Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Thirty Seven

Death.

It came and it went, a part of life and yet, people could never fully accept it.

Today, Zaic had become one of them.

How could he stomach the fact that Asher, the man who always stood strong, no matter what, had succumbed to a gunshot?

Zaic refused to believe it.

Because if that was the case, then he was the reason for the Lieutenants death.

His father's words rang in his ears.

'Worthless brat! A palace guard can do better!'

He had been right. Zaic couldn't even shoot straight.

'You call yourself a Prince!? Shame on you! Do not look at me with those impure eyes of yours, boy! The least you could do was inherit the mark of a true Atlantean!'

But he couldn't even do that. He was such a big loser that Zaic had killed the very man he was trying to save.

'I doubt you can do it, but do not mess this up, boy.'

Zaic chuckled, drawing everyone's attention.

His father, King Zorian the First, one of the greatest rulers his land had ever since had been right again and he as usual was still a disappointment.

"Zaic...." A voice called out his name, tinged with pity and perhaps sympathy.

Kaenisa.

The only one who had made him feel wanted. He had been loved by his people, his sister but never in all his one hundred and twenty years had someone made him feel the way she did. Never had someone looked at him the way Kaenisa did.

Would she hate him too?

He stared at the floor, dread piling inside him, on the brink of overflowing into a fit of hysteria. His breaths coming in shorter and shorter.

Zaic was choking on the very air he inhaled.

Everything began to loom over him, like the building of an orchestral crescendo. Almost reaching the climax.

"No." He choked out, shivering violently.

Until a warm hand pressed down on his shoulder, grabbing him. And before he knew, Zaic found himself looking into a pair of crimson aureate eyes, flecked with the most soothing shade of ochre and hazel.

They almost reminded him of the chamomile tea mother used to give him and Zaira when they were young, tired and sore from training.

With Asher.

Oh, how they had looked up to him. A man of duty, truth and loyalty.

He had been the best of them, not to mention The General's right-hand man.

The Lieutenant had appeared stern, strict and stubborn, but in reality, he had just been willing to be the bad guy for the greater good. A misunderstood hero.

A hero that he had killed.

"Zaic, Zaic look at me. That's it. Yes keep your eyes on me okay?" Kaenisa cooed, putting both of her palms on his cheeks. They were warm, affectionate.

Affection, that he did not deserve. Yet he had cowardly kept accepting it. Getting a little more greedy each time.

"It's all my fault. I ruin everything don't I? I killed him. You should stay away from me. I...You-"

"Zaic-Zaic, stop. Baby-"

"No. No This....this is wrong. I shouldn't be.....You....I should not exist. I killed him Kaenisa, I....I'm a murderer. I...can't-" He mumbled, looking at her face, blurry, through his tears.