The Second Layer

Chapter 27: Garen

Chapter 27: Garen

"You know, in all the time we've known each other, I've never been to your house before," Jayna said as she stepped through Garen's front door, glancing around with a smile on her face. "It's a really nice place."

"Thank you. There's a talk we need to have, and I wanted it to be here," Garen told her. It had been a few days since he'd last seen her, since his conversation with Vanning. And he'd been thinking about this all that time. Trying to talk himself out of it, mostly. Which was something he'd failed to do.

"Gonna show me your bedroom?" Jayna teased as she rounded on him, wearing a playful expression.

"Jayna, this is serious. There's something I need to tell you," Garen replied, fixing his eyes on hers. He still couldn't believe he was doing this.

A look of understanding crossed her face, as if she'd suddenly realized he was on the verge of sharing some of the secrets he'd been holding onto for so long. Giving a short nod, she spoke in a soft voice. "Alright, tell me."

"First... You have to promise me, what I'm about to tell you, you can never repeat. Not to your friends, not to your family. Not to anyone. I'm serious Jayna, both our lives would be at risk. If certain people found out that you know, they would kill you, and then they might kill me for telling you," Garen prompted, taking long deep breaths to try and calm his nerves.

"Garen, I promise you. Anything you tell me is just between us. I'll never repeat it to anyone," Jayna said in an earnest tone, her eyes never leaving his.

"You have no idea how hard this is for me. For a very very long time I've lived with the knowledge that I can never tell anyone... Like you, the truth. To do so would be an action so risky and foolish that I never even considered it. There was never really a point. Until I met you. Even now my instincts are telling me I'm crazy. I mean, even if you never repeat what I tell you to anyone, if you were to ever come across a True Mind..." Garen trailed off, struggling with himself with every word he spoke.

"A what?" Jayne asked, watching him with an intense expression.

"I... I'll get to that in a minute. First... I always thought I was keeping you safe, by trying to keep you at a distance. But that's changed. Someone saw me with you, Jayna. And now... You're at risk. I've managed to get things under control for now, and they won't bother you so long as I do, but I'm not sure exactly how long that will last. Not only that but if we continue on the way we have, someone else might eventually see me with you anyways, and...

"I want to give you the choice Jayna. If you walk away from me now, if we never see each other again, you'll be safe. No one will touch you, if they think you have no connection to me. But if I tell you the truth about myself, there's no going back. You won't be able to change your mind afterwards. We'll both be in danger, from then on. Serious danger, if anyone were to find out that you know. You'll be able to be with me, but... That danger will never go away. If they found out, I wouldn't be able to protect you, Jayna. That's another reason this is incredibly difficult for me. I don't want to see you hurt because of me. But... I realize that I don't have the right to make that choice for you. I have to let you choose for yourself," Garen told her.

"Why would it put you in danger too?" Jayna whispered.

"Because we're not allowed to talk about the truth with anyone who's not... Like us. It's a rule people have died for breaking. But... I want to be with you, Jayna. That's my decision. But unlike some, I can't try to spend my life with you without you ever truly knowing who and what I am. I can't spend decades on end lying to you. If I want to be with you, I have to be willing to take this risk. And I am. I choose to accept the danger. But you have to decide if it's worth the risk for you too," Garen explained.