Remember

Ace turned to the passage beyond.

"Tomas, eavesdropping is not your forte," Ace crossed his arms impatiently.

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Tomas protested as he gingerly peaked out of the shadows, "it's just cold out there,"

"Well, call the others inside," Ace lay back by the fire, "Michael, you can babysit,"

"We don't need babysitting," Came Veretta's voice down the length of the passage.

However, Ace had already closed his eyes and was feigning ignorance. Yona and Tomas followed Veretta back inside and took a seat by the fire. Yona and Tomas took to sitting in awkward silence as Veretta and Michael sat opposite.

"Are they a thing now?" Michael muttered with an air of disinterest, "I was pretty sure that kid was in love with you,"

Veretta laughed as she shook her head adamantly, "he's not in love with me,"

"Are you so certain?" Michael murmured.

"Of this I am certain," Veretta said with a small smile.

Michael glanced at her without saying anything.

"What?" Veretta glanced back suddenly feeling conscious of his gaze.

"You make it sound like such a thing is impossible. Why wouldn't he fall in love with you?" Michael asked in a low voice.

Veretta turned her gaze back to the fire anxiously, "I'm not...well you know yourself...I have many faults. I'm ambitious, mistrustful and... I've been very selfish in the past. I want to be better and Tomas knows that. He continues to be kind to me despite my transgression, but I don't expect him to have forgiven me for the things I have done," she glanced waywardly at Michael, "Nor you,"

"I think risking your life to save me somewhat makes us even. Though I explicitly told you not to," Michael's eyes narrowed.

"Well, that's another one of my faults," Veretta smiled, "I'm very stubborn when I want to be,"

"So it seems," Michael inhaled deeply, "but what is the source of your stubbornness? Why go so far to save me?"

"It's not for the reason you think, Michael," Veretta faltered, "I know you think that I only see Errik in you, but that's not why I wanted to save you. I want to believe in second chances. I wanted you to have your second chance. Since I am the one that brought you here. That was my promise to you from the beginning. Before I knew Errik or you,"

"I see," Michael turned his gaze to the fire, "Well, then I am grateful to you, Veretta,"

Veretta turned to him somewhat taken aback.

"And as for you stubborn temperament...I think it's not so bad," Michael said in a low voice, "thanks to you, I know what I have to do now,"

"I heard a little," Veretta confessed, "You're going to help Ace?"

"Yes," Michael said slowly, "I'm going to help him,"

"What Ace talked about before.." Veretta hesitated.

"Ah," Michael smiled slightly, "my betrayal?"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's just that we've heard Ace's version..."

"And you want to hear my side?" Michael chuckled, "I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. Since being brought back to life, I have noticed that the flow of magic is considerably reduced from my time. It is because of the destruction of the demon world damaged the balance of nature as I predicted it would. I told the Emperor's court at the time to abort the plan, to destroy it, knowing full well that if we didn't, the demon god would wreak havoc over the world. After spending my life building my magic, the thought of life without it was unbearable. In short, It's just as Ace said. I had a choice between my friends and power. I chose power. As a result, I died. Yet my magic remained. What irony,"

Veretta gave a small nod. Michael glanced over at her glum expression.

"The thing is Veretta," Michael said thoughtfully, "it was never a real choice. After the war, I stopped caring about everything and everyone. At least until my apprentice died and I realised how much I had given up in the pursuit of my vengeance. So I took revenge one last time and died because I knew the truth. I had nothing to offer this world but my anger,"

"And now?" Veretta peered up at him with wide searching emerald eyes.

"Now, I'm going to try and fix things," Michael said with resolution. Michael held out his hand, "Take a walk with me?" he asked quietly, "and i'll tell you about it?"

"Ah, yes," Veretta's eyes widened. "Are you sure you can manage it?" She hesitated.

"You're a strong girl," Michael grinned, "If I take a tumble, I can lean on you, can't i?"

Veretta gave a wide smile and they helped him up. They started towards the exit.

"Going somewhere?" Ace opened one eye.

"Don't worry," Michael waved, "where can we go without you, oh mighty leader?"

"Don't say out late," Ace muttered as Michael and Veretta stepped out into the clear night air.

Below them the whole valley could been seen under the glow of a thousand stars. The carved steps seemed to climb up to a heaven gilded in stars. Michael stared up a little breathless. For the first time, Veretta saw a childlike excitement she had never seen before, not even in Errik.

"When I was a boy," Michael said softly, "I used to look up at the stars and dream of the life I would lead. I imagined pirate ships and knights conquests; adventure and freedom. Instead, I went from life trapped on a suffocating island in the middle of nowhere, to being stuffed inside the Empire's tower struggling to find a meaning for my life,"

"Your life did have meaning, Michael!" Veretta turned to him with enthusiasm, "when my parents died, your book was the only thing that gave me hope. You were the only thing that gave me hope. When I read your book I felt like I had found the meaning of my life. Your magic was beautiful. It still is,"

"And yet even I have limits," Michael turned to her with an intense gaze, "I have weaknesses. As I was sitting on Silthus' deathbed, my whole life flashed before my eyes. I realised my greatest mistakes and felt the ire of being unable to remedy them,"

"But you have a second chance now," Veretta smiled warmly, "we both do,"

"That's right," Michael put a hand to Veretta's cheek, "we do,"

Without a moment's hesitation, he leaned in and kissed Veretta's lips softly under the cloak of stars. The moment seemed to span without end. An embrace like no other. The moment Micahel pulled away, Veretta snapped from the hypnosis of his consuming kiss and stared up at him in surprise.

"It's as I thought," Michael stared down with an unreadable expression, "destiny is cruel,"

"Michael?"Veretta stared up at him uncomprehendingly.

"I shouldn't have done that. Forgive me," Michael replied in a low almost pained voice.

"It's okay," Veretta uttered breathlessly, "It's just, I thought you hated me,"

"But you are very hard to hate," Michael said kissing a lock of her raven hair.

His dark hungry eyes stared up at her sending chills down her spine. It was a different feeling from Errik entirely. It shook her to her very core. The light and darkness twisted into one being seemed to suck in all the air, all the time. For one moment, Veretta felt utterly entranced by those mysterious golden eyes.

"There's something I need your help with," Michael said gently.

"What is it?" Veretta whispered in return.

"Actually that's the real reason I brought you out here. The thing is, I told Ace I would be ready by tomorrow to go into battle," Michael sighed, "but that wasn't exactly true. The toll of being separated has weakened me more than I expected. I hesitate to ask because the sharing magic is a very intimate act, but do you think you could make an exception for me?"

Veretta's brow furrowed, "You need my magic?"

"Just a little," Michael explained, "Enough to get my strength back. I would ask the boy, but he seems to hate me,"

"Tomas doesn't hate you. He came all this way here to save you as I did," Veretta wavered.

"You are right," Michael lowered his hand from Veretta's hair, "I will ask him instead,"

"No, wait," Veretta interceeded, "if you need my help, I will give it. But if your condition is so bad, is it wise to fight tomorrow?"

Michael smiled stiffly, "As you said, this battle waits for no one. I must do my part too. This is happening because of me, afterall,"

Veretta gave a terse nod and held out her palm. Michael took hold of her hand. His grip was firm yet gentle. In an instance he pulled her closer staring into her eyes with an emotion Veretta could scarcely comprehend.

"Close your eyes," he leaned in with a whisper, "I want to show you something,"

Veretta complied and closed her eyes. She let her mana flow and mingled with Micahel. She derived a strange sensation from his touch. Not like the cold falling rain she had felt with Errik's mana, but a sort of warmth like a rush of waves. The feeling was so compelling, she was almost certain she could hear the rush of water battering a distant shore line.

"Open your eyes,"

Veretta opened her eyes to the bright sundrenched expanse of sand. It was as she had imagined, the light was reflecting crystal clear ocean waters across a blue horizon. The salt water scent filled her senses and burned the image into her mind. It was the first time she had seen the ocean in her life.

"What do you think?" Michael smiled.

Veretta turned to him with wide watery eyes, "it's..beautiful. What is this place?"

"It's the island I was born on," Michael answered.

Veretta realised at once, he wasn't coated in black armour as he usually was. Nor was she cloaked in her winter garb. A pale green dress skimmed her shins and she could feel the sand against her bare feet. Michael was dressed in a white shirt. The colour complimented his olive skin and the light caught his eyes with the brightest golden hue Veretta had ever seen.

"How are you doing this?" Veretta's voice trembled.

"Just a little magic," Michael laughed.

"But before you couldn't...I mean it didn't seem like it was something that you can control," Veretta hesitated.

To her surprise, Michael just smiled, "I'm not Errik. When I have control over my magic, these are the kinds of things I can do. It's not much, but I thought since you're helping, this was the least I can do,"

Veretta swallowed looking at the vast blue expanse behind them, "I've never seen the ocean before,"

"Then consider a gift," Michael pulled her gently by the hand and led her to the water. With a flick of his wrist, the water extended from the splashing wave in a great rolling force. It spiralled through the strong sun and evaporated. In its place, a faint bow began to form. A prism of colours sprang forth over the blue ocean.

"A rainbow?" Veretta almost squealed with excitement, "I've never seen one so close before,"

"Just a little parlour trick," Michael took a seat on the sand, "the real beauty is out there. Sit with me and watch carefully,"

Veretta sat down at once. She stared off into the distance. Aty first, she wasn't sure what they were looking at, but sure enough with a little effort she saw a sparkle of pink flesh surface above the water. A long cascade of pink bloomed like roses upon the waters surface and disappeared again into its depths.

"A fish?" She turned to Michael excitedly.

"We call them the summer flowers," Michael answered, "They come to the Island every year when the waters are warmest,"

"And you grew up in such a beautiful place?" Veretta uttered in disbelief.

Micahel's gaze remained steadily ahead. There was a flicker of darkness in his eyes, but it disappeared as he turned to Veretta with a gentle smile completely unlike him.

"The truth is, I always hated this place," Micahel said, "but being here now, it feels like home. Even if it is only a memory. I don't know if this place still exists. But if it doesn't, that's okay. I just wanted you to see it,"

"I'm grateful, Michael," As Veretta stared into his light hazel eyes, she felt as though there was depth of sadness as deep as the ocean.

"I want you to remember it," Michael said solemnly.

"I will," Veretta replied taken aback by his sudden seriousness.

"And I hope you will forgive me,"

"Forgive you for what?" Veretta stared at him uncomprehendingly.

Without answering, Michael turned his eyes to the ocean again as Veretta collapsed on the sand beside him.