The Burden of Destiny | Sequel to The Aura Within

35 | A Witch's Heart: Raven

Ever since that encounter, Addison Foster joined the Obsidian Knights as Claudius's tactician while under a new identity. This was her second chance to live the life she always wanted, one where she didn't have to get hurt anymore. She no longer needed to hide her true nature. She would finally be feared by others. Those who dared cross her would be met with an unfortunate fate.

Throughout their time together, Raven devoted herself to helping Claudius in any way she could. Of course, her subordinate Darnic didn't like this, which quickly sparked a rivalry between them. Both wanted to be someone the Imperial King could be proud of. However, Raven's feelings suddenly changed the longer she spent time with Claudius.

She would soon find out that her devotion wasn't out of gratitude for saving her life; Raven found herself growing attached to Claudius romantically. She knew it was hopeless, so the only thing she could do was swear her loyalty to him and him only. Her intentions were put to the test one evening when both she and Claudius were alone wrapping up their plans for their next attack.

"Why do you blindly follow me?" Claudius questioned all of the sudden. "Surely you must've figured out that I'm keeping my ulterior motives a secret from you."

"I trust your judgment, my liege," Raven answered honestly. "No matter what you decide, I will always see that it's done. All you have to do is say the word."

"What if I ordered you to die?"

In the blink of an eye, she held a knife against her throat. Claudius's eyes widened seeing her take such swift action. Her fuschia eyes met his blue ones.

"Say the word, my liege," Raven said, pressing the blade against her neck.

Claudius walked toward her and pulled her arm back. She stumbled out of surprise, causing her to loosen her grip on the knife before it fell out of her hand. The knife clanked against the floor. Claudius kicked it farther away until it was out of reach completely.

"W-What are you--"

"How could you be so reckless?" he growled. "Don't you have any consideration for your own life?!"

"But you said--"

"It was a test." He let go of her hand. "I wanted to see for myself how far your loyalty takes you. Now that I know, I feel comfortable enough to tell you."

"Tell me what, my liege?" she asked curiously.

"The truth."

Claudius told her everything. She was the only one who knew of his background as an aura guardian, but what she hadn't known until that moment was his connection to the Tree of Beginnings. Legend said that it was the home of Mew and the very thing responsible for bringing life. Claudius had seen the way humanity regressed. People who took their own lives for granted without knowing why they were able to live freely. It made him sick to defend humanity knowing there were people like that among them.

That was why humanity needed to be purged. Normally, someone who heard such a thing would've called Claudius an insane man. However, Raven knew where he was coming from. She understood what he was talking about in terms of people who took their lives for granted. She had almost been executed simply for being a mage while people have committed the worst of crimes without going unpunished.

He was right. Humanity needed to be purged. The Tree of Beginnings needed to die.

"Now that I revealed my true intentions with this campaign, do you still wish to stay by my side?" Claudius asked as he turned to look at her.

He felt her grab his hands into her own. Raven's hands were much smaller than his own, yet he felt warmth coming from her touch. In a way, it was almost comforting. Raven looked up at him, her fuschia eyes soft and tender.

"My liege, I swear my undying loyalty to you and you only," she declared honestly. "I'll make sure you see your goal comes to fruition, even if I have to make my own sacrifices. I promise that I'll destroy any obstacle that gets in your way."

At that moment, Claudius found himself speechless. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She reacted by returning the embrace. He was worried he would lose her the moment he told her the truth, but instead, she supported him. She swore her loyalty to him even after knowing what he planned to do.

Finally, he didn't have to walk this path alone anymore. As long as Raven was by his side, Claudius felt like he could take on anything.

«» • «»

Claudius stepped back as he looked at the name he freshly carved onto the oak tree. His fingers trailed along the clean lines, and for a moment, he put a pause on everything: his goals, his motivation, and his plans. She deserved to be acknowledged, not just because she was the best tactician he'd ever worked with, but because she was much more than that.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a proper funeral, Addison," he spoke in a soft voice. "There is so much I could say to you, but I know nothing I say could atone for what I've done to you."

He ran a hand through his disheveled blond hair. Truth be told, the moment of her death had wrecked him. Claudius had held her corpse close to him and wept in silence. He knew what he was going to do to her, yet when the time came to do it, he panicked internally. The emotionless mask he wore as she looked at him with horrified eyes haunted him. It would've been easier had his humanity died a long time ago, but what's done was done.

"I know I never said it, but I did care about you." Claudius knelt in front of the tree and rested his forehead against his hand. "Lowering my guard with you would only lead to disaster, but I did it anyway. You meant so much to me, and my only regret was never telling you while you were still here..."

Claudius felt something run down his face. He straightened his back and wiped it off his face. A sigh of disbelief left his lips when he realized they were tears; he was crying, and the reaction felt so foreign to him. Was this what heartbreak felt like?

"I wish we had met under better circumstances," he whispered while holding back a sob. "You are the one person I would've given the world to because you are more than worthy of the best things life has to offer."

He stood up while rubbing away the remaining tears from his face. The reality of what he had to do had settled in.

"Sadly, fate has other plans for me," he pensively stated. "I have a dream that must come to fruition, and I know that your aura will allow me to achieve it."

Claudius held out his hand. A sphere of fuschia energy materialized above it. Just this power alone was enough to make it all happen. Raven- no, Addison was the final key for everything to be set in motion.

"With your power combined with your aura, I will be able to take the Ethereal Sphere from Mew," he revealed. "The Tree of Beginnings will die and take everyone down with it. A new era where humanity is reborn will begin, and none of this would've been possible without you."

He lowered his hand, which made the fuschia energy sphere disappear from sight. He turned around and looked over his shoulder, taking one last look at Addison's makeshift grave.

"I hope we meet again in the afterlife, my love."