The cold wind swept through the ruins of a forgotten house, whispering through the cracks in the walls like a ghost mourning time lost. Eight years. Eight long years since Varek had last stepped into this place he once called sanctuary. Now, it was nothing but a tomb of broken memories and shattered promises.
Each step echoed in the silence, the creaking floorboards groaning beneath his boots. The scent of Aisha still lingered in the air—alive, fragile, like a spark refusing to die. As he reached the half-open door, Varek paused. His fingers brushed the cold wooden frame, and the past engulfed him like a wave.
The Past: Broken Promises
Golden dusk filtered into the room, casting long shadows across the walls.
Aisha stood by the window, her silhouette outlined against the dying sky. Though her back was straight, her shoulders betrayed the weight she bore.
"Planning to run away from me?" Varek's voice cut through the silence, laced with a bitter mix of sarcasm and heartbreak.
She didn't answer. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came. It was as if she feared that speaking the truth would break them both.
Varek stepped forward, his eyes never leaving her.
"I searched everywhere for you. Are you really going to break the promise we made?"
"You don't understand," she whispered, still not turning around.
"What exactly don't I understand?" he demanded, grabbing her arms and gently forcing her to face him. His eyes—wild, hurt, desperate—pleaded for answers.
"This ends here, Varek," she said at last. Her voice was steady, but the pain underneath bled through every syllable.
"Why can't you let it go?" he asked, voice rising. "Why do you keep chasing a future that's killing you?"
Aisha closed her eyes. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"I can't stay. If I don't finish what I started... the people I love will pay the price. And that includes you."
Varek took a step back as if her words had struck him.
"That's a lie!" he shouted, letting go. Rage and helplessness warred in his voice. "You're losing me over something that should've never existed."
"Don't ask me to stay," she murmured. "I'm sorry…"
He didn't speak. Instead, he pulled her into a crushing embrace, like a man trying to hold on to time itself.
"I would face anything for you, Aisha. I love you."
Their lips met—desperate, fierce, aching. When they finally parted, tears stained both their faces.
"I'll protect Ishana," Varek whispered against her forehead, his voice breaking.
The Present: Reunion and Revelation
The echo of that night still haunted him as he crossed the threshold. Dust choked the air, thick with forgotten memories. And then—he saw her.
Aisha stood by the same window, bathed in the light of dawn. The six-star blade rested in her hands, its edge gleaming like a memory.
"Aisha," he said quietly. "Why are you here again?"
She didn't turn around.
"Why are you here?" she asked instead.
Varek stepped forward, dropping a letter on the table between them.
"You think you can still run from this?"
Aisha picked up the letter, her fingers trembling. Her eyes scanned the words, cold and cruel:
"Dear Aisha: You will never escape your family. Follow the orders of the Crimson Moon mission, just like always. With affection, your father."
The blade slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor.
"You've been walking so close to death... you've forgotten what it means to be alive," Varek said, eyes locked on her.
"Why do you keep saving me, Varek?" Her voice cracked.
He stared at her in silence, something fierce and tender burning in his gaze.
"Because I still believe in you."
But before either could speak further, the air thickened. A dark pulse echoed around them, and a shadow stepped into the room.
Rasen.
"My noble brother," he sneered, eyes glowing crimson. "Always showing up at the worst time. Haven't you learned by now that you can't save what's already broken?"
Aisha stepped back instinctively. Varek moved in front of her.
"She's not yours," he growled. "If you want her... you'll have to go through me."
The collision was violent.
Brother against brother—one fueled by darkness, the other by loyalty and loss. Rasen, corrupted by Sariel's will, fought with fury and bloodlust. But Varek—older, sharper, more experienced—matched him with every blow.
"Aisha, run!" Varek shouted, throwing a flash bomb that momentarily blinded Rasen.
In that split-second, he shoved her toward the forest.
"Go! Don't look back!"
"I can't leave you!" she cried, tears spilling.
"GO!" he roared, already turning back to face the storm.
The crimson moon bathed the battlefield in an eerie glow. Aisha vanished into the woods, heart pounding, while behind her the sounds of claws, steel, and rage filled the air.
Varek, bleeding, bruised, unbroken, stared down his brother.
"Enough, Sariel. This ends now."
But just as suddenly as it had begun, Rasen vanished—like a breath stolen by the wind.
And in the deafening silence, Varek understood.
This wasn't just his brother anymore.Sariel had never left.He had simply been waiting... to return.