9- Determination

"You…" 

Tears blurred his vision, he was already mourning and carrying remorse and her words burned his very soul. Growling, he was about to stand up and attack.

Scoffing at his weak attempt, she hit his stomach with the back of her staff and was about to break his legs but another boy about Zephyr's age came hastily.

"Your Highness!" 

Gasping, he flung his sword, making Nayah jump back, glaring at the boy who ruined her time.

"Tsk, nuisance. I have no intentions of fighting pests."

Rolling her eyes off, she jumped back, swinging her staff in the air, she cast a spell.

"Vast Destruction," 

Using the tremendously powerful spell, she blew up the whole upper portion of the tower and fled after giving them a warning to know how deadly not only Zirkos but his commanders could be. 

The boy who came to rescue, managed to create a dome and save both Katlan and Zephyr, keeping the injured friends together until help arrived.

"Katlan! My son!" 

Shouting, instant horror came to Yor when he saw Katlan unconscious. 

"Argh, dammit!" Zephyr hissed, forcing himself to stand when everyone arrived. 

"Oh my God! What demonic strength! Who- what was it?" Lady Red gasped, horrified at the amount of damage which was done.

"One of the eight commanders of the abyss. Upper fourth, Nayah." he boy informed them sadly.

"Upper… fourth? Oh, thank God you are alive, they say upper level commanders never leave their prey alive." 

"Whatever it is, let's treat Katlan first, he is injured badly."

They were treating Katlan, Zephyr's misery was amplified, voices calling him a murderer that it was all his fault. Pulling his hair in frustration, his legs were shaking.

Let alone Zirkos, he was not near a commander.

"Dammit, dammit! How miserable does he want me to feel?" He growled, voice breaking.

He had never felt defeated and weak in his entire life.

And as Nayah said, he won't until he would shatter Zephyr. As he was drowning into darkness, he looked up and saw the boy who saved him.

"Hey, you, what's your name? Who are you?"

"Delvin, in-charge of the local unit. I was assigned here, I saw an intruder and came to check." He replied coldly. 

"Good job saving me." 

"You are no special. I would have done the same for anyone." Delvin responded with a sigh and walked away.

"Hmph."

Soon Yor came, head hanging low from dejection and heaviness.

"Yor. How is Katlan?" Zephyr asked desperately.

"Young Lord, I.. want to talk to you about something important."

"What is it?"

Yor looked down, he felt his life falling apart when he saw his son in that condition. 

"I am your protector but most importantly, I am a Father. Your protection is my duty, not Katlan's. I am worried. He is the only family I have left." 

Yor started, curling his hands in a fist, tears coming to his eyes, gritting his teeth that he was not there to protect them.

"Elaborate. I don't understand what you are trying to say." Zephyr gulped, not liking where this was going.

"I want to send Katlan away. After what happened today. I want him to become powerful but not here. I will send him to another continent." Yor demanded seriously. 

Zephyr panicked to hear that, "What…?! You- You can't do this, Yor. Katlan is the only friend I have, my partner. What will I do without him?" 

"I am only thinking as a Father right now. I will protect you but please, spare my child."

"They are saying, 'he is hurt badly and will take months to wake up, let alone to recover." Yor sobbed, holding his head from desperation and anguish with tears rolling down.

He almost lost his son, he couldn't put his life in danger again. 

"What…?"

"Yes."

Zephyr trembled for a moment, his mind rejected that idea entirely. He wanted to become selfish but for the sake of his friend's safety, he knew this was the best option.

Who knows when he would wake up?

"... I understand. You are right, his presence here is meaningless if he won't wake up. We cannot shelter ourselves. How would we save him?" 

Placing a stone in his heart, Zephyr nodded, allowing him to send Katlan away in a harsh tone.

"Exactly. Thank you for understanding." 

The second Yor left, Zephyr fell on the seat, strength slipping through his body, inducing a strange powerlessness along with tears.

His eyes fell on his shaky hands, overwhelming him with grief, throwing one trouble after another on his head so he won't be able to recover.

Releasing a tear, a painful thought crossed his mind, 'How many more people am I going to lose?'

"Katlan…" Zephyr whispered when they were making arrangements to send him away.

"I couldn't believe it, not only he came but also summoned the commanders." The King of Laysa growled in frustration.

"No kingdom is safe anymore. She didn't come to hurt me but to give me a warning that the same would happen everywhere." Zephyr lied smoothly, looking down at his friend with woe.

"Dammit! Damn that Rufus, he had put the whole continent of Rose in danger! He died and left us in trouble!"

"Let's take Katlan away." Zephyr cleared his throat. 

Yor was kissing Katlan's hand with tears streaming down his face. His strong, kind-hearted son was in a terrible condition and he hated it. It shattered his heart.

"My son. May you recover as soon as possible." Yor blessed, letting them take Katlan's body away.

And after his Father, he watched his friend leave too. He failed to protect him too...

When he left, he felt lonely, he felt like a pillar was eradicated from his life, Everything was frustrating him immensely. He was losing his beloved people one by one. 

At night, Zephyr was at the rooftop of the castle with a stoic face.

He was staring at the sky with a devoid expression. A fire burning in his chest. His jaw clenched. 

'How could he, mocking me like this. I swear, I will make him pay,'

The sight where the dragon was burning his capital, the sight of his Father's body, him bowing out of disgrace. 

All of it was darkening his soul.

As he was lost in his thoughts, his fiancée came. She was worried about him. His feelings were collecting in his heart and it perturbed her.

Worried about his state, the young lady came to check up on him, "Yor had sent Katlan away… How are you, Zephyr?" 

"What do you think? Horrible. I hate the fact that I couldn't do anything." He chuckled dryly, slamming his hand on the railing. 

He sighed, glancing at the woman who was supposed to be the future queen but now had to run away with him.

"I apologize, Azura. This is not the type of life I intended to provide you." He apologized sincerely, curling his hand in a fist.

"It's okay. I am with you. I heard you are going to start training. I am thinking if I should start-" 

She was about to convince him but he turned to her.

His heart clenched to find where his life met him.

"I couldn't possibly make my lady fight, Azura. Never in our generation have we made our women fight." He hissed.

"Look at the situation, Zephyr. My parents died before me when I was young, you know, I had taken responsibility from the age of ten."

"I couldn't sit back anymore. I can't lose you too. If there is anything I could do. I want to become strong too." She insisted, giving a logical reasoning. 

He opened his mouth to argue but she continued.

"Look at Lady Red too, she is strong. Can't I become like her?" She continued, holding his arm. 

He stared at her for the next few seconds before exhaling in disappointment.

"If that's what you want." 

He paused, knowing there was no point in arguing. It was a critical time, they all needed to be strong.

"First Father, now Katlan. He deliberately did this so he could remind me of my weakness." He growled, losing his posture.

He hated the point his life had reached, moreover, the fact he was defeated. It was becoming unbearable.

Vexed, she asked vaguely, "And are you going to fall weak?" 

Zephyr's jaw clenched, a surge of determination gleamed in his eyes, looking at the vast sky counting all the misery to return it.

"Of course not!"

Curling his lips in a dark smile to let her know that her partner had never learned of defeat. 

"No matter how many hardships I had to endure. I won't fall, no matter how many people I lose, no matter how badly I fall, I won't stop," 

 At his declaration, she smiled at her partner sincerely, placing all her faith in him with an honest whisper which brought a smile on his lips.

"I have faith in you, Your Highness." 

"Just watch. Nothing can stop me from regaining my Delphia."