Into The Unown

Memory

Ash was back at it.

He stood at the edge of the grand room, his eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. The marble floors, gilded walls, and carvings on the round table shone brighter than before. He had been here before—several times in fact. This was the room from his several encounters with Eiran—the fights, the promises and the deaths...

This time was different. It was a memory long buried and forgotten.

Seated around the round table were lords and ladies, their faces covered with unease. But Ash's focus wasn't on the crowd, it was on the one commanding attention in his youth—Eiran. He was younger than Ash had seen him, his face more childish, and his aura bright.

"You don't realize the consequences of your actions, my Lord," one of the older men spoke. "Bringing a prisoner of war into our fold is reckless—especially her. A Van Black is not to be trifled with."

Eiran sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the table. "Reckless?" He laughed, "She's a sixteen-year-old girl, stripped of her powers, on the brink of death. What exactly do you find so dangerous about that?"

"Her powers aren't gone, my Lord," the man leaned forward. "They're sealed. And seals can be broken."

Eiran's eyes narrowed, his calmness slipping for a moment. He turned his head slowly, fixing his gaze on the man. "Are you implying I did a poor job on the seal, Sir Chance?"

Chance's confidence flattened. "N-no, my Lord, that's not what I meant. But you must understand—Van Blacks are inherently dangerous creatures. They are—"

"She is a girl," Eiran interrupted, "And her name is Xenos. She saved my life when she still had her powers. And I do not forget my debts. Her suffering now—this disease that is killing her—is because we took everything from her. I will not stand by and let her die."

"But siding with a Van Black over your own people," another voice spoke, "will sow distrust among the clans. You risk alienating your allies."

Eiran leaned forward. "If anyone has an issue with my decision, they can take it up with me directly."

"And if she betrays you?" Chance asked.

Eiran's expression darkened. "If she betrays me, I will kill her myself."

Ash stepped back, confused. This was not the Eiran he knew—the arrogant, self-serving entity that haunted his life. The Eiran in front of him was someone who was loyal, loving and layered.

Ash couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. The seal that Eiran talked about, he knew that Xenos had broken it—betrayed his trust and soiled his name in his court. Was that the reason why he became the way he was?

What Eiran had been through Ash couldn't imagine, but he also couldn't imagine hunting Xenos to the point where the mere sight of her urged him to hunt Serena to death.

The only thing that he was sure of was that that's not what love was supposed to be like.

The memory began to blur and fade, pulling Ash back into the present in a certain boat off coast of Orre.