Deathbringer?

As the notion crossed his mind, Keres shut his eyes, feeling a strange discomfort in his chest. It shouldn't be a big deal, he ought to have moved on from her after all this time. Yet, his heart rebelled, throbbing painfully at the mere thought of letting her go for good.

Bewildered, memories began to surface— those restless nights where she would guide him to sleep. Her soothing voice was his lullaby, and her face, the dawn of his every morning. These moments had become an integral part of his existence, their significance only magnified by her absence.

A wave of emotions engulfed him as he recalled those sparring sessions that always ended in his defeat. The pride he felt when he finally landed a hit was a cherished memory. She had rewarded him with a longsword but unfortunately, that memory now stung with the bitterness of abandonment.

His resolve wavered, doubt creeping in. He questioned if those moments he held dear had been meaningless to her all along. Did she ever truly care about him?— He mused, his once steady gaze now faltered, uncertainty clouding his judgment.

"Tell me, Milan... what are you really after?" He asked, the tone of his voice slumping as he spoke.

Milan's eyes widened, exhibiting a mix of hurt and desperation. After a moment, her voice emerged, fragile as thin ice.

"You know... it hurts me that you would doubt my intentions, like this..." She confessed in a shaky voice, as if holding back tears.

"There was never a time when your safety wasn't my top priority."

"My safety?" Keres narrowed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. Why was she still going on about this?

"And where is this sudden danger you're trying to protect me from?" He inquired, a brewing rage seeping through his voice.

"..." A subtle opening formed between her lips but eventually, she withheld her words that were guaranteed to hurt.

In response Keres' heart clenched, his eyes flickering with a conflicting blend of emotions. Her silence infuriated him even though a part of him was still willing to give her another chance.

"Talk to me! If you cared so much for my safety, then why did you leave when I needed you the most?" He demanded, exploding with emotions and Milan cowered, her breaths hitching.

"I... I'm sorry..." Her voice quivered as tears brimmed in her eyes. She averted her gaze, looking to Rolan for support but the young archer stood silent, refusing to intervene.

Keres' resolve wavered slightly as her plea echoed in his ears. He felt the frigid air thicken, suffocating him with the temptation to give in. Yet, the harsh reality pierced through the haze of his emotions, reminding him of the betrayal he couldn't overlook.

With pain and sadness threatening to consume him, he closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Milan..." He began in a calmer tone, taking a pause.

In response, her shoulders tensed, bracing for the impact of his words.

"You were the one who taught me to stand firm in my choices no matter what," he continued, his voice tinged with a fear that was more for hurting himself than her.

"And now, I've just chosen to return to my family, despite everything you've said..." His words trailed off and dispersed until he spoke again.

"Honestly, my relationship with them is far from perfect. We have our differences, but I can assure you, they're all wonderful people. And even though I'm still having a hard time telling what's genuine, I choose to believe that they truly care about me. This is why I've chosen to return to their side..." A heavy stillness lingered in the air, intensified by the fierce flurry blustering against their hair and clothes.

"Are you going to stand in my way?" He asked, both defiance and vulnerability warring in his voice.

Dread devoured Milan whole as Keres' gaze bore down on her, demanding an answer. She had steeled herself for this confrontation. Yet, now facing the reality, she felt her resolve crumble like the dry leaves underneath her feet.

Wishing the earth would open and swallow her into its depths, she wondered where it all went wrong, how it all ended up this way. The Keres in her front was a mere shadow of his former self, yet she couldn't bring herself to accept it.

And so, his words did nothing but strike the discordant notes of pain and frustration inside her.

Stuttering through her words, she eventually found her voice, shattering the heavy silence in the air.

"I... I hate that you put it that way..." She protested, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Keres' eyes immediately widened in surprise.

"You're a Deathbringer, it... it's not safe for you to be here, within the reach of the Ancient Church" She warned, her eyes reflecting a deep sincerity.

"Deathbringer?" Keres echoed, his voice laced with a blend of anger and confusion. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Milan hesitated, her eyes once again darting towards Rolan for support. Upon his continued silence, she turned back to Keres and drew in a deep breath.

"It means that Dells don't like you and the Ancient Church... they... they see you as an enemy. And I'm afraid that... that after everything you... everything that happened last night, they won't ignore you any longer" She explained, her voice laced with concern.

Keres responded with a scoff.

"Bullshit!" He spat, his voice slicing through the tension like bitter wind.

Milan's eyes closed, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.

"You know, we went through so much trouble, searching day and night without rest..." A downcast hue overrode her complexion as she spoke, drifting her gaze downwards.

"And now, finding you after all this time, it's frustrating that you won't even listen to what I have to say..."

"Treating me like some shady stranger with an ulterior motive... it's so unfair" She muttered, her words barely audible over the winter gale that swept through the forest.

Silence filled the air until Keres gave his response.

"So you only realized I'm in danger THIRTEEN whole months after dragging me here?" He demanded, his voice heavy with accusation and resentment.

"What? I..." Milan's confusion was evident as she faltered, unable to articulate meaningful words.

"Don't lie to me. If my safety really mattered to you, why bring me to the capital? Why bring me to the heart of the danger, supposing I'm this 'Deathbringer'?" Keres' words dripped with hostility, causing Milan to cower.

"That's..." Her tone was hollow, her face still contorted in bewilderment.

"You abandoned me here, Milan. If there's danger, as you say, then it's all you. It's all your fault!" His words continued, drowning out any attempts she made to explain herself.

Milan's eyes widened as she stammered through her words.

"I... I don't..."

But before she could gather her thoughts, a sudden interruption echoed through the air.

Trrrrrriing

A familiar vibration rang out, commanding everyone's attention to Keres' right wrist, where a lit-up bracelet announced an incoming call.

When Keres spotted the caller's name, his expression shifted, contemplating whether or not to pick the call.

"I need to take this" He muttered with a conflicted glance towards Milan before stepping away to a moss-covered boulder not too far from where she stood.

Next, he inhaled a deep breath, slowly raising his wrist to ear level.

"Keres?" The caller's voice came through, tinged with worry and anxiety.

"..." The teenager looked unprepared as he hesitated, rubbing his forehead.

"Please answer me, Keres. Is that you? Please tell me it's you, that you're safe" The caller pushed further, sounding more urgent and anxious.

"Yeah, Lizzie... I'm... fine"

"Oh my God, Keres dear. You had me so worried" Her voice cooed, radiating a unique warmth.

"I'm so glad you're okay" She added with a sob, evidently overwhelmed with emotions.

"Wait... you're not... mad?" Keres asked cautiously. As caring as Lizzie usually was, she had the tendency to flare up in moments like this.

"Keres, of course not. Where are you right now? Your sisters would be so pleased to hear you're safe" She said.

"Oh... how are they?" Keres asked carefully, sensing a slight discrepancy in Lizzie's responses.

"Well, Jelly's still asleep. I doubt if Wilma was able to get any though" She replied too quickly, and the teenager's eyes narrowed, a flicker of doubt clouding his features.

"Right..." He said, concealing his suspicions.

But in truth, the sudden incongruity in Lizzie's behavior kept ringing in Keres' mind. Mina hated when people shortened her full name, Wilhelmina, to Wilma, so no one ever dared to call her that, even in her absence.

Moreover, Lizzie only ever called his name in full when she was angry.

Unable to shake off the nagging feeling that something was amiss, Keres remained guarded, his mind swirling with a myriad of questions and doubts.

"How about Andrew though? He's there with you, isn't he?" He asked, his feet trembling with unease.

There was a fractional hesitation, a stutter in the rhythm of the conversation that nearly drowned the young teenager with suspense.

"Oh... Andrew?" The voice faltered. "He's not... not right now... he must still be asleep" The reply finally came.

A cold realization instantly crept into Keres' consciousness. There was no way Andrew would be there with her. He was never around, considering he worked in a different city.

If it were truly Lizzie on the other end of the call, she would have likely replied with a sarcastic or perhaps direct remark questioning his sanity. However, the hesitation and uncertainty in the response made it clear that the person speaking wasn't Lizzie.

With his suspicions confirmed, a sense of urgency surged through Keres as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"You fucker! Where's Lizzie? What have you done to her?" His voice thundered with rage, his face hardening as he demanded answers.

—.