Unending Options [MCD x Reader] !Book 2!

Entry No. 24

"You two shouldn't be alone out here... I thought you had guards to accompany you," Vylad warned.

"How did you know I need guards?" Aph asked.

"I had kept a very dilligent eye over Pheonix Drop for a time. I had a vast amount of knowledge of it's inhabitants due to the fact that I was... I um... Pheonix... Pheonix Drop," he tried to explain.

"I don't need to know," Aph said.

"Thanks," Vylad replied.

"I guess you should know, I am no longer the Lord of Pheonix Drop. Levin, the child you left me is," Aph explained.

"I see... So all your guards serve him now?" Vlyad asked.

"Only one," Aph explained.

"Garroth is his guard?" Vylad asked.

Vylad hadn't seen Garroth in some time, and I realized I had not talked about him much either.... He didn't know... I felt like a rat for not telling him.

"No, Garroth is... Gone," Aph explained.

Vylad looked over to me in shock. 

"W-What? Where is he?" he asked worriedly.

Though Vylad and I had never quite talked of how Garroth was his brother, I knew he was. I knew he cared deeply for him as well. 

"He is dead... Did you know him?" Aphmau lied.

I stood back. No she hadn't. I knew she didn't know him, but this was not okay.

"H-He... He can't be... No... No... Noo!" Vylad started to cry.

Vyald started to fall to the ground and I sat beside him, holding him close.

"You knew him?" Aphmau questioned.

"Y-Yes. H-He is... Was... My older brother," Vylad explained.

Vylad cried. It was new to me. I don't think I'd ever seen him cry. I was used to him being the one comforting me...

"Wait you... You're the young brother of Zane and Garroth? The one that died long ago?" Aph questioned.

"Y-Yes," Vylad answered.

"Aphamu, stop. You tortured him. You can't lie like that to someone! Even if you don't know them!" I raised my voice.

"How was I supposed to know? And why exactly are you all cuddled up with him? We just met him," Aph asked.

"Because-" I started.

"Was he trapped? In another dimension?" Vylad asked, looking up at Aph.

I wiped the tears from his eyes. I hated seeing him like this.

"Yes... The Irene Dimension, how did you know?" Aphmau answered.

"I know Zane... I know where he might have gone... Let's.. Talk more... I am the half-brother of Zane and Garroth... Though Garroth had always treated me like a real brother, Zane never acknowledged me, but then... Zane was always in his own world. I... Died.. long ago. But in the Nether, I was reborn a Shadow Knight... Please, don't be scared.." Vylad explained.

"Wait, the Nether? So you came out of the Nether portal I just sealed?" Aph asked.

"You... sealed? Wait, stop... What did you say?" Vylad asked.

"I said I sealed the portal. I used my powers to seal it," Aph said.

"No. No! That doesn't just happen that easily," Vylad explained as he ran off towards the portal.

We quickly followed behind to find the portal had grown in size... 

"No! No! That's not possible! I swear when I left here it was broken! Right Y/n?" Aph said worriedly.

I stood there stunned once again. Every time I was near this portal I seemed to end up that way.

"The only way that I know of to break a Nether Portal is from the inside. It can be sealed from the inside but opened from the outside. That is the only way I know how they open and close... Maybe there are more ways but... Tampering with Nether Portals can have dire consequences... like this.. Y/n why didn't you stop her?" Vylad asked.

I had a bad feeling and I didn't act on it. I felt extremely guilty... I had let Vylad down.

"What does this mean?" Aph asked.

"If the Shadow Lord was at his full power he would be able to escape, but... Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case... Anytime soon at least... We had bigger problems happening in the Nether," Vylad explained.

"Sasha told me... Zenix was absorbing Shadow Knights?" Aphmau asked.

"Yes, all chaos has broken in the Nether. The structure of society is no longer the way it was... For a long time... I was held prisoner there... Until the portal just recently opened... They all thought it was the way out but... My fears were realized when Zenix walked through that portal. I saw him absorb Shadow Knights from the window of my cell. Eventually, it got so bad they released all prisoners to fight... But I took this as my chance to leave the Nether. I've been guarding this portal in case someone comes out..." Vylad explained.

That was why he left. That was why I found him here...

"Why aren't Shadow Knights coming out?" Aph asked.

"The fabric of society has changed in the Nether. Zenix waits until he is strong enough to do things... I have this bad feeling... I-I'm done," Vylad said.

I was worried as to what "I'm done" really stood for. Vylad had been fighting for so long...

"What?" Aph asked.

"I am coming with you," Vylad said.

I stood for a moment, entrapped by thought. It all made sense. Aphmau was finally ready to start learning as I did. Vylad held so many secrets and knowledge of our past. I was excited, even if it came from fear of what would happen if he wasn't beside us. I smiled, and as he saw it he smiled back. I jumped up and hugged onto him, nearly knocking him down.

"What!?! And WHAT!?!" Aph questioned.

"Garroth and Zane are stuck in the Irene Dimension. Please... I want to get Garroth out. I might be able to help," Vylad said.

As resident knowing the answer to nearly every question, he truly would be useful. I knew that he knew a way to get him back. If only I had been able to get him back sooner, they may have only been gone for a year... Once again, guilt crept over me.

"B-But what about the Nether Portal? Shouldn't someone be guarding it?" Aph asked.

"I was guarding it because I thought things in this world were better. But if Zane is in the Irene Dimension... Please, allow me to come with you. My brothers..." Vylad pleaded.

"Fine.. But I nee dto tell John about the Nether Portal. If anyone need to know about it, it is him," Aph bargained.

Vylad agreed, "I will meet you at the docks of Bright Port by sundown. I have a vessel that will sail us back to Pheonix Drop. Please... Go tell this John and wait for me."

We all left. I held back the urge to run off with Vylad. 

"That was the first person I ever met," Aph mumbled out. "I've been thinking about it a lot, I don't remember anything before Pheonix Drop, do you?" 

I had to lie to her. She had to figure it out on her own. That was Vylad's wishes, so that was also Hyria's, meaning it was also mine. 

"Not really, no..." I said.

"Hmm..." she continued to stay stuck in her head.

I left to her go off on her own. I could still hear John and Aphmau yelling about things up ahead.

"My men found Lord Levin's ship crashed on the shoreline!" John shouted.

I blanked out. No.