Chapter. 24
My Daughter
Kellen invited all the masses who were still gathering in the courtyard to come to the guest house hall, tomorrow, so they could hear what really happened to Keannan and all their curiosity could be answered there.
After that, Kellen rushed to follow Keannan, Adam, and Margareth into the house. He still half couldn't believe his son had actually returned.
Everyone was waiting for Kellen in the library. With wide steps, Kellen immediately approached Keannan who also immediately stood up from his seat when his father entered the room.
The father and son looked at each other. The air in the room suddenly seemed to disappear when Kellen just stood transfixed in front of Keannan.
With trembling hands, Kellen felt his son's face as if to make sure that it was truly Keannan standing before him. Everyone in the room could see how deep the bond between father and son was.
"My son...." That was all Kellen could say while repeatedly squeezing Keannan's shoulder. All the words suddenly disappeared from Kellen's mind. He hugged Keannan with a feeling of relief.
Kellen still remembers the fear and pain that gripped his soul when he realized that Keannan had disappeared without a trace. He really felt hopeless. At that time he didn't even care if Keannan didn't inherit the power from his ancestor in the end. Then, full of emotion Kellen patted his son's back before he brought Keannan to sit next to him.
Meanwhile, Keannan himself could not contain his happiness because he could be reunited with his father and mother. Only then had he been separated from they both for so long. That too without any previous words of farewell. After meeting Kiera, Keannan realizes even more how lucky he is compared to his sister.
For a moment, there was only silence within the library. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
"Now tell me! Where have you been? Who is this? And tell me how you two met?" Kellen asked Keannan and Adam.
"Okay Dad, I'll tell you what happened to me the day I disappeared." Keannan replied.
"When Ackerley summoned an ancient power to pave the way to the ancestral land of the Sun Clan, at that time I couldn't move my arms and legs naturally because there was such a great power coming from the Sword Joye, it like someone had summoned the sword and taken over my consciousness. suddenly." Keannan told him everything he remembered.
"When the two forces met, suddenly a dark and long tunnel opened and dragged me down into an invisible hole. When I realized it, I was already in the hut belonging to Adam's teacher. Meanwhile, a girl seemed to have the same fate as me, she fainted in next to me. That's all I know," said Keannan ending his story.
Now everyone in the library turned their eyes to Adam. They waited for Adam to tell him how it was when Keannan was first found.
"According to my teacher, when Keannan fought with Ackerley that man intended to take him to the land of immortality where the ancestor of the Sun Clan came from. However, at the same time it turned out that Kiera was opening the gates of the land of immortality to perfect her ancient abilities at the last level until the joye sword discovered that Kiera was owner, head straight to where Kiera is."
Adam smoothly explained what he saw and what his teacher said about when Keannan was stranded in The Red Land.
"It turns out that Joye sword immediately fulfilled Kiera's call so that Keannan, who was holding it, was also carried away. However, not with Ackerley. I don't know where he fell, clearly not in The Red Land." Adam continued his words.
"Joye Sword's master? Who? Red earth? Is the person you call teacher Aaegon Master?" Kellen couldn't hide his surprise when he heard that Keannan had fallen in The Red Land. To Kellen's surprise even more, Adam said that Joye's Sword had found its owner. So many questions that Kellen asked Adam.
No wonder he couldn't detect his son's whereabouts because he knew that the Red Land indeed had a great power that was difficult to infiltrate. However, what astonished him even more was the fact that there were other people out there with his ancestral knowledge. Moreover, she's a woman.
"Yes, Father, he is Master Aaegon, and the one who maintains our established insight is Kiera, your daughter, my sister." Keannan calmly told all about Kiera to his father, who had been in a standing position for some time. Kellen's face was deathly pale.
"What do you mean?" Kellen growled angrily as he grabbed Keannan by the collar of his robes.
Glowing red light emanated from Kellen's body, as if ready to attack Keannan at any moment. It was as if he didn't realize that what was standing in front of him was Keannan, the son he secretly wept for when he left and came.
"Father, be patient. First listen carefully to my whole story." Unwanted, Keannan loosened Kellen's grip on the collar of his robes and guided his father back into his chair.
Kellen's eyes blinked once, as realization dawned on him. With a look in his eyes full of regret and apology because for a moment he almost attacked his own son. Kellen patted Keannan's arm slowly. Like it or not, a twinge of pride rose in his heart when he saw how looks so mature Keannan was at that time.
After seeing his father calm down, Keannan told him everything he had heard about Kiera from Aaegon and based on his experiences with Kiera. Not forgetting, he also told about Kiera's current situation, also about Bianca and Ackerkey's departure.
Kellen really couldn't hold back the sadness in his heart. He apparently has a daughter from Anyeelie. It turned out that the woman he loved with all his heart, did not leave himself. However, Kellen was never aware of their daughter's existence and only found out when her daughter was in a state between life and death.
Kellen could feel all the suffering that had to be gone through by the daughter he never knew existed until now. In just an instant, it was as if old age and fatigue had made Kellen look so pitiful.
All memories of Anyeelie flowed wildly without Kellen's control. He felt that he would not be able to answer Anyeelie's questions later if they finally met in eternity. He has wasted their daughter.
A barrage of guilt hit Kellen's chest when he heard all the things that Kiera had to go through. Even though he hasn't seen the girl himself, for some reason, Kellen already feels a connection between himself and the girl named Kiera.
Kellen endlessly regretted his stupidity for not checking the whole story back then. If he did, maybe Kiera wouldn't suffer the sad fate she is now.
The daughter who was born from the only woman she loves has to live and grow without knowing the whereabouts of any of her parents, the grandmother who took care of her is gone. And now, Kiera was also caught between life and death.
"All right, Alfred, Adam. I ask you for help, accompany Keannan during my departure, I will try to be here again before the sun goes dark."
"You mean?" Keannan asked not understanding.
While Adam and Alfred only nodded in affirmation, they could understand Kellen's current divided feelings.
"Father will go to The Red Land, we don't know, when the forces of darkness come we will be safe or not, but i will protect everything that i must protect. I don't want to make the same mistake again." Kellen replied, turning to face Margaret who was sitting on his left.
"Please, even if it's just once and for a moment, I have to see Kiera." Without so much as a word, Kellen asked permission from his wife, a woman who was like a close friend to him and had nothing to hide between them.
"Go on, Kellen. I think you really should meet your daughter." Firmly, Margaret allowed Kellen to go to The Red Land. She couldn't bear to see the man she secretly loved look so broken.
"Thank you, Margaret." Kellen briefly touched Margaret's fingers while smiling gratefully at the woman who had always been by his side.