Chroma and Achromos
Chapter 23: The End of His Love
Vhellesian. A small country located in the middle of Xan Island. Its position which is right among the five largest kingdoms on Xan—Chraz Island, Hecca, Ellios, Mollis, and Exeta— makes it a neutral country that is not bound by any royal interests. Vhellesia is a kingdom without a kingdom that existed long before the kingdoms stood—protect Xan Island since thousands of years ago. For 500 years since the kingdoms were established, Vhellesia was able to create peace thanks to the power of the clan named Artemis.
Artemis is the oldest clan in the world to have become extinct along with Vhellesia. The emblem of the Artemis clan is a black mandala installed in every corner of the building there. The members of the Artemis clan possess a power that is even considered a mere figment of the thumb by the people of the world, namely magic. And what makes them so famous is their physical characteristics are so different—balls brilliant golden eyes and silver hair like the light of a full moon.
Of their outstanding members, only one person possessed monstrous strength. That power was capable of obliterating anything into the light. The power is also a nickname for the clan leader named Xerra. Once every hundred years, a girl will be born with a mandala-shaped birthmark on her back and become Xerra.
However, when a 10th Xerra was just lifted— something extraordinary happened.
This is the beginning of the last life story of Xerra.
•••
"Where am I?"
Chroma scanned the entire area he was able to see in astonishment. A second ago he was still in the middle of a fight with Schatten and suddenly he was in a place he did not know.
The colorful expanse of flower fields around him swayed slowly due to the gentle gusts of wind that also swept across his face. Chroma blinked her eyes again, trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
After being gobsmacked for a while, Chroma's legs finally began to step up. Not far from where he walked, he finally saw something other than flower—a girl and boy who were walking together. Without a second thought Chroma ran over to them.
"A.. pa this?" Chroma immediately choked and stopped her steps as soon as she saw what was in front of her.
The girl looked at the man beside her with sparkling golden eyeballs and silver hair fluttering in the wind. The black-haired man smiled gently and looked back at the girl with his light brown eyeballs.
Chroma gaped inexhaustibly. That girl is him. Not wrong anymore. It was Chroma. And that guy...
it's Aram.
Aramaic hair and eyeballs are different, but Chroma knows exactly what Aram is. That face was the face of the person he wanted to kill the most. He couldn't possibly forget it.
"What the hell is going on??" Chroma Mumbles.
He stood so close to them, but they were completely unaware of his presence. As they stepped closer to Chroma, their bodies passed through Chroma's body which was sculpting just like that, as if Chroma was an untouchable air.
"What the hell is going on??"
•••
Chroma walked cheerfully while greeting the entire people around her. They all greeted Chroma with pleasure and respect. It is not strange to see them so respectful of Chroma, because Chroma is the 10th Xerra. He was the one who would lead the Artemis clan to the future.
"Miss Chroma, wait for me!" Aram ran over to Chroma who was walking so fast. He immediately clasped Chroma's hand tightly once he managed to equal his steps. "Please don't get out of my sight, miss!"
"Your own fault, Aram. You're walking too slow, hihi." Reply Chroma while glancing ignorantly.
"Miss, please! I was only careless for a few seconds for helping a fallen child, but you've disappeared somewhere!" Aram protested as he let out a long sigh.
"Aram, I told you not to call me 'miss'. We're brothers, right?" Tukas Chroma with a slightly irritated face.
"Ughs.. You know for yourself Grandma Bhey would punish me severely if I didn't call you 'miss'." Aram's face paled so considering the various kinds of punishment he had received from Grandma Bhey.
"Puhahahaha! Grandma Bhey is scary! I'll get goosebumps if called into his room." Chroma chuckled amusedly as she saw Aram's face paled, revealing a neat row of his teeth.
Aram smiled seeing Chroma laughing. Just by looking at that alone, he would feel happy all day. For her, Chroma was her world. Because without Chroma, he would have been dead long ago.
Seven years ago, when Chroma was ten years old, she saved a dying Aram while on her way to a temple in the Vhellesian frontier forest. Aram suffered severe injuries all over his body and he lost the ability to move his right hand. Without feeling tired, Chroma every day came to visit and help the clan herbalist to take care of Aram. At that moment, Aram felt a tremendous warmth from Chroma's hand, to the point that he cried one night. That's why Aram decided that he would make Chroma happy, no matter how.
"Aram, do you think Achromos is coming?"
Chroma's voice broke Aram's daydream, making Aram immediately look at Chroma's face that looks slightly red. At once his heart was also beating. Seven years they were together, seven years that Aram also harbored his feelings. He knew Chroma only thought of him as family, nothing more. This was further strengthened when the meeting of the five great kingdoms was held and Chroma met with the King of Chraz, Achromos. Since then, Chroma has always been eager to go to meetings, even he deliberately did the duties of clan officials concerned with Chraz to meet with Achromos.
"I think he's coming. It's an important meeting, he won't miss it." Aram replied with a wry smile.
"really?" Chroma's smile instantly flashed beautifully, making the pain in Aram's heart even more painful. Aram just nodded. They then continued on towards the meeting hall in silence.
•••
Chroma occasionally glanced at Achromos— who was repairing document—once the meeting was completed. The handsome face of Achromos makes Chroma fantasize a lot. Unintentionally, their views collide. Chroma flinched and immediately shifted her gaze in panic. Achromos who saw him only smiled faintly holding back a laugh.
"Miss Chroma," Call Achromos unexpectedly. "do you have free time at this time?"
"Did?!" Exciting Chroma release. He immediately covered his mouth with a blushing face. "Y-yes, Your Grace. I have no other need."
"Call me Achromos, Chroma." Achromos said with a smile. "Then, please accompany me to lunch."
Checkmate. Chroma's heart exploded. It feels like a dreamland. During this time he was only able to look at Achromos during meetings or when he visited Chraz because of work, but now Achromos invited him to lunch together. It was inconceivable how much flowers bloomed in Chroma's heart. It might even be able to cover the entire surface of Xan Island.
After Achromos's invitation, the two of them were then more and more together. Even Achromos came to visit when there was no meeting. Their relationship cannot be described as a friend. They look more like lovers. Achromos and Chroma love each other. And one day, at the age of eighteen Chroma, Achromos proposed to him.
Aram who had been holding thousands of feelings to see Chroma with Achromos was immediately shattered into pieces upon hearing the news. Though he had sworn to make Chroma happy, but he even felt so sad when Chroma had gained his happiness. With all his might, Aram tried to remain Aram who was always on the side of Chroma, becoming the usual Aram. He had already decided to kill his feelings for Chroma, although the consequences would be to kill his heart and soul.
Unexpectedly, a tragic event occurred. The kingdoms of Hecca, Ellios, and Chraz betrayed the peace agreement that Vhellesia had made. They are vying to slaughter all members of the Artemis clan in order to get their heads high selling value.
The Artemis clan did not stay silent, they tried to fight back with their strength, including Chroma. Chroma who was so surprised to hear Chraz participate in the attack still decided to come to the battlefield. He wanted to ask Achromos directly, what all that meant. Aram was certainly against Chroma's all-out decision, but Chroma was so stubborn and went there anyway.
Upon seeing the battlefield, Chroma almost fell to the ground if not captured by Aram. The bodies of the royal soldiers were scattered all over and the smell of blood was so pungent that it pierced the nose. And among the corpses, mingled the corpses in the typical attire of the Artemis clan. They're all lying around. Headless. The Artemis clan that was trying to resist felt difficulty. Their magic power was not as strong as it was 500 years ago, when the last war on Xan Island took place. During these 500 years, they were too confident that war would never happen again. But the bitter reality that was happening right now made them slapped hard.
Aram who noticed Chroma's fear immediately closed Chroma's eyes and hugged her tightly.
"Don't look!" Aram Seru. Chroma's body trembled in horror. All his life, he had never felt this scared. He had never seen war before, and he now realized that war was a senseless slaughter.
"Miss Chroma, we have to go!!" Excited Aram while pulling Chroma— hand that is not wrinkled at all—away from the center of war.
Naas for them, just running for a while, they've been blocked by Hecca's army. Aram clucking. Right now Chroma was too shocked to use her strength, and herself could not fight due to the injury on her right hand.
"Miss Chroma, I'll distract them. When there's a gap, run!" Brush on Chroma.
"What do you mean?!" Chroma cried out from her shock.
Aram did not reply and immediately grabbed the sword that was nearby. He ran to the soldiers and tried to fight them. Chroma shook with fear. He knew Aram could not use his left hand well and his right hand could not be moved at all. What he is doing now is tantamount to suicide.
"Aram!!!" Chroma panicked.
"RUN, CHROMA!!!" Pekik Aramaic. He was seen half-dead resisting attack after attack by the army of Hecca. Chroma stared at the scene before her in fear. Her knees felt unusually limp like they were boneless. His tongue was swollen and his throat was sore. Unwittingly, a soldier Ellios appears behind Chroma and thrusts a sword into Chroma's back to the end..
JEREB!!!
The silvery sword was now stained with a deep red color. Chroma's eyes were wide open. He could barely digest what had happened. Everything happened too fast. His increasingly limp knees now gave up and made him fall to the ground. Clear shafts rippled out from his eyes. As soon as the sword was pulled back violently by the soldier, Chroma could see a thin smile on Aram's face that looked even more pale.
"Thankful.lah.. Chromas." Lirih Aram with a voice so raucous.
His sturdy body now fell unceremoniously onto the ground. His eyes that were light brown dimmed. His body no longer moved, and the pool of blood spread rapidly. Chroma held onto her chest tightly, feeling an excruciatingly terrible and terrible pain.
"LAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!!"
Chroma immediately grabbed Aram's immobile body tightly. The war had taken many of his loved ones, and he was also struck by Achromos' betrayal. And this time, he lost the family he loved most in the world. He could no longer hold back his emotions.
Silvery light began to glow in Chroma's body that did not stop shouting Aram's name. A pillar of light then appeared towered across the sky. The entire army that was fighting instantly came to a halt and stared at the pillar. The members of the Artemis clan instantly gasped. They know what's going on with Chroma.
"Ware!! Xerra is out of control!!"
Suddenly, a loud noise sounded deafening. The ground trembled so much that people lost their balance. The entire eye stared in disbelief towards the expanding pillar of light.
"What's that?!" Achromos was surprised. He had just come to Vhellesia to have his army stop fighting after learning his father had secretly ordered the royal army to hunt down the chief member of the Artemis clan. The sight he found when he arrived was enough to make him shocked was extraordinary, but there was still another unexpected thing that happened.
Achromos approached and squinted his eyes, trying to see who was inside the pillar of light. He then found the faint figure of Chroma who was hugging Aram while sitting down.
"Chroma??!!" He just doesn't believe.
"We have to stop it!! This way the whole world will be immersed in the light!!"
"But how??"
"We must kill Miss Chroma! There's no other way!"
"But we'll die if we kill Xerra!"
"You still thinking about that?? If no one stopped him, we would all still die!!"
Achromos immediately knelt in disbelief as soon as he heard the words of some members of the Artemis clan who were confused. He felt weak. What does it mean that Chroma should be killed? Whatdoes thatmean? Achromos cried in silence regretting what happened. If only he could prevent his father. If only he had realized Hecca and Ellios would have attacked. If only it had come sooner. Achromos condemns everyone who caused this to happen. He then got up with difficulty and walked slowly closer to Chroma.
"King Achromos?! Why is he approaching Chroma?!"
"What's he gonna do??"
"I'm sorry.. Chroma's.."
JEREBB!!
The sword in Achromos' hand now pierced through two bodies hugging. Achromos and Chroma immediately spur blood from the mouth. Achromos did not let go of his embrace and still shed tears.
"Achro. mos.." Chroma's whisper was barely audible.
At that instant, the pillar of light shrank and the dazzling silver light dimmed. Chroma's eyes are closing.
Aram, who apparently still leaves a little life immediately surprised to see Achromos pierced Chroma's body and his own body. He then witnessed the silver light that vanished without a trace and the two pairs of eyes that were now tightly closed. Their bodies then fell slowly to the ground.
Aram was crying amazingly. He screamed silently and raged with an unmoving body. He cursed God for letting this happen. He swore he would do anything to make Chroma happy, but Chroma had to die at the age of eighteen.
Deities.. GODS!!! I DON'T ACCEPT THIS!!! NO ACCEPTAAA!!!! Aram's strangling as hard as his heart.
Then, do you want to do a contract with me?
The sound that came out of nowhere changed everything. Without hesitation Aram agreed to the contract offered by the vote. The contract gave him the ability to perform magic, including the most forbidden magic—magic time.
And as the payment of the contract is, Aram will not be able to die..
unless Chroma kills him.
•••
Finally Aram's long wait came to an end after ten years of perfecting his time magic. He goes back to the time when Chroma was alive and has officially become a demon. His black hair turned white and his brown eyeballs turned as thick as blood. A cursing mark bearing a round clock with black engravings appeared on his chest. But Aram doesn't care about that at all.
This time I will protect you, Inner Aram.
However, what happened after that was so cruel to Aram. Almost the same thing still happens. No matter how hard Aram tried to change everything, Chroma and Achromos remained dead. And he kept watching it, no matter how many times.
"Why..?" Aram muttered in disbelief.
Aram doesn't understand what's wrong. Is it Chroma and Achromos' destiny to love each other but not be united? Is this the fault of him who has been present in Chroma's life? Is it their destiny to both die? Was it as hard as he tried, their fate could not be changed?
Well then, it doesn't mean I'm back, does it?? All I want is to see her smile!! Aram in the heart.
Back then, he regretted his decision to accept the contract with that mysterious voice. What else the contract has had is a big consequence.
Aram will not die unless he is killed by Chroma.
Neither will his soul be able to go to heaven or hell, and he will never be reborn. It will disappear completely from the world. Unsuccessful.
And as he performs time magic, he activates a lever that will keep him going back to the same time, until he dies.
Then, after repeatedly failing to protect Chroma, Aram has decided. He is very tired, but this time he will give everything he has. It will end this vicious cycle.
He decides to become Chroma's enemy, seizes Xerra from her body, and dies at her hands.
•••
Aram's meeting with Chroma which somehow lasted a moment. Once Chroma is born, Aram immediately kidnaps her and transfers her to the remote town of Ellios. He left Chroma to a kind-hearted florist grandmother. After that, he returned to Vhellesia and obliterated everything, moving the entire contents of Vhellesia to a small, uninhabited island at the end of the world map. He then changed the memory of the entire population of Xan Island regarding Vhellesia and Artemis until they all considered Artemis to be long extinct.
What he did was a high-risk thing. After doing all that, Aram lay dying in the middle of the forest. His body was almost destroyed by using too much force. The torment of pain continued to be felt for up to a month when his body gradually re-integrated, because he could not die.
After his body re-integrated perfectly, Aram rushed off to Ellios. But when he arrived, the small town where he left Chroma turned silent. Not a single voice or person passed by. The entire store looks abandoned with merchandise that is already dry.
Aram rushed to the grandmother's house, but found no one.
There was no one in the city.
•••
After years of searching for Chroma, Aram finally heard rumors regarding the silver-haired fox. No doubt, it was Chroma. Why did he become a hit man?
Aram shouted in frustration while slamming whatever was in front of him. Why is everything he does never going so well?? Is this a punishment because he has toyed with destiny and time?
Amidst the frustration that was stirring her, she returned to look for Chroma. He learns that Chroma was saved by Ash, a silver-haired and golden-eyed prince in the Kingdom of Ellios. Aram is in a dilemma. On the one hand he is happy because Chroma stopped being a hitman and met his family, but on the other hand he feels so angry with the Ellios Kingdom. He knows Ellios, Hecca, and Chraz are cunning empires who can do anything to get what they want, although Hecca has been handled by making Shevo become king and make him dance on the palm of his hand easily.
At that time Aram made a plan. He will destroy Ellios and make Chroma hate her. This is a golden opportunity. By the time Chroma was born, she had already put up an additional seal to keep Xerra from going berserk. He has prepared everything carefully.
I'll take Xerra and make you happy, Chroma.
After that, Aram destroys Ellios, reunites Chroma and Achromos, and plans everything with great difficulty to get to this point.
•••
Chromas..
Can't I. I make you happy?
Why do I always fail to protect you?
What wrong?
Is this all because I showed up in your life?
Is this all because I love you so much?
Ii'm sorry.. Chromas..
But now, I hope I don't make any more mistakes..
I hope you and he can be happy..
I can finally rest..
My waiting is over..
Aram's words in his heart were heard just like that by Chroma. Now there were only the two of them inside that pillar of light. Chroma has returned from a world that turns out to be a memory piece belonging to Aram.
Chroma shakily approached Aram who was lying helplessly covered with black blood. Tears were rushing out of his eyes. He could hardly believe what he had just seen. Aram is klauvhi, his knight. Aram has been protecting her for a long time, watching her die somehow.
And Aram..
loved him for hundreds of years.
Chroma's trembling hands rubbed Aram's cheeks in awe. His cries became more and more so as to see Aram's eyes dimming.
"A.ram.excuse me.." Chroma.
"Chro.m.." Reply Aram with a raucous voice. "Ter.smile.."
Chroma cried louder and louder to hear Aram's words. He regretted being amazing for not knowing anything. He could not imagine how much burden Aram had to bear alone, how broken his heart was, and how painful everything he had experienced was. Why didn't Aram tell him everything?
"Aram. please don't go..." Isak Chroma's.
"Chro.ma.smile..lah.." Reply Aram. His body now began to slowly break into small black pieces. Chroma flinched and tried to grab the pieces.
"Aram!! Aram!!!" Chroma hysterical.
"Chroma..it's too late. please..for the last time.I.want to see.your smile.." Said Aram with great difficulty.
Chroma clasped Aram's hand tightly and wiped away her tears. He then tried to show a smile as much as he could. Aram glanced at Chroma then smiled. A smile that radiates happiness as well as sadness that is so deep.
"Finally, I can rest.." Aramaic.
Chroma's cry again broke down once Aram's body decays completely into black pieces. Both of his eyes were now tightly closed.
Chromas..
Be happy..
That's the only thing I want..
Aram's last words in his heart echoed in Chroma's head. His body had now completely turned into black pieces that instantly disappeared in the air. Aramaic love for hundreds of years on Chroma has now come to an end. Chroma immediately grabbed the remaining pieces with her heart so broken. Her tears could barely stop coming out.
"Peterod... Aramaea!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!"
———
