July 10, 1980
Githons territory
Aritha caves, Winter elves kingdom
The first thing his mind registers when he comes conscious is that the weather is much warmer than it was when he was last alive. He tries to lift his head up but instantly regrets it as jolts of pain travels through his body and pins him back down to the ground. As he remains still, he feels a person humming, his ears still only catching white noise.
A harsh cough comes out of his throat with a painful scratch at his lungs. Valodya closes his eyes and tries going back to sleep, back to being dead. But it doesn't take him anywhere, not even close to dreamland. The more Valodya tries thinking his way to dying, the more he holds in his breathe, the more his body shakes rapidly and the pain grows. He doesn't know what is hurting or what is being damaged and quite frankly he doesn't give a damn, he just wants it to stop. He just wants to end it all.
"Stop, you know this is impossible to happen." A man's voice unpleasantly pulls him like a hock out of his mind.
"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" Valodya asks in a weak voice, eyes still closed and flooding his face with tears.
"Robin, Robin Stefen." The man says.
"Why-"
"Because there's no point in trying to kill yourself."
"You're in no place to decide that for me." Valodya hates what he's hearing, he hates the reality he has faced the first time he rose from the ashes and knew he has no end.
Robin sighs loudly. He's too tired to argue with this creature, and he does to some extent wish he could find it in himself to just kick him out in the storm again and watch him as he dies and revives for eternity.
"How long has it been since you rose from the ashes?" Robin asks instead.
Valodya finally manages to open his eyes, the frost on his eyelashes melting from his warm salty tears.
"Fuck if I remember, I stopped counting after a thousand years." Valodya exhales in pain as he tries to fix his laying position.
"Hmm, can you guess how old I am?" Robin asks casually, moving the burning wood branches In the fire lit with a twig.
Valodya turns his head to look at the man, and he's faced with a youthful face, white skin, sky blue hair and gold framed glasses, he looks like he's-
"Your early thirties." Valodya answers.
"five hundred and sixty three, actually." The man chuckles.
Valodya scoffs as he starts getting up, his back practically squeaking, but he straightens it upright anyways.
"of course you are." He has managed to straighten up, now comes the hard part of getting onto his feet.
"It might sound young to you, but trust me, we, Immortals, have all wished death upon ourselves at some point, haven't we?"
"what do you know about immortality for fuck's sake." He tries bending his knees but instantly regrets it, feeling like a thousand needles are poking the inside of his joints.
"not much, compared to you, that's for sure." The man doesn't spare Valodya a glance, like he knows Valodya won't be able to get up either way, and he stubbornly tries to stand anyways.
"You're right, and it was none of your business to pull me out of the storm, so it wasn't nice meeting you, have a good one. Ah!" Valodya manages to fully stand up, just for him to topple onto his face the second he tries to move a single muscle.
Robin clicks his tounge and finally looks at Valodya, who's eyes are shut in pain and agony, hands encircled around his knees.
He moves to walk up to Valodya and checking on him. He's wearing black pants, so he can't tell if he's badly injured or not, and something about his earlier speech tone tells him the man wouldn't be inviting to Robin even touch him.
"You're making it worse. Quit moving."
"Shut up!" Valodya shoots back at Robin and shoves him by his palm.
"Eh, dude, how did you turn into a phoenix with such manners?" Robin questions with a laugh.
It is said in the legends that only the pure hearted can rise from the ashes to live for eternity after being burnt alive. Its such an ugly death that turns you into such a beautiful thing. Phoenixes aren't just for the looks and immortality, they can also play with fire and manipulate it, its magical to watch, absolutely marvellous. Robin has met quite a few of them, three to be exact. There aren't that many people who rose from the ashes, there aren't that many good people in their world to own such a gift.
And so, Robin knows this man in front of him right now is full of shit for acting that way, he knows it's just a play, and the man could see through Robin's assumptions because he also seems to be an intelligent being, given that he has a thousands of years of experience. Robin can't imagine living this much, it scares the shit out of him. It comes with its perks, of course, but does is it weigh the amount of loss an Immortal goes through over his life? Robin doubts so.
"stop trying to get up, lay down." Robin says softly as he rolls the man onto his back.
"throw me outside again, please, I can't-" the man chokes on his words the moment his head hit the cave floor again. His tone free of attitude after Robin's sarcastic question.
"You know that will only make it worse. I might not know what death feels like, but I know it's not pretty or fun to go through."
The man whines in pain, mental more than physical, and Robin's heart bleeds for him.
"I'm so fucking sick of it, I just want someone to lead me to the light, to take that burden off of me, to carry me out of this endless loop." The man goes on ranting, and Robin listens to him patiently.
"I know, I know you've probably forgotten what life means, you've forgotten how to shine like every other living being." Robin courses him as he watches the man unravel and fall apart beneath his eyes, and that's when it hits him. A fucking brilliant idea.
"Have you met the royal moonfolk family before?"
*
June 23, 2021, 22:00
Beijing, china
The CPA Underground
headquarters
"Hey." Reema knocks on the door as she enters Evdokia's team department office. There's only Valodya here.
"Hey." Valodya looks up.
"Have you seen Robin? He isn't answering my calls." She's fidgeting with her phone, distress clearly painted all over her face.
"No, he should be on a scout with Ira and Jean." He answers softly, a smile playing in his eyes, hoping it would calm Reema's nerves.
"Can you try calling them for me?" after the last incident, everyone in the CPA has become paranoid, especially the ones with loved ones in the facility. The last thing you want to hear on a Sunday morning that your partner or family member has been blown up to pieces in a terrorism case.
Evdokia has upped the security, going as far as using magic wards in the humans presence. She has also fired a large amount of directors and agents that she suspects as eyes for Thomas inside the agency, not wanting to risk anything at such crucial times.
Valodya pulls out his phone and dials Robin's, which didn't even connect the line, and if Valodya starts worrying himself, he tries to keep it together for the sake of Reema as he calls Jean and then Ira, just to be met with the same message of their phones being out of order.
"Get your team together and wait for me at the parking, I need to find Evdokia. " with that, Valodya doesn't bother hearing what Reema has to say and takes long heavy anxious strides across the dark hallways of the agency, every step becoming heavier and shakier. He tries dialling Jean again, but to no use.
To say Valodya is scared for his life would be an understatement. He isn't exactly sure how to tell Evdokia that there's a possibility that they've went missing or even dead. Fuck, Evdokia would lose her shit and maybe kill everyone in her way.
Jean.
Jean has to be alive.
Jean can't die.
Jean can't fucking die.
He one moment he was striding forward to reach Evdokia's new office and a second he finds himself bumping into another agent, taking the blow of Valodya's anxious steps.
He looks down onto the agent only to be met by Evdokia's large green and golden eyes. Her breath is unsteady and she's gripping her phone too hard its practically smashes in her fist.
"We need to move right now!"
"We need to move right now!"
They both speak the same at moment they realise who they bumped into, and Valodya sees it now in her eyes.
He sees rage. He sees fear. He sees the same Evdokia who has once lost everything she ever knew in a blink of an eye.
"what?" Evdokia takes a step back.
"Robin, Jean and Ira aren't responding to my calls." Valodya murmurs, walking on eggshells around the elephant in the room.
"Yeah, because Thomas fucking has them."
*
June 24, 2021, 1:00
Beijing, china
On their way in both vans, both teams fully geared up and preparing for the worst, Evdokia shows Valodya the email she has received from an Thomas Edgar, bold and clear with his name signed at the top of the email.
Dear darling,
If you're still wondering, LiQin is with me, safe and sound. Don't worry, his son is here too.
However. There's always a however between our kingdom, am I right?
However, Jean, Robin and Ira's fate is unknown. I've trusted the wrong people to pick them up. It's a long story. I bet you're already losing your shit, so I won't take too much of your time. This link leads to the underground hideout they're kept in. Be cautious and gear up, those creatures are maniacs, but who am I kidding? You're unstoppable when Jean's life on the line.
I'll meet you there, hopefully alive and back into your lover's arms.
Sincerely,
Tommy
"He's bullshiting us." Reema, who was on the speaker while Valodya read the email out loud, concludes.
"Agreed, we can never trust an Edgar vampire." Valodya says as he closes his phone.
Evdokia isn't sure if she's on the same page as them.
Yes, she's scared to death for her man's life, but she also can't help but let her old self whisper to her about the Thomas she knows. The sweetheart Thomas, the gentleman Thomas, the soft-hearted Thomas, the Thomas that would pick up little tods off the ponds side and talk to them like they're the most precious thing to him.
"Evdokia?" Valodya pulls her out of her daze by calling her name, and she realises she was about to go off the road.
"Yeah?"
"we'll save them all, I'll die a thousand times to save them." Valodya promises, genuine.
Evdokia hums, too distracted and distanced by her demons to even hear him out.
*
July 13, 1980
The Moonfolks kingdom
The sky castle
"Your highness." Robin bows to king Artem and Queen Hilla.
Valodya follows lead, not a stranger to manners before the royalties.
"Robinson, it is such a pleasure having you here. How was the road?" King Artem expresses as he walks up to Robin and takes him by a hug.
"It was a smooth ride, your highness." Robin exchanges the gesture.
"Drop the courtesies, Robin, it's been a minute." The kings nostalgic smile tells Valodya enough about the situation. It's an unmistakable look between two lifetime brothers, by blood or swords. "How's your father?"
"He's taking his last breathes, he has made peace with it." Even though it sounds like a sad event, the man's smile is still reaching both of his ears.
Artem's eyes travel over to Valodya's face and he perks up a questionable eyebrow at Robin.
"Ah, let me introduce you, Valodya, king Artem. King Artem, Valodya. " he gestures to each men with his palm.
"Its a pleasure meeting your highness." Valodya bows his head, still not sure why he's even here. Even though he knows he probably tops the man with a thousand years, he still feels the need to keep his eyes low in his presence.
King Artem smiles at Valodya and goes back looking at Robin, which is now looking at queen Hilla's baby bump.
"I've heard your highnesses are having a child in a few weeks." Robin states, which only confuses Valodya further.
"You've heard right, few days, actually." Hilla corrects.
Robin turns and looks at Valodya, "I think I might have found a perfect guardian for your first princess."
"What?" Valodya feels like he's been put onto the spot, and he isn't sure exactly how to react to this recommendation.
"Oh? Is he someone you know well?" Artem eyes Valodya from top to bottom.
"No. I actually just met him three days ago."
"You're saying we should intrust our daughters life and well being in the hands of a man you just met three days ago?" Hilla questions like it's the most scandalous thing to ever been said to her.
"Your honour, he's a phoenix that was trying helplessly to end his life." Robin explains, and Valodya gives him a stern look.
"A phoenix? My oh my." Hilla is surprised enough for her eyebrows to fly up to her hair line.
"He doesn't seem to be familiar with your offer." Artem snorts, and suddenly Valodya does feel at ease for the first time since he has entered this kingdom.
"No, I didn't tell him beforehand. " Robin chuckles.
*
June 24, 2021, 5:00
Beijing, china
The decide onto entering the compound all together, no splitting, as they walk in a circle, all six backs stuck to each other to keep an eye out for any attack.
The entrance is clear and soundless, and it only ups her anxiety. She hates when she can't see her enemy, she hates it when they out smart her, and they did just that.
They keep on walking, eyes out for any move in the dark. All their helmets has a night vision, yet they can't seem to see any moves around them.
Evdokia tenses up her shoulders at they make sure that no one is in the main hall of the mansion, which means they'll have to fight in a smaller area. Not good. Not good at all.
She grits her teeth as she signs with her hand to the first room to her left for them to inspect, only that they found it empty too.
Evdokia is about to signal them to go to the next door when the door is suddenly abruptly shut with a loud bang. They all jump in their places and start looking out for a moving object, only that they never looked at the ceiling, where its now raining men and women with magic weapons.
"Fuck! Dodo, watch out!" Ufuk yells at Dodo, taking a straight hit from a sword to his chest.
Reema screams and goes to protecting them both, breaking their initial format.
The situation gets messy pretty quick with a man down and the rest in shambles as they fight for their lives with regular weapons against magic swords that are bullet proof and can cast any spell and pierce your body with a deadly poison or curses.
Evdokia takes down two men with her titanium sword with one swipe at their necks and runs to rest her back against Valodya's.
"It's a trap, we need to get out of here." Valodya kills a woman with a bullet straight at her forehead.
"No, we're not leaving here without them." Evdokia yells back, hands gripping her sword with her dear life. And that's when she sees them. The same red eyes. The same petrified reflecting red eyes.
"Thomas." She whispers into her helmet, which was heard by the rest of the team's earpieces.
"Where?!" Reema shouts as she dodges a sword strike, managing to stab the other woman with a dagger. She seemed to be a fairy as Reema watches the iron dagger melt her flesh before her eyes.
It seems that he has realised that Evdokia saw him, because the next thing he does is fucking run out of the room.
"He's leaving, hold them back, kill them, I'll follow him." Without even thinking it through, Evdokia runs out of the room behind Thomas.
"Evdokia wait!" Valodya calls out for her but she's already out of the door.
Evdokia sees him as he runs to the basement, and she follows behind until she's fully underground, all the lights off. It seems to be under a darkness spell because not even her night vision helmet can see through the darkness of the room.
Evdokia takes her helmet off and throws it to the side to take a clear breathe.
"Thomas?" she calls out in the dark, sword ready in her hand.
"Evdokia. " a voice calls back, and Evdokia wouldn't know if it was Thomas's or not, the time they last talked was probably before Thomas hit puberty for fuck's sake.
His voice is followed by a loud door being shut, and Evdokia doesn't need to see to know that it's the basement's door.
"I swear to god if you've hurt any of them I'll fucking skin you alive." She says as she spins around herself, trying to register which direction the voice is coming from.
"Don't worry darling, they're all safe." The man's voice is calm and steady, and it only adds to the raging fire inside of Evdokia right now.
"Come out like a man from wherever you are hiding you fucking coward."
"You sure do curse a lot for a princess, darling."
"Thomas fucking Edgar, I-" she goes to finish her words but suddenly a blinding light is turned on right in front of her face, almost melting her eyeballs off of her skull.
Before she realizes what's happening she hears a swoosh behind her and she manages to avoid the hit with centimetres apart.
Her fighting instincts flare up the moment she could tell her eyes are damaged and that she can't see for shit. She lets it be.
She focuses on her other senses, her hearing, her smelling, her touch and feeling of masses around her. Her ears, as sharp as ever, help her to avoid yet another stride from the anonymous man. He's good, and she doesn't need to see his moves and techniques to realise that herself.
A hit after another, she dodges them or manages to move her sword as quick as possible to clash against the man's sword.
It takes them about five minutes that way, before Evdokia manages to open her eyes, her nose catches the smell of burnt ashes and metallic blood, a very familiar and nostalgic smell.
It catches her off guard that the man manages to pierce her pelvis in the meantime. It hurts, but not as much as the fact that the person that's trying to kill her is a boy she grew up every day along with. A boy she had made vows with, along with Jean and Ira to never raise a weapon onto each others. It fucking hurts so much.
Evdokia lets herself fall to her knees, finding it hard to fight him back anymore. If he had broken their promise, Evdokia would rather die than break a vow she once made, even if she was just a free spirited child. She feels the blood as it soaks her dress shirt, slowly, painfully so. She closes her eyes shut as she starts getting dizzy and nauseous, the mental toll of all the past weeks coming crashing down on her. She feels it as her body gives out completely. And she thinks Thomas is kneeling in front of her, pushing the hair on her face to the back of her ears.
It's a soft touch that burns like a thousand of matches lit against her face. And just like that, Evdokia loses her touch with the world, as she falls down the rabbit hole of nightmares, long familiar nightmares.
*
Evdokia could smell freshly varnished leather when she starts waking up.
She looks around her and it seems like they're sat in a private plane, and Thomas is sitting right in front of her, peeling an apple with a fruit knife.
"good evening, your highness." He smiles cheekily at her, fangs showing and all.
She spits at his face and it takes Thomas a few seconds to realise what happened. He casually spits back at her clothes -not her face because mama raised a gentleman-.
"You know better than kidnapping the lady, don't you," She smiles smugly at him, glad to meet her old friend, not necessarily the circumstance she was hoping for.
"I do, but the lady happens to be the best fighter on her team, and the most precious member of them all." He chuckles darkly.
"He's not wrong you know." Evdokia is still squinting her eyes but now at the voice in the background, which is very familiar. Evdokia is shocked to see LiQin in one piece, and chainless, beside him is Valodya. "You're the absolute worst to deal with on a battle ground."
"Thank you. Why am I chained and they're not?" she starts with LiQin and switches to Thomas.
"Promise me you won't raise a sword at me, then I can unchain you." Thomas requests.
"I'm not promising you anything. " yeah her ego is bigger than it allows her to back down from a threat and so no she's not promising an enemy anything.
"alright, we'll talk like this then." Thomas shrugs and puts the knife down, taking a big bite from the apple.
*