A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

17 | A Reason To Trust(edited)

Till this moment, Ada had never once recalled that name, nor the captivating gaze that accompanied it. She had little to no recollection of the face that went with the name, and yet, the feeling it evoked in her was unmistakably familiar. Her heart recognized something that her mind could not grasp. 

It wasn't that she had consciously forgotten—no, it was more elusive than that. The memory had buried itself deep, as if tucked away in a corner of her mind that she dared not visit. His memory lodged in the corners of her heart like an old song she once knew but could no longer hum.

It had been so long ago. 

He felt like a distant prince from a forgotten dream—someone who had naturally vanished into nothingness the moment her eyes fluttered open. The kind of figure that slipped away in the softness of morning light, leaving behind a trace of warmth and wonder.That was before she had been taught the harsh realities of living, surviving, and thriving. Back when her world was still wrapped in the illusions of simplicity and innocence.

Drown in nostalgia she reached out to the stone seatings, her fingers slowly tracing the carvings. The stone was cool and ancient beneath her fingertips, grounding her for a brief moment as her thoughts drifted. That's when a voice approached from behind.

"Well, look who we have here." A voice, familiar for its sternness, pierced through the silence of the chamber.

Emerging from the shadows, a figure materialised, his eyes shimmering with a semblance of yellow in the dim light. The hard gaze evoked several emotions in Ada's heart.

He was dressed in a flowing garment made of the same colour and material as Hanna's dress, his brows rich with white hair knitted in an unexplainable emotion on his face. She knew it was anything but friendly. He didn't wish to see her here.

"What do we owe the pleasure of seeing you here tonight, Lady Romersai?" he quipped.

Ada took a step back, trying to steady herself. She should not be afraid. Should not have a second thought. Though the game wasn't one that had been played fair and square, the ball was in her court somehow.

Taking a deep breath, she puffed out her chest, straightening her posture to make sure she not only mentally but physically too held her ground. She must do this. Questions were meant to be solved, not run away from; she knew that by now. And she would not run away again. For Auden. He mattered more.

"Where is Auden?" she asked.

Shinatzai Zen raised a brow at her. "You seem to have gotten the news," he said. "I wonder how," he added.

He strode towards Ada, his steps measured but purposeful. "Let me take a guess. You had a bad dream, suddenly remembered you have a family, and sent a mail-elf to see if they are still alive."

Ada scoffed. "I don't have time to waste. Where is Auden? I know you know where he is."

The head mage had already covered half the distance between them; he stood next to the third row of benches, his mop of white hair glistening like silver under moonlight.

"Nobody knows," Shinatzai Zen remarked, his voice sharp with condescension. 

Ada's body tensed. "Wrong answer," she barked, her voice vibrating with barely contained fury. "We both know it's the wrong answer."

"He set his study on fire and vanished into thin air, just like his sister did seven years ago when she was sent to rehabilitation for... offenses committed despite being the heiress." His words dripped with venom.

Her interior seethed, anger roaring inside her like a fire that threatened to burst into flame. Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists, trying to force herself back into control. Her eyes stung with the pressure of unshed tears, but she swallowed them back, unwilling to show weakness in front of the man who had orchestrated so much of her pain.