Connin
25th Day of Summer, 997th Year of Grace
The moment we stepped through the doors of the cathedral near the central square of Belmire, a message was handed to me by one of the priests.
The Cardinal of the West has requested the presence of Bishop Connin Martyns on the western borders.
Please relay the information to his grace as soon as possible.
I did not know why the Cardinal requested for me but according to the local priests, there had been some dispute on the border and even the Governor was summoned.
There were rumors of Serovia attempting to invade Arcanis. One rumor even said that a Witch from The Covenant supported Serovia, which might have been the reason it even dared to attempt an invasion.
Presence of the Cardinal on the border bothered me more, making me doubt if the rumors were only just rumors or not.
I folded the piece of paper with the message and clasped my hands together. "May the Lord guide me."
We decided to rest for the day and set out at dawn again for the western borders.
I was disappointed that I could not meet whoever I had sensed when we entered the city.
I thought Belmire was at least safe if someone like me existed in the city.
Alexandra
25th Day of Summer, 997th Year of Grace
"What experiences did you have on the mission?" I asked with my elbows on the table, my chin resting of one hand. "Did you seduce any noblewoman?"
"Please." He rolled his eyes. "I'm not some bard."
"You're no fun." I stuck out my tongue at him and began nibbling at the slice I had cut out for myself from the pie Adam brought for me.
Its sweetness covered my entire mouth with every bite and gave me a fuzzy warm feeling in my heart.
It was a feeling I couldn't name but I knew I experienced it everytime I was with my brother.
"I've got an interesting story for you though." He sipped some water. "Did I tell you I was given the task of escorting a merchant caravan to a city north of Belmire?"
"You did." I took another bite of the pie.
"Well, I wasn't the only person escorting the caravan. There were other burly escorts who laughed at me for being thin. But when some forest bandits ambushed us, those men screamed and cried at the slightest scratch. They gave up their lives without fighting for it."
"Were you hurt?" I began to rise from my seat but he raised a hand.
"Sit down, Alex. I'm alright," he said, smiling. "You see, they couldn't hit me even once with their blades. I was too fast. Or perhaps, too thin. I struck them once with the hilt of my dagger at the back of their heads and they fainted!"
I wanted to sigh but instead wore a pout on my face. "But you seduced no one."
"Of course!" He took a bite from his slice of pie and chewed slowly. "Enough about me. Did anything new happen at your workplace?"
My eyes dropped instinctively to the planked floor at his words while I played with the edge of my plate.
Should I tell him?
"What is it?" he asked.
"T-There's nothing--"
"Don't lie to me, Alex," he scolded. "I know there's something--I see it in your eyes. Tell me."
I took a deep breath. "There's someone at work. He... He follows me around and watches me work."
"Who is he?" His smile died.
"I don't know his name," I answered. "He just told me that he's the young lord's valet."
"Describe him to me."
I did as he said.
He put down the pie in his hand. "Should I get rid of him? He won't bother you--"
"No. Absolutely not," I retorted. "He has done nothing wrong to me."
"But he might--"
"I said no!" I snapped and he shut his mouth.
He only nodded and got up from his seat.
I took another bite at the pie when he had left the room but the sweetness was gone.
Elijah
25th Day of Summer, 997th Year of Grace
The first rain of Summer came as a surprise like the slap from a maiden deeply engaged in a kiss.
It fell down in thick curtains, drumming on roostops and cobblestone as it washed the heat and sweat away from Belmire's street.
The sky was bruised purple behind the downpour and I walked through the streets under it, my boots splashing puddles without a care.
The valet was at my heel like a shadow with an umbrella held over my head.
I didn't need it. I didn't care if I was drenched from head to toe in the rain.
There was no formal purpose for me to head out of the estate today but I just wanted to get away and avoid encountering my father again after the ranting early morning.
I was walking down the streets of the Mercantile Quarters when I felt a strange tug and turned slightly to find a cloaked figure striding away.
The long asleep heart jolted within my ribs like a beast on leash.
"Return to the estate," I said to the valet.
"What about you, my lord?" He blinked in confusion.
"I have something to do."
I didn't spare him another glance and rushed towards the direction I had seen the cloaked figure go. I found it deep in the woven mess of bodies and rain that occupied the streets, drifting further away.
I followed the figure through the crowd and when we exited the swarm of people, I got a better look at the person I was tailing.
Cloaked in a long black trench coat with a top hat perched rakishly on its head that exposed just a bit of smooth black hair peeking out from beneath, the figure walked with rigid and deliberate steps.
It was unlike her to dress like a man. Even the posture was alien, the usual grace missing.
But I was sure it was her.
After all, the pull was the same.
I followed her through winding streets slick with rain. I followed her under laterns already lit for the approaching night which flickered like dying fireflies.
She turned into an alleyway and I followed after, only to realise the alley was a dead end and I had lost sight of the cloaked figure.
"I was wondering who kept tailing me through half the Mercantile Quarters," a smooth male voice said behind me.
I turned around and found a young man before me--perhaps my age, perhaps younger.
He was the figure I had been following.
I was stunned by his appearance--he looked like her.
Of course, not completly. He had a sharper jaw, thinner lips and a deeper voice. His hair was shorter and tied into a ponytail.
But his eyes--they were the same dark orbs that tugged at me with an inevitable pull.
He glared at me as if he'd caught me naked in bed with his lover. "Well, if it isn't the esteemed valet with a lot of time on his hand."
"You must be related to my precious--"
Something cold touched my throat, cutting my sentence short.
"She's not your precious," he warned. "It would be wise for you to stay away from Alex."
"You're quite charming." A smirk grew wide on my face. "If I hadn't met my precious--ah, sorry. If I hadn't met Alex already, I would've fallen for a man."
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his tongue and shoved me away. "I wish I could end you right here. But that would upset her."
"I'll take that as a compliment." I ran a hand through my hair. "Also, I must thank you for telling me her name."
He put away the dagger he had pressed against my throat a moment ago inside his cloak. "I wish I had more time to teach you a lesson, bastard."
"I would've loved that too."
"I'll warn you again," he snarled. "If you bother my sister again, your head will roll on the ground before you open your mouth to flatter anyone."
The next moment, I stood in the alley alone. The rain soaked my clothes while a trail of crimson slid down my neck from where his dagger had met my throat.
He probably thought his threats would frighten me but they only added wood to the fire burning within.
He only added more thrill to my hunt.
Your brother is protective and violent. How delicious.
I wiped away the blood and laughed.
My precious, my Alex... Oh, the game... it just keeps getting better.
Adam
26th Day of Summer, 997th Year of Grace
I saw nothing but snow.
It covered the entire landscape in my vision. There were no trees, no houses or paths.
It wasn't like the usual snow that fell gently, covering rooftops.
No. It was a snow that erased all memories, all signs of life.
There was no sun, no star and no other sound except the crunch of my boots on frozen ground. My fingers were numb even though I didn't remember ever feeling cold.
I didn't remember how long I had walking in such a desolate place but I knew I had to keep moving.
I didn't realise when it started but I heard another pair of footsteps beside mine--pacing me step for step.
I stopped. They did too.
I turned and found a man standing beside me.
He was barefooted yet the snow didn't bite him. His white robes fluttered despite the stillness of the wind.
His face blurred the line between masculine and feminine--cheekbones too high, lashes too long and lips too full.
He was almost as beautiful as Alex without her glasses.
His skin was pale as the snow around us and his eyes--they were dark.
Not dark brown or black. They were dark like the void where no star had ever dared to burn.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Why are you here already?" he asked instead of answering. His voice was warm, smooth and enchanting.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you in the Hollow so soon?" He titled his head like a curious bird. "I thought there was still some time before we met."
I was confused and he didn't wait for me to digest his words. He began walking and I followed behind.
"Who are you?" I asked again.
"It is not yet time for you to know," he replied. "You are not ready."
"Then do you know a way for me to get out of wherever this place is?" I inquired.
He turned suddenly and leaned toward me, our faces almost touching. "Perhaps... Do you require my help in regards to the issue with the noble who has been troubling your sister?"
"W-What?"
"Elijah Graceford," he announced as if it were a common fact. "He has been bothering Alexandra recently and you want to get rid of him but your sister does not agree. Is that what it is?"
"He is the young lord of the Graceford household?" My eyes widened. "But Alex said--"
"She does not know it herself," he said. "I do. I know everything about you and those around you."
"Who are you? How do you know so much--"
"That does not matter at the moment."
"But... If he is who you say he is, there's nothing I can do to stop him from coming near my sister." I scratched my head. "If I killed him, it would cause a big enough commotion to draw the Church's attention and I would have to leave Belmire with Alex. And if she found out that I was the reason behind his death, she would hate me! I... There's nothing I can do."
"You do not need to kill the boy to make him vanish," the man said.
"What do you mean?"
"You are still too naive." He smiled. "Wait a few more days. You will get the opportunity to resolve your troubles."
We stayed quiet for a moment before I asked, "Why are you helping me?"
He looked past me, as if staring at something or someone in the distance. "I am not helping you...
"I am helping me."
The world shattered.