An old journal with a leather cover, and a dragon emblem engraved on it was hovering in front of me and behind it, there were two more hovering in line. I unconsciously extended my hand out and it slowly placed itself on my palm. The other two didn't.
'What am I supposed to do with it?' I asked Joshua in confusion.
'You can put it back where it was or take it with you. It belongs to you.' Joshua said it like it was nothing major.
'Are you being serious?! This is your house and I came here for the first time. How can I…' I was really confused.
'It's true! It belongs to you.' Ruan Sayo becomes visible while saying that.
My eyes fell on the door. The door says this room belongs to Ruan Erza.
'Does he have some sort of connection with me?' I couldn't remember anything being connected with Ruan Erza.
'He doesn't...but…' I didn't hear what Sayo-san was saying there.
Just then inside my right palm, I saw the mark that I had set on Mei. It suffocated my breath. I gave those journals to Ruan Sayo.
"Somebody has touched her body." my head got messed up, 'I'm sorry! I have to go!'
Without wasting any second I put my other palm on the mark.
I teleported to the place at once. I thought it would take me to my home but I was wrong. It took me somewhere dark. I was standing on a vast open land.
The sound of the sea was touching my ears. As I was stepping forward following the sound, I thought I was somewhere on another mountain. I could see the sea, which meant it was a mountain cliff. It felt cold. A silhouette was peeking through the fog as I was going in that direction. I could see the back of a man sitting on his knees on the ground. I couldn't understand why I came here when I'm supposed to be where Mei is.
My question led me there where that man was sitting. I know the posture and I know who he was as I began to get closer. My feet couldn't step forward to see what was afar.
Mei.
Her body was placed on the ground, in front of Rei and he was looking at her. My heart didn't have the strength to ask anything. I was too late to share. Rei's sword appears and he stands up holding it as a support.
After a long silence, he looks at me. He pointed his sword towards me. His reaction was confusing, 'You…' His breathing pattern was different and the air around him was heavy.
'I can explain, just hear me out. Please.' As I said that, he tried to laugh but couldn't.
I know it's shocking to see Mei in my home but how did he find it?
'You killed my sister...and you think I would let you explain?' His eyes had tears.
'Sister? Sora?' Why would Sora be Reiji's sister? I had no idea what he was saying.
'Don't you dare to say her name from your mouth!' Reiji's sword flew towards me and before I could understand it pierced my right forearm.
The sword then pulled itself out from my flesh and fell on Reiji's feet.
More than the injured hand, what shocked me was that Reiji is capable of hurting me. Reiji picks up the sword and says in a mocking tone, 'You even have followers!'
I was still in shock at how Mei is Sora and how Rei could hurt me when I am his love. How could I have followers when I am not even them? Reiji's words kept confusing me. When I looked at him, the Jinns who bowed to me at the station that night, stood in front of me shielding me, blocking Reiji. I could see Reiji's irritated expression. But my vision was becoming blurry with tears.
'No wonder you have always been safe from me.' Reiji attacked the team that was standing protecting me.
One by one Rei kept attacking them and was clearing his way to come towards me to kill me. The bodies keep falling one by one on the ground. They weren't attacking Reiji at all, instead, their number of rows increased the moment one row got killed. There were three more lines with more than twenty Jinns in each, who were still standing guarding me. Or so I thought.
'What a coward you are Aki! Letting your followers die instead of protecting them…oh!' His voice didn't sound sane.
'I forgot! You are already a killer.' His sword didn't stop slaying the Jinns.
Two more lines appeared surrounding me and I was in the centre of those circles.
'Why are you all supporting a killer? Can't you see he doesn't care about you!' Reiji was burning with anger.
The fact still stupored me. I wiped off my tears and my sight became clear.
Reiji stopped.
He has turned insane. He stopped attacking and stood holding the sword on his side. He summoned his followers. They started attacking the knights who were protecting me and they fought back instantly with Reiji's knights.
All of Reiji's knights were defeated within a minute. Seeing that Reiji ordered the others behind him to retreat. They disappeared.
'You were purposely not attacking me, ha!' Reiji asked the leader.
'I feel bad that I doubted my instinct. Let me guess, you know that your master loves me, that's why…' He was trying to provoke that knight.
'That's not it…' The leader protested Reiji's claim, 'We can't touch any of Ruan Erliyen's descendants.'
'That was a sick joke!' Reiji started slaying them again after saying that.
This time one gets slayed, and another appears in the same spot.
'You can't harm her kids but your Master can harm my Sora! Bullshit!!' Reiji really was out of his usual self.
'We can't let you harm him. You will regret it if you do.' The leader tried to calm Reiji down but nothing changed.
I was not sure what to do. I had no option but to make him listen to me. I don't have the resolution to hurt him. But if I am really someone for whom this myriad can die, then I mustn't let someone destroy this fortress. I had nothing to fight with but I didn't care anymore.
'Step aside.' As I commanded, the group instantly did as I commanded.
I had doubts about whether they would listen to me or not but they did.
'Finally! Do you have the courage now?' Reiji's smile wasn't real.
I couldn't see the value of that question. He attacked me again. The sword cut my cheek.
'Don't…' The leader of the knights was about to step in.
'Stop!' but I stopped the leader figure that was defending me earlier and tried to interfere. They were very loyal to me from their core. They slayed Reiji's first batch army like crushing a small bug, yet they are listening to me like my words are the cessation of all. My heart ached for them because they gave up their lives for me.
'What is your name?' I felt I needed to know.
He bowed and answered, 'Chev Rij.'
'Chev… tell them to leave.' He didn't move for a while after hearing me.
I guessed that he was the leader of the team even though none of his actions indicated that. Maybe all of them had the same resolution, that's why he didn't have to command anyone. Even so, the way they shielded me was executed harmoniously and without an impossible plan. None of them moved. Reiji was watching me with hate. I couldn't watch it any longer. I know he would destroy me if they leave and I want that. I was crazy enough to decide that. I know he will hurt me, maybe kill me. But I was curious, what would he do after that? Will he ever know that Sora is Mei?
'Leave!' I ordered them.
For some reason, they stumbled when the wind blew strong.
They left except Chev.
Chev came close to me. He gave me the sword that appeared in his hand and bowed after giving me that, 'I wish you can remember everything.'
Chev stepped back but didn't leave. He stood in a far distance where my eyes couldn't reach