𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍 || 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫

Chapter LVIII: Four Years of Dawnlight

Bonds of Dawn Pt. 5

"HAS THE PLAN of ever going back crossed your mind?" Langris asked as he and Solene, who was carrying Wrenlark on her back with a carrier, walked on the path towards a clearing of the forest.

It was a sunny afternoon, and Solene asked him to come out with her. There was something wrong in her voice that made Langris agree. Anguish? Longing?

"You know I can't go back, Langris," she said. "The consequences are too great, and William... he would not understand."

"If you're talking about Wren," he looked at the baby who was busy playing with his mother's hair, "he will be old enough to walk soon. Give him to your family. They will take care of him, and it's not like you'd be away from him forever. You can visit him any day I'm certain."

Solene swallowed. Up to this day, Langris still hadn't known about why she really had to stay away from William. From the kingdom. She didn't want to believe Jinn's words, she didn't care if she was Eos' priestess, but she saw it herself—she saw herself incinerating the kingdom with a reason unfathomable still, yet the only clue she had from the Forsythe leader was that staying would William would mean inevitable destruction for the kingdom. She cannot let that happen.

"I have given up the Magic Knights, Langris." She looked at him, a sad smile curving on her lips. "I'm sure you can see that World Tree from here too, feel the immense power radiating in the entire kingdom. He's got it covered. I don't have anything to fear while he's the Wizard King."

"So why did you ask me to train with you?" He arched his brow.

"Sparring doesn't equal training," she said as a matter of factly.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

They glared at each other, not letting the other get what they wanted. But alas, Solene was the first to back down.

"Even though I'm not in the Golden Dawn anymore, I'm still bound to protect those I care about. Especially this guy," she swung her head towards Wrenlark. "I would do anything in this world just to protect him. Just to see him live. And I don't want to let my strength die down, Langris. After all, that is also why you're here with me, right? To get stronger?"

"Hate to break it to you, but I don't think we're on the same level for me to get stronger just from fighting you," Langris said, halting when they finally got to the wide ground.

"How foolish of me to think that spending time with me would make you less cocky." She chuckled, setting Wrenlark down on a mat, stroking his white hair—just like his father's. He's starting to look more and more like William, and every time she looked at him, pain throbbed in her chest.

She refused to utter nor even think of those three words. There was no reason to be with William anymore.

"Mommy's going to fight Uncle Langris, okay? Just watch and don't be scared. We'll make sure not to kill each other."

Langris snorted from a distance. "Yeah because you're totally capable of killing me. Riiiight."

"One year together doesn't mean you know how I fight, so I'd suggest you put behind your arrogance, Vaude, unless this is your way of riling people up." She grinned at him. Good thing she was already used to his antics. Sophia trained her long enough to get used to this kind of personality.

He grinned back. "Good to know that you're finally adapting to this shitty attitude."

Solene replied with a smile as she reached for her hair, tying it into a ponytail.