The Darkest of Truths

Chapter 15

Author's Note: These next two chapters were difficult to write so because of that and the content of these next two chapters I am including a Trigger Warning. Please review the Content Warning Chapter and decide for yourselves whether or not you would like to continue. A lot of trauma is about to occur. Best of luck

-R.Q

The darkness tossed me aside but instead of landing on a hard floor I landed on a grassy surface.

I looked around and I was not in the same place I was in before but it was familiar.

The afternoon sun.

Green grass.

Tall ancient trees.

A thriving village filled with happy people in a forest that felt alive.

Eldwyn.

I was in Eldwyn but from before the destruction and back when it was alive.

But that wasn't all.

I took a quick glance at my surroundings and realised that not only was I in Eldwyn but I was in Terreno.

My home.

I was home.

This is impossible. I thought as I bolted back onto my feet and turned to find Dion holding a wooden sword with his hands raised defensively.

"Hold on there runt. No need to get mad," he said with humour in his eyes.

I looked at him, truly looked at him, trying to find the trick but found nothing.

It was him.

It was genuinely him.

Not one of the Living Eternal masquerading as him but just him.

Only I was staring up at him. I should have been level with him given my current height and yet I was significantly shorter.

Perhaps it was another trick from the Living Eternal, one that made re-experience this moment from the same perspective. The perspective not of someone who was 23 years old but 7, maybe 8 at this point.

It didn't matter.

It didn't matter if this was all nothing more than reliving a memory.

I just wanted to run to him, hug him, tell him I missed him but my body remained frozen.

Instead I groaned at him, like how I did every time he kicked my ass while sparring.

He laughed. A full hearty laugh.

"I swear runt, you have the temper of an Ignion. It's going to get you killed if you let it control you like that."

"Oh really?" said a teasing female voice.

Dion's smile dropped as we both turned to face his wife, Cynthia. A beautiful dark skinned woman with red hair like fire and also an Ignion. She was smirking at my brother with her arms crossed.

There were very few things that could make my brother sweat.

He was always so level-headed, even when under intense pressure. It was what would've made him an excellent leader had he lived long enough to take over as clan leader from father.

I had never seen that level-headedness crack for a second, except when he was in trouble with Cynthia.

I always took great joy in watching him show how even he could be human.

"Well I, I only mean that she ... I didn't - you know that I love your temper."

Cynthia let out a small 'hm', acting as though she wasn't convinced.