Ari stared up the stairway with Kaval leading the way up. He hesitated at the first step, but Kaval turned and grabbed Ari's hand in his. Kaval smiled and tugged him forward which comforted Ari much more than he would have liked. He was very comfortable around him. Maybe too comfortable. Despite such thoughts, Ari tightened his hand in his and followed Kaval up the stairs.
It was chillier the further they went up, but there was also specks of light shining through the darkness. The quietness of the place seemed to add to the cold air. Ari could hear each footstep Kaval took. He could hear the brittle ice breaking under the pressure of Kaval's feet and his soft breaths. They formed clouds of air that disappeared in seconds like smoke. His hands were warm inside his which made Ari pull closer loving the warmth that Kaval's body brought him.
He did his best to ignore the shadows morphing from nothing to creatures of darkness then back to nothingness once more. Once he was thankful for the bit of light, but now it only caused him to become more anxious than before. They were the same ones as before. The things that pulled him down and mocked him in the dark place. Ari loosened his hold on Kaval and stared at him.
"Yes, there are demons of the shadows that reside in every part of this world. Do not let the shadows scare you, though. They are mischievous creatures, but they will not do you any harm."
"How can they be mere shadows when I felt them pull at my ankles and feet?"
"They are not. You are mistaken. We only call them shadows because they reside in the shadows."
"Why?"
"Because they fear the light. Come now, this way, quietly."
Kaval pulled Ari beside him and pressed forward. "You must stay close. The appearance of a much greater demon is usually always present."
"Greater?" Ari whispered.
"You may know of seeres and wyhils, but there are many more you do not know of. Speak of more like. The Khaeo is known for withholding such things... discrediting us in everything we once did for their kind."
Ari's eyes lowered.
"We may be great demons but we are not the greatest. There is the hunted and the hunter in every circle of life, Ari. It was a lesson we had learned in one of the hardest ways possible."
Kaval turned corner after corner swiftly. He pushed them up against a wall and took a peek around the next corner. Snickers came from behind them causing Ari to look around. He steeled his nerves and focused on where the sounds were coming from. Soon their pattering footsteps and snickers grew around them. Ari jolted away the moment something tugged his arm and pulled on his pants. They receded back into the darkness once a torch a light came from above.
"Over here."
Ari stumbled over broken ice and melted icicles but he caught his footing in time. The ice was slippery. He was used to treading on dirt, grass, and cobblestone. Nothing like this. He hoped he was not slowing Kaval down. When Ari pressed his back against the stone walls the chill of the ice ran up his spine causing him to shudder. The cold may not effect Kaval, but it did for him. He could withstand cold temperatures but not as the ones felt here. However, Ari bit his lip and said nothing.
Small beady eyes glowed in the darkness surrounding them. Ari had already counted off five pairs. They disappeared before Ari could see their bodies. Ari was certain they were the things from before in the dark place. The things that grabbed his legs and tried to pull him down.
"Kaval," Ari whispered.
"What is it?"
When Ari tried to follow in Kaval's footsteps, he nearly fell to the ground if not for Kaval grabbing his wrist and hoisting him up. He could only see in shades of gray and even then his vision was not that great.
"Careful now. There are steps here. I will bring you someplace warm and with light soon enough. Bear with this for now."
The creatures scattered off once more when Kaval's voice echoed through the empty space. Dripping sounds came from all sides of the room they walked into. It was much larger and more open than the place before which did not sit well with Ari. None of this did, but he had to be strong. Show no fear. Cyrus admired strength and power, after all. He had to prove himself that he was-- could be all those things and more.
Rocks and pebbles toppled from the balconies hanging above them. There were dozens of them carved from the stone walls with markings etched in between each banister. More came tumbling down with the sound of footsteps, causing Ari to stop along with Kaval.
"What was that?"
"The guest I was talking about, I suppose," Kaval murmured.
Ari took a cautious step away from Kaval and analyzed his surroundings. It was quiet, for the moment and filled with snickers in the next. Ari closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists. When the noise stopped, a voice filled the emptiness.
"What are you doing... sneaking around like a rat?" A deep voice said. Ari turned to look at where the voice came from and found a person hanging upside down from one of the lower railings above. "And who is this little treat for? Me?"
"No," Kaval said.
"No?" The man smiled and dropped from the railings and onto the ground effortlessly. With a snap of his fingers, torches lit up the empty space. Ari could feel the warmth of the large fire centered in the middle, but he did not dare go near it. When he looked into the man's eyes, Ari could see his dislike of him clearly. His nose scrunched up and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
"Take him back," the man bellowed.
"Maoz."
"I do not want him here. He has a smell to him. I do not like it."
The man hovered over Ari like a scolding father causing Ari to become intimidated. Ari did not know how he knew, but Ari could sense that he was thousands and thousands of years old.
"It is not his scent but one of the blood demons he was with."
Maoz shuddered with revulsion. "Disgusting." He gave Ari a condescending look before walking away.
"He has black hair like you and gray eyes like you," Kaval added.
"And that is where the commonalities end. Mine is longer and my eyes are darker. And am I not the more attractive one?"
Kaval scoffed and shook his head.
"Well, then again, you always liked the small ones."
"You are small yourself."
"So you do find me attractive then?"
"Maoz."
Maoz laughed and walked closer to Kaval.
"I am joking. It has been a long time since someone came by. Well, someone that I care for. There is no one here but I, save for that old hag up above. Sai did not bother to stay. He said he was sick of me." There was hurt in Maoz's eyes that he quickly covered with a small fraction of a smile. "But I just believe he gave up on our cause. I do not blame him, but I could not agree with him either. When he came back..."
Ari could not help but stay quiet through their exchange. Although Maoz was a few inches taller than him, he was very intimidating. His glare sent a chill through him, causing Ari to keep his distance. It was quite obvious he missed Kaval a great deal, but he was just as equally displeased with Ari being there as well. What could Ari possibly say or do to change his mind of him? Ari pressed a finger to his lips in thought before looking back at the two of them.
"Sai was of a different mind. He was not fit to be a guardian, but he will be back. I am sure," Kaval said as he took a hand through Maoz's hair and smiled. Ari's body grew tense. His eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists. He did not know why. Kaval was a friend. It was not as if his lofty smiles were solely meant for him. Ari was already feeling left out as it was. He did not want him rekindling whatever flame he had with Maoz in front of him.
"I know you will not give me your name as I will not give you mine, but I have someone some questions I would like answered."
"Why would I ever give my name to a thing like you? You look too much like him as well. I do not trust you. I do not even want you here. Why is he here again? And how did you...?"
Maoz gave Ari a fleeting glance before training his eyes back on Kaval. "Did he wake you?"
"He did."
"I would have. You know I would have, but I could not leave after Sai left. You know this."
"I do."
"But... you are awake at a cost. You are indebted to him, so you are his to do with as he pleases. A child like him?"
"I am no child," Ari said.
"You are in comparison to us. We are as ancient as the trees, the rocks, and the rivers."
"He is a Great, like us," Kaval said.
"Clearly," Maoz rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "That does not make me dislike him less."
Maoz pulled away from Kaval as he tried to reach for his wrist and made his way back to Ari.
"Take a closer look, Maoz. Does he not look familiar?"
Ari's eyes widened when he heard the sound of Sai's voice. He leaned against one of the ice walls melting by the heat of the flames. Both his arms were crossed and he wore no expression.
Maoz squinted his eyes and shook his head. "He could not possibly be. Look at him."
"I am certain of it now that I see Kaval attached to him. It is as it always was. He may not be exactly the same, but he is him, more or less," Sai said as he stared at Ari. Ari could hardly hold his eyes.
"I told you, did I not? Not to involve yourself in this-- to go far away from this as possible. Now I cannot help but think you deserve this."
"I do not know what you are talking about. I just wanted... " Ari's heart pounded out of his chest at what those words might mean. He was himself and no one else.
"Sai, you do not actually believe that," Maoz said.
"He still has his appetite for pretty men."
"This is ridiculous."
"If you do not believe me, take a look at his markings and see for yourself. He is who we were looking for, but thought to be dead."
Maoz tried to approach Ari, but Kaval stood in his way.
"You never cared for him then and you will not care for him now," Kaval said.
"There are only three of them, as far as we know. Two of them are blood demons and the other one is a Great. They are everlasting, immortal. It seems only right for him to come back in another form. A rebirth. A new beginning. Deavas," Sai said.
"My, what a mask he wears," Maoz said. "But, look." Maoz went around Sai and lifted Ari's shirt. "It has cracks."
Ari backed away and stared at his hands trying to make sense of their words, but he could not. None of it made sense. Koli said it herself, she found him when she was young. He had a mother and father. Everyone told him this. His brows furrowed as things became muddled. Perhaps, they were lying that entire time. Perhaps, everyone was lying to him.
"You have the gift of memory. It only makes sense for you to lose yours. They make us who we are. Without them, we mine as well be another person. It is no longer fit to call you by your old name now, now is it, Harun?" Sai murmured.
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[A/N]
A new character name Maoz is now thrown into the mix as well as the mystery woman up above. And Sai is there as well. Ari's world is being shaken to the core. Who was right with their theories of Ari being Harun? Can you believe it? Once you think about it, I am sure everything will start to make a bit more sense, especially Auovin's behavior towards Ari. What do you suppose will happen next? 🤔 Leave me your thoughts down below!
❤️️ This book is coming to a slow close, and I just wanna say that I appreciate all the love this book has been given so far. ❤️