Chapter 10 (Tarik)

Elvira lead me to Galland's quarters. I decided to pay him a visit. He had saved my life from the shapeshifters. I wanted to thank him personally. As I reach his door, I raise my hand to knock, but find it slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I step inside.

The room is dark and gloomy, yet meticulously clean and spacious. The walls are bare, save for a solitary chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, casting a dim glow. His armor is mounted neatly on the wall, and his sword is placed just below it. The room's tidiness contrasted sharply with the somber atmosphere it exudes, exactly as I envisioned Galland's quarters would be.

Looking around the empty room, my eyes are drawn to a necklace made of jade resting by the mirror. Next to it, a photo of younger, happier Galland with an unknown man who was equally happy as he is catches my attention. It struck me as amusing; Galland always seemed so solitary, yet here he was, pictured with a close friend. I reach out to touch the necklace, but as my fingers neared it, the jade shone brightly, emitting a warm light that felt almost sentient, as if it was calling out to me.

Galland emerged from the bathroom which startled me. He is topless with only a towel wrapped around his waist; his silver hair freed from braid fell flat on his face in a supernatural kind of way. His expression, a mixture of fury and embarrassment. "What are you doing in here?" His voice a blend of anger and confusion. His piercing gaze bore into me, but I couldn't meet his eyes—not while he is half-naked.

"Can you... maybe put some clothes on first? Then we can talk," I stammer, my eyes fixed firmly on the floor. Galland's face turns a shade of crimson as he realizes he is half-naked. He mutters something incomprehensible before scampering around the room, frantically searching for clothing.

Once he was settled, dressed in simple tunic and trousers, I ask him about the necklace. "Whose necklace is that?" I pointed it. "I felt like it was calling out to me earlier." I added.

His face darkens, and he seems more annoyed than ever. "That's none of your concern," he snaps. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life, and... I wanted to ask about the mission King Ragnar has given you. My family... I need to know they'll be safe. Can you look for them and ensure their safety?"

Galland's expression softens slightly. "I'll see what I can do," he promises, though his tone remains gruff. "Now get out!" He pointed at the door. "Asshole!" I said to myself.

As we spoke, an odd sensation washed over me—a feeling of déjà vu. Memories not my own begins to flood my mind. Faces and voices from another time swirls around me. My heart aches as I slip into a trance-like state, where dreams and reality intertwine.

In this dream, I see Tarik, the previous Gatekeeper, and there was Galland, fighting alongside him against the dark king's undead army. The memory is vivid and heartbreaking. Tarik fell, a poisoned arrow pierced his chest as he saved Galland from a fatal blow that would have killed him instantly. The agony of that moment is seared into my soul as if I feel Tarik's pain myself.

I look at Galland.

"You were part of the Order of the White Star and you were a close friend to the previous Gatekeeper?" I murmur, more to myself than to him. "And Tarik... he died saving you."

Galland's eyes hardens as he turns away. "Leave, now!!" He commands. I feel pity for him. All these years, he carried all that pain. It must have been so damn hard. As I left his quarters, the image of Tarik and Galland's final stand lingered in my mind.

"It doesn't make any sense!" I tell Amira when she visits me in my room to brief me of my training with Menelaus that starts tomorrow morning. "Earlier at the throne room, he did not know anything about The Order of The White Star!" I continue. Amira approach and sit beside me in my bed, her ethereal beauty glowing softly in the waning light.

"Galland wished for death when he failed to save Tarik," Amira begins, her voice as melodious as a lullaby, yet tinge with sorrow. "The weight of his failure was a burden too great to bear. Every day following Tarik's death, he sought the release that only death could bring. But the old King Roynar refused him."

Her gaze turns distant, as if she was peering through the veil of time itself. "King Roynar was a wise and just ruler, yet stern in his decisions. He saw in Galland a potential yet unfulfilled role in the grand scheme of fate that was not yet complete. Roynar believed Galland will have a part to play in the continuing struggle against the dark king."

Amira's eyes met mine, their depths reflecting the flickering candlelight. "To spare Galland the relentless torment, King Roynar used his blood magic to seal the memory of that dreadful night. The night when Tarik fell and the Order of the White Star wiped out except for him. Galland lived and the painful memories locked away."

Her expression grows more somber. "But today, you unsealed those memories. It is no wonder Galland was furious. The agony he had been spared for so long came rushing back, overwhelming him. He was thrust back into the night of Tarik's and his comrades' death, a torment he had not faced in years."

A deep sorrow is welling within me. "I never meant to cause him such pain," I whisper. "I feel responsible for his suffering."

Amira places a gentle hand on my shoulder, her touch as light as a feather. "Do not burden yourself with guilt," she says softly. "The lives of the previous Gatekeepers are intertwined with yours. This connection is what unsealed Galland's old memory. King Roynar, in his wisdom and foresight, sealed Galland's memories only until the day he meets the new Zodiac Prince, that's you. He knew that when the time comes, those memories would be needed once more as a source of strength for Galland to avenge Tarik and his fallen brothers and sisters from the Order of the White Star." Her eyes meet mine, their depths filled with reassurance. She continues.

"The old king understood that Galland would need these memories to find his true resolve once more." As her words sinks in, I feel a measure of peace settle over me. The connection between the past and the present, between Tarik's sacrifice and Galland's suffering, is part of a greater destiny that I am now a part of. With a reassuring smile, Amira stands and gives me her parting words. "Remember, the strength of the past flows through you. Embrace it, and let it guide you." She turns and glides away, her form blending with the shadows on the walls.