【Shine】One Thousand and One Nights

——The Seventh Night·Part One——

Uruk in the night is vast and deep. Looking into the distance, endless darkness descends on the earth. There is silence behind them, only the whisper of the wind and the sound of the river colliding in their ears.

Xilai stopped at the corner of the city wall.

"I can't go out anymore." She let go of Gilgamesh's sleeve, "We can't leave Uruk unless En is in the city. Poet, you can only go the rest of the way alone."

Like a little adult, she earnestly instructed.

"You must find Eun. He has been waiting for you for a long time. The former Eun was like a puppet. Although it was beautiful, it was lifeless. But, poet, after you came, I saw Eun smiling. I've been in Uruk for a long time, and I haven't seen him smile!" She looked at Gilgamesh seriously, "The grown-ups say that En is angry now, but I think En should be more painful than angry. You Make him happy again, and Uruk will be bright again."

Gilgamesh snorted, "Make him happy? Little girl, do you want me to tell him another story? He's a three-year-old?"

"Hey hey hey," Xi Lai nodded her cheek, and laughed cheerfully, regardless of her leaky front teeth. "You know the poet! As long as Eun sees you, no matter how uncomfortable it is, she will immediately become happy—even if you don't tell me story."

She points to the long river that surrounds the city-state.

"En is right there, please go find him quickly."

Gilgamesh nodded, and strode forward with his back to her, leaving behind a faint smile.

"Go back to sleep, little girl, I promise you, when you wake up next time, you will definitely see the bright sun."

Xi Lai laughed out loud, and hurriedly said as if thinking of something.

"Poet poet! Eun told me oh, that story about love - he told me by sister Pyim!"

With her hands stretched out beside her mouth, she acted as a small trumpet and shouted.

"'In short, the king and the assassin loved each other, and then the king unified the country, and the assassin stayed with him, and they lived long and happy.'"

She smiled sweetly.

"I know, there is no way to live a long life, but I hope you can be happy with him."

Gilgamesh said goodbye with a sneer without looking back.He walked further and further away, and gradually, even if he turned his head, he couldn't see the young figure stationed at the corner of the city wall.

This is the kingdom of the undead, the depths of the underworld where countless souls are imprisoned.

Gilgamesh crossed the plain between the river and the city-states, and wherever he went, the light followed and drove the darkness away.

The soul that died in the world, after death, fell into the underworld and wandered non-stop, and the body gradually changed into the appearance he longed for.

An old man may return to youth, a child who died young may become a young man, and a weary traveler may become a babbling baby.They can realize the most secret fantasy that they can't ask for in this world. This is the last mercy bestowed by Apus, and then the satisfied soul will slowly dissipate in the dark and boundless underworld.

...as it should be.

One day, a fool appeared in the revolving underworld. He created a city-state in the depths of darkness out of thin air, bounded by the River Styx, trapped souls in it, and could not live or die.

Gilgamesh recalled the girl's shy smile.

Xilai's immature face is somewhat similar to that of Enki.

Of course.He thought, originally, it was just a body made of clay, which imitated the face of a prostitute and appeared in the world.

She became a child, lost all memory, and still guarded him.

This thought was fleeting, and was forgotten in a blink of an eye. The broad Embilulu flowed long and slowly, as black as ink, as if it had swallowed even the light. Gilgamesh stood by the river and looked down. The depth of the river cannot be determined.

He knew that Apus was looking down from a high place, and he sneered at his whimsy—Gilgamesh, the king of all people, finally ushered in death, fell into the underworld, and was still obsessed with it, trying to find Enkidu's soul that should have disappeared ——And Enkidu really didn't disappear, trapped an immortal city, imitated Uruk, and waited for his arrival.

"What an idiot," Gilgamesh couldn't help cursing, but he didn't know who he was scolding, "It's nothing more than being greedy for the companionship in life, and even dreaming of reuniting after death—"

He knelt down halfway and stretched his arms into Embilulu. The piercing river water seemed to swallow him up in an instant, and his flesh and bones were excruciatingly painful, as if thousands of needlepoints had pierced into his flesh and blood and ruthlessly grinded into his bones.

But Gilgamesh didn't care, he even laughed wildly, his raised brows showed a strong desire to win.

"But—as expected of my best friend! You have waited for me! Our meeting and parting in life were all decided by the gods—everything in the future, I will decide! Whoever, what god, get out of here!"

He could clearly see nothing, but he knew where he was.

"Wake up, Enkidu! Look at me!"

·

Enki knew he was dreaming.

This river is too wide and deep, almost equal to the sea, he floats and sinks in it, the dark night is shrouded on the dark river, without light, the world is only dim.

What kind of emotion is this? It is so sticky and heavy in my heart. Once I think that I will never see each other again, my heart twitches, almost suffocating.

When he opened his eyes, it was pitch black, but when he closed his eyes, there was light.

He saw a lump of clay molded by a goddess, unconscious and numb, wandering through the forest, and then a woman kissed him and was infused with life.

what's next?He was born, and then ?

There seemed to be a voice next to his ear, gentle and strong, every word made his heart tremble.

"The king was excited by the long-lost strong enemy. They fought against each other day and night in the square, and finally both of them collapsed from exhaustion—the king fell in love with the assassin."

what is love?

"They swore to each other that they would never leave each other for the rest of their lives."

Who said this to whom?

"But the prince doesn't have emotions. He knows all the stories, but he doesn't have the emotions to go with them."

Memory, where did it go?

……can not remember.

The voice was low and gentle, like a lover whispering in the ear.

— "'I'll wait for you till the end of my life, I'll wait for you.'"

……

Enkidu saw that he fell into someone's arms, and that person hugged him tightly, and as the heavy rain poured down, hot tears flowed down his neck.

"Stay here, open your eyes and look at me again..."

Will you regret meeting me?Feel happy?Are you happy every day?

Countless thoughts flooded out, making Enkidu's eyes warm.

Died for you, are you suffering?

I never regret it.

...Although I really want to live with you and never leave each other, but one more day is fine, I hope you can live under the sunshine and blessings—the underworld is too cold, I would rather you come to accompany me later.

I really want to see you, I really want to see you——In the silent and cold underworld, abandoned by the gods and revered by the people, he sits in the deepest corner of the palace, without sound or sunlight, guarding the illusory dream of who knows when and who, silently and Loneliness, day after day.

——I really want to see you.

"Enkidu!"

Suddenly, a ray of light broke through the deep sea.

The darkness surrounding his body was mercilessly dispelled, and a strong hand grabbed Enkidu's arm.

"Wake up and look at me!"

——the light appeared.

He was suddenly pulled out of the river, the air rushing into his nostrils, he took a breath, his long hair was wet against his face, his heart was beating with joy, and in the dark night, Gilgamesh's blond hair was as dazzling as the sun.

Those distant dreams that cannot be asked for, fantasies that cannot be described in words, are nothing compared to reality, his appearance, his body, his temperature... His sharp and angry gaze.

The smile couldn't stop rising, and Enkidu almost shed tears of joy, not knowing how to speak.

"I……"

want to see you.

"finally……"

Meet again.

He didn't know how to open his mouth to describe the great emotion in his heart, but Gilgamesh interrupted angrily with a gloomy face, regardless of the emotion he was immersed in the reunion.

"You really like Shammut that much?!"

"……………………ah?"

Enkidu was caught off guard for a moment, and asked back in astonishment.

Gilgamesh seemed to be really angry, his fingers tightly wrapped around his shoulders.

"That prostitute has only been with you for six days and seven nights. When you meet me, you will laugh and make a fuss—and I spent so much time, you actually told me that I found the wrong person?"

"..." The affection was poured into water.

Are you a child?Enkidu really wanted to complain mercilessly, but at the same time, the uncontrollable joy made him open his arms and hug the angry king.

"Of course it is..." He said helplessly but happier, "My fault, I kept you waiting, I'm sorry."

Gilgamesh still had a stinky face, but hugged him tightly with his hands, and said arrogantly.

"It's too late to think about it now, clay figurine."

"There is a price to be paid for violating the rules of the underworld," he smiled faintly, "When I relearn feelings, the memories will come back to life—thank you for allowing me to meet you again."

"Tch, so you didn't fall in love with me until now?"

"Now? It's too late." He chuckled, "I fell in love with you at first sight."

The world is dyed with color in an instant, full of flowers, the sun is shining, and the wind is singing.

Enkidu holding Gilgamesh.

"Aside from love, pain and sorrow, despair and joy... everything else is necessary, and you gave me."

They stood in the sun, looking at each other and smiling.

"Thank you for finding me."

"Otherwise you don't know how long you will be lost." Gilgamesh mocked unceremoniously, but held his hand gently.

·