Chapter 47: Three Days To Vanish
Elián;
"When are you going to drop the act?" He speaks, and I gulp.
What act?
"What are you doing here? Why are you back?" He pushes further, and I blink at him in confusion.
What is he talking about?
"How could you show your face in front of me? You’ve planned all this well, haven’t you? Got my brothers to find you... You knew they’d buy you. You’ve wound up right where you wanted to haven’t you, Elien?" He continues, and my heart skips a beat.
Shit!
He knows... he knows Elien. He’s the one who has a history with Elien. But what kind of history?
Were they dating? And what does he mean come back? Did they break up?
I don’t understand any of this... only that whatever Elien did, this man clearly hasn’t forgiven.
What the hell am I supposed to say? How do I convince him I’m not the person he has a grudge with??
"Speak, Elien! What’s your reason for coming back into my life after vanishing for two years?!" He rages as he suddenly slams his arms on the desk between us, and I jump in fright.
"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m Elián. Not Elien..." I reply in panic, and he scoffs at me as he eyes me.
He doesn’t believe me.
He suddenly smiles, and my heart starts pounding at the darkness behind that smile.
"Right. And you’ve lost your memory, haven’t you?" He questions, and although I can hear the sarcasm in his voice, I nod.
His smile vanishes, and in a motion too swift to detect, he unsheathes his katana, and my eyes widen in horror when he holds the long blade to my neck.
"I’ll ask you again, Elien. Why are you back?"
I start hyperventilating as the sharp blade presses against my skin, and I feel it cut me.
"I...I swear. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m Elian. Not Elien. I promise! I didn’t plan anything..." I ramble in panic, and he moves closer to me.
"You’re very bold. You think because of our past, I won’t behead you right here?" He questions, and I shut my eyes in fear.
What’s with today and heads being cut off??
What do I do??
"I promise you, I can’t remember anything. I swear..." I croak as panicked tears start escaping my eyes.
He suddenly grabs my face, and I’m forced to look at him as he glares at me.
His spicy scent, which I’m too scared to place, floods my nostrils as he glares at me.
"You’re a disgusting person, Elien. You’re a horrible piece of shit, and I swear by the light I will make you regret coming back into my life. You should have stayed in whatever hole you crawled into when you vanished." He breathes, and for some reason, I feel my heart hurt at his words.
A strange surge of sadness takes over my body, and I feel something in me fight to move forward. A rush of heat floods my limbs, and I know I’m no longer in control. Something is struggling to surface inside me.
Elien.
He’s fighting to take control of my...our... body.
I suddenly feel caged, and weaker, and it becomes clear to me that Elien has taken over.
My hands move on their own, and to my horror, they caress Lioran’s face.
The fuck?! This man is furious, and Elien’s line of thought is to caress him?! We could lose our hands!!
"I missed you..." Elien speaks, and I can’t stop my heart from racing.
I watch Lioran’s eyes darken as he steps away from me in shock.
"I knew it." He breathes, and I almost squirm. Elien is a fool!
Lioran suddenly moves closer to me and grabs me by the neck.
His grip is so strong that I almost start choking instantly.
"You really think I’ll fall for your cheap acts again?" He growls, and I gulp as I take my hands up to his.
"I can’t breathe..." I croak, but this only causes him to tighten his grip.
"You disgust me, Elien." He growls, and I feel Elien’s hold weaken. He’s retreating?!
He worsened the situation, and now he’s retreating?!
Fix this, you punk!
What did you do to him?! Pacify him before he strangles us to death! I’m not about to die for something I know nothing about!!
"Listen carefully, Elien Crood..." He begins, and my heart skips a beat.
Crood?? That’s my last name. How much do I and this Elinen person have in common??
"I’m giving you three days. You have just three days to get the hell out of my home, family and life. Just three days, Elien. I don’t care where the fuck you go or how the fuck you leave. But you have three days to disappear without a trace; if not, I will make every waking moment of your life hell. I’ve been patient enough. Don’t force me to show you how much hate I’ve developed for you over the past two years."
I blink at him, and despite his anger and spine-chilling threats, he just put forth... I can’t help but hear the hurt in his voice.
"Three days." He repeats, and the reality of his demand slowly dawns on me.
The door suddenly creaks open, and in the blink of an eye, Lioran is in front of the door.
How the...
How the fuck did he move so fast??
I stare in dazed amusement as Koda and Alana walk in, and Lioran bows softly with his fluffy fox tail swaying gently behind him.
"Brother." He greets curtly, and as he stands up straight, he shoots me a glare. I swallow as he walks past Koda and Alana, and Koda stares at me curiously.
"Are you okay?" He questions, and I gulp. All I can think about are Liorna’s words.
Three days... Three days to leave?
What the... What am I supposed to do now? Where do I know?
What do I do?
***********
Zephan;
I walk into Zethar’s room, and I’m met with silence. Silence that doesn’t deceive me. He’s here. That warmth in my chest that we both share is enough proof that he’s close. Very close.
"If you’re planning a sneak attack, I’m in no mood for it," I speak into the void, and I hear him hiss, but when I turn around, I don’t see him.
Zethar has always been a master of the shadows since we were younger. He hides perfectly in plain sight and can evade even the sharpest sights.
"Why weren’t you at the hall to welcome me?" He questions, and I follow his voice, but I still don’t see him.
It’s partly dark in his room as he didn’t completely pull the blinds open. Just like me and most people from Nagari, he likes the dark. But his likeness for it is a bit... over the top. More like he adores the dark.
"It’s the first time you weren’t waiting at the hall to welcome me." He continues, and I take a deep breath.
How do I tell him I was absent because I was trying to avoid Elian?
"I was trying to avoid something," I reply, and there’s silence.
"Hmm... That’s an odd reason." He speaks as he finally appears in front of me.
He’s half transformed. His massive black tail is curled underneath and trails behind him as he slithers closer to me, and taking one look at him, I can tell that something is wrong with him.
He looks... strange. He’s paler than usual. It’s not very obvious... but there’s something wrong with him. I can sense it. He’s injured.
"What’s wrong with you, Zethar?"