Ari shivered and hugged himself tight. It was so cold he could see his every exhale form like smoke, disappearing after a second. He could feel pairs of eyes watching all around him, but he could not see a single one. They bored into his back until Ari spun around and saw no one there. He wrapped his arms back around himself and breathed. He wanted to distract himself with something other than what laid below in the ruins of an old temple. It looked nothing like a labyrinth. Ari was coming to realize that with every step he took.
Pillars laid in broken piles strewn across one another along with heads of demons from statues. Ari could make out once was a horn on one and an eye on one other. The faces left remaining on the statues were ones of defeat and forlornness. Ari carefully placed his hand on one of their faces and traced his hand across it. Its nose was broken off as well as its ears. As he felt across its broken horn, Ari lurched backward. It felt familiar as the time he touched Auovin's. It was too uncanny of a feeling that Ari did not dare to go and touch it again. Instead, he gazed at it. Their eyes were carved with such meticulous care Ari could imagine them as they once were.
Thinking of Auovin made his heart settle and made the place he was in a little less frightening. No matter the words or transgressions that was passed by him, Ari could not help but feel comforted by the thought of him. If it was as everyone had said it was-- that he was the man that Auovin was in love with-- then it made sense for why his heart was the way it was after everything. He was not afraid of Auovin but of himself and what he possibly could have done to have made Auovin the way he was now. In his heart of hearts, Ari knew he would never do anything to hurt him. Not now, not ever. So why was it like this? Why was everyone saying all those things about a man who they thought was him a lifetime ago?
A couple stones rolled down the hill of debris, catching Ari's attention. A pair of red eyes were seen before they vanished as quickly as his breath did. Ari stood fast and wiped his hands on his pants. He should not be distracting himself with such things. Ari took in a deep breath and took a look at his changing surroundings. The ice melted off the walls. He could hear them tapping against the slabs of stone. He wanted to get his mind off of it, but it kept eating away at him like a festering wound even at a time like this. He rose and quickened his steps but the footsteps followed. He could hear them hitting stone and causing some loosened pieces to tumble down nearby.
Ari broke out into a run when the sounds became more pronounced. He climbed over a pile of stones and did not think twice about going inside the small entrance. As soon as his head was inside, something grabbed one of his ankles. It sank its claws into his skin and yanked him back. Ari kicked at it with his free foot, but it was useless. The thing had a hold on him so strong not even grabbing onto the sides of the entrance worked.
It flipped him over, causing Ari's eyes to widen. It had horns the same as the ones as he had seen on the faces of the statues. Its eyes were red; red as an apple, with a large circular mouth. When it roared, Ari narrowed his eyes, but he could still see the rows and rows of jagged teeth in its mouth. It bent down and sniffed his clothes up to his neck. Ari shuddered at the closeness. He did not want to make any sudden movements until he had his dagger firmly in his hand. Just when Ari thought it would bite into his flesh, it moved away from him as if it was repulsed by him. It screeched and lunged while backing away. It ran off soon after.
Ari wiped the drool from his neck and frowned. It smelled of death. The same smell he once noticed when he was with Kaval. It was like no demon he had ever seen before, but he had seen it somewhere, somewhere before. Perhaps, it was the statue's faces that was making him feel that way or, perhaps, it was his memory of a time before.
"I must know what happened all that time ago," Ari said growing frustrated. "I must in order to set things right, but I cannot if no one tells me the truth. I cannot do a single thing if I do not know who I am or... was. Whatever painful memories they might be, that I may have tried so hard to forget, I must remember for both my sake and... and his," Ari murmured.
"Would you rather find out yourself rather than have someone tell you? Neither can be trusted, after all," a voice said.
Ari raised his head and was met with a pretty woman with maroon eyes much like Ylanan's. Her hair was as dark as his as well but much longer and in a braid. She came closer and smiled showing all of her pointed teeth causing Ari to gasp. He held the dagger tight in his hand as she approached even closer.
"You asked me my name once before and I shall give it now that you are here. It is Meris. Meris Oem. I thought I tell you to make this fair since I already know yours. Both of yours." She kept a finger under his chin and continued to trace around his face with claw-like fingers. Ari flinched and moved away.
"Rude as you are young. Do you not remember even I?" Meris smiled and backed away. "You entrusted me with all of this. You told me this day would come and it has, Harun."
"It is Ari," Ari muttered.
"Harun is the name which you have given me--"
"I gave you nothing."
Meris sniffed and rubbed her nose. "You are slowly coming undone, I see. Bits and pieces of your true self are revealing themselves. Why you wear such a facade I do not know, but I sense the real you under your guise."
"You speak to me as if I am an old friend but I do not know you. I have no memory of you, and I am wearing no facade."
"You have no memory of anything because you lost it when you became undone."
"Undone?"
"You cannot truly die, so what other words would suit it best?"
"I... died?"
"Let us not get ahead of ourselves and take this in the order in which would suit you as you are now, hm?" She tapped his nose and gave him a smile.
"Firstly, I would like to welcome you back to your temple." Meris spread her arms and spun around. Ari took another look at his surroundings. It looked to be nothing more than a heaping pile of rocks with some giving way to an entrance.
"I must admit I made a terrible keeper. I did not keep up with it, but I have made sure anyone who thought to come here, for whatever reasons, did not leave with what they wanted or at all."
Ari looked at her, trying to figure her out. She was a few eggs short of a dozen as with everyone here, it felt like.
"Do not look at me like that. A few of your lessers have trespassed here, but nothing else had made it through. Do not be angry with me. I will fix this. I will make things right again." She sank to her knees and begged for his forgiveness.
"I am not..." Ari was at a loss for words. She was quickly reminding him of Inge and he despised him.
"You always had that way of dismissing others when they did not agree with you or think like you. Everything was about you, after all, and I would not have had it any other way."
"I am not like that."
"Maybe not any longer, but you were, Har-- Ari."
"I am not him," Ari growled.
"Yes, you are right. You are not him. You are only what is left." Ari's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. "He was a great demon who ruled over all with the power of memory as his weapon. You are just a weak, human thing-- barely recognizable, but the markings do not lie."
His heart stung at her words and he did know why. If he was the person as everyone was saying... Ari bit down on his lip and balled his hands into tight fists.
She rose and gave him a mocking smile. "Here, let me bring you to a place I swore only to bring you when you came back. You can no longer find it on your own."
"And what will happen then? If I am the person you think I am and my memories do return, what will happen then?"
"I do not know. That is for you to decide."
Ari paused at the entrance as she climbed inside. The last time he went into a temple Ari nearly had Rein lose his life. Nothing good waits in these kinds of places. He knew very well the risk that he was taking, but what other choice did he have. Ari looked back and saw something staring back at him, causing him to be overwhelmed with dread and fear. He staggered back towards the entrance until he climbed inside. Meris was unreliable in her words. There were more than just lesser demons in here with them. Kaval said they were Greats but there were demons even greater than them.
"In here," Meris said, bringing him out of his thoughts. Ari crawled through the darkness toward the small flicker of light. just as he was reaching it Ari fell through a hole and hit the ground hard. He grunted in pain as he took in his surroundings, but he could not see a thing because of the dust from his fall. The world seemed to spin beneath his feet when he rose. He steadied himself against a rock. When he took his hand back all Ari saw was blood, causing him to stumble. He looked at his hand again and it was gone.
Torches lit up the hall two by two until it finally reached where he was. Ari expected to see a decrepit temple as before, but, instead, it was immaculate and perfectly so. Frozen in time. Exquisite murals of demons with horns and rune markings going down there skin captured his attention. It was painted in the most beautiful oranges, blues, and reds. Their faces were surreal and life-like he could not help but trace along it until it ended. Rune markings were engraved on the walls and ground. Ari traced his fingers across one of them, fascinated. They were like his. Ari knew without even having to see them. Mirrors were banned in the Khaeo for vanity and selfish vices, but Ari looked at himself through his reflection in the water and with spoons when he could. They meant something, that is what Ari always thought, but maybe not for the purpose he always thought they were meant for or what Sai told him.
If he was Harun and Sai realized that after looking at his markings then that made what Sai told him then nothing more than a lie to appease him; a half lie if you will. They may tell a story of when they were once god's but they were not gifted by his father, Harun, if he was him. Not all of them were gods either. That was a lie as well. Only Auovin, Ylanan, and Harun were. The truth was somewhere in there as with everything blood demons and Greats told him, he just failed to realize it.
Ari lingered at one marking in particular, reminding him of the marking he traced on Auovin's face. He was slowly coming to terms with him being the man that caused him so much grief. Ari wanted to cry at the thought. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them with more resolve to see this through. He had to, but something lurked within these beautiful walls with him that caused him both unease and fear. Ari could feel its presence. It was as putrid as the smell of death.
Meris' malicious laughter echoed through the hall. "More awaits you here than just your memories, Harun." Her voice distorted into a man's before it became the beast's voice.
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[A/N]
Ari is in for one hell of a ride. Meris is like the devil incarnate, toying with him by bringing him to its little playhouse it likes to call its labyrinth. OR MAYBE Meris is trying to help Ari. What do you think?
On another note, the pieces of the puzzle are slowly coming together. Ari now, finally, realizes everyone has in some way, shape, or form, lied to him, but in those lies, he can find the truth.
❤️❤️❤️❤️I know it's been forever since I updated, but I'll try to be a little better. Bear with me for a little while longer. This story will definitely have an ending! Thank you, as always, for sticking by me and leaving me these wonderful comments and votes. Thank you for just reading it. Much love and kisses! ❤️😙❤️😙