Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 61: Goodbye Twins

Narinder approached the twins with silent steps, his expression gentle but charged with contained emotions. He leaned down next to their beds and, with a surprisingly tender gesture, gently stroked their heads. Aym was the first to stir, while Baal followed shortly after, slowly opening his eyes, still wrapped in the warmth of sleep.

"Wake up," Narinder whispered, his voice carrying a paternal tone that he rarely showed. The twins, still confused, looked at him with sleepy eyes, but upon seeing the presence of their master beside them, they quickly sat up, like the disciplined soldiers they were, although at that moment he did not feel that way.

Narinder watched them for a moment longer, as if he wanted to record that moment of tranquility in his memory. Then, with a barely perceptible sigh, he broke the silence. "You need to train even more," he said in a firm tone but with a softness that was not typical of him. "Come with me to Anchordeep."

The twins, without question, nodded in unison. To them, their master's words were law, and any order was to be followed without hesitation. But Narinder, behind that order, carried a hidden weight. He knew that what awaited them in Anchordeep would be unlike any training before. Destiny was leading them towards something greater, something that would change their lives forever.

Narinder turned, giving them space to prepare, but inside, a silent battle raged. Every step he took towards that final moment was a fight against the pain he dared not show. He knew that, although the twins did not know it, this journey would mark the beginning of the end of the relationship they shared. Not as soldiers, not as servants, but as the beings in whom he had placed more than he would ever admit.

As the twins prepared, Narinder watched them from the corner of his eye. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, but his face remained firm, the mask of a god who could not afford to hesitate. Even as the pain slowly consumed him from within, he had made a decision. And as always, he would do his duty, even if it broke his heart.

Narinder guided the twins firmly to the portal of Anchordeep, his mind filled with thoughts he had avoided confronting. He knew this moment would be crucial, both for himself and for the two felines who had been his loyal soldiers. As he crossed the threshold and entered the magical depths of Anchordeep, he unleashed his imposing aura of death, an energy that swept across the terrain like a silent shadow, pushing away hostile creatures effortlessly. But that aura did not touch the twins; it was as if, despite his destructive nature, Narinder wanted to protect them from harm... at least for now.

As they walked through that submerged realm, where magical water enveloped everything, Narinder broke the awkward silence. "I want you to know something..." His voice echoed in the air, cold and full of a raw truth. "In other times, if I had to sacrifice both of you to get out of the veil, I would have done it without hesitation." The words cut through the air like a blade. It was a confession as hard as it was necessary, something that had to come out of his chest.

Baal and Aym nodded, without a single word of surprise or reproach. They had been soldiers for so long that they understood the ruthless nature of their master. They knew that their lives were always in Narinder's hands, and that cold acceptance had accompanied them since they arrived at the veil. The reality was harsh, but for them, it was simply that: a known truth, an accepted destiny.

Narinder watched them out of the corner of his eye. Although he expected that reaction, something inside him stirred at seeing their silent resignation. He took a breath before continuing. "But now..." He said as he transformed his crown into a compass that began to spin slowly, searching for its target. "Now that I'm free, now that my mind has cleared, I realize something else." His tone, though firm, carried an emotional weight he rarely let on. "I realize that, in a way, I've been chaining them to my side ever since they came to the veil. I don't know how they got there, but..." he paused, searching for the right words. "They were a relief to my mind burdened by loneliness."