That night, Grent lay awake in his chambers, staring at the ceiling. The thrill of battle and the liveliness of the guild still lingered in his mind, yet something felt… off. The silence of his chamber mocked him as if something had been watching, waiting.
The pedestal he had touched yesterday comes to mind. The scene of grotesque bodies strewn across the dense woods filled his mind—who were the figures? He struggled to make sense of the vision.
He exhaled sharply, trying to shake the unease. The room was still, save for the faint rustling of the wind beyond the window. Sleep tugged at his thoughts, but a feeling deeper than exhaustion weighed on him—a heaviness that had nothing to do with the body, but the soul.
And then, the dream came.
Darkness. Before light, there was darkness—so dark it consumes anything that goes within. So thick it causes mental disintegration. Within the dark one may catch a glimpse of an entity of unknown structure. One cannot see nor feel it; one can only sense it. The giant entity consumes all that it sees—gods, deities, even the very fabric of reality, as the realm contorts and shifted with time.
Suddenly—light. A beam of light punctures the ever-dark and sinister realm. Five heavenly figures appear from the blinding light, each exuding different auras: Vitality, Decay, Struggle, Prosperity, and Chance.
Their form changing ever so slightly, as if the skies danced with purpose, purging the dark entity from existence. Its miasma evaporated from the rays of light, into pure nothingness. And then, a greater presence entered the realm—An overwhelming yet pure aura, transcending logic and reason. As it cleansed the realm with a gaze strong enough to see the other 5 from worlds away. Ensuring equilibrium.
Grent was awoken by the sun beaming through his open window, warmth touching his skin. A silhouette of a familiar—yet never seen before maid, could be seen behind the curtains, who were dancing from the gentle yet brisk wind, gently whistling as to not disturb anything.
“Good morning, my lord.” the maid said with a gentle smile on her face. “I’m sorry my whistling woke you up.” she added.
Grent thought to himself,
What a gentle, beautiful smile. Her long, silky black hair danced with the winds, carrying the soft whistles of a familiar song. I have heard this before… it felt like her singing was comforting and guiding my dream. She stood by the window—slim, gentle, delicate, yet undeniably strong. It feels… almost familiar to me—as though she comforted me for the most of my life.
As Grent is deep in his thoughts, the maid’s smile widened as she looked at her lord. The unfamiliar maid was not the same as yesterday, but they felt similar. Both brimming with passion, which was a confusion but yet it felt welcomed and right, as though she was there the whole time.
Grent re-focuses as his thoughts fly away into his memory. His eyes focused on the maid’s face, reminding him of his late wife. Tears could be seen rolling down his cheeks, as he remembers her warmth and embrace. As the maid walked closer, she wrapped her arms around Grent—her tight hug filled with loneliness. Then she whispered into his ear,
“I love you, my dear husband,” her voice is laced with pain, “I miss you every moment that passes. Even for this short while cannot last. I’m waiting for you. But do care that with every great effort, I will cheer you on.”
Grent’s tears turned into a sobbing cry, his voice trembling as he replied,
“I promise, I will never let you go this time. Never.”
“I know you won’t, my dear husband.” his wife answered with a sad look as she took a step back, vanishing into the sunlight-… leaving only the echoes and memories of her beloved wife. Grent then reflected on the meaning from his wife’s sudden appearance in the quiet and calm morning. His thoughts filled with questions about whether to look for her or to move on. His mind lingers on their memory together.
His hand reaching out to the window where she had last stood,
“I don’t understand. Please, tell me what you wanted.”
Yet he is met with silence as nobody had heard him. But, behind the slightly ajar door stood Grent’s personal maid, watching in silence. Unfazed by the scene which unfolded in front of her, she clenched her fists as though she had been betrayed, with a single drop of tear hitting the wooden floor—yet not a hint of sadness could be seen.
She walked away as to not disturb her lord, who is yet to gather himself. She realizes that the lord she loved once belonged to another—a woman of which she had never known.
Grent wiped his tears and stood up, gazing out the open window. Gathering his thoughts and taking his time to calm down.
Grent dressed up and had begun to start his day. But, before he could ever touch the front door, a gentle and calm voice called out to him,
“My lord, there have been conflicts in Cyress’ monthly monetary report.”
Grent turned around and one of his men stood there. Reporting an issue, as usual. But then thought to himself,
Wait, I have never seen any of my men in charge of my territory
His face contorted as his mind raced
Yet I knew all of them as though I’ve known them since the very start of my journey. Could this be a doing of the cosmic powers preventing my passing?
Then—horrible whispers slithered into his ears, each voice overlapping one another, impossible to ignore and painful to understand
‘It’s not time yet’
‘You were never meant to be there’
‘We await your futile efforts’
Those words repeated in his ears as though he had heard them countless times before. The world warped; his vision twisted as his consciousness fades for a slight moment. His knees gave in and he feel down, barely able to break his fall as his hand brushed the cold pedestal beside him.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Nothing happened. The vision he had from yesterday didn’t come to torture him. He was met with silence and felt mocked by the powers that may be messing with him.
“Are you okay, my lord?” the butler asked with fear trembling in his usually calm and collected voice.
“I’m okay.” Grent answered stunned by the sudden fall he took.
As Grent got seated onto the table, with his mind racing with thoughts,
“Franz, let me take a look at the report.” with his voice noticeably unsettled.
Franz puts the documents on the table, “Right away, my lord.”
As Grent took a look through the document he saw funds for the city-owned Orphanage kept increasing, contradicting a previous report he had saw from the Viscount of Cyress.
Wait, what report? He thought as he frowned to the point where he looked slightly enraged. He plunged himself deeper. Sharp pain filled his head. Ink stained his suit. Documents thrown around the room in rage, yet he felt like he didn’t do it.
This is the first time I’ve ever set my eyes upon such documents. And yet I knew documents that I have never saw in my life. Could it be… this world’s Grent’s memories? If so, then does that mean this world’s Grent not exist anymore? If so, I couldn’t be surprised anymore. Since I’ve been transferred here without my consent.
Franz, noticing Grent’s face then with a twisted smile, making it obvious his thoughts are lost in torture methods suggested,
“It seems like you are enraged by such behavior. May I suggest a fitting punishment, my lord?”
Grent flinched by the sinister tone of Franz,
This is the first time I have ever heard Franz be like this. The previous Grent never touched the reports since he knew it would anger him. And so, he left it the hands of Franz. But I refuse for my man to be involved in dirty work. I better sort this out with the help of others.
Grent then answered,
“No need. I have supreme control over this territory, correct? Then let me handle this my own way.”
Franz snapped back to his usual sturdy pose,
“I-I apologize, my lord. Then, may I direct you to our shadow? They can provide priceless intel about Mr. Verana.”
Grent surprised by Franz’s sharpness sat straight in his chair,
Ah yes, a division of them does exist. I remember now. Maybe I could use their intel to tip the king and let them do the rest. I couldn’t do anything risky like catching him myself since Verana is way more influential in terms of popularity.
“let’s go. Time’s wasting.”
Franz bowed for a moment, awaiting Grent’s rise from the seat. They then walked towards the basement of Grent’s mansion, where the shadows reside awaiting to be activated. As they entered the basement, a sinister aura can be felt, yet it is weirdly comforting to Grent. Signifying he is not a recognized as a threat, rather as a respected leader, who governs with firm and concise orders. Even to those of high ranking.
They went past countless jail cells where the worst of the worse reside, awaiting their demise. Then they met the shadows. Grent’s eyes widened as his eyes are drawn to his personal maid,
Her name is Lia, if I remember correctly.
He called out Lia to get her attention and signals to follow him.
“One moment Franz. I need a minute with her.”
Franz unfazed then answered
“Of course. Take your time, my lord.”
Grent led Lia back up towards the entrance to the basement. His head filled with questions.
This wasn’t in my memory. I don’t remember Lia being a member of the shadow.
“Why are you working in the shadow?” he asked Lia with a quiet yet firm tone.
Lia’s composed and unfazed face noticeably reddened,
“Before you took your seat in this territory, I served in the Shadow. I hated working for the last Duke of Prywell. He is rumored to harass any maids he chose to. I joined the shadow to avoid being called to his room.”
Her voice trembled slightly as she lowered her gaze to the floor,
“But you’re different, my lord. You are kind to us and I immediately fell for you. And I want to be there for you for when you are thinking of marriage. Be it a mistress, I don’t care. I want to serve you till the end of my time.”
Grent was shocked as he heard her explanation,
“I will think about tha—”
Lia cut off his words,
“But even so, I can’t stand you having been married. My heart aches so much that it made me join the shadow again.”
Grent noticed the usually composed and sturdy Lia started to tremble. She bit her lips in an effort to hold it in, but tears rolled down anyway. Grent then hugged her firmly and noticed a similar feeling as to when the ghost of his wife hugged him. Confused by his feelings, he whispered,
“I miss you. I love you. I’m sorry I left you behind. I’ll never make you cry again, my love.”
Overcome with happiness, Lia sobbed harder, her voice cracked, thick with raw emotion,
“I-I love you, m-my lord. I love you s-so much, it h-hurts me. Please don’t marry s-someone else.”
Grent who has felt the same warmth and passion as the wife he left behind, hallucinated of his late wife, who stood behind Lia, smiling at them both. She took steps closer to them as to whisper to Grent,
“I’m happy for you, my dear husband. All this time I spent watching over you is not wasted.” she then kissed Grent on the cheeks. With the widest smile she had ever shown, she slowly vanished again. This time, orbs of light could be seen as she vanishes for the last time.
Is this what you wanted, my love? For me to move forward and forget about you? All the time we spent, all the feelings? The orbs. Are you forgiving me for what I’d done or are you blessing me to move on? It hurts. But I will respect your wish and move forward. I will forget about you and embrace the love I’m receiving from this fragile maiden that I hold.
Grent held Lia’s cheeks, wiped the tears and with a feeling of love he never knew he had. He reminisced for the last time about his wife. Readying himself to forget about her. Grent noticed her thick brows that are neatly kept. Her eyes are sharp yet fragile, holding resolve deep within, her short hair complementing her short and slender figure.
Uniqueness that made him fall in love with her. Not as a replacement, but as someone he wanted to love, someone he wanted to protect. Someone he can love whatever is at stake. He then thought,
Does this mean I’m betraying her? Doubt lingers in his mind. As he held Lia his mind and answer became clear. His wife had smiled and is happy for him. At that moment, his regrets and worries melted away.
As their lips met, warmth of Their tongues intertwining filled his body, deepening their love. It drowned out the echoes of his past. His memory of his late wife slowly drifting away—as if the same orbs are dissolving from his body, carrying away the painful memory with it, of a love there once was. He is at peace.
Finally, Lia had calmed down and Grent did too. Then, his vision blurred. A vision of fire filled his mind. Darkness crept in, he fell knocked out cold in the hands of Lia, as unwanted memories from the past surfaced.
Fire. It devoured the house. screaming pierced the air, coming from within the inferno. His eyes hurting from the smokes. As he stood, he understood that there is nothing he could do. He watched as his family members, desperate to exit the burning house gets burned alive. One by one silenced only by their painful demise. Then, darkness.
Grent awoke wondering what happened after Lia’s confession and reminisces in it he tried to remember his old world—the life he left behind to adventure into the forest of Medyn. Then, a memory of his family being swallowed by a fire came to his mind, which the Grent of this world had already forgotten. This memory brought great distress to him.
He is crying as Lia was sitting beside him, almost asleep. As the sound of muffles sobs reached her, Lia woke up and with a sorrowful face asked,
“My lord… what is wrong?” her soft voice reached into Grent’s heart. She held his face and said,
“What is hurting you, my lord? Please tell me…”
Her way of addressing Grent had not changed, yet her words felt way more sincere and comforting to Grent, who remembered a past that the Grent of this world had forgotten and moved on from. Overwhelmed by grief, he clung to Lia, to look for comfort as he had done countless times with his deceased wife.
“Fire… it took everything I had. It tore me apart. Left me broken, without a home to return to.” Grent explained sobbing from the grief he now had to face.
“I’m here for you, my lord. If the pain is too much, let me share the pain with you.” Lia said, her voice trembling with sadness. Her words touching his heart, lightening the weight of the past.
Grent let the memory settle, the past weighing behind his back—but he is not alone anymore. Lia is there, supporting him in his time of need. As the sadness melts, something else took its place. A bond, stronger than before.
***