Instead of answering, Ethaan slowly opened his eyes and said, "That day Master was severely injured and I was only thirteen. Seeing my master in such a condition, I couldn't bear to watch it anymore and immediately summoned the Flame Dragon. Even if I have the Flame Dragon, I was still too weak at that time unable to unleash the Flame Dragon's true might. I know that I am no match against the experts from the Mystic Dragon Palace and Silver Palace so, all I could do was escape from the scene taking Master with me"
Ethaan poured himself a cup of tea and drank it, then he continued, "Some of the experts from the Mystic Dragon Palace were in cahoots with the Silver Palace. When they realized that Master had given me one of the twin Flame Dragon, they immediately guessed that the other flame dragon might be with your mother. So, the Silver Palace and Mystic Dragon Palace started hunting down me and Master and they also came to the Land of Dura for the other flame dragon which was in your mother's hands. What happened next, you know it very well"
Althea nodded, the result was the extermination of the Rion Family. She is the only survivor of the Rion family. After she became the sovereign of the Hall of Mage in her past life, she had put in a lot of effort investigating the one behind the extermination of the Rion family but the result was still the same. It was as if, the enemies had appeared out of thin air and vanished just like a puff of smoke. She couldn't understand it before but now she understood it very well, it was because the enemies were from the other plane.
"Then, my mother's necklace..and father..", Althea asked looking at the necklace.
"After I escape with Master, we went into hiding so that master could recuperate. After a week, Master regained his consciousness and immediately plan to go look for your mother. He was still weak and his injuries were not fully recovered but he knows that since I have already exposed my flame dragon, the Silver palace and the Mystic Dragon Palace had come to know that the twin flame dragon inside the dragon token was unsealed and that they will surely go look for your mother. He was so angry at me and reprimanded me. I know I was wrong and my action had put both you and your mother in danger but what could I do, I simply cannot keep standing at the side and watch him die. I remained silent and didn't protest when he made his mind to go look for you and mother. Dragging his injured body, Master came looking for you and your mother, I followed him too though he was against it. But we were too late, when we arrived, the territory of the Rion family had turned into a purgatory"
Ethaan look at Althea and asked, "Have you ever wondered how you escape that night and why you can't remember some things?"
"I have tried figuring out but in vain. Not to mention that when I wake up, it was already a month", sighed Althea.
"That night, your mother teleported you out using the teleportation array. There was one-time use teleportation array imprinted on the necklace. It was Master who left the imprint in case of emergency", said Ethaan
"Then, why did mother only sent me out", asked Althea with confusion.
Ethaan gave a mild smile, "It was because the enemies were not aware of your existence. If your mother escapes with you, they will hunt both of you down till the end of the lands. So, your mother chooses to stay back so that you can escape. When the transportation array was activated, Master sensed it since it was his imprint. We rushed to the spot and saw some people immediately activating a dimensional teleportation array carrying your mother. We immediately came to understand that your mother had used the array to sent you out and she remained to divert the enemy's attention. Both Master and I also activated the dimensional teleportation array and left the land of Dura"
"Then mother didn't die!", asked Althea with an expectant gaze.
Ethaan bitterly smiled shaking his head making Althea's heartbeat quicken. "After leaving the Land of Dura, Master decided to seal the pathway between the two planes. Because it won't be long before they find out about your existence. Master ordered me to summoned the flame dragon and after I summoned the flame dragon, Master cut his wrist, and using the blood, he started working on a complicated array. After he finished arranging the array I was made to pour in the flame dragon's energy inside the array to activate it. While I was pouring in the flame dragon's energy inside the array, Master said that it will take time and I had to bear with it. Then he left me at the array and went to search for your mother. I cried out to Master asking him to wait for me but he only left this necklace with me saying that the array can seal the pathway between the two planes for four to five decades at most and that time is enough to make you grow strong and I am not allowed to follow him. He wanted me to go into hiding and if he doesn't return, I have to keep my promise and go look for you"
Ethaan lightly choked, "It took me two days to activate the array. I know that the situation was not in our favor so I steeled my heart not to go look for Master and secretly kept a close watch at both the Mystic Dragon Palace and Silver Palace. Master didn't return after that. I have no idea about their life and death even today"
Althea was silent. She didn't know what to say. Her heart hurts for both her mother and father whose life and death are still unknown. Her heart hurts because she had been a burden to them and because of her they had sacrificed a lot. Her heart hurts for Ethaan who had gone through so many hardships for her family and for enduring so many years of pain and helplessness alone. Once again Althea didn't know whether she should thank Ethaan or say sorry to him.
Tears trickled down her white cheek as she remained motionless. All the doubts she had in her past life had now been cleared but with that, she also knew that apart from the four powerhouses of the land of Dura, she had to go against the powerhouses of another plane too.
As Althea was lost in thoughts, Ethaan got up and pulled her in his arms. Althea lightly trembled but didn't protest. As if coaxing a child Ethaan softly patted her back and said, "It's okay, if you want to cry, just cry out. From now on you are not alone, and I am not alone too. We will be there for each other"
___________
A/N: My heart hurts for Ethaan too. *Sob sob*
me emotional.
(T_T)