Fates Entwined

Chapter 27: The Tempest Within

The tension in Risha's condo was suffocating, despite the spaciousness of her place. Sol sat perched on the edge of the couch, her arms crossed defensively, while Ashan leaned against the table, his brows furrowed in frustration. Risha had seen both Sol and Ashan coming, though Ashan hadn't mentioned Sol's presence. Yet, when she saw them at her door, she let them both in without a word.

It was night time. Risha stood near the window, the moonlight casting sharp shadows across her face. Her expression was unreadable, but her hands trembled slightly at her sides.

"We need answers, Risha," Sol said, breaking the silence. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her fear and confusion. "You owe us that much."

Ashan nodded, his face tight with worry. "You've been lying to us. Playing with both of us. We deserve to know the truth."

Risha's breath hitched as she turned to face them, her eyes shimmering with an unnatural glow. "I haven't lied," she began, her voice low. "Not entirely. But I've kept things from you. Things I never wanted to share."

"Cut the crap," Sol snapped, standing up abruptly, her voice sharp with frustration and hurt. "Why did you mess with my mind, Risha? Why did you make me forget about that night?"

Risha didn't flinch, her expression unreadable. Instead, she spoke with an unsettling calmness, as though she had been expecting this moment. "So, you remember," she said softly, her voice carrying an almost detached tone. "It was great, Sol. I truly enjoyed being with you. But then it felt even greater when I was with Ashan. And with you, I was both vulnerable and strong at the same time, Sol."

Ashan's mind was reeling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood frozen, his eyes darting between the two women, struggling to process Risha's words. His heart pounded in his chest, and the weight of the situation felt like it was crushing him.

Sol, on the other hand, was visibly trembling now, her hands clenched into fists as tears began to fall down her face. "What is wrong with you, Risha?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why would you do this to me? To us?"

Risha's composure finally cracked, and her voice trembled as it rose in desperation. "Because I wanted to feel like a human," she confessed, her eyes shimmering with a mix of guilt and longing. "With you both, I felt all those desires—the closeness, the connection—it was so good, but also so... sad. I thought I could feel something real, something that wasn't bound by rules, by immortality. But it only made everything more complicated."

She took a shaky breath, her gaze dropping to the floor as if she couldn't bear to look at either of them. "I wanted to experience something I thought I was missing out on, but I never imagined it would hurt this much. And now, I've ruined everything."

The room fell into stunned silence. Ashan blinked, his expression twisting into disbelief. "What... are you talking about?"

"I made Sol forget, but I think I myself forgot to do it to Ashan," Risha clenched her fists, her voice trembling.

"What?" Ashan spoke up.

"You should know something about me, otherwise you won't understand. Anyways, I'll face my punishment, so I'll tell you the truth. I'm an immortal. I was sent here to fulfill a duty—a punishment for breaking the laws of my realm. Falling for any of you was not part of the duty. I just needed to help three people selflessly without even knowing them. Things got messy when I joined your team, Sol, and Ashan started to talk to me. Both of you have been so nice to me. I didn't want to hurt you, Sol, but you got too close. I had to erase your memory. It wasn't supposed to be like this. For Ashan, I should have done the same."

Sol stared at her, her face pale. "Immortal? Punishment? Do you even hear yourself?" She shook her head, her voice cracking. "You're insane."

Ashan stepped forward, his tone sharp. "You expect us to believe this? That you're some kind of... otherworldly being?"