Darkness Unfold (#3)

Chapter 1: A New Dawn

"I have not spent the last two centuries trying to correct the mistake that I made - the mistake of loving you.
You chose to bring this darkness into our meadow. You destroyed everything, Aleksander!
Make a decision. Now. I am going to give you one more chance.
Destroy the Fold with me, or we can fight one more time.
Where would we go? Do we even have a home?
All I ever wanted was you....you will meet me again, my love.
This isn't our end. I won't come in this form again but I will come....and then, we will meet again.
I'm once again in your arms. My wish comes true every time. It's always you, Aleksander. It's....always been you. You are worth it. You are worth....everything.

I love you."

The Darkling opened his eyes.

The eyes of a certain brunette-haired beauty had been haunting him for the past two centuries. During this time, he had been living with the burden of having made a choice that he regretted, and this regret was a lot more than the one he felt about creating an abomination.

But was it? Was it an abomination....or was it a means to an end?

He had a lot of time with his thoughts and he had come to one conclusion - the Fold wasn't a mistake. He didn't regret anything. He had meant to create amplifiers but the way he had meddled with small science overpowered him. His madraya had been right. Nobody should mess with merzost, because they were Grisha, not Saints. Only some of them had the privilege of being known in glory, but that only meant harm. The Fjerdans in the North would never allow the worship of Grisha Saints as long as the difference between humans and Grisha existed.

The Darkling hated every second that passed by where he couldn't protect his people. He was forced to work under the thumb of fools. Humans only got worse over the decades. The last time he had served a fair ruler was when-

"No." He spoke out loud. He wasn't going to think about that. He wasn't going to think about her. She ruled his nightmares. He wasn't going to let her haunt him right before his eyes.

There were too many emotions attached to thinking about that part of his life. Everyone that had known that part of him was gone; reduced to ashes and dust. The incident that followed her death would be forgotten. No one would remember what happened.

The Samodivas thought themselves to be smart, but he was the wicked one. He wouldn't let anyone come between him and his mission, even if it meant destroying their legacy. He was known for being ruthless and unforgiving. Well, that taught everyone a lesson.

Don't think about that. What is wrong with you?

Everyone that he knew was gone. He spent every moment of his godforbidden life trying to make something out of himself. He only ever wanted to protect Grisha, but it was men that needed to be feared. They were the cruelest creatures to have ever walked the earth.

And a group of misfits had almost gotten something....something important that they could have used over him. He was so surprised when he hadn't realised what the Fold actually was and what it held for him. But the Morana's Chosen had gotten in the way, and they had won in a way.

He remembered his new dream vividly to change the direction of his thoughts to something that didn't hold the past in his fist. He had been standing inside a beautiful house, one that he always envisioned him living in. But he wasn't alone. He was with her. She was brushing her fingers through his hair to make him feel calm.

That was a feeling that he would never feel again. And it was his fault. It was all his fault.

There was a sudden jolt in the carriage that he was sitting in. "What is it, Ivan?" He asked his most trusted Heartrender who belonged in his personal guard.