What really happened between Orion and Elias?
The question hammered through Tave's thoughts like a dull echo. He hated it. Hated how muddled everything had become. The story he thought he understood was unraveling, and even Orion's version no longer seemed to hold weight.
Then, the woman, one of their teammates, began to speak.
Her voice was calm, but there was a tremor beneath it. Not hesitation, but the kind of weight that comes with reliving something she didn't want to remember.
She started from the beginning.
It had been just after they were dragged into the Rift. She was alone at first, disoriented and searching for the others, until she heard shouting. A voice filled with rage.
Curious, worried, she ran toward the sound.
When she arrived, she found Orion, locked in a heated argument with one of their teammates.
She couldn't make out the details. Too much yelling, too much raw emotion. The kind of fury that drowns out meaning. Then the shouting turned into violence.
They fought.
She tried to intervene, but fear rooted her to the spot. She wasn't strong enough to get between them, not when it was Orion. Not when his rage had already taken over.
Panicked, she ran off to find someone, anyone. And that's when she ran into Elias, who was already moving toward the commotion.
He rushed ahead to break things up. But by the time they got back…
It was too late.
The sword had already been driven through their teammate's body.
And she saw it clearly.
It was Orion who had done it.
Her voice wavered when she reached that part. Her hands clenched on her knees. And around her, no one interrupted. Not even Elias.
She said it with clarity. With conviction. And Tave… believed her.
Not because of the words.
But because of the emotion behind them. The rhythm. The honesty. It was something Tave, maybe as a writer, could feel. That innate sense of when someone was constructing a story, or when they were just speaking truth.
And she wasn't faking this.
Even Oriana looked convinced. If not completely surprised. It was as if she had already suspected this deep down, but hearing it aloud made it real.
So…
Why?
Why would Orion do it?
What had driven him that far?
Because even in all of Orion's reckless fury and chaos, murder was never part of his design.
So then, what had happened?
What had pushed him over the edge?
Oriana let out a slow breath, her gaze dropping for a moment before she spoke.
"I tried… really hard not to accept this," she said softly. "But the sword. The sword that killed our teammate was Orion's. That's a fact I can't ignore."
And Tave knew she was right.
He'd seen the wound. The angle. The mark of the blade. There was no question. No one, especially not a fully alert, fully empowered Orion would ever let someone else use his sword without his knowledge or permission.
Oriana continued, her voice tighter. "And more importantly. I don't think anyone under Gaia Master could have taken that sword from Orion. Let alone use it against his will."
Tave nodded, quietly.
"It all happened too fast…" he murmured. "But why? Why would Orion do it?"
He didn't bother calling him Lord Orion anymore.
He didn't care.
No one answered right away.
The silence was thick. Uncomfortable. Like no one wanted to say what they all suspected.
Then Elias broke the quiet, his tone low and almost uncertain.
"Forgive me for bringing this up. It sounds… stupid now. But I slipped up during the argument. I mentioned something."
He stopped, didn't finish the sentence.
But the implication was already there. It was about what Elias had said. About the woman Orion had been chasing… The same woman who had chosen to be with the man who ended up dead.
Tave felt his jaw tighten.
Of course.
That was so very Orion.
A dominant, reckless playboy, always needing to win, to possess, to own whatever or whoever caught his interest. Maybe that was what finally made him snap.
But still… It wasn't enough. Not for this. Not for Orion to cross that line.
Elias shook his head slightly.
"It's a dumb reason. That's what I mean…" he muttered. "No reason should ever lead to something like that. And if it really was because of that… then there's nothing I can say to justify it."
No one else spoke.
Because there was nothing more to say.
It was a truth too ugly to reason with.
"Well…" Oriana said, her voice carrying just the slightest edge of mischief. "Orion won't be able to use his core for the next few days. Let him cool off a bit. In the meantime, we'll just drag him along our journey."
And then she added, ever so sweetly. "Tave will be in charge of dragging Orion."
Tave blinked. "Wait. Me?!"
Oriana just giggled, her good arm resting casually on her knee as if she hadn't just sentenced him to a slow execution by rage.
Tave turned slowly to look at Orion, whose eyes were already burning holes into him. The bound man let out a furious, muffled roar behind the cloth gag in his mouth, thrashing against the bindings.
It was like staring into the eyes of a dragon mid-chain.
He glanced over at Oriana. "You're trying to get me killed, aren't you?"
"Maybe~," she hummed, not even trying to deny it.
Tave let out a long, slow breath.
Yup. He's going to kill me the moment he can move again.
And just then, Lily nudged him gently with her elbow.
Tave turned his head toward her, a brow raised.
She said nothing. Just gave him a look.
Was she reminding him again about the way he casually called Oriana by name?
Probably.
But what was he supposed to do? Bow and say Lady Oriana every time like some overly formal bootlicker?
He gave Lily a small, helpless smile and shook his head.
He wasn't used to titles. Never had been.
And honestly? He didn't want to be. Let it be weird.
They stayed there for a while talking through bits of strategy, throwing out half-formed ideas about what the next steps should be. Nothing was set in stone, just quiet exchanges in the firelight, like soldiers catching their breath before the next storm.
Eventually, most of the others drifted off. Some to check supplies, others to tend to their gear or take watch shifts.
In the end, only Tave and Oriana remained by the fire.
Tave was still finishing off the last of the meat. Chewing like a man who hadn't eaten in days.
Because… Well, he hadn't.
He was mid-bite when he heard it. Her voice, soft and just a little too casual.
"Tave…"
He looked up, a strip of dried meat still in his hand, and turned to face Oriana, who was eyeing him with a mischievous, almost suspicious smile.
"…What?" he said warily.
"I heard," she said slowly, "from a few people… that you can perform hand seals with one hand."
Tave paused.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
And gave a small nod.
He had done it, during a sparring match with Lily weeks ago. It was a technique rarely used, reserved for people with advanced control and precision, mostly because of how damn difficult it was, and how vulnerable it left you if you messed it up.
"And?" he replied, keeping his tone even.
Oriana tilted her head toward her injured left arm.
"Teach me." she said plainly. "How to do it one-handed."
"You're not planning to let this young lady struggle in combat like this… are you?" she added with a smirk.
Tave smiled. Then gave a quiet nod.
"With pleasure… Lady Oriana."