Days passed without any attacks by the fake Bain or any major demon incursions.
On the night Prince Eyrin spoke about the identity of Prince Khane, Princess Khillian turned to listen but then decided against it. She returned to her room, not wanting to know the truth just yet.
In her mind, it was better to hear it from Nameless himself. If he didn't want to share, she wouldn't dwell on it. Her only hope was that he wasn't her enemy.
*******
In a desolate place, Prince Khane stood on the grassy ground, the scorching sun beating down on him. He turned around, unable to remember how he had arrived there.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a different location, surrounded by people who seemed to be talking to him. Then, just as suddenly, he was somewhere else. This disorienting cycle continued, the places and faces changing from slow to fast.
His head spun, and he placed his hands on his temples, closing his eyes tightly. He couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"What's wrong with him?" a female voice asked. He slowly opened his eyes.
The woman's face was blurry, but he could make out her clothes and her black hair. The scene was eerily familiar, just like the dream he had in Arnin, in Tamil State.
"Aren't you going to see Olevron before we leave? Hurry up, or I'll meet her first.
I love the pastries she makes!" she said, her voice filled with excitement as she started running, her hair flowing behind her like a dark river.
He couldn't control his body; he began to run after her.
"Tidalia!" a man's voice called out, and Tidalia stopped running. Prince Khane halted as well.
She turned slowly, her hair following her movement like a silken veil. This time, Prince Khane could see her clearly.
"Tidalia," he thought, a painful throb in his heart that he couldn't understand. It wasn't love ,it wasn't yearning; it was just pain.
"My lord," Tidalia answered with a smile.
Prince Khane turned to see the person she called 'my lord'. He saw someone dressed entirely in black, only the eyes visible. He immediately recalled the memory in the carriage about the real Bain.
The figure was vague at first, but as he walked closer, he became clearer. Though Prince Khane couldn't see his face, he saw his silver eyes.
Beside him stood a young boy, around twelve years old, with white hair and blue eyes. He looked strikingly familiar, like Immortal Elyon, but Khane couldn't be sure.
"I still don't understand why you removed the shells from your hair and lose your braids. You look ugly.
And,The both of you are running unnecessarily while the boy and I hold the reins of the horses as we walk," the man in black said, glancing at the boy beside him.
"One, I don't like children, and two, if we were in the demonic realm, you wouldn't—"
He was cut off, and Prince Khane found himself speaking, but his voice sounded different. "The old demon complains every time."
"Lyrien Alsan!" the man in black exclaimed and prince khane laughed.
But Prince Khane couldn't understand why he was called Lyrien, why he laughed, or who these people were to him.
"Could it be that I'm not seeing my own memories but those of Lyrien Alsan?
And why am I seeing them? What does this have to do with me? Didn't Lyrien Alsan die more than 200 years ago?" he thought, looking at the people around him.
Suddenly, he felt a wet cloth on his face. He opened his eyes.
As his vision cleared, he saw someone with white hair, though not clearly at first. From the face structure, he recognized Lady Pherna. She was gently dabbing his face with a wet towel.
He blinked again, and her image sharpened. She was kneeling on one knee beside him.
"You're awake, Khailian. You must have trained hard last night and slept outside overnight," she said, her voice filled with concern.
Prince Khane sat up, realizing he was on the grassy ground. He remembered that after training the previous night, he had decided to take a short rest, only to fall asleep until the next day.
Lady Pherna looked at him as she spoke, her hand still on his cheek with the wet cloth.
"Don't overwork yourself. Look at you, sweaty in the morning. It seems you had a nightmare," she said, worry evident in her eyes.
Prince Khane looked away and gazed at the sky. "I can't call it a nightmare," he said as he stood up from the ground, then stretched his hand out to Lady Pherna.
She took his hand and stood up, and they began walking side by side.
"Have you heard from Arnin?" Prince Khane asked, glancing at her.
Lady Pherna sighed in frustration before answering, "No, I have not. And I don't understand why you insist on waiting for a Phase 4 cultivator before taking the pill.
Take it yourself or with the help of Lady Meiyer. Essed is vast; who knows, he might already be dead."
"Don't say that," Prince Khane warned.
"You ask me about him every day. It's frustrating. If he doesn't come back, then it's fate. Make other allies, or maybe I should be the only one close to you.
If it's just the two of us, life will be sweeter than honey. Then we can meet the Essed authorities, announce who you are, and meet other high officials and people.
"And then we will wage war against King Vexar and destroy him," she said enthusiastically, gesturing animatedly as she spoke.
He looked at her, confused.
"And finally," she said, holding his hand and placing both her hands on his, her body close to his, "you will be the king, and I will be the queen," she said softly.
Prince Khane frowned and pulled his hand away forcefully. Lady Pherna noticed his expression and was confused.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Prince Khane looked at her with a sad expression, his eyes distant. "Is that what you've been thinking about since you knew who I was?"
"Don't you want the—"
She was cut off by an immediate, "No! I don't. I just want to live my life."
She was surprised by his answer. She took his hand again. "Maybe it's because you haven't recovered your memories."
"I'm sure my past self would still have the same answer," he said angrily, pulling his hand away from her once more and walking forward.
"Tell me about the dream you had," Lady Pherna said, hoping to change the atmosphere.
"Forget about it," he replied curtly.