Maze was upset, defeated, for the first time in her life she felt weak, and she cursed herself for not being useful, before her very own eyes, the man she loved with every inch of her body engaged in a fight with an imposter, how come she couldn't tell that this man wasn't Maximus.
Thorold was thorough in wielding his powers; he didn't want anything to hurt Maze; he knew she was worried about him being in a fight with an imposter; he felt bad for her, but there was nothing he could do, at least for now. With a snap of his hand, the dark fog energy that held the imposter's neck strangled him to death, and his body vanished into thin air. Maze ran quickly towards Thorold and gave him a hug with her head buried on his chest, her hair glowing in the dim light, Vesper wiggled its tail and barked.
"It's over," Thorold said kissing her head
"How did you find me?" She asked pulling away from the hug
"Vesper called" he simply said pushing the strands of her hair behind her eyes
Her gaze darted to Vesper, who stood a few feet away, wagging his tail proudly. The little dog barked once as if confirming Thorold's statement. Maze stared at him in disbelief. "He… called for help?" she asked, her voice laced with astonishment. "I've been with him for fifty years, and I never knew he could do that."
Thorold chuckled softly, his hand lingering against her cheek for a moment before he pulled it away. "He's not just any dog, Maze. He's a spiritual guardian from the demon realms. His bond with you gives him abilities you may not even be aware of yet."
Maze crouched down, running her fingers through Vesper's fur. The little dog leaned into her touch, his eyes glowing faintly with affection. "You've been hiding secrets from me, haven't you, little one?" she teased, though her voice was thick with emotion.
Vesper barked again and nuzzled her hand, his tail wagging furiously.
Thorold's expression softened as he watched them. But then his gaze grew serious, and he stepped closer. "Maze," he said, his voice low and urgent, "this wasn't a random attack. That impostor was here for a reason. They're after you."
"Yes, I'm aware of that, but what could he possibly want?" She asked, "Where is he from?"
"Wherever he from, it's dangerous," Thorold said and continued "I'm sure they would send more to come after you"
Maze stiffened for a while and sighed "I still have a hundred and fifty years more to cultivate and return home, I can't leave the mountains now" she said
"You may lose your life Maze and I can't live with that," Thorold said "Come with me to the demon realm, they won't know you're no longer in the mountain"
"No that is way too dangerous" Maze snapped "I can't risk our lives for my protection, that's selfishness"
Thorold leaned back slightly, crossing his arms as he stared at her.
"You're not being selfish," Thorold said, his voice calm but firm. "Protecting yourself isn't selfishness. It's survival. And if you won't do it for yourself, do it for the people who care about you."
Maze shook her head, frustration evident in her tense posture. "You don't understand," she replied, her voice cracking. "These mountains are supposed to be my home for two hundred years; if I leave now, that would be disrespectful to Lord Maximus?"
Thorold stepped closer, his crimson eyes locking onto hers. "Staying here isn't safety, Maze. It's stagnation. They've already found you once. They will find you again."
"And your solution is to take me to the demon realm?" she shot back, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea what kind of danger that will put you in? Lord Maximus will know I'm there, Thorold. He will come for me, and come for you too."
Thorold smirked faintly, an edge of defiance in his expression. "Let him come. I'm not afraid of a fight, Maze. You know that."
"But I am!" Maze exclaimed, her fists clenched at her sides. "I'm afraid of losing you. I'm afraid of dragging you into something you shouldn't have to deal with. This… all of this, it's my burden to bear."
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to get you upset" Thorold apologized
"I want to return to the heavenly realms, I need to speak with Mother Lina, she has answers to my question," Maze said
"Are you sure you're ready to confront her?" Thorold asked he knew it wasn't going to be easy
"The truth is I don't know" Maze replied with a shrug "but I can't continue leaving like this, I can't have such immersed powers and live like a puppet," she said
"You are not living like a puppet," Thorold said comfortingly "Whatever decision you make I promise I will be here to stand by you and watch you achieve it," he said
"Thank you" Maze simply said
~~~~
"Chloe!" Mother Lina called walking towards the garden
"Yes, mother!' Chloe replied, waking beside her
"You've known Maze for thirteen hundred years," she said "How do you think she's been coping alone
"If there's one thing I know about her mother, it's her relentlessness and determination, I just pity her that she has to suffer for this long to cultivate her powers and discover who she is," Chloe said
"She's a lovely child, I wish she didn't have to suffer like this" mother Lina said looking into space to cover her pain and regret
"But mother!" Chloe called, "Who are her parents? Why isn't anyone telling her about her real parents? Chloe asked
"I wish I could tell her who are parents are but it's for her own good and protection" Mother Lina replied
"She's not being protected Mother, she's being punished, maybe if she knew her parents, she would be able to discover her true self," Chloe said with worry and continued "She's my best friend and I pity her a lot"
"She will be fine Chloe, she will learn the truth soon," Mother Lina said, she wanted the conversation to come to an end