Deep within the forest moonlight shone above a tranquil lake. The starry sky reflected on the water surface. Faint mist covered the surroundings making the place look more …otherworldly.
Valerius stood at a distance from the lake, his gaze searching for someone, until a feminine voice spoke in ethereal elegance,
"Oh my, who do we have here?" The mist on the water surface began to swirl, taking a humanoid shape—revealing a woman with pearl white hair and graceful beauty.
Hovering above the lake, in the bright moonlight, the sight held its unique magnificence. Like a goddess had just descended from heaven itself.
She took a curious glance at Valerius and smiled,
"What brings my lord here in this dark night no less?"
No matter how eye pleasing the sight was he was unfazed by her beauty,
"It is of course an urgent matter. Perhaps you can help me answer how that creature got past your defenses?"
"Why of course I can answer that," she answered with a hint of humour in her voice,
"....the answer is that I don't know. I watch over human threats from outside, residents of the forest are not my responsibility. So if you think I know anything about the matter regarding the arachnid's present state then I am afraid I might be of no use to you My lord."
"Cut the bullshit," he scoffed, "you know everything regarding this forest. That's the duty assigned to you is it not?"
Hearing him say that a vein bulged on the woman's forehead, however she never let the pleasant smile fall from her face,
"... that's right my lord. But even if I know that, I have no obligation to answer you. You see I am doing my job you and your friend assigned to me forcefully—" a crack appeared in her made up facade but she regained her composure not soon after,
"—I mean I am doing what I am assigned to do very well."
She raised her brows while making an innocent face,
"...but you know I can help you more if you give me permission to enter the town on my own accord."
"yeah right," He clicked his tongue, "so you can create even more problems for me. I ask you this if you are doing your assigned duty honestly then how come I got a strange man, a visitor?"
The woman stood silent for a while, then she gave a vague shrug,
"He was not someone I could've stopped on my own. My illusions didn't work on him either. Yes, I was able to detect his presence throughout the forest but you know he was just …out of my league." She admitted.
"...And didn't report that to you because he seemed to be carrying no intention to hurt anyone here. He even spared the creatures that tried to eat him."
A sudden realization came to her as she cocked a brow,
"Why? What did he say to you?"
Valerius turned his gaze away,
"That's none of your business," he turned away from her, "if that's everything you have. I'm afraid you cannot help me."
"Now I am curious, my lord,"
He took some steps while the woman followed him, mist swirling around her,
"Did he say something about your newborn son perhaps?"
Valerius' steps halted for a moment there,
"He did, didn't he? He told you the truth. Like how your son carries the mark of unknown. You'd like to know more than that don't you?
She arrived before him, hovering above the ground, placing her hand gently on his face she gave a very innocent smile,
"I can tell you. I can tell you everything."
As the curiosity grew in his mind, his heart beat grew faster. A strange anxiety washed over him. Something that he was most afraid of,
"You don't know everything," he waved, "how can you give me all the answers while you don't know about yourself in the first place?"
Valerius' words did poke her deepest wounds but she did not dare to show it on face,
"Okay, if not answer then you can perhaps be vigilant and make sure no harm comes to your people in the future. Grant me permission and I'll make sure no humans and no creatures get near the town ever again."
Valerius grabbed her by the wrist, her heart sank—
"Like I believe you." Placing some force on her wrist he stared at her groaning self with furious expression,
"...and don't ever do that again. I have a wife."
With that he let go of her and started to walk away, the woman caressed her wrist with gritted teeth.
Finally she let go of her forced smile and screamed in anger,
"You coward. Can't you ever care for anyone else other than yourself? Don't you know how lonely it is when people are enjoying their lives before you and all you can do is watch from afar? You act like you're the hero, the saviour while the reality is that you have imprisoned me, stripped off my name —sealed my memories with it and you go along enjoying your happy life with your wife and kid leaving me behind."
Valerius heard her and knew that in his heart what he did to her was indeed wrong. But it might be too late to admit that.
He did not answer her, in reality he was at a loss of words. The woman however continued with the truth,
"I hate you Valerius from the very fiber of my being. You and your best friend Aurelion can go rot in hell for all I care."
At the mention of his name Valerius stopped,
"Aurelion did nothing wrong," he said with teary eyes. "You want to blame someone, you blame me. I am your culprit. Do not hate him, trust me you don't want to."
He turned to the woman, her elegant figure hovered just above the ground covered with faint mist, tears were flowing down from her eyes, a soft wind blew caressing her beautiful hair.
"You want to feel included," he said with a firm, decisive attitude, "then you have to agree to my conditions."
Slowly a smile appeared on the woman's lips as she nodded in agreement.
— —
A night before.
Rain was falling down from the silent lightning clouds.
Sophia turned around after watching the lifeless figure of the arachnid fall down from the cliff.
Deep in the night when it has already stopped raining. A large body buried in the pile of other creatures quaked with a sudden movement.
The arachnid pushed away the corpses that had fallen over him. Most of his body was unresponsive.
Two spears lodged in his body pained but his resolve burned hotter.
He opened his dark eyes and saw a bunch of nocturnal creatures that ran as soon as his gaze fell upon them.
Separating himself from the pile of corpses he thought of the human who had almost killed him.
Anger burst in his heart but the only thing he could do now was to escape. There will be chances in the future, he convinced himself.
But watching the pile of corpses before him, a strange thought crossed his mind. He did not waste any more time and started to devour the remains of his fallen soldiers.
After making enough recovery so that he could walk himself out, he escaped leaving behind nothing but a pile of mangled flesh and the ambition to take his revenge someday.
— — — — —