I stood up, my grip tightening around the hilt of my sword. "Irene," I said, my voice low and resolute, "we're going to find him. No matter what it takes. Our boy is still out there. And I swear on everything—I will bring him back."
The Volkov family would be whole again. Whatever it took.
As I pulled Irene into my arms, I felt her trembling. I was trying to hold it together, trying to push away the storm of emotions that raged inside me. But how could I? How could Theo, our sweet, innocent boy, have killed someone?
My heart clenched at the thought. Theodore Volkov was the kindest soul I'd ever known—he wouldn't harm a fly. But now… this bounty, this name, "Caedes." It didn't make sense. What had happened to him? Who had he become out there?
"If only we could've taken him with us…" The thought ran through my mind like a blade, cutting deeper with each repetition. I had made my peace with our decision long ago, or so I thought. But standing here, holding Irene as she fought back her own tears, that old regret resurfaced. "If only we had a choice."
Irene looked up at me, her crimson eyes full of the same pain I felt. She didn't say anything, but I could see the guilt written all over her face. I sighed, trying to push down my emotions before they overwhelmed me.
"We should wait," I said, my voice steady but hollow. "If Theo's still the same boy we know… he'll come find us. He'll remember. And he'll come back." But even as I said it, I wasn't sure. I didn't know what kind of world he'd been surviving in or what he'd had to become. Could he still be the same boy? Or was he lost to us?
I had to believe he wasn't.
I held Irene tighter, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. I had to be careful now, more careful than ever. I couldn't let this news spread, not until we knew for sure. "We can't let Caera find out," I added quietly. "It's already tearing her up inside, blaming herself for leaving him. If she hears about this—about Caedes—it'll destroy her. And Irene…she's still too young to understand."
I could feel Irene nod against my chest. She didn't like it, but she knew I was right. We couldn't bring the family into this storm, not until we had more answers.
But the truth was, I wasn't sure how long I could wait. If there was even the slightest chance that this "Caedes" was my Theo, then I had to act. I had to find him before someone else did.
Irene pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine, as if looking for some reassurance. "This world… it's cruel," she whispered, echoing what we both felt. "We thought we were doing the right thing, but now..."
I ran a hand through her hair, trying to comfort her, though I had no comfort left to give. "We did what we had to," I said, though the words felt empty. "Now we'll do what we can to bring him home."
But could we? Could I? Could I face whatever he had become—and could I accept it?
For at the end of the day...It's all my fault.
I shouldn't have erased his memories.
***
Omniscient POV
Somewhere inside the Snire's dungeon, a young girl could be seen kneeling in front of hundreds of beasts who looked no less than savages. Her black gown had long-degraded into what looked like rags, her face ashen.
The girl had long hair dyed in pink that flowed down her back and her eyes were black. She glared at the beasts with a face full of rage and dismay.
She was trapped from both sides, behind her was a wall with no route to escape and in front of her were hundreds of beasts, the only source of light being the green crystal tied to her necklace.
Even though the temperature was burning, her trembling and perspiring body felt so cold that even the air she breathed was like molten magma.
With strength no greater than an ant, she clutched her sword, its tip dripping with blood and sweat.
Her haggard condition was proof of the dark side of the filthy humans that are bonded in name only until one fine day they leave you just to save themselves.
She had cuts and bruises all over her body, and her naked feet swelled. Tears of blood escaped her eyes, tainting her dress red.
"Why…" The girl asked, her voice broken.
All she wanted was to prove herself, yet her parents stopped her. Saying that this world was cruel. Oblivious, she left her house in a fit of anger and found a group going to raid this dungeon of snakes. She soon joined them after letting the people know a few details about her.
Everything went correctly…Until one day she woke up, tied, locked in a cage; betrayed by those she thought of as heroes of justice. All she wanted was to kill beasts like them and try to save people from these snakes, unknown of the monsters around her.
A few days went by and she soon realized that these people were a group of slave traders and she just happened to willingly give herself to them, or at least that was what they told her.
The girl was frightened, oblivious of what to do. Luckily, she escaped the place when one day she found them all sleeping.
Now, almost 2 days later, she was surrounded by these beasts. On her last leg, she was already starting to lose hope of survival.
"Why…" She mumbled incoherently, "WHY!!!" she screamed, the girl felt her end nearing.
Where was the justice, the peace everyone said the world had? Where were the heroes she dreamt of always? Where was the power she had dreamt of?
She glanced at her surroundings,
"Empty. No one Is there for me… Is this the way I die? The Princess of the Sky God Realm, Lilith Cardigan will die such a death...?"
The girl started crying, it wasn't loud but the weight it carried was not something she could bear.
The crimson crystal on her pendant glowed into a blinding light as weird lines coloured black appeared on her figure, totally hugging her.
The girl felt her body turn numb as she fell flat on the ground, her back kissing the cold floor. Tears escaped her eyes as she refused to accept this inhuman fate, to die being unable to fight back.
This was not how she wanted to die.
Lilith took in a deep breath, waiting for the grotesque end of her. For the hungry beasts to chew her alive.
***