Ink: Living Life as Serena Gleis

LVIII: Sir Benjamin the Fourth.

"I think you've got some explaining to do, Maurice," I said, my voice heavy with the weight of the day's events. Though I trusted Maurice, I needed answers. The atmosphere was thick with tension as Azrael and I waited, the hours dragging on while the flame's mysterious work continued.

Maurice finally entered, settling silently into a vacant seat and clearing his throat. "You too, my lady. You have a lot of explaining to do as well," he countered, his words unsettling me.

"Varka was your mother's personal knight when she was alive. He's the only Clyian left trained in offensive spells," Maurice began, his revelation deepening my confusion.

"He's a Clyian? How can he set foot near the flame?" I asked, knowing Clyians were forbidden from nearing the manor.

"He shares the same fate as this manor—once pure, now splattered with blood," Maurice explained. I nodded, grasping the grim connection.

"Wait, he's Lena's knight? How come I never met him before?" Azrael asked, curiosity piqued.

"He had no choice but to stay in Gleis. He served the Duke for years, the only one who knew about Clyian existence," Maurice explained. The mention of my father stirred guilt within me. It seemed my father had bound Varka with the secret of his lineage, keeping him as a pawn.

Maurice's eyes met mine. "Your father kept Varka tied to Gleis, knowing his secret. Varka stayed to protect Lena's memory and ensure the Duke didn’t exploit his knowledge of Clye."

"I believe it is my turn to ask the questions now?" he asked, adjusting his posture. I unconsciously gulped, sensing the gravity of the situation without fully understanding it.

"You died?" he asked.

The room was thick with confusion, mirroring my own bewilderment. I stared at him, clueless. "Don't play innocent with me, Rena. Varka said he was at your funeral in Gleis." His words clarified the misunderstanding.

"Oh, yeah. I died," I replied, laughing as if it were a trivial matter.

"Care to explain?" he pressed. Even Azrael seemed to demand answers now, his eyes fixed on me. With a deep sigh, I resigned myself to the inevitable.

"I’m not sure you’ll believe me, but I’ll tell you everything..." For nearly half an hour, I recounted my story, from waking up as Serena to arriving in Clye. Of course, I omitted the part about coming from another world and creating the very world we inhabited. I edited the tale to make it somewhat plausible.

"So, you're telling me there were two consciousnesses inside your body and the one that died was the other you?" Maurice asked, clearly baffled. I nodded.

"Yeah, something like that."

"How come I didn’t see the other you back then?" Azrael asked, looking lost and confused. "You were unconscious when we separated," I explained. He nodded repeatedly, trying to dredge up memories from that time.  

I had been enjoying the solitude of the room before Maurice arrived. I had expected to be the one asking questions, but now I found myself on the defensive. How the tables have turned. "Is that all we need to ask each other?" I inquired awkwardly, eager for the conversation to end.

Maurice remained silent, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought. "Uh... how's the unconscious man with Varka?" I attempted to shift the topic, but Maurice stayed quiet, and Azrael did too.

"It’s hard to believe, but I trust you, my lady," Maurice finally said after a long pause. "And I trust your judgment, Maurice," I replied, offering a gentle smile. He responded with a polite nod.