By the time Darius found his strength back, the sun had already risen above the horizon. Its golden rays shining throughout the land. Providing light to every single living creature.
The day was calm and peaceful, much like that day when he finally gain his freedom.
Yes, that morning in the Kirkland mansion. After a long night of battle, they came out victorious.
He was beaten up and exhausted, but free from the shackles of Ravana's slavery.
He still remembers this similar feeling, nothing but dead calmness, peace, joy, and satisfaction.
"Darius!" Brennan shouted from the distance, as the younger man run in his direction. "Are you alright? You're bleeding! Where did you go? What happened? Why are you carrying that huge shield?" His questions flooded, not giving Darius a chance to reply.
"Come on we need to go back, we need to treat your wounds" he added.
"I'll answer your questions later, let's go back inside first," Darius replied, walking ahead with his limping leg.
"W-wait let carry the shield at least. You're badly wounded."
"Be my guess," Darius removed the shield from his back, relieved that he was finally free from all of the weight.
As Brennan lifted the shield, his face contorted. It was heavy, far too heavy than he thought. "Ah!" he uttered as he struggled to carry the shield. Now he's looking at Darius under a different light, with such injuries… he wonders, how on earth did Darius lift the shield?
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Darius asked, trying to whether to take back the shield or let Brennan struggle a little longer.
"Y-yeah… it's just, our strength may have differed a little. Just a little though, nothing I can't handle."
Darius couldn't help but chuckle at the young man's behavior, he was like a competitive child.
"Of course" he replied with a smile.
Once back inside the house, Darius found himself in a pickle situation. Having Oraculi lecture him, as the old man clean his wounds.
"You don't know how to listen! Brennan already told you not to go inside the forest!" he said as he continued to dab the clean cloth in the open wound. Making sure that he applies a little pressure to hurt Darius a tad bit.
"Ack! That was too much" the ravenette complained.
"It's supposed to hurt, so this won't happen again. If you just charged in without any plan or anyone to watch your back, you'll die as quickly as you step inside the battlefield!"
"But I didn't"
Suddenly, the atmosphere became tense… "Do you think this is a joke? I've seen so many people die in our line of duty. This is not a game, so many lives are at stake. So many lives had been taken in this ongoing struggle, yet it's not showing any sign of ending." Oraculi stood up, handing the cloth to Brennan. "Take over," he said before closing the door.
"He's like that sometimes, he's just really strict about the entire hunting thing. He wasn't wrong though, this is a vital role for keeping the peace of this world. This is not just a line of work, this is a responsibility."
"Again with the heroics Brennan," Darius frowned.
The younger man chuckled, "That wasn't heroics that was the truth."
"You know, I don't think this entire thing suits you well. Unlike me you have no reason to remain in the dark, why not quit while it's still possible?" purple orbs met, Brennan's brown ones.
"I can't, I made a promise. Besides after everything that I've seen, it's difficult to just turn my back on the truth." Brennan turned his gaze to the side.
"Say, I heard you used to travel with someone. What happened?"
"Oh you mean Robbie, he was a… a friend" solemn took over his eyes. "It was a long story," Brennan shook his head, lips curved in a deep frown. He wasn't used to talking about the past.
"Wonderful then… you have a long story, I can't go anywhere due to my injury. What a match."
Brennan sighed in defeat, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. That incident happened a very long time ago anyway.
Brennan started his story during his time as a trainee for the royal army, a prodigy in archery- the blessed archer of Apollo. That was what some called him, due to his impeccable marksmanship.
However, during his time serving the King as a soldier. He met Malory Stone, the oldest living daughter of Marcus Stone- a powerful and wealthy man in Twin Lake.
Eventually, their forbidden love bloomed.
It wasn't long until Brennan find out that Malory was pregnant, causing him to quit the royal army.
But even after losing an opportunity of a lifetime, those were the happiest moments of his life.
Sneaking out at the late hours of the night, just so they could hold each other close.
Spending hours staring at the stars as they lay onto the meadows.
He could never ask for more.
Until… everything change.
The Stone manor was engulfed in flames along with everyone inside.
Including Malory and their unborn child.
"How did you meet Robbie though?" Darius asked curiously.
Brennan looked down, "Robbie was fooled by Malory's older sister, Amber. She manipulated him into working for her."
Malory and Brennan are similar to Robbie and Amber, a peasant and a daughter of the Stone family who fell in love together.
The truth is, Amber died ten years before the accident that killed Malory.
However, Robbie made a horrible mistake. He made a deal with a demon to revive Amber.
But everything was never the same.
Because Amber was not the person Robbie thought she was. All those times they spent together when she was alive, were nothing but lies.
And her terrible personality only worsened after her revival.
One time, out of jealousy, she tried to kill Rachelle. Which is a friend of Robbie.
But after failing in her attempt to kill the young woman, she turned her anger to Kristy- Robbie's younger sister.
Enraged by Amber's plot against his friend and the death of his sister, Robbie formed an alliance with Brennan.
They made a deal, that they would kill Amber first before settling their problem with each other.
Well… more like solving Brennan's resentment towards Robbie.
Because Brennan blames Robbie for everything that happened, thinking that if he didn't reive Amber and he didn't blindly obey Amber's orders. Then... none of those innocent people would've died.
"If he killed your child and lover, how come the two of ended up becoming friends?" Darius asked.
"That's not easy to answer" Brennan shook his head. "Maybe it was the time we spent together, or maybe because I learned about his true nature. In the end, he's just another victim, so I learned to forgive him." Brennan shrugged.
"The truth is, he regretted his actions. It was Amber who led him to destruction and chaos, he was just a pawn in her game."
"Hmm… you're too kind," Darius commented. "Oh about that girl, Amber did she die…"
Suddenly, Brennan's eyes darkened. "She escaped," he said regretfully.
"Well, there you have it. Now, if you'll excuse me. I will need to replace the water before I continue tending your wounds" he smiled sadly.
Standing over the sink, Brennan couldn't help but think of the night at Morte Castle. The place where they fought against Amber, the place where Robbie died.
As he wrings the cloth, the blood spilled out.
Just like how it did that night, the blood, the flames, the chaos, and Robbie as he lay there in the courtyard- a hole in his torso while his blood and guts are spilling out.
Brennan's eyes darkened as he remembered Amber, the redhead that caused all of their suffering, all of those deaths.
His body trembling just by remembering the past, such horrible memories that drove him to keep on moving forward.
Anger boils inside him while a bitter taste spread in his mouth.
All of his senses still remember the feeling he had back then.
The metallic scent of blood, the grime that seem to dig onto the sink, the bruises he gained from the obstacles they had to endure, the pain they went through.
Robbie and him, pave a path towards peace and redemption.
But they only found themselves inside another path that leads to more suffering.
"Amber has a protector," the woman with a mole under her eye told them before.
"A strong being that was powerful enough to make the fates bent into submission. Powerful enough to twist destiny itself."
"A powerful witch that can even defy the gods,"
Her protector and Amber herself are still out there, hiding in the shadows.
This is the reason why Darius is wrong, Brennan does have a reason to remain among the chaos.
Because so long as Amber breathes, he has no right to rest.
So long as she walks the earth, he will not find his path to salvation.
Therefore, until the day he burns her to ashes, he will not stop walking this path soaked in blood.
She was a menace in the world, therefore she must be disposed of.
For his sanity, for Robbie's sacrifice, for Malory and his unborn child, he has to make sure that Amber pays for everything she had done.
"Brennan?" Darius called from the doorway, startling the younger man.
"A-ah, yes? Is there anything I could help you with?" Brennan replied, the light finally resurfacing in his brown orbs.
"I was just wondering what happened, it had been a while when you said you will replace the water," Darius explained as he approached the young man.
"Oh that, I was on my way back," Brennan said with a smile, yet his demeanor makes Darius somewhat uneasy.
"Your leg is injured you shouldn't have walked all the way here" he added.
"I'm fine, the wound isn't as bad as you think."
Darius walks closer, "Tell me Brennan after her revival, do you think Amber became a witch?"
"From what Oraculi told me, Amber could be a witch now. And that's why I will… no. I must fight as well, no matter what you think." Brennan's eyes burned with rage and determination.
The sight alone stunned Darius.
A small smile graced Darius's lips, "It's not like I could stop you. And frankly, I'm relieved that you're going to help me as well."
The two of us are now in the same boat, from this point on… we are each other's companions.