23:He is your light

~Zephirin~

Ywain dragged me back to the palace. He refused to bring to light his brilliant plan to distract me. Or why it included coming back to the place where Laith called home.

He led the way and I quickly followed behind him. My heart is racing. Mind in chaos as to what he was planning. There was a reason he was my right-hand man. Ywain is controlling, paranoid, and a little bit crazy.

The crazy part is what worries me the most. That part of his brain and heart was capable of coming up with a thousand ways to make anyone rue the day they were born.

"What is the plan here? "

Ywain ignored my presence and trailed down the corridor of the palace. Tracing his index finger on the wall. Marking it with dark runes. We moved a little too fast for me to take in the runes and find out what he was up to.

"You said you wanted a distraction to forget the time you spent with your dear sweet Incirion, " Ywain spoke. "What better way to get over someone than to..."

"You'll live to regret it if you dare to put him in harm's way, " I warned in a menacing tone. Sweat trickled down my backbone, the thought of any harm coming to Laith scared me.

"Wow! You threaten me for him. A man destined to bring forth your doom. I'm hurt," Ywain dramatically let out. He wrapped a cold arm over my shoulder and pulled me forward. "You should work on your trust issues, my friend. I am not that cruel, " he added.

I rolled my eyes. Fought back the urge to smirk at his words. Cruelty ran in his blood. It was all he knew and to say otherwise was a lie.

"I know I don't say this enough, but you my friend have lived a sad and loveless life. You've found someone to shine light into your life, no matter how small, and im not going to let you throw that away, " Ywain said.

His words caught me by surprise. The way he spoke made it seem like somewhere deep down in his dark and evil chest there was a heart. A heart that cares and understands love and relationships.

"He is your light. Don't lose him, " he pushed me in the direction of the holy house. My feet froze.

"What if I don't return? " I asked. Laith was indeed my light. The Incirion has the power to sway me in directions I never knew possible. And one of them might be a path of redemption, which goes in a different direction than my original one.

"Then I hope he makes you so happy. Don't worry about me," Ywain waved me off. "I am more than capable of burning the world down on my own, " he argued.

"I am not sure I should," doubts formed in my mind.

"This is your chance to design a new ending for yourself. I'll do justice to the evil one's reputation. Just promise me you'll be happy, " he said. His hand reached forth for mine to seal the promise.

I took his hand. Without warning, Ywain pulled me into a hug. The first-ever hug was exchanged between us. It came from a place of friendship, however twisted and damaged. It was comforting.

"You don't need me to hold your hand and walk you down the aisle, do you? " he teased and we both broke into soft laughter.

I glanced at Ywain. Conflicting emotions tugging at the strings of my heart. I was grateful to him for giving me a push towards Laith.

He gave me the courage to open myself to the bond that was forming between the incirion and I. Reminding me that I deserved to be happy and loved. To hold on to the light that found its way into my dark world.

"Don't miss me too much, " I let out.

"No promises here but if I do miss you. I know exactly where to find you, " he broke the hug and took a step back before letting out a long sigh.

"You are an exemplary companion. I won't forget your humane words."

Ywain twirled around and hurried off. I turned around and went in the opposite direction. Towards the holy house of goddess Rezelna. To find my tainted Incirion and give him the good news.

The boy looked so sad and lost when I told him I was leaving. I could picture how his eyes would light up when I informed him that im here to stay.

I stepped on it. Getting impatient with the distance that existed between me and him. My mind raced with thoughts of how my days would be standing by his side. I held my breath at the anticipation of the flowers that were yet to bloom.

My eyes spackled. The thoughts in my head ran wild. I snapped my finger and moved through the pathway in a blink of an eye. In a hurry to meet Laith and cheer him up.

I could see his eyes swam with tears at my departure. A heartbreaking scenery that was about to change. I spotted Laith standing outside the holy house. My eyes lit up.

"Lait... " his name got caught in my throat when I noticed Prince Caelan standing beside him. I narrowed my eyes at their interaction. "Is he bullying Laith again? " I pondered out loud. I batted my lashes to get a clear view of the two of them. To read their body language and understand the scenario better.

My eyes widen with shock. My eyes were glued to Laith as he circled his arms around Caelan's neck lifted his body off the ground and pressed his lips against the male's. My heart fell. I blinked, unable to process what was happening right in front of me.

In broad daylight, at the wake of dawn, Laith embraced another in the same way he did me. My eyes burned with anger. Tears shone in my eyes as I watched Laith betray me.

I couldn't recall the last time I shed tears. It was probably the day my father disowned me as the crown prince. Or the day I ripped my heart out of my chest and stashed it in a safe in a faraway land.

Even with my heart beating a million miles away from me. I could feel it breaking into pieces. It hurt.

"You are the only one on the surface of this earth that I want by my side. I love everything about you and I'm not leaving you here. Come what may, I have no intentions of ever leaving your side," Laith's words resonated in my head. Bringing more tears to my eyes.

I stared at Laith coiling into Caelan's body. I wish it was some sort of trick, an illusion I could unsee.

"Read my glossed lips, Zephevi. You are stuck with me for eternity and the only way that will change is if either you leave the world forever or I do," his profession echoed loudly in the air around me.

I covered my mouth with my hand, to prevent any sound from coming out. My eyes flooded with tears.

"A penny for your thoughts? Before you speak, be sure to note that my offer isn't up for debate," his stubborn affirmation rang in my ear.

I fought back the urge to scream. To unleash the rage burning in me. The first time I learned to open my heart to care for someone again, they turned around and broke it. The first time I chose to trust someone else who isn't me to look out for me. They put tears in my eyes.

"I have lived my life being told how to live, what to say, and what I can or can not do, no more. I am tired of people writing my story for me," his cries hit my core.

Tears ran down my cheeks. The color drained out of my face.

"I'm not so helpless that I can't have a voice of my own. It's time I started writing the chapters of my story but I can't do that here. Which is why we have to leave this place. And no way in hell, I'm leaving without you," his declaration fresh in my soul.

The echoes in my head awakened the demons asleep within me. Flames burnt at the pupils of my eyes. The idea of turning away from my path faded from my mind.

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall... No believe you, " I veered around and left.