House of Bull

Aries finally saw a connection between the world where he died and the world where he had been given a second life. He also remembered a question from Master Kiel. Back then, the Beast Tamer wanted him to acknowledge the fact that he could not remember anything beyond the day he had been asked to become an assassin. It was because he had survived a terrible accident. His head had been badly injured and whenever he strained his mind from remembering anything, it felt like his brain would explode with intense pain.

That was the reason he stopped trying to recall anything from before the accident. Did Master Kiel truly make him see part of the memories he had forgotten?

He closed his eyes and tried to remember but all he could see was darkness and his head was beginning to throb.

"Aries!"

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see Princess Pieffer kneeling in front of him and gripping his shoulders.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain because of the corrupted souls you consumed? Are they trying to take control?"

Aries was not concerned with those questions. He was amazed at how high the princess could jump.

"For a princess, you are not concerned with your life," Aries was still astounded but he also felt a bit concerned. "What if you slip and plummeted on the ground head first? What if…" his eyes widened with expectation but Pieffer quickly extinguished that flicker of hope.

"I'm not the Pieffer from the world where you came from," the princess smiled tenderly at him. "I'm sorry for the disappointment."

"No," Aries was ashamed. "I'm sorry for even thinking about it."

"I will wait."

"Wait for what?" Aries was confused at the hopeful gaze of Princess Pieffer.

The princess got up on her feet, leaned on the railings, and gazed upon the starlit sky with that hopeful smile. "I will wait for the Aries I know."

"Do you... know me?"

She glanced back at him and said, "All I can say is that I lost him ten years ago."

Aries was stupefied when he heard those words.

Ten years ago.

And he never believed in coincidences.

Am I… truly from this world?

Pieffer tapped his shoulder and said, "Don't stress over it. You don't have to rush anything aside from reinstating the barriers around Serestral," she yawned and stretched her arms. "Thinking about the barriers made me feel more exhausted. I think I can sleep now. Good Night, Aries."

Without losing the grace of a princess, she jumped from one railing to the other. She landed on the veranda of her room like a feather touching the ground.

Aries shook his head and tried to remain focused.

"Master Kiel told me that the previous soul in this body was also Aries but from another dimension. Did we… switch bodies?"

"That is all we can think of," Pieffer kindly answered. "Good Night, Aries," she said again before entering her room.

Aries gazed at the sky above him and wondered how two souls from different dimensions could switch bodies without them realizing it?

He rubbed his head that was getting annoyingly painful. For the first time since he had lost his memories, he wanted to remember what happened before that accident ten years ago. He wanted to remember even if his head exploded with pain.

But the agony only rendered him unconscious and when he had awakened, he was back in the bed of the guest room Leon had provided to him.

He glanced at the window and saw that the sun was already high up in the sky.

He heard the door opened and when he glanced at it, Princess Pieffer had entered.

"You are finally awake," she was always tenderly smiling. "You must be hungry. Let's have lunch."

Aries nodded and moved out of the bed.

"I thought I slept at the veranda," he said out loud while walking side by side with Pieffer.

"Yes. I saw you," the princess beamed wider. "I asked my brother to carry you back to the bed."

"Thanks," Aries nearly whispered in embarrassment.

Silence floated between them as they marched through long corridors. Aries was hesitant but after a few strides, he finally decided to say out loud, "I want to remember my past. Can you help me?"

"I wanted to, but I don't know how to help without forcing things on you," Princess Pieffer was always giving him the same answer. "Maybe spending more time in this world and with us will help you remember. As I said last night, you don't have to rush. While waiting for your memories to return, why don't you start to live the present?"

"I want to understand," Aries was getting frustrated.

"We all do," the princess answered with astonishing calmness. "And it will come to us when the time is right."

Aries let his dissatisfaction out with a heavy sigh. Princess Pieffer had a point. He had to be patient. He had to see more of Serestral and meet the rest of the Zodiac Knights. He even wanted to meet all of the Celestial Knights.

Aries bitterly smiled as he realized that the assassin Sunrei he hated was one of the Celestial Knights. He could not accept that the person he hated the most was once his friend. If the memories he kept on recalling were right. It would have been better if the Sunrei in those memories was Prince Sunrei.

He must have killed a lot of people in his past. Those memories of him killing relentlessly must be true. That must be the reason why the heavens made his life so complicated and why Pieffer was not that willing to help him remember his past.

He was being punished yet he was also being given the chance to change his life. Aries was grateful yet reluctant. Why only him? Why not give the same chance to the Celestial Knights? What did he do to deserve that chance? All the answers must be in the memories he could not remember.

He had to remember.

"Why are you with my princess?"

Aries stopped walking when a blade had been pointed at his neck. It was Pines. He was suddenly blocking the corridor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Princess Pieffer grabbed the weapon hand of Pines and put it down. "Why are you pointing a blade at your comrade?"

"Siorre told me that he had become a different person," Pines was eyeing Aries suspiciously. "How can you be so sure that he is still our comrade?"

"You had seen him wielding Vermillion," Princess Pieffer replied with confidence. "He is Aries."

"Merrick is wielding a golden sword that looked exactly like Demise. Should we say that he is Sunrei?" Pines asked, causing anxiety to the princess.

"Celestial Knight Sunrei is a corrupted soul that possessed Merrick," Aries honestly answered. "He is our enemy. Prince Sunrei is different from him even though they have the same name and appearance. Prince Sunrei is our comrade. Celestial Knight Sunrei is our enemy."

Pines was annoyed but he finally hid his dual daggers.

"I'm sorry for doubting your brother, my princess," Pines stood on the other side of Princess Pieffer. "But have you ever wondered why your father named your brother Sunrei? Was that the reason your brother grew up looking like one of our enemies?"

"Father had his reasons," Princess Pieffer had gained more confidence. "But if you are that curious then ask him in person."

"I know," Pines was taken aback. "The king had his reasons. I will no longer question it."

"Our fate is not predetermined," Aries blurted as he came to realize something.

It caused confusion to Princess Pieffer and Pines but he went on saying, "We will not always be reborn as we were. We can change our lives. We can be better."

"What are you saying?" Pines raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Aries smiled and walked towards the dining area.

^############^

Leon had provided them a scrumptious lunch and they left his house with a satisfied stomach. With the help of the transport bracelet that had a pendant of a bull's head on it, they reached the House of Bull in a blink of an eye.

They had been transported in the middle of a beautiful and spacious garden. Walls covered with thick and pink flowering vines were protecting that area. There was a swamp on the eastern side of the garden. It was surrounded by neatly trimmed shrubberies. On the west was a beautiful ancient tree whose silver leaves were shaped like an umbrella. Underneath that tree and all over that garden were neatly trimmed grasses. On the north was an enormous wooden gate that was covered with the same pink flowering vines. On the south was a tower that looked like it had at least ten floors inside.

"Welcome to my house."

The one who had spoken came out from the main entrance of the tower. He was a tall and lean man wearing a long black robe. Beyond his dressing-gown were a loose shirt and baggy trousers. His long dark green hair was flowing elegantly down to his waist. His emerald green eyes looked tantalizing or maybe he had just woken up. His thin lips were curved into a tender smile.

"Tauren! I'm glad you're fine!" Princess Pieffer joyfully approached the house leader with a tight embrace that caught Aries off guard.

^#########^