Sad Moon

Chapter 1: Orphans - 4

At fifteen, Darion had become the dominant figure that everyone feared and respected in the Righrean orphanage. His height had increased, his physique had strengthened, and his gaze, always calculating, had grown more intense, as sharp as a dagger's edge. He had learned to use the power he wielded over others as a tool of control, a skill honed through years of manipulation and dominance. Yet, with that power came the shadows of his past decisions shadows that clung to him, reminding him of the scars he had left in his wake.

One afternoon, as the last rays of sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the orphanage, casting elongated shadows over the dusty shelves, Ravenna found him in the library, a refuge both of them frequented, though never together. Over the past three years, Ravenna had changed as well. The young woman approaching Darion had left behind almost all the vulnerability of her childhood but had acquired a sadness that now clouded her deep blue eyes. Her longer, soft curls of blonde hair cascaded around her face, framing a serious expression that spoke of bitter experiences.

—Darion, we need to talk— Ravenna said, her voice firm but laden with contained emotion.

Darion, who had been reviewing an old book, slowly looked up and regarded her with the same inscrutable expression he had always used as a shield. He had known this moment would come, had anticipated the day Ravenna would confront him, and had tried to prepare for it, though he knew no preparation would be enough to face the consequences of his actions. He closed the book with a sigh, as if the weight of his mistakes rested within those pages, and nodded, inviting her to continue.

—Why did you do what you did?— Ravenna asked, taking a step toward him. There was no resentment in her voice, only a deep need to understand, to find some meaning in the pain he had caused her. —Why did you treat me like that? I thought you felt something for me, but you destroyed me in front of everyone. Did I mean nothing to you at all?—

Ravenna's words resonated in the silence of the library, like an echo of the wounds he had inflicted, and Darion felt a knot form in his stomach. He had played with Ravenna's feelings as if they were pieces on a chessboard, moving them at his whim to secure his dominance. But now, facing her, the consequences of his manipulation were becoming more real, more burdensome. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet those blue eyes that had once looked at him with adoration.

—I didn't mean for this to happen, Ravenna— he responded, his words faltering, laden with a sincerity he rarely showed —I didn't think... I didn't think about how it would affect you. I'm sorry—

Ravenna watched him in silence, her expression tense, as if she were battling internally over whether to accept or reject his apology. Before she could respond, Ariella's figure appeared in the library's entrance, bringing with her an air of authority and danger. Unlike Ravenna, Ariella hadn't changed much over the years. Her self-assuredness remained intact, and her beauty, now more pronounced, made her even more imposing.

Without hesitation, Ariella approached Darion and kissed him, a gesture devoid of affection and filled with possession, like a seal asserting her dominance over him. Darion remained still, his mind elsewhere, feeling a mix of guilt and resignation as Ariella's lips brushed his. When Ariella pulled away, she turned to Ravenna with a triumphant smile, her eyes gleaming with a cruelty that seemed to revel in others' pain.

—Leave, Ravenna— Ariella said, her tone cold and cutting, like a steel blade —I don't want a slut talking to my boyfriend—

Ariella's words struck Ravenna like a slap. The young woman recoiled, shocked by the brutality of the statement, as her blue eyes, which had shown strength upon entering, filled with unshed tears. She looked at Darion, searching for some trace of the person she once thought she knew, hoping he would defend her. But Darion, unable to bear the weight of her gaze, looked down at the floor, remaining silent, a prisoner of the chains he had forged himself.

The tension in the room was palpable, and after a moment that seemed eternal, Ravenna turned and ran out of the library, her footsteps echoing in the silence, leaving behind a void that seemed to absorb all the light from the room. The sound of the door closing behind her was a bitter echo in Darion's mind, a reminder of what he had just lost.

Ariella, satisfied with the scene she had orchestrated, tried to take Darion's hand again, but he gently pulled away, his mind still caught in the whirlwind of emotions Ravenna had unleashed. He knew that what he had done, what he had allowed, had caused irreparable damage. But in the world he had built, a world where power was the only currency, there was no room for compassion, only for domination.

Yet, for the first time in a long time, Darion felt that the power he had so relentlessly sought left him empty, a hollow shell with no meaning or purpose. And as Ravenna's figure faded into the distance, he couldn't help but wonder if, in his obsession with control, he had lost something much more valuable than his pride, something he might never be able to recover.