Kyle was on the edge; he was anxious as he waited for his fiancée. They were supposed to meet in the evernight forest, at their usual spot. Until Kane ambushed him, hopefully he didn't do anything to harm Grace. The silence in the room was thicker than the blood seeping from his wounds and coloring the floor red. He should have been sure, right? Grace was supposed to be his. They were in love; he knew her darkest secrets, and she knew his. Scratch that; she knew him completely, with no crevice or corner left unexplored. Still, he couldn't help but hear his father's words replay in his ears.
"Grace is of another clan; it is her decision if she stands with you or not."
What if Grace refused to be with him? After all, he was trash now. No powers, no status, and a future that couldn't be seen.
No... agreements couldn't be broken just like that. The deal was already made. Besides, Grace wouldn't betray him. His chest ached. How could something so certain, something he had taken for granted all his life, collapse in an instant?
It was the heavy door clicking open that shook him from his thoughts. The sound ricocheted off the stone walls. The guard who was sent earlier stepped in first, polished armor clinking faintly. Kyle barely noticed him. His eyes were fixed on the figure behind him.
Grace.
She moved with her usual calm and deliberate ease. Silver hair caught the torchlight, shining like a polished sword. Her hips swayed naturally, with no effort. Every step was precise, confident, and beautiful. This was the beauty that caused endless gossip and jealousy in the hearts of her peers. Everyone in the clan called her the Blooming Flower. This name signified she was beautiful, and her beauty was still increasing every day, hence a blooming flower. People could only speculate how beautiful she would be when she finally bloomed.
Kyle's chest lifted, a flicker of relief and hope dancing in his chest. He forced himself to stand taller, shoulders straighter. "Grace… you're here," he said, making extra effort so his voice didn't sound weak.
He saw her smile; it was the same smile she flashed him over the years. Yet he still wasn't tired of it. He could look at that smile for a lifetime. Out of nowhere a strange sense of unease filled his heart. With the Eclipse heart gone, he had realized something. All of the good times he shared with Grace seemed to resurface; that was when he realized what he considered good times were actually times where he was disregarding his pride and serving an ungrateful Grace. Far from the innocent and kind nature he thought she had. The Eclipse heart had truly made him blind. But these emotions came too quickly, with no time to process. So he pushed them aside and continued speaking while trying to balance on his shaky legs. "Grace, you won't believe what Kane did to me. I was heading to the usual spot, as we agreed last night. Before I knew it, Kane was already on me with an attack." He lifted his shirt, trying to show the mark he had received from the ambush. The mark alone was proof of his brother's betrayal. To his dismay, Grace held her nose, and her brows frowned in disgust. "Gross, Kyle, put that nasty wound away. You should cover that up instead of showing it around like a trophy." The words were like a slap of reality. Kyle just stood there frozen like a statue. His gaze was focused on where she had been standing a moment ago; it seemed like that was the reality he was still stuck in, not wanting to catch up with the current one. He realized who she had been smiling at; it wasn't him but his brother Kane. He slowly turned and saw Kane hugging her waist. Usually Kane would mock him with words of ridicule, but right now, just his gaze was enough. Grace's attitude had done a 180. This was not the person he used to meet in the woods and talk to. This was a completely different individual. Now it all made sense. How did Kane know they were supposed to meet in the woods that particular day? Besides his hair and blood, the other material needed for the ritual, did she give it to him? How could he have been so blind? The ground tilted, and Kyle felt the floor draw closer to his face. Before he could collapse from the shock and heartbreak altogether, a figure flew towards him in a flash, catching his body inches from the ground. Kyle smiled when he saw Elder Myson's face. His smile tugged at the heartstrings of the older man. To Elder Myron, Kyle had always been a good boy. Kind and considerate. He didn't deserve the kind of disaster that befell him because of his kindness. Elder Myron alongside Elder Dru moved to tend to Kyle's wound, using their chi to stabilize his blood flow. The next thing Kyle saw was utter darkness. Even as he was unconscious, he felt endless rage gathering in his heart. All the years of being strong and at the top, coupled with the blindness towards the hatred and jealousy the people around him held, were finally unleashed in an instant. Like a dam had broken. His heart felt like it was carrying a massive shield or sword, something heavy.
When his eyelashes fluttered again, the first thing he noticed was the face staring back at him. It was Julie, his personal maid. He wasn't even sure she was his personal maid anymore. After all, it was only talented heirs and powerful prominent figures in the clan that had one. And right now he was as valuable as a servant. He gazed at her cute little face. The smile she had on made him cringe. At least she had something to smile about. That was when he noticed the second thing. Where were all the others? The guards, servants, and lower-rank elders were always trying to gain his favor. Everywhere was empty, and everyone was missing. Life really had a funny way of turning the tables. Julie lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth. "Eat up; the physician said you'll need to eat and recover your strength." She might as well have been talking to a brick wall. Kyle was looking at her, but at the same time, his gaze wasn't entirely on her. It was as if he was looking through her. Only a flicker of recognition and a bit of appreciation passed in his eyes. After that, it returned to the same empty look he had on. Julie soon gave up after she tried feeding Kyle with the soup countless times, only to be met with his empty look. As the saying goes, a person could take a horse to the river, but they couldn't force that horse to drink water. She sighed and tried a different approach.
"Kyle... I am sorry for what happened. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how to comfort you. You lost a lot, everything you've ever worked for, but just remember I'll always be by your side. When you still had your heart, you took good care of me, even though I was nothing but a servant. Now it's my turn..." Julie didn't know this, but her words were causing Kyle to feel even more hurt. Even he didn't understand why. But he couldn't bear it anymore; he abruptly woke up and finally felt the bandages all over his skin. Then he stood up, walking towards the door. He wanted to leave, to go anywhere besides here. To be honest, the only thing that made sense to him right now was suicide.