Would You Give Me Your Hand?

Keres raised his brows as if to process her words. He nearly snorted with a giggle but he quickly repressed the laughter, preventing it from ever surfacing.

It is widely known that Dells are overly dependent on their powers with a vast majority neglecting physical fitness, let alone engaging in swordsmanship or martial arts training.

Keres' confidence stemmed from this realization. No matter how formidable a Dell's powers are, they would be rendered powerless under the chakra restriction.

"I'm sorry, I don't see myself ever losing under chakra restriction but what makes you think so?" He asked, revealing a cocky smirk. And after a brief silence, she followed on, asking, "Do you know what a Gavel is?"

Upon hearing her words, a sudden chill descended Keres' spine.

Instinctively, he began a retreat, taking a step backward as if the word had wielded an invisible force.

'Gavel!'

That word definitely existed somewhere in memory. Yet, as if he were peering through condensed lenses, the emerging images were blurry and unclear.

"A divine sigil symbolizing unparalleled power, like that of a god bestowed unto a human." She advanced, closing the distance until she stood merely an arm's length away from him.

"Please... stop." He attempted speaking, but his mouth remained unyielding as she slowly removed the fingerless gloves covering her right hand.

"Its eminence is absolute and only a Gavel of higher authority could possibly overcome one."

At this point, Inara had discarded the glove. Next, she extended her arm forward, revealing a black tattoo-like pattern on the back of the hand. It took the form of a diamond encased within another, possessing an unseen, otherworldly allure.

Everything comes at a cost. In the case of Keres' innate ability, the cost is his vision. Yet, as if her Gavel had startled his ability away, his sight instantly returned to him.

As her hand approached closer, a scorching pain, akin to the searing torment he experienced in the morning, surged through him like molten fire.

His breath shuddered, a stream of blood descending from his eye. He took another step backward, lost balance and landed unceremoniously on his rear end. It was at that instant it happened—

A moment of daze enveloped the teenage boy, and by the time he regained clarity, the point of his sword had pierced Inara's wrist like a bolt of lightning through the sky.

"You're... blee..." He stammered as his gaze slowly traced the blood trickling down the body of his sword.

When the blood stained the sword's cross guard, his eyes widened with surprise, the realization of the situation etched a mix of shock and disbelief onto his face.

"Wait... I didn't... my hand just..." His fingers quivered as he attempted speaking.

On the other hand, Inara remained composed amidst the storm of Keres' unraveling emotions.

"As I thought, there's a reaction!" She exclaimed with curiosity. Elegantly withdrawing her bleeding hand from the sword's point, the stinging injury instantly vanished like mist under the morning sun.

"Earlier, you asked what I wanted from you, right?" She asked, lowering herself to his seated level.

"Wha... what a‐about your bleeding—" His words were cut short as Inara sharply interrupted.

"Honestly, right now, I couldn't care less about that or anything else." She gracefully swept back the side of her hair with her fingers.

"I..." She hesitated for a brief moment.

"I just want to hold your hand." She said, her hand resting above her pounding chest.

When Keres raised his brows, a rosy flush painted her cheeks.

"N‐no... n-not in that kind of way." She shyly averted her gaze, waving with her hands.

"I'm sorry but when we talked earlier today, I lied to you about something. The truth is, I learnt of your AA usage after going through your properties yesterday." She glanced sideways, towards the bulky knapsack now slightly littered with compacted snowflakes.

"You see, I was there when you collapsed. No, In fact, I may have been the one who caused it. And yes, I know I should've followed the right procedures and checked your pulse, but, I... I—I just couldn't."

"I felt this intense screeching in my ears, this gut feeling that everything would change the moment my skin contacted yours. A new beginning? Or maybe the tragic end of something." The princess' lips parted slightly as if hesitant to unveil a hidden thought and Keres' eyes widened, attentive to the sudden revelations.

"When you were out cold in the infirmary, you kept saying the word 'Graith.' Is that perhaps Graith Carchedi, the Lord of the fallen city of Lorianth? Do you have some connection to that place too?" She inquired.

"..." Keres' pupils shuddered, a mild wheeze of shock escaped his mouth. Why this happened remained a mystery, even to him.

When Inara realized he was uncomfortable, she subtly eased her probing, adopting a more considerate demeanor.

"Sorry if I seem pushy, but I'm super desperate right now."

"I just want to fill up this two-year gap in my heart and memory. But every clue I find points back to that place, especially to the day it got destroyed." She paused, and a brief silence arose.

"Please, I need to know. Were you there during the Red Friday incident?" Inara asked, her heart racing.

Keres momentarily shut his eyes, taking a second to collect his thoughts.

"Sorry..." He paused and the princess nearly felt her heart explode.

"I have no recollection of my life before last year, and even though your words stir something, everything's too blurry for me to make any sense of it." He said, releasing a sharp breath, as though he had just lifted some weight off his chest.

Inara's eyes widened. But she instantly regained her composure, determination radiating in her voice.

"Then... if that's the case..." Once again, she placed her hand above her chest, extending the other one towards Keres.

"Would you give me your hand?" She asked, her hazel eyes glittering, resolute and captivating.

Keres swallowed a soft breath. Ever since he awoke with amnesia, he consistently struggled to sleep at night. This subtle hint of a traumatic past, instilled a fear of his own memories within him.

It's not that he lacked curiosity; he simply wasn't ready to confront the repercussions of his past actions, experiences, or mistakes.

But witnessing Inara's resolve changed everything. The previous suspicion and aversion he harbored towards her had all but vanished.

Regardless of how much she tried to downplay it, she was undoubtedly a remarkable person. True, her influence might currently be limited but that wouldn't be the case for much longer. Even Keres could easily see that.

'Let's give it a shot,' he thought, entertaining the prospect of regaining his lost memories. His hand reached towards her's. But unfortunately, the universe had different plans.

A chilling voice suddenly rang into his ears.

"Get away from her, vermin." The voice said.

Then, an otherworldly force seized control and violently flung the teenage boy away.

His body sailed through the air and then collided with the turgid tree several meters behind. A shockwave ran through his frame, knocking the air out of his lungs.

When his oxygen returned, he caught sight of the voice's owner, his eyes widening with astonishment.

The voice belonged to a tall, slender and broad-shouldered young man. A rugged face and strong jawline gave him an air of timeless handsomeness. His dark hair was tousled and framed a pair of keen, confident charcoal black eyes.

Dressed casually in a simple, winter jacket, he exuded an aura of understated elegance. An undeniable embodiment of the word, 'domineering,' possesing a charm that left even Keres captivated.

Inara's eloquence had held the teenager spellbound, preventing him from making the connection. But her status as the princess meant she was siblings with the very man he intended on fighting tomorrow.

Some hailed this man as the Son of the Silver Light, considering him possibly the most powerful individual to ever exist. While to some he was a troublemaker whose very existence was a thorn in their side. Others simply saw him as the first prince of the Dell continent. However, the entire world recognized him by one name.

Keres' heart left his chest and a single word subconsciously slipped from his lips.

"Invel!" He narrowed his eyes, focusing intensely as the prince's unseen aura extended, seizing the entire forest by the scruff of its neck.

—