AUTHOR'S POV
"Show off", Evandrus sputtered with great annoyance. Then, he suddenly jolted making all of his hair rise from an inexplicable sensation. He felt a set of sharp teeth bit on his arm. In his shock, he violently shook off his limb from an unbearable pain only to find a tiny goblin gnawing on his skin and gobbling on his blood. As the goblin fell on the ground, Stellan killed it with one effortless slash from his sword.
"Oh don't cry now, that's the taste of your own filthy medicine", Stellan smirked while Evandrus wince in pain.
Evandrus grunted as he tie a piece of cloth around his wound. "Then, why don't you just do your job and clear the place from those ugly demons", Evandrus breathe heavily while they become aware of more goblins coming their way from different angles. Noticingly, there were a few goblins which seemed on befuddled state on the ground. Most likely those ones had a taste of Helena's blood, Evandrus presumed.
"Here comes your date", Looking at the great number of goblins coming in, Stellan decided to make a run for it as he follow Areon's trail.
"Hey! How dare you leave me!", Evandrus tread on heels after Stellan.
"Isn't this your fucking idea? You deal with them!", Stellan raised his voice at the follies Evandrus just played.
Regret flickered all over Evandrus face, realizing his idea was not a good one at all, considering Helena was the one who fell for his trap. As planned, Evandrus just wanted to attract a few monsters that would distract Stellan using the gold dust that he's been bringing along. Once the paladin knight gets all his hands busy, Evandrus would get the chance to run off with Helena. He decides to keep her all to himself until he learns the ways of a celestial soul traveler. And in his mind, they'd be a great pair of invincible soul travelers.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as how he planned everything. He got caught up with time after a long confrontation with Stellan. It was surely something between his longing for his brother and the jealousy that have deeply rooted in his heart for desiring the life Stellan lives.
Unquestionably, Stellan is a good brother. He was more mature than him, and even more understanding. In fact, Evandrus genuinely enjoys Stellan's company - the rough plays, friendly swordfights, pranking on the servants and the stealthy escape from the knighthood trainings they do together. Evandrus cared for his brother that he never understood the prejudiced treatment Duke Nero cited between them. He was more pampered and curated to become less of a warrior while his brother suffered with the trainings to become a paladin. He can't help but feel bad for Stellan, but at the same time, he questioned why he wasn't eyed on for being a paladin knight like the rest of their ancestors in the Hesam bloodline.
When Stellan showed signs of gaining the powers of a paladin, Evandrus was genuinely joyful for his brother. The whips of their Father and hard trainings would finally come to an end. But then, a scourging feeling flicked deep down his thoughts - why the younger brother got his powers lighted up first. Then, the day he least expected came, he got the sought after explanation that he wasn't ready for.
Hurt and maddened, he discovered that he's a soul traveler. And that the overprotective headmaiden, who gave him the crest that flared his powers for soul traveling, was actually his mother - something he could never accept. Learning that his dearest brother, Stellan, wasn't his full blooded sibling at all, Evandrus felt like an outsider in the palace that composed his entire world. And most of all, he knew that he can never gain the motherly love which he craved from the Duchess, who he adores so much and doesn't look at him the way she looks at Stellan.
Despite the fact that Stellan and Evandrus were only half siblings, there was never a time that Stellan made him feel outcasted in the family. Stellan kept knocking on his door, asking him to sneak out of the castle or even have meals together. Evandrus took things differently. He stopped caring. Slowly, he found darkness in the bright path that he was being led to. His anger stirred deliberately on all the eyes that laid on him. He felt betrayed by his father who have known the truth that he'll never be paladin that he hoped to be from the beginning.
Soul traveling into his brother once was regrettable. He felt like he was stealing his brother's life. On the second time he landed in Stellan's body, he started to enjoy every bit of it. The respect. The fear. And the dominance for someone as a candidate for paladinship. And the loving gaze and warm embrace of the Duchess. He wanted it all. Then one day, he couldn't go back to Stellan's body, like it has barred his soul to enter his brother's. Back to being just Evandrus, it made him realize that he crave everything what Stellan has.
His envy swallowed him whole. He started to despise his brother as he watch Stellan become a paladin at a distance. He couldn't even look at his father without feeling nauseous. His chest hurt when the Duchess doesn't even look at him, and his stomach churn when the maid dares to touch him. Eventually he got tired of everything. And so he decided to twist his fate as he gamble his life in the dangerous world of the rebels. He deluged himself in the insanity of using his precious blood to take control of the rebels in the palm of his hands. It was not the best decision he ever made, but at least he's far away from the people of Hesam - away from the people who make his heart heavy.
Thereafter, when Evandrus met Helena, he found a new ray of hope to save himself from drowning in his sorrows. When he saw her wield a sword and witnessed how she moved the earth, wind and water, Evandrus saw a better future with her. Through Helena, the journey of an undeserving pathetic and rebellious soul traveler like himself ends. And so, he vowed to never let her go.
Just when his plans were about to get smooth sailing, his ship wreck at the sight of Helena and his brother. His heart crumbled when he saw how Stellan and Helena looked at each other with yearning. His blood boiled once again seeing that his brother is taking something from him that he have already gripped on. He couldn't believe how his brother gazed at Helena lovingly despite not knowing she's a woman. More so, Evandrus was nearly torn when he heard how openly Helena talked to Stellan, as if there's already an unbreakable connection between them. A writhing desire inside of Evandrus grew that made him want what Stellan have again.
Now that Helena is helplessly at the verge of being chased by goblins, Evandrus tormented himself with curses in his head after failing his perfect getaway plan from his brother.