Chapter 1: part 3

"Why did you choose to hide it in my soul? And what are you going to do with it? Who even are you?" I asked him a few questions that were still bothering me despite the mood.

He let out a soft chuckle. "I just saw you break out of prison, live in hiding, break into the castle again, and steal the ruler's most treasured gem and run. I had been trying to do that, to no avail. As for what I'm going to do, I am going to send your soul far, far away."

He said, ignoring my question about his identity.

"Although I had sealed the gem in your soul, it still emits such great power that the emperors who had once used and gotten addicted to this power can sniff it. They're well on their way here now. And you have no way to run from it."

I felt his touch against my cheek as he gently directed my face to face his. His cloak was off, and I saw his face.

I remember thinking that I had never seen such beauty in my entire life. I knew him. I knew his identity and who he was. Yet I do not remember what he looked like or who he was or what I even felt when I recognised him.

"I brought you up to this mountain to spend your last few minutes because this may be the only good deed that I'm ever able to do at this time. In the presence of these countless Wish-wisps, I vow to you, Aurora Yhur Ashevore."

I could feel faint bits of the emperor's presence slowly getting close to the mountain.

"I vow to you that in your next life, I will not let you die such an unjust death. This is a vow I am making not with my blood, not with my life, but with my soul that will linger for an eternity."

He talked as if he meant the vows he was making. A vow in the presence of Wish-wisps was greater than any other kind of promise to the fae.

At that moment, I knew what he was about to do. I felt like I knew why there was so much pain in his voice.

I reached my hand out to touch his face as well.

"You're really about to kill me here after a bunch of nonsense about sending my soul somewhere far. If you don't hold on to your word, Wish-wisp or not, I will hunt you down and haunt you every day as a ghost." I was dying. I was about to die. He was about to kill me.

He laughed. "Fiesty, even in your last moments. I take my promises seriously. When you go back, Aurora. Search for me. Seek me out and have me help you."

As if there was a barrier preventing me from remembering it, I forgot his face, his smell, his voice, his laugh, everything except for the fact that he existed.

"So you're saying that you will not remember or recognise me. How do you expect me to recognise you?" I asked him.

"I will recognise you. Eventually. I promise." With that, his lips softly landed on mine, in a gentle kiss that only lasted for a few seconds but could have felt like an eternity.

His blade was against my throat as he held me, I could have sworn I felt hesitance within that kiss along with the painless slicing of my throat and my consciousness, my soul that was immediately ripped away from that body.

....