Chapter 8
The Ties That Bind
A sinister, maniacal laugh pierced his eardrums. A laugh so jaded and twisted it worried those within it's earshot, even those who couldn't hear it worried sincerely about the one laughing. He stood there completely surrounded by a pitch black darkness that allowed no light to penetrate through it.
He watched as the figure laughed hysterically at the corpse lying right beneath him. The boy, Eden Connor, drew closer to the figure and the corpse he was laughing at. His steps were weary at first but he quickened his pace once he realised that the corpse beneath the figure looked strikingly similar to someone he'd seen once before.
The corpse that lied on the ground had midnight black hair, ocean blue eyes that were devoid of life and looked only a few years older than Eden. It was then that Eden realised, that the figure bore a striking resemblance to the boy himself, at a glance he could be easily mistaken for Eden.
Perhaps it was Eden. A slightly matured Eden that was lying dead on the floor, with an anonymous figure hunched over him laughing hysterically all the while. "Look at you!" he screamed. "You haven't changed one bit! You're still as powerless as ever! Nothing about you has changed! You hear me!? NOTHING!!! HAAAAA!!!" The figure let out one final, frustrated scream before turning his gaze to Eden.
The boy flinched, unsure of how to act or respond. The figure let out a self deprecating smile and addressed Eden directly. "I hate you. I honestly loathe you, so just die already!"
***
A parched throat. A racing heart. And sweat dripping from his forehead like bullets. He clenched his chest tightly, letting the sensation of his wet clothes wake him from his dream.
The cold air roused his groggy mind to complete awareness, alerting him of how awfully late it had become. The night sky had been completely blanketed by shining bright stars. He roused himself out of the blankets that covered him, realising that he was being tugged along inside a carriage by two horses.
One was ridden by a man, clad in silver armour that was surprisingly muddled with dirt and soot. The other was mounted by a woman with no armour. Instead she was dressed in what remained of her chainmail, her armour had already been destroyed in the earlier battle.
"Where are we?" he murmured.
The woman, Ginevra, commanding officer of the knights of Ester, turned her head to Eden. Her face brightened up immediately upon seeing him.
"You're awake!"
Had it not been for the fact that she was riding on horseback she'd have embraced the boy near death. After a quick breath, she addressed the boy directly.
"I'm glad you're alright. We're nearly at the church so please rest easy."
On closer inspection, Eden realised that while he was asleep, his body was carried all the way to the capital city. The streets were vacant but the long line of buildings shimmered brightly with life and vigour, a stark contrast when compared to the village he was in mere hours ago.
Time passed, Eden and his companions reached the cathedral at the centre of the city. A hub for believers of the Compass Continent's most prominent religion, one that is centred around one of the Primordial Gods; Terra, the goddess of life.
As they approached the cathedral, Eden's eyes widened in awe. The grand structure towered above them, its stone façade glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The building's architecture was a mix of ancient and modern styles, with intricate carvings and ornate details that seemed to dance across its surface. The entrance, a massive wooden door adorned with symbols of trees and nature.
Inside, the cathedral was a marvel of beauty and tranquillity. Ginevra, as well as Kai, gave a slight bow before the statue that stood tall at the far end of the cathedral. The hall itself was adorned with long pillars that stretched to the ceiling, each one was painted with detailed paintings that told ancient stories.
Eden watched Ginevra and Kai enter the cathedral, and quickly joined them after entering. They were quickly greeted by an elderly priest, with a sleeveless robe and a sash hanging over his shoulder, a standard uniform for priests of the Saint Christian Church.
The priest smiled at Ginevra, "Young Brine. What brings you here today."
"Father Dumont, we're looking for Sister Marianne."
Eden flinched ever so slightly when he heard his mother's name. His mind scrambled with thoughts of running away, he had yet to tell his mother about everything that had transpired and he had no desire to tell her either. His efforts to escape were brought to a halt however when he heard her voice.
Her voice was fine, if anything it resounded with utmost health, her face was a different story. She looked like a woman who hadn't slept for weeks. Eden nearly jumped to his mother's side but stopped himself when he realised his delicate position.
Ginevra sprang the question in Eden's place instead. "Sister...…what happened?"
Marianne drew a deep, heavy sigh before answering. "It's the vial. Its not meant for human consumption, or any other creature for that matter."
Taking the opportunity to escape since his mother was very much distracted, Eden hid himself with the blankets that covered his body and tip toed towards the entrance.
"What do you mean?"
"The contents of the vial include monster essence."
Eden's tip toing stopped. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he positioned himself in earshot of the conversation between Marianne and Ginevra.
Marianne continued, "The vial that Kai gave me is filled to the brim with monster essence. More so than even the average monster."
"Are all these potions coated with monster essence?"
"I believe so."
"I understand then." Ginevra said, her face turning grim.
Perhaps feeling like he had overstayed his welcome, Eden turned back to tip toing away from the scene. He kept his eyes fixed on his mother as he tip toed away, but he soon smashed into impeccably soft mounds as he tried to escape. A familiar floral scent filled his nose, a scent he'd grown accustomed to over the years.
The mounds on the other hand, felt annoyed at the cliché that was taking place, and that irritation multiplied when they realised that the other party was Eden.
The mounds- Lucy, let out an exasperated shout at her younger brother. "For heaven's sake Eddy! Where have you been!?"
Eden was currently preoccupied by the softness that embraced his face, ignoring all outside stimulus. At least he tried to but the glares that were centred around him were too potent to ignore. He pried himself off his sister and bowed his head. "Sorry everyone. It won't happen again."
The other nuns, the civilians who came to pray, as well as the priest all returned to their earlier activities with great reluctance. "Damn cursed child." Whispered the priest beneath his breath.
Eden heaved a sigh of relief. The bells on his head started ringing violently however when he realised that there was still one being in particular who was still glaring at him.
"Eden, what are you doing here?" asked his mother.
His teeth clattered endlessly as he tried coming up with an excuse but was saved again by Ginevra's quick response.
"I'll explain to you later sister but for now please let the boy rest. He's been through a lot."
Marianne's eyes darted between Eden and Ginevra before finally agreeing to let him go. Eden took the opportunity to escape with Lucy in tow.
"Why do you always worry me like this! Do you have any idea how.....Eddy?" Lucy had pivoted to scolding Eden, she stopped herself when she realised just how tightly Eden had gripped her hand.
How much his hand was trembling while grasping hers. "Eddy, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Lucy took a closer look at him. His clothes were dirty with mud, his hair was slightly wet and his hands were trembling. "You don't look fine. " she concluded.
"I said I'm fine."
"Eddy-….."
"Could you please just drop it!"
Lucy's hand jolted within Eden's grasp. The two stopped walking, allowing Eden to draw in as deep a breath as he could muster to calm himself down.
"Sorry sis. It's just….. been a long day."
Lucy brought her younger brother closer to her chest, to the same mounds he stuffed himself in mere moments ago. Unlike last time, Eden didn't feel the need to bury himself in her chest, all mischievous thoughts left his mind a while ago.
A sudden lump caught on Eden's throat. It blocked whatever river was about to flow out with impressive strength, stifling it so it could never flow. All the water that was pent up in the dam that was Eden's heart was at the brink of bursting out, but the dam was too strong. The dam refused to let the water flow, and so the water remained contained and in due time it calmed itself down.
"I'm good now." Eden said finally.
Lucy's eyes snapped open. She turned her gaze to her brother with a sad expression on her face. Was it the grief of having to let him go or was it that even after all the time they spent together Eden still refused to open up to her. Truth be told their relationship hadn't been the same since seven years ago.
Since that night, Lucy could never bring herself to truly seeing Eden as her sibling, as her brother. She also felt sure that in Eden's eyes, she lost the right to call herself his sister. Despite feeling this way, the thought of Eden not being able to see her as his sister made her.... Happy.
Eden pulled away from Lucy, dusting himself slightly when he did. His clothes were still a little damp and the cold night air did little to warm the poor boy.
"We should go home." He sneezed.
The two of them walked side by side in silence, letting the sound of tapping shoes fill the air.
"What were you doing in the church anyway?" Eden asked first.
"I actually went there looking for you."
"Why?"
Lucy scoffed "What do you mean why? Reiya was looking everywhere for you."
Oh...…shit.
It all came flooding back. The fact that he asked his alluring co-worker and long time crush out on a date and her agreeing to it. They had agreed that the date would take place today, but today Eden was busy fighting for his life in a village he'd never been in against a monster he'd never even heard of.
Of course, he could explain the situation to her but he was hard pressed to believe she'd think of his story as anything more than an excuse. Eden's heart sank.
"We're here." Announced Lucy. "Ohh….. hi Reiya."
Reiya!? Eden exclaimed internally.
To confirm his fears Reiya was indeed standing at the front door of Eden's house. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her face dressed with the bare minimum amount of make up, which was just enough to enhance her beauty without taking away the charm that her face naturally had.
Her hourglass shape was adorned by a stunning red dress that reached all the way to her ankles. Eden was stunned, fighting for dear life to maintain control of his mind.
One could tell at a glance that Reiya took great care to look dashing. Her efforts to her appearance paid off, she truly did look gorgeous. This told Eden that above all else, Reiya took their date seriously. And he'd stood her up. Lucy, as an onlooker, took the opportunity to remove herself from the equation.
She walked past Reiya and entered the house, leaving Eden and Reiya by themselves.
"You look great today...." Eden said, trying to brighten the atmosphere.
"....."
".....Do you want to come inside? I could make you some tea since it's cold out."
"....."
Eden didn't dare to get closer to her and Reiya didn't bother to speak.
"I'm sorry." Eden said finally while bowing his head.
"You know when I first met you." Reiya started. "You had this weird gleam in your eye. A sparkle I've never seen before. Then when you asked me to marry you I was quite shocked."
Eden recalled the incident vividly. It was three years ago, when Eden first met Reiya. He was grocery shopping with his mother and she brought them to a store that was run by 'a grumpy old man' as she'd call him. Sure enough the elder that ran the store, an old timer by the name of Luck, was just as grumpy as his mother said he was.
What caught him by surprise was the by then, twelve year old Reiya Watterson. He was attracted by her eyes above all else. Her grace, her elegance. To him, everything about her just screamed 'Marry me'. He let his compulsiveness take over that day and screamed "Marry me!" at the top of his lungs.
"At the time I dismissed it as childish admiration." She continued. "But as more time passed the more I started noticing you. Your sarcastic demeanour, your narcissism, your ability to annoy everyone you come across without even trying to."
They felt more like insults rather than compliments but Eden maintained silence and continued listening.
"But above all else I admired your straightforwardness. Your ability to act on what you want without a moment's hesitation, consequences be damned right? I felt glad….. that I was one of the things you wanted."
Eden's heart fluttered slightly.
"Everyday without fail you made it clear just how much you wanted me despite being younger than me. I was happy to be wanted even if I was being wanted by a younger guy."
"And I do, even now. Reiya I still-...."
"I'm leaving Ester. In two months."
"Love….."
Eden's words caught air. He was cut off before he could finish his sentence and he trailed off without finishing it.
"There's a university in the Central Empire. It takes students from all over the world and teaches them whatever they may want to learn. To tell you the truth it's the real reason why I started working for Mr Luck, to gather enough money to enrol there."
"Huh?"
"Now that Luck has confirmed that the store will be closed indefinitely, there's no reason for me to stay here."
Reiya's words hit Eden like unstoppable blades that severed his entire body. He desperately wanted to voice his plea to her, to beg her to stay with him or at the very least to take him with her to the university but he remained quiet. He knew he had no right to stop her, not after what happened today.
"This is goodbye. Eden."
Reiya briskly walked past Eden, who stayed silent with his head bowed down. He bit his lower lip in frustration and anger, wondering in his heart of hearts what exactly went wrong. What could he have chosen differently to avoid this outcome.
His brain could fathom no answer for him. All Eden could do was silently accept his loss.
"Eden." Called his mother from behind him. Ginevra was standing right behind her with a troubled look on her face.
He knew immediately what was happening, his mother found out everything he'd done between sneaking into the castle and very nearly dying in the village of Plaas.
He had neither the strength nor the will to run away, he couldn't even crack his trademark jokes. His mother and Ginevra entered the house and Eden followed behind them silently.
Deep down he knew, that the long day he had was about to be followed by an extra long night.