fireplace, a table, a bed, a bookshelf, a sofa, and even a fluffy carpet.
“Where did all this come from?”
“I rummaged through the warehouse for the first time in a while. But is this edible?”
Ophelia showed me something frozen and unidentifiable and asked. I couldn’t even guess what it was, so I tilted my head. Soon, the ice on her hand began to melt, and what was inside also became a mess and flowed down.
“……”
“……”
It was thick and dark, like a swamp in the jungle.
“Is it mud?”
“No, meat… Sylvia said it was delicious when grilled, so I saved it.”
Who is Sylvia again? But is it really meat? How can it flow down like this…? Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I asked just in case.
“When did you freeze it?”
“About 900 years ago.”
“……”
Are you kidding me? I frowned in disbelief, and Neruja, who was next to me, sighed deeply. The sound suddenly made me laugh.
“Was 900 years a bit much? Then how about something about 120 years old? It’s the most recent one.”
Even if it was frozen, I couldn’t eat food from 120 years ago, so I had no choice but to wander around the forest and find something to eat. Most of it was fruit, but strangely, there was a grass that had a similar texture and taste to jerky.
If I had been alone, I would have just slept all day and night, but thanks to them, the waiting time wasn’t too difficult.
“Has your hair color always been this light?”
Another year passed, and after about three years in total, I suddenly realized that Ophelia’s blonde hair had faded. I didn’t notice because I saw her every day, but I could even see some white hair here and there.
“Hair color?”
Ophelia tilted her head as if she hadn’t noticed. She stroked the hair of Neruja, who was asleep next to her, and stopped as she was about to say something. I didn’t know why, but I suddenly had a feeling that Aska would wake up soon.
I didn’t know how I knew, but I jumped up and ran outside. I couldn’t go into the water, but I watched the surface with great tension from the outside.
I witnessed Aska’s eyelids twitching slightly. He had been lying like a statue, not even moving a finger all this time.
“Aska.”
I wanted to shout loudly in case he couldn’t hear me, but my voice came out too softly. So, just as I was about to call his name again, Aska’s upper body suddenly shot up.
It was such a sudden movement that I was so surprised that I took a step back without realizing it. Aska was also surprised, as he stared at me with wide eyes and a wet face.
He looked exactly the same as before he fell asleep. I turned my head and looked at Ophelia, who was already by my side. She smiled as if she had read my mind and nodded.
Without hesitating any longer, I went into the water. Small droplets of water splashed everywhere due to my hasty movements. I couldn’t hold back any longer and jumped into Aska’s arms.
Aska gasped softly, surprised, and caught me. I buried my face in his wet neck and took a deep breath until the spray settled and the waves subsided.
I smelled the familiar scent from his skin, which was so cold that it chilled me to the bone. No matter how much I rubbed my cheeks and lips against him, he didn’t warm up, and I started to get cold instead.
I clung to him tightly and hugged him mindlessly before lifting my head. I was worried because he had been asleep for so long, but fortunately, Aska’s eyes were clear. All the scars that had been all over his upper body had also disappeared completely.
“Long time no see.”
As I said with a smile, unable to hide my joy, Aska brushed my wet hair back. Then, he kissed my brow bone and the corners of my eyes and whispered softly.
“I think I’m going to get addicted to this.”
“Suddenly? To what?”
“To you welcoming me when I open my eyes.”
It wasn’t even that funny, but I burst out laughing again.
“Aren’t you cold? Has the water always been this cold?”
Only then did Aska realize that the water temperature was too low and asked worriedly.
“Actually, I’m a little cold. Let’s get out quickly.”
Before I could finish speaking, Aska picked me up and stood up. I’ve been piggybacked quite a few times, but I don’t think I’ve ever been held like this with my feet off the ground.
It was a somewhat embarrassing position, but I just liked it so I left it as it was.
“How long have I been asleep? It feels like I just closed my eyes and opened them.”
“About 300 years.”
“What? Really?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his surprised face. His pale cheeks were slowly starting to turn red, making him even cuter. In the end, I couldn’t resist and grabbed both of his cheeks tightly and kissed his protruding lips, making kissing sounds.
¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸
As soon as Aska came out of the water, he put his hand on my chest. It seemed that he had replaced the life force that Ophelia had been giving me with his own.
While Aska was changing out of his wet clothes, I tied up my hair, which had grown long enough to drag on the floor. At first, I tried to braid it, but it was too long, so I had no choice but to gather it all together and twist it up.
I was staring at his exposed white neck, having naughty thoughts, when Aska said to Ophelia.
“Thank you so much for taking care of Kyle while I was asleep.”
“I was bored alone, but I was so happy to spend time with you again. And there wasn’t really anything to take care of.”
I had no choice but to give my belated thanks as well.
“If you ever have any trouble, tell me anytime. I’ll do whatever it takes to fulfill your requests with the highest priority. I’m truly grateful for saving Aska.”
Ophelia laughed at my words. It was understandable. I had briefly seen her warehouse while looking at the swords Ophelia had collected, and all sorts of things that couldn’t even be valued were piled up like mountains. There might not be any requests that she, who lacked nothing, could make of us.
“Oh, right. Ophelia gave me a sword while you were sleeping. Do you want to see it?”
I got up and brought the sword she had given me. It was a masterpiece with a subtle blue blade and intricate patterns engraved on it.
“It’s so light and sharp that it can cut steel like paper. And what else did she say? Something about constellations…”
I was excitedly showing off to Aska and turned my head without thinking, but I couldn’t help but shut my mouth. Ophelia’s hair had completely turned white.