I like it...

Titan stared at him for a long time. Trying to figure out if he was interested in boys. But then again, she shrugged off the thought. She was obviously overthinking. It wasn't wrong for the both of them to become very close. Besides, that was what she wanted. She wanted a friend. A friend just like him.

Zagan noticed her lingering stare and asked. 'Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my nose?'

Titan shook her head in denial and awkwardly turned her face back to the scene in front of her.

The cool morning breeze, the beautiful sunrise, the magnificence of the blue sky, and the glamor of the red flowers. Everything was perfect and peaceful.

'How did you find this place?' Titan channeled.

Zagan's next word left Titan stupefied.

'Sleepwalking.'

What! He was sleepwalking? Does that mean that when he came to my room yesterday, he was unaware? But why did he talk to me then? Why did he sound as if he was fully awake?

Titan was still in her small world of confusion when she heard Zagan's thoughts.

'(sigh) When I was young, I was abandoned in an isolated tower by my father. My mother passed away not too long after she gave birth to me and I didn't even get to see what she looked like.

Titan furrowed her brow and stared at him. This must be what he wanted to say yesterday night.

Zagan did not look at her but rather, stared at the scenery in front of him.

'I spent twelve years isolated from the rest of the world in that tower. But there was one person...'

He paused for a while. Although he maintained a straight face on the outside, anyone who could hear his thoughts would know that this was a very difficult thing for him to say but he was saying it to none other than Titan and because he could share his problems with her, she felt glad but also sorry for him.

'Leah... She was like a mother to me. She was assigned by my father to be my sole caretaker. She cared for me like I was a son and because of her, I gained weight like a very healthy child. She would always call me a 'precious pebble' and whenever she called me that, I would reveal the widest smile I could.

Titan was stupefied. Why was his father so heartless. How could he lock his son up for so many years? Maybe it was because she had a great family that was why she didn't understand that others could have terrible ones. But she was glad he had Leah by his side.

'She thought me the things I know. Some basic things like writing, dressing up, and even brushing my teeth. She took up the role of a mother and because of her, I never lacked the warmth of a mother. She was always comforting me when I was down and she always shared in my happiness. I can still remember the first day I was able to hold a brush to write. She bought me omelets.' He smiled recalling good memories.

'But one day, ...

When he said this, his expression darkened. Titan could sense that whatever he wanted to say was grave. She even held her breath because his aura became scary but she tried her best not to make him see it. He trusted her enough to tell her something so important so why would she want to show her fear? Never.

'One day, we sat on my bed and she was reading a book to me. It was my favorite book, 'The knight and the dark tower.' It was a book about a group of knights taking over a kingdom. Damn, I hate that book...

I thought he said it was his favorite book... Why did he suddenly hate it?

'That day, our kingdom was turned upside down. The once strongest clan was turned to nothing. Although there were series of attacks for years before that day, none of the attacks were as gruesome as the one that happened on that day.

When he said this, Titan understood his pain. Why would a clan attack them all of a sudden? Why would they hurt innocent people and not just go for the one person they had come for? Why did the innocent have to suffer?

'We managed to escape from the clan, myself and Leah. But the dark knights would not stop chasing after us. We kept running and somehow, it felt as though, we were their main target. They killed my two brothers and my only sister. I never even got to see my siblings.

'You know, I was hoping that one day, I'll be able to leave the tower and finally get to meet my siblings but that didn't happen. I'll never get to see them. I don't even know what they look like.' He chuckled bitterly.

'We ran far into the woods but Leah twisted her ankle and couldn't run anymore. I didn't want to leave her behind; I made effort to have her come with me in fact, when she couldn't move at all, I was adamant and didn't leave her side. I sat with her on the cold ground but she prompted me to run and that she would be fine. She told me that the only way I could save her was if I ran so I decided to run. But... But she didn't make it. The knights caught up with her and dragged her away. I let her down... I let my mother down...'

Titan didn't know when tears began to roll down her cheeks. She had been bitting her lower lips and trying to fight the tears but they still stubbornly fell. She could never imagine how she would feel if she ever lost her mother. Just hearing him say something like this, made her eyes red and her head hurt.

'I couldn't sleep for months. The nightmares of Leah dragged by those dark knights kept hunting me until master Wen Xu found me and took me along with him to train.'

When Zagan said this, a little light was seen in his dark eyes. Master Wen Xu must have been the light that guided his dark soul and restored him to become this fine man she was staring at.

Those damn knights. How could they have done such a horrible thing to him? Why did he have to endure so much? From the disdain of his father to the death of his mother figure. How cruel could this word be?

If she ever found out who gave the orders, she would make sure she punishes them herself. She would make them suffer and plead for mercy but she would turn a deaf ear to their cries. Hell! She would make them pay. Now that he had confided in her, she would make sure that he would never suffer alone and this impediment would be for the both of them to share. She would help him fight his battle and punish the one who ordered the massacre.

Noticing his mood, she decided not to ask him for the details. She would let him sober up and in the future, she would find out which clan did this to him and punish them severely.

'I've never told you my name, have I?'

Titan shook her head. She only just realized that they both didn't know each other's names. Weird! It felt like they had known each other for ages.

'Zagan... My name is Zagan' he smiled slightly at her when he mentioned his name.

She had never heard such a name yet it sounded familiar and because it was his name, she liked the sound of it.

Titan stretched out her hand and placed it over his shoulder catching him unaware. She patted his shoulder and said, 'I like it...'

He was stupefied. She patted his shoulder like an elder brother and what was that? He said he liked my name?

Ignoring his funny expression, Titan spoke. 'And my name is Titan.'