Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Fourteen

He drummed his finger against the armrest, staring out the window at the brilliant Neon City, a proud, apt title that Atlantis had been bestowed with.

But today, even the enticing luminosities that flushed the City with life and beauty like no other, could not take his mind off....her.

He sighed, a long, heavy sound. Her eyes were....so common amongst the Highborn, yet the most unique pair he'd ever come across.

But the colour of her eyes wasn't what had caught his attention. No. The cold rationality within them was much more striking. Familiar even, to an alarming extent. He had almost forgotten. But it was impossible. There was simply no way she was....No.

He sighed yet again. Something that was simply unacceptable. It gave away more about the emotions that roiled through his mind than he'd like, one of the numerous things his title of the Supreme General required of him.

Pushing off the seat, Cazek poured himself a drink, thoughts returning to the girl. She was quite the mystery. One that he was no closer to solving. But before he could mull over it any further, three evenly paced knocks from beyond the door, pulled him out of his thoughts.

Asher.

"Come in." He spoke.

A moment later, his right hand walked in, holding a screen identical to the ones on his desk.

"The results, straight from the lab, as you asked. You are the first to see them." Asher said, folding his hands behind his back once the Commander had handed him the screen. He still wouldn't look him in the eye. No matter how much Cazek insisted.

The Crystallium screen felt cool in his grip. A weight that, for some strange reason, made his heart race, just a little.

A strange sense of unbearable suspense poked at the mask of indifference he wore, threatening to reveal his emotions for everyone to see, a dangerous mistake in his line of work.

Cazek's heart pounded against his rib-cage as his eyes raked over it, betraying none of the storm brewing within.

"Hm."

"So....should I have them delivered to the King?" Asher questioned, eyes full of curiosity but head still lowered to a respectable level.

But all he could hear was the blood rushing through his ears. The words flashing before him couldn't be the truth. It was impossible. How could it ever be?

His fingers moved as if they had a life of their own. And just like that, Cazek did something he never thought he would, feeling his Commander's gaze as he tapped away at the screen.

He couldn't explain it, had no reason or justification for doing the unthinkable. He had betrayed his King. His friend......and God forbid, maybe....his Nation, too.

But what horrified him was the fact that he felt no remorse, not a shred of guilt. He had betrayed everything he ever stood for, all because of words, just words on a screen.

"Gen...general?" Asher ventured, hesitant.

"You may present this to King Zorian." He replied.

"But General-"

Cazek shot him a look. The look. It was his final word, set in iron and stone. He had spent hours mastering it. Now, it came to him, as easily as breathing.

Asher paused, closing his mouth as he looked away, just for a moment.

"Yes General." He said, retrieving the screen from his hand before turning around and walking out the door.