The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 2

Chapter Nineteen

"What did you do?" Rok rumbled, his once-kind eyes narrowing down to slits. His fist clinched at his side as he squared up, shielding Onyx behind his muscular from.

Dezenym sighed, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the truth he bore. "I had to erase a part of her memory," he admitted, avoiding direct eye contact with Rok. "It was for her safety, for everyone's safety."

Rok's brow furrowed in anger, a low growl escaping his throat. "Erase her memory? Was it for her, or for you?" he demanded, a protective instinct for Onyx burning fiercely within him.

Onyx, still caught in the confusing haze of forgotten conversations, felt a surge of frustration. "Father, why would you do such a thing? What are you hiding from me?" she questioned, her voice a mixture of confusion and hurt.

Dezenym met Rok's gaze, a silent plea for understanding. "Onyx, there are things you're not ready to face. Secrets that could put you in unimaginable danger," he explained, choosing his words carefully.

Rok's eyes narrowed even further, his suspicions growing. "From you, or from whatever you're hiding?" he challenged.

Dezenym's burning gaze hardened, "I did what any father would have done"

Rok's stance remained rigid, his gaze locked onto Dezenym as if trying to unravel the hidden truths within his golden eyes. Onyx, still grappling with the fragments of forgotten memories, felt a growing unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Don't play games with us, Dezenym," Rok warned, his voice low and threatening. "If you want us to trust you, you need to be honest about what's going on, especially when it involves Onyx."

Dezenym's jaw tightened, his silence becoming a shield against their probing questions. The crackling tension in the air mirrored the flickering flames of the nearby candles.

"I've made choices to protect you both," Dezenym finally spoke, his voice heavy with the weight of unspoken burdens. "Some truths are better left buried, Onyx. Trust that I did what I believed was necessary."

Rok's frustration boiled to the surface. "Necessary for whom? For you, or for us?" he demanded, his patience wearing thin.

The room echoed with the heavy silence of unspoken words. Onyx, caught between her loyalty to her father and the unsettling feeling that there was more to her story, found herself at a crossroads. The answers she sought seemed elusive, slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.

Dezenym, with a final, solemn glance at both Onyx and Rok, her turned away. The weight of his secrets clung to him like a shadow, leaving the room engulfed in a lingering sense of uncertainty.

"We can't dwell on this now," he said, his voice carrying the burden of untold truths. "There are greater matters at hand, and we must face them together if any of us fancy surviving this war."