"Perhaps your fear for Aric was not your greatest weakness, but your greatest strength."
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•• RHIAN'S POV ••
Rhian didn't know how much time had passed since the day of execution, or the day that there was no execution to be technical.
The rulers had been in shock over Rhian's decision to let Tedros and his friends go. Throwing Tedros and his friends back in the dungeons would be the most logical thing to do since Rhian had canceled the execution, but Rhian couldn't bring himself to do so, so he let them go.
It was either lose the rulers' trust in him by showing Tedros and his friends mercy, or lose Sophie by going through with the execution and killing all her friends. Rhian had chosen Sophie, and in the process, he'd lost the rulers' trust towards him just like he expected. The one thing Rhian didn't think he'd lose though was his brother.
Japeth had been furious with Rhian's decision to call off the execution. He'd been on the verge of exploding and in an instant, he had indeed exploded when he attacked Tedros and Agatha and ended up killing Professor Dovey. It was the first time Rhian had seen Japeth so...so broken, so shattered.
Rhian had once thought he'd had his brother figured out. He thought Japeth could get past the cold demeanor he'd attained since he became the Snake. Rhian didn't think that Japeth could become the Snake that the two brothers had made up all in their plan to seize Camelot. Rhian thought the Snake had died and that his brother could be saved. But he was wrong because it'd been the other way around; Japeth had died somewhere along the way, not the Snake...and now Rhian's brother was more lost than ever.
Japeth had given Rhian no choice when he'd admitted it was that...that sadist he wanted back over their own mother. Aric had tried to kill Rhian. Aric had stuck a dagger in Rhian's skull, and Japeth thought he loved him?
Rhian couldn't bring Aric back! Aric had been nothing more but a wall keeping the two brothers apart. A monster with no soul in him.
So in the end, Rhian had let Japeth go. He couldn't bring himself to keep Japeth in the dungeons any longer, so he instead decided to make Japeth leave Camelot. Rhian chose the cowardly choice and instead of forgiving Aric for the pain he'd caused and instead of forgiving Japeth for loving Aric, Rhian threw all his forgiveness in the trash. Because letting Japeth go was far easier than keeping Japeth locked up in a cage for weeks on end.
Rhian and Sophie's wedding had originally been scheduled the day after the execution, but after having thrown his own twin in the dungeons, Rhian and Sophie hadn't gotten married. Rhian made up an excuse to the rulers saying him and Sophie had both agreed that they were moving too fast in the relationship and needed some more time before the wedding.
So far, the new wedding date was undecided, and Rhian didn't think he even wanted to marry Sophie after all. Of course, he still loved her. She'd been so supportive to him during all that time that he'd been breaking down from his decision to lock Japeth up. It was Sophie actually who insisted that Rhian release Japeth from the dungeons in the first place, because she could no longer bear seeing Rhian so down and depressed.
Sophie had been there for Rhian those nights he'd lamented about Japeth being locked up in a cold cell, alone and bitter. Sophie had been there to support Rhian in a way a fiancée should, and Rhian had been grateful for her presence.
At some point though, Rhian asked Sophie if she'd like to leave Camelot and go back to her old life. To be with her friends and go back to her duties as Evil's Dean. Sophie had only told Rhian that she'd think about it.
"But what of your mother?" Sophie had asked Rhian in return. "If I leave before we're married, she'll be gone to you forever."
Rhian had smiled sadly at her, taking her hand in his own to squeeze it reassuringly. He'd already lost his mother long ago and now he felt like he lost his brother too. One of the only reasons Rhian wanted to bring him and Japeth's mother back from the dead was because he thought Evelyn Sader would make Japeth happy. Now that he knew Japeth never wanted their mother back in the first place, what was the point in fulfilling the prophecy?
Rhian had already lost so much. But he'd call off the wedding entirely and let Sophie leave Camelot if it meant setting her free. Even if setting Sophie free meant losing her just like he'd lost Japeth, Rhian would gladly do it over and over again.
So that's exactly what Rhian did; He called off the wedding in order to reassure Sophie that he wasn't going to rush her into anything she didn't want to do and gave her the choice to leave Camelot if she wanted to.
But, by some miracle, Sophie had decided to stay. It was like Sophie couldn't bring herself to leave Rhian behind after everything he'd been through. He'd endured suffering from having to throw his brother in the Camelot dungeons, and although Sophie obviously hated Japeth, it was like a part of her understood Rhian's love for his twin. In a way, she understood his pain and wished to unburden him from the weight he felt at what he'd done.
Rhian had done so many wrongs before. He'd deceived, betrayed, and lied to Tedros, Sophie, and all their friends. Luckily, he'd made up for those mistakes by calling off the execution. But Rhian's biggest regret was abandoning Japeth in his time of need. Japeth had needed Rhian more than ever to show compassion to him and bring Aric back, and instead Rhian had abandoned him behind just like their mother had once abandoned them behind.
Rhian had wanted to believe that Japeth could change his mind given enough time. Rhian wanted to have hope that Japeth could let Aric go, but those hopes had been futile. Perhaps though Japeth's love for Aric was all Rhian's fault, because if Rhian had never been so distant from Japeth in Arbed, Japeth would've never felt the need to grow as close to Aric as he did.
"Sire?" A voice snapped Rhian from his thoughts.
Rhian had been standing in the throne room lost in thought. He found that ever since Japeth left Camelot four days ago, his mind wandered more frequently. At times, Rhian seemed to be so lost in his own head that he couldn't focus on his kingly duties. And now it seemed that he was so lost in his thoughts that he couldn't hear someone when they snuck up behind him.
"What is it, Kei?" Rhian asked, seeing his Captain of the Guard standing there.
"I know it's not my place to speak of such matters, but..." Kei's response was vague, and Rhian took note of the nervousness in Kei's tone.
"Just say it," Rhian told him, giving him an understanding look. "It's like you've forgotten all that time we spent together in Arbed House. And I know things have changed since than, that we've changed, but it doesn't change the fact I still see you as a valued friend, Kei."
Kei's cheeks reddened in a blush, and he bashfully bent his head as if to hide his embarrassment. For a moment, despite all the craziness Rhian had endured, Rhian found a small smile tracing his lips. In that moment, it's like they weren't in Camelot at all, Nor were they King and Knight. No. In that precise moment, Rhian and Kei were back in Arbed House, two friends who'd always dreamed of having something more than what they already had.
"I'm worried about you is all," Kei admitted at last, rubbing his hands together. "Ever since...since Japeth left, you've been slipping. You no longer perform the duties in the manner you should be, and I only bring this up because as you said, our friendship is still there within the both of us. I tell you this as your friend, not your Captain of the Guard."
Rhian felt his shoulders heave as he sucked in a breath before exhaling long and hard. He stared at the golden encrusted throne standing tall and proud like a beacon across the room. Once upon a time, he'd only dreamed of sitting on his father's throne. Back then, he'd been nothing more but a little boy who believed in a future where he could one day become Camelot's King, and his best friend, Kei, would be at his side, his knight in shining armor.
But that future had already come to pass. Rhian's greatest dream of ruling Camelot had come true. The only problem with being Camelot's King was separating his kingly duties from his personal worries. Separating his head from his heart.
Part of Rhian had wanted to grant Japeth his wish to bring Aric back, because in his heart, he loved his brother more than anything, and the only thing he wished for for himself was to see Japeth be happy. However, Rhian's head told him that no good would come from bringing that monster back to life and that Japeth wasn't Rhian's problem to fix.
"I know," Rhian told Kei, sighing again. "And I know I should listen to you more often. Besides, you were right when you told me that something wasn't right with Japeth...I should've seen the signs, but my devotion to him—it—it blindsided me. Japeth blindsided me, and it's my fault for not seeing that sooner."
Kei nodded understandingly and hesitantly reached out to place a hand of reassurance upon Rhian's shoulder. Rhian smiled softly back at Kei appreciatively before Kei withdrew his hand, straightened to his full height, and then bowed respectfully.
"Good day, Sire," Kei said, back to being as formal as ever. "I'll go back to my duties now. Just...just remember what I said. Camelot needs a levelheaded King. This kingdom needs you. Your brother had his chance to change his mind, and he didn't. You did what you had to do. It was the right call, your majesty."
Rhian opened his mouth to say something else, but Kei was already leaving. Rhian watched him exit the throne room.
Alone once more, Rhian found his thoughts wandering back to his personal worries, Japeth more specifically. He could only hope that wherever Japeth was now, he was okay.
Rhian decided it was best to head to his room and hopefully get a nap in to clear his head, but when he approached his bedroom door, he happened to pass by Japeth's old room.
Something compelled Rhian to approach his brother's old room and before he knew it, he was opening the bedroom door.
Rhian slowly stepped into Japeth's bedroom, only to find that the room was pitch black. Rhian stumbled through the darkness and then lit his fingerglow to cast a golden light in order to light his path. In the shadows, he made out Japeth's bed with its navy blue comforter, still rumpled from when he'd last slept in it.
Rhian also noticed that the windows in the room were covered by shredded curtains, barely allowing any light to slip into the room. Rhian didn't know what he expected to see when he walked into Japeth's room, but this was definitely not it.
Rhian saw Japeth's room was dark and as Rhian drew closer to the unmade bed, he glimpsed what looked like a scaled snake half hidden beneath Japeth's pillow. At first, Rhian thought it was a Scim, but when he reached out to touch it, he felt leather against his fingertips, not scales. He pulled it out from beneath the pillow and unfurled it to find that it was a blackened whip. Rhian recalled that Japeth had whipped Tedros at some point. This was the whip Japeth must've used, but where had he gotten it from?
Then, Rhian turned his head and caught sight of worn fabric spread out over the blue comforter. It was a ratted old blanket; the same blanket Japeth had insisted he brought with him from their home back in Foxwood. Rhian didn't understand why Japeth would keep such a worn, dirtied blanket, but then he looked at it closer and a jolt of realization smacked him in the face.
Rhian realized he recognized this tattered blanket...It was the same blanket Rhian had found Japeth and Aric sleeping upon back in Arbed when he stumbled across them in him and Japeth's old home. How could he have not seen it before? How could he have not realized that Japeth was only holding onto this old, weathered blanket to remember Aric by?
And this whip...Something told Rhian that this whip was more meaningful to Japeth than it appeared. Why else would Japeth have kept this whip so close beneath his pillow if it wasn't important to him?
"Rhian?" A sudden voice made him shoot his head up and spin around to see Sophie standing there, her arms wrapped tight across her chest.
"Sophie...I was just—" Rhian struggled to explain, dropping the whip to the floor. His voice was strangely broken, betraying his sullen mood.
"There's no need to explain, darling," Sophie murmured understandingly, stepping into the room to lay a reassuring hand on Rhian's shoulder. "You made a tough choice making him leave Camelot, but it was the right call. If he'd stayed, he'd be at your throat and determined to do whatever it took to get you to bring Aric back."
Sophie's words were much too similar to the words Kei had spoken to Rhian just a few minutes ago.
Rhian nodded in agreement. Sophie tugged on his arm to lead him out of the room. Rhian took one last glance at the tattered blanket and the bloodied whip before he followed Sophie into the hall.
Sophie led him into his own room, opening the door for him and waiting for him to go inside before she followed him. The sight of his king sized bed was a comforting sight and without a word, Rhian drew towards it.
Rhian sank into the mattress, and Sophie crawled in bed beside him. Her bodily warmth enveloped him as she tucked her head beneath his arm and rested her palm flat against his chest that rose and fell steadily with each breath he took.
"Thank you, Sophie," Rhian whispered after a few moments of comfortable silence. Gently, he reached out to tuck a strand of blonde hair that had fallen across Sophie's face behind Sophie's ear before he met her emerald gaze. "Thank you for staying with me."
A small, saddened smile grazed Sophie's lips as she rested her hand against Rhian's cheek, Staring up at him with the sort of look Rhian had hoped to see on her face ever since he'd had the idea to make amends with Tedros and her. It was a look of adoration, not some loathing or hateful look Sophie used to give him. It was a loving look that made Rhian feel like he wasn't alone with his burdening thoughts.
Sophie was there to keep him grounded when he felt like he was gonna fall. Somehow, Sophie managed to keep him upright and she'd been such a help when it came to his concerns about Japeth. In a way, Sophie helped chase away the guilt Rhian felt for making his brother leave Camelot behind. Without Sophie, Rhian would be a complete mess no doubt.
"Your scar..." Sophie murmured, her finger slowly reaching up to touch the top of Rhian's head, and Rhian caught her hand in his own. "How'd you get it?"
For a moment, Rhian felt his whole body stiffen. He couldn't help the intense reactions he got from any mention of that troubling time Aric had attacked him and sunk that blade through his head. It was a time in his past he wished he could just forget, but forgetting the past wasn't that easy.
"I—I—" Rhian could only stutter stupidly, feeling a familiar sense of panic sink into his bones as he recalled the attack.
Somehow, Sophie's hand enveloped his own in her warm grasp, and their fingers intertwined. With her other hand, she cupped Rhian's cheek and leaned close as if she were about to kiss him. Their gaze locked and all Rhian could see were those beautiful emerald eyes taking up his vision. All he could feel was her hand in his own, and all he could smell was her sweet perfume invading his sinuses.
The painful memory of Aric faded away from Rhian's mind like an unremembered dream. All he could comprehend in that moment was Sophie, just Sophie, the very same girl he'd given his heart to.
"You're safe now, Rhian," Sophie soothed him, her voice silky like honey. Gently, she leant down and pressed her lips against the side of his neck, and Rhian melted into her touch.
"Aric...he stabbed me there," Rhian managed to breathe, feeling the top of his head itch as if he could still feel the way the blade of Aric's dagger had sunk into his flesh.
There was a sympathetic look upon Sophie's face as she stroked his cheek with her thumb. "You're haunted," she stated. "You're haunted by what he did to you, aren't you?"
Rhian's mouth felt dry as he responded; "Yes."
Sophie continued, her voice open and honest; "Tell me about it."
This time, those words didn't bring Rhian comfort. Those words only brought him pain and he turned his head away from Sophie, twisting his eyes closed to keep the oncoming tears at bay.
"You'll never get past it if you don't talk about it," Sophie told him, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. "If you want Aric to stop haunting you, if you want to let the past go, you must tell someone about what happened...I'm all ears."
Rhian's heart wanted to obey Sophie's voice, but his broken mind screamed at him not to utter a peep. He didn't want to tell Sophie about the attack and relive one of the worst moments of his life. He didn't wanna go through that pain all over again.
"I've got an idea," Sophie announced, and Rhian felt the weight beside him move away as Sophie crawled off the bed. Curious, Rhian looked over his shoulder to find Sophie standing nearby, her lit fingerglow tapping against her lips as if she was struggling to recall a spell.
"If you're trying to bewitch me into telling you anything, don't bother," Rhian informed her. "You already stole my heart. That's bewitching enough."
Sophie blushed at his comment before her forehead wrinkled and her nose puckered as she went back to concentrating. Rhian thought she looked adorable.
"Seriously, Sophie?" Rhian said, too distracted by how adorable Sophie looked to think about his previous concerns about Aric. "What are you doing?"
Sophie didn't answer him right away. She was far too busy muttering strange words beneath her breath to respond immediately to him. Rhian got fed up and lazily rolled off the bed to come towards Sophie. He raised his fingers, curled like imaginary claws, to snatch Sophie. His plan was to grab her by her waist and throw her on the bed, but before he could reach for her, his attention was caught off guard by a sudden gust of wind that blew Sophie's hair back from her neck and almost knocked him off his feet.
What the heck was Sophie doing—Trying to conjure a windstorm?
"Take my hand," Sophie cried, her voice rising loud enough to be heard over the howling wind.
Rhian hesitated, but seeing Sophie's gaze so wide in earnest and compassion, her hand extended towards him, he grabbed her hand. He had no idea what to expect when him and Sophie's hands touched, but what he didn't expect at all was for a strange fog to overcome the both of them. The fog curled around them, kissing his skin and seeming to lock him and Sophie in one spot. Then, Rhian could no longer see Sophie before him as the fog blinded him, but he could still feel their hands interlocked.
A strange force seemed to wrap tight around Rhian's soul and tug until he felt like he was going through an out-of-body experience that left him breathless and squeezing Sophie's hand tighter in his own.
Eventually, the fog did clear and Rhian could finally see Sophie again. He sucked in a gasp, struggling to calm down his pounding heart as he lurched backwards, swiveling his head around, only to find that he was no longer in the King's Chambers. In fact...it seemed he was no longer in Camelot at all.
"Where are we?" Rhian asked, stunned as he stared about.
"When Evelyn Sader taught at the School for Girls, she showed Agatha a piece of her history via a powerful spell that is able to access one's memories," Sophie explained calmly.
"So what...that means we're in my mother's memories?" Rhian asked. "But—"
"Oh, these aren't Evelyn's memories..." Sophie clarified, giving him a serious look. "We're in your memories, Rhian."
Rhian's eyes bulged wide and he spun in a circle, taking in his new surroundings that he now found to be oddly familiar. The dirt road with rundown houses lined on either side of it was a much too familiar scene for Rhian to forget. A few feet away was the very same house him and Japeth had grown up in. It was just like Rhian had last remembered it except that the house looked in better shape than when him and Japeth had left it behind.
Rhian found himself drawing closer to get a better look when he glimpsed the silhouette of a woman pass by the window. His heart lurched. For a second, he glanced at Sophie before he found his feet carrying him through the front door without a beat as he burst into the house.
The inside of the home was tidier than Rhian expected it to be. His mother's cushioned armchair was in good shape and there was a table with three matching chairs set up around it. The place smelt of fresh pinewood and freshly baked food.
Rhian turned his head and he swore his heart stopped for a second. There his mother stood, Evelyn Sader in all her glory. Her green eyes and bee stung lips were the same as Rhian had always pictured them. Her chestnut hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and her radiant blue dress was flecked with flour.
As Rhian stood there, too stunned to move, he watched his mother open the oven beside the table. She poked a toothpick into whatever it was she was baking to check if it was finished cooking, decided it was cooked throughly, and used a heavy towel to grab whatever it was before she placed it on the counter. Rhian got a better look at it and saw it was a cake, a beautiful vanilla cake that smelt like heaven.
Evelyn Sader wiped her sweaty forehead, and Rhian couldn't help but feel his heart ache. He took a tiny step forward, realizing his mother still hadn't seen him. "Mom," he began, his voice breaking, but then the sudden sound of a door opening and closing caught his attention.
The tiny pattering of feet neared the living room as two young boys, no older than nine or ten years old, burst into the room from down the hall. The taller boy, his copper hair sticking up every which way, skidded to a halt near the armchair while the other boy flung his arms around Evelyn Sader's waist.
"Smells yummy, mom," the shorter boy praised her.
Evelyn Sader smiled, a warm smile that had the shorter boy smiling back. "Why, thank you, Rhian," His mother murmured, ruffling his shorter, tamer hair. "If you and your brother are finished playing, how about you two help me make the frosting?"
The little Rhian leapt up in joy and glanced back at his brother who was frowning. "What's wrong, Japeth?" The childish Rhian asked.
"Mommy promised that I'd make the frosting with her, not you," Japeth complained, his voice rising with each syllable he spoke.
Their mother was quick to try to calm Japeth down. "It's alright, Japeth," she told him, coming up to Japeth to grab his little shoulders. "You and Rhian can both help me make the frosting together, okay?"
For a moment, the small Japeth looked to be thinking hard, but then his lips turned downwards in an even more pitiful frown, his fists curled, and a cry burst from his throat. Japeth's wail was accompanied by soft squeals as scims peeled off his body to fly crazily every which way. The smaller Rhian dived for cover as scims slashed at the wall behind his head, and Evelyn Sader threw her arms over her face to protect herself.
"Japeth! Please, son," Their mother pleaded, narrowly dodging a Scim that dive bombed for her dress.
But Japeth was too busy crying to hear his mother's pleas. Fresh tears ran down his little face as he smashed his hands against his ears as if to block out the scims' squealing. As if hearing that he had to make frosting with his brother was the end of the world, Japeth curled into a ball on the floor and wailed, his cries sounding like nails dragging across a chalkboard.
As Rhian watched in alarm, Japeth's fit seeming to last for five minutes straight before his wails finally ceased as Evelyn's blue butterflies fluttered off her dress and set to work pinning each Scim down. Soon enough, the carnage was cut short and Evelyn wrapped her arms tight around Japeth's shaking form. "Shhh, it's alright now, son," She soothed him, running a hand through his copper hair before cupping his face in her hands and wiping his teary cheeks. "I'm sure Rhian won't mind if you and I make the cake frosting together instead."
Japeth's teary face lit up in hope. "You really mean it, mommy?" He asked, his voice trembling.
"I do," His mother told him, hugging him tightly. Japeth's tiny body seemed to relax as he melted into his mother's embrace, burying his snotty nose into the folds of her dress as Evelyn's butterflies guided each pinned Scim back in their place upon Japeth's body until every inch of his skin was coated in scales.
Rhian wished he could walk over and embrace his mother just like Japeth was embracing her, but he recalled Sophie's words that these were his memories. This had all occurred in a past time and nothing Rhian could do could change that past. His mother would always leave her sons behind in Arbed House before eventually being killed by the School Master. It was inevitable.
Rhian just wished more than anything that his mother could see him, and that he could tell her about the men that her sons had grown up into. For a moment, Rhian did draw forward, moving for the first time since he'd gotten into the house, and he approached his mother. He hesitantly reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder, but his fingers went through her body like she was nothing more but a ghost.
"Mom, if you can hear me," Rhian began, withdrawing his hand. His voice shook as he gazed at his little brother and mother embracing, "I want you to know that I don't blame you for leaving Japeth and I behind...I understand why. I just...I wish you had come back for us is all, or that you just stayed with us a little bit longer."
There was no indication that Evelyn had heard her son's words. She continued to hug Japeth close to her and Rhian stared the same way his younger self stared, catching the exact moment their mother reached up to wipe a trickle of blood off her cheek where a Scim had managed to cut her before she wiped her bloody hand on her dress before Japeth could see.
"I love you, mom," Rhian murmured, knowing he couldn't stay there. As much as he wished he could stay there seeing all the wonderful but painful past memories in his childhood, he had a kingdom to lead.
Exiting the house and leaving the seemingly lovely but broken family behind him was harder for Rhian to do than he expected. But when he stepped back outside, wiping his teary eyes, he found Sophie waiting for him.
"Why'd you bring me here?" Rhian asked, his voice harsher than he intended. "Why access my memories?"
Sophie wasn't swayed by Rhian's harsh tone. It was as if she knew the hidden grief screwed into Rhian's heart, and she blinked at him.
"We're here because you can still take it back, Rhian," Sophie told him. "You can still get her back if you want to, but if your mind hasn't changed, I wanted you to get a chance to say a proper goodbye to her."
Rhian looked back at the house he'd once called his home. Now, he could fully remember what happened that day. He could remember what happened after Japeth had calmed down. Their mother told Japeth to wash up in the bathroom so he could get ready to make the frosting with her, and when Japeth had left the room, their mother could no longer hold back her tears. For a few seconds, Rhian had watched his mother bury her face into her hands and watched her shoulders heave as she cried softly.
As strong as Evelyn Sader tried to be for her sons, she seemed to be weak when it came to Japeth. Whenever he'd get too upset, his fits of rage would drive their mother further and further away from him. Japeth never saw the fear in her eyes when he came close, but Rhian did. He saw all of it because as much as their mother tried to hide it from the both of them, he could see she was breaking inside little by little each time Japeth would get out of control.
It was a hard truth to swallow. That had been Japeth's greatest flaw; loving their mother too much. Now, Japeth's biggest flaw was loving Aric too much, and perhaps Rhian's biggest flaw was not realizing Japeth's love for that sadist sooner.
"Do you think she's at peace, wherever she is?" Rhian asked softly, looking at Sophie.
Sophie smiled tentatively and took her place at Rhian's side, taking his hand in her own like she'd done earlier before. Slowly, she reached up to wipe away a tear that had rolled down Rhian's cheek in the same manner that him and Japeth's mother had wiped the dribble of blood off her face before a young Japeth could see.
"She has to be, Rhian," Sophie said at last, nestling into his side. For a while, a comfortably thick silence lingered between the couple as they stared at the house before them, hearing two young voices sing, "Happy Birthday," to their mother as if they were one big happy family.
"I hope so," Rhian murmured at last, squeezing Sophie's hand. He blinked his tears away and tore himself away from the scene, praying deep in his heart that his hope was right. Perhaps, his mother was at peace somewhere with him and Japeth's father, King Arthur, by her side.
Rhian tore out of his reverie and turned to Sophie. "Let's go home, now," He told her. "I said my goodbyes, just like you wanted."
Rhian expected Sophie to wave her fingerglow and cast a spell that would send them back to Camelot, but instead Sophie started walking down the road. Confused, Rhian stared after her, and called; "Where are you going? Let's go home!"
Sophie glanced back over her shoulder to stare at him before she beckoned Rhian to follow her. "Oh," she said, crossing her arms and cocking her hip sassily. "Did you think giving you a chance to see your mother again was all that I brought you here to do?"
Rhian was now more confused than ever. What else could Sophie want to see in his memories? What else could she possibly want him to do—
Then, Rhian felt his blood run cold and his heartbeat speed up as realization hit him. Before Sophie had brought him into his memories, she'd been trying to get him to discuss the incident he'd had that had gotten him his head scar. He hadn't given her a clear response, and she insisted that if he never talked about it with someone, then the memory would haunt him forever.
"No...There's no way in hell I'm going through that again," Rhian stammered, taking a big step backwards and shaking his head feverishly. He gave Sophie a stern look. "You can't make me...Just send us back to Camelot, now."
But Rhian's cries seemed to fall on deaf ears because Sophie turned back, grabbed his hand, and tried to tug him forward. When he wouldn't budge, she let go of his hand and tapped her foot in impatience.
"It's not going to take long," Sophie tried to reassure him. "Look, Rhian. You have to face it sooner or later or it's gonna eat you up! You have to be stronger than Japeth because while Japeth would rather continue to hold onto Aric, you can have the strength to let Aric go." Gently, Sophie pulled Rhian close, and this time Rhian didn't resist as she fixed him with a sympathetic look. "I believe in you, Rhian," She murmured. "Now, you must believe in yourself the way I do."
Something inside Rhian broke. There had always been a part of him that was controlled solely by the fear he'd felt from Aric's attack. But the other part of Rhian always told himself that Aric was dead, and Aric had no more power over him. That specific part of him had also once thought that since Aric was dead, he had no more power over Japeth either, but Rhian was wrong.
As much as Rhian hated it, perhaps Aric still had as much power over him as he did over Japeth, even if Aric was dead and gone.
Sophie was right; Rhian had to be stronger than his brother. He had to do the one thing Japeth could not, and that was let Aric go, even if that meant Rhian had to relive Aric's attack once more.
"I understand," Rhian spoke up, his voice coming out steadier than he thought it would. He looked into Sophie's eyes and nodded, a clear indication he had agreed with her plan.
"Close your eyes," Sophie instructed him, placing both hands on his shoulders.
Rhian obeyed despite the way his heart was pounding fearfully against his ribcage as if it was struggling to burst out of his chest. He breathed in and out, in and out, struggling in vain to keep his breaths steady, and he clenched and unclenched his fingers as nerves overcame him.
"I want you to picture him," Sophie's voice broke through the darkness of his mind. "I want you to remember what happened during that time. Remember what you felt, what you saw...Let it in, Rhian. Open that door you're so scared to open and let it all in; the emotions, the fear and the pain.."
All Rhian could see was darkness, a deep inky black that spread around him on all sides. It seemed to close in on time, and it was an endless void of oblivion. All that existed in that moment was him and the void. There was no light to be seen, no way out, and there was no clear path ahead of him.
Sophie's voice droned on, the only sound Rhian could make out besides his tentative footsteps as he walked through the darkness. Then, just when Rhian thought he was lost in the darkness of his own mind, he saw it.
There was a door coming up out of the darkness as if it was being birthed from the deepest corners of Rhian's subconscious for the first time. The door was a rich shade of red, and Rhian drew towards it and brushed his hand across the wooden surface, only for his fingers to come away slick with blood.
"Open the door," Sophie's voice persisted as if she too could see what Rhian saw in the deepest corners of his mind.
Rhian couldn't help but be comforted by Sophie's voice. He couldn't help but reach out and place his hand on the brass doorknob, about to turn it. But then he felt a sense of trepidation sink into his bones, knowing what he'd witness on the other side of that door, and he ripped his hand away at the last second.
"I can't!" Rhian cried, and his voice echoed into the darkness, seeming to bounce into the void. "I'm—I'm scared, Sophie."
Rhian wasn't just scared though...he was petrified. He didn't want to face what he knew lay on the other side of that door. Sophie had been wrong. Rhian wasn't strong enough to face his own demons. He couldn't face Aric again, not after what happened.
In that moment, Rhian wished he had his brother. He wished Japeth was there to butt in with his snarky remarks or to tell Rhian what an idiot he was for everything he'd done to him. Yes, Rhian knew Japeth leaving Camelot was the right call, but Japeth leaving was the last thing Rhian had wanted. He loved Japeth even if Japeth's heart belonged to Aric.
Japeth was Rhian's light, his love, his security. Japeth was Rhian's other half, and being without Japeth—even after four days—felt wrong. Without Japeth, Rhian never felt so lonely. Sure, he wasn't alone because he had Sophie there for him, but it wasn't the same without Japeth.
"Open it."
Rhian reached for the doorknob again and curled his fingers around it. This time, it wasn't just Sophie's voice that speared into his mind, but other sounds too; voices and screams.
"You want me to be good? Well, I hate to break it to you, Rhian, but I'll Never be good. You can't change me!"
Rhian felt tears brim into his eyes at the voice of his brother who he hadn't seen in four days, the brother who'd last told him that he deserved to get stabbed in the head. It made Rhian think that maybe things would be easier if he had just died at Aric's hands. If he'd died, Japeth and Aric would be together, and Japeth wouldn't have carried such resentment towards Rhian for making Aric leave Arbed House.
But Sophie hadn't brought Rhian into his memories in hopes of changing the past. Sophie had brought him here in hopes that he'd get past his demons. She'd brought him here to face his greatest fear; Aric.
Sophie had a point when she said that Rhian could be stronger than Japeth when it came to letting Aric go. After all, Rhian could no longer let his fear of Aric control him for the rest of his life unlike Japeth who'd rather let his love for Aric dictate his actions. Even if a part of Rhian hated the thought of facing what was on the other side of that bloody door and facing his greatest fear, he also couldn't let his love for Japeth drag him down either.
Japeth wasn't here. Japeth was gone. He'd made his choice, and Rhian could no longer turn to his brother when he needed him.
And Aric? Aric was dead. Dead! He couldn't hurt Rhian anymore. The sooner Rhian truly accepted that fact, the easier his life would become.
Rhian felt a sense of determination and purpose sink into his bones, overriding the fear he felt as he reached for the doorknob one last time, turned it with ease, and shoved his body against the door to force the door open.
At first, the door didn't budge at all as if it was stuck. Rhian slammed his entire body weight into the door over and over again, and with one last shove, the door flung open without warning and Rhian stumbled through.
He landed hard on something prickly and springy. He looked down to find lush green grass pricking between his fingers. The blades of the grass were lit by little slivers of pale moonlight from the moon that was slowly making its way downwards to rest.
Rhian's gaze roamed across the lush green lawn and landed upon two figures standing in front of the steps leading into Arbed House. There Japeth and his past self were, facing off like two old rivals, except Japeth's tone was pleading while past Rhian's tone sounded enraged.
"You're wrong, Japeth," Rhian heard his own voice say, and Rhian started forward to see more clearer.
Seeing himself and his brother standing off was a strange sight to Rhian. As he approached closer, he made out the anger brimming in his own gaze. Past Rhian's face was a mask of rage and disappointment as he stared at Japeth who only looked crestfallen and dismayed.
Back in this moment, when Rhian had first caught Japeth and Aric on the roof of Arbed House, Rhian had been distraught. He'd thought that Aric was a bad influence on Japeth and that Aric would turn Japeth against him. But seeing Aric and Japeth so close—so unnaturally close—Rhian couldn't help but feel betrayed somehow.
Rhian had hated that Japeth was hanging around with Aric more than him. As petty as it may sound, Rhian hated that Japeth, his brother, had a friend. Before Arbed House, Japeth and Rhian had been close. Rhian would calm Japeth down alongside their mother whenever Japeth would throw one of his fits, and despite Japeth basically tormenting their mother with his fits, Rhian had always tried his best to get Japeth to change, to make him better. Back then, Rhian hadn't given up on Japeth.
The only time Rhian gave up on Japeth was when their mother left the both of them in Arbed House because she couldn't stand dealing with Japeth's out of control behavior any longer.
"Why would I be jealous of you and Aric's friendship?" The past Rhian said. "Aric is nothing more but a psychotic monster. You're better than he ever will be. And you can change...trust me."
Rhian felt tears prick his eyes as he witnessed the scene. In that moment, he'd thought that his words were true. He thought he could protect his brother from the monster that was Aric. He'd seen the many ways Japeth had begun to copy Aric's every move since Aric's arrival to Arbed House; nailing animal pelts around, destroying the garden...These were all destructive acts of a monster and Japeth who was following that monster's every move like a lost puppy dog.
Rhian feared that Aric would change Japeth into a monster. He feared Aric would darken Japeth's heart until there was no trace of good left in him. But he believed that Japeth could be good.
"But Aric wants you all to himself—I can see it in his eyes. What you've got isn't friendship, it's unnatural, it's an abomination! It isn't right—"
Every word Rhian spoke then was the truth. He'd seen the way Aric would look at Japeth like Japeth was a prize to be won, and he'd recalled the way Aric had once threatened him to stay away from Japeth like Aric had put some sort of claim on his brother. Rhian had taken all these signs and interpreted them to mean that Aric was possessive over Japeth. It was a possessiveness that was toxic and unnatural to Rhian. But Rhian had been so blindsided by the fact that Aric was attached to Japeth that he didn't realize Japeth too cared for Aric.
To Rhian, Aric was the monster standing in the way of him and Japeth's brotherhood. But to Aric, it was Rhian who was the monster standing in the way of him and Japeth's friendship.
After all, one of those monsters had made his brother's friend leave for good while the other monster had attacked his friend's brother because he apparently couldn't control his anger issues. Who was the worst monster...Rhian or Aric?
Perhaps, Rhian was about to find the answer to that exact question because right on cue, the part he had been dreading since opening that bloody door finally arrived.
There was a scream. A horribly loud scream full of outrage and distress. Then, Aric sprung into view, just as Rhian remembered him with his black attire and hateful violet eyes. He raced from around the side of the building, his boots slapping against the grass as he beelined straight for Rhian.
Rhian wished he could tear his gaze away to avoid seeing what he knew what was about to come. But he'd already opened that door, and there was no turning back now that he was already here.
So Rhian watched. He watched as Aric met his past self, knocking him to the grass. Aric immediately curled his fingers into a fist and brought his fist down into past Rhian's face so hard that past Rhian bled.
Rhian couldn't help but shudder at the sight. He could still recall every little detail of this very moment; the pain he felt, how his face throbbed from Aric's first punch, and the horror and shock he felt from Aric pinning him to the grass with his weight on top of him, pushing hard on his chest until he felt like a trapped, helpless piece of prey.
Aric was unbelievably strong, and his anger was palpable as he struck past Rhian again, harder this time as if sending him a warning he wouldn't soon forget.
Rhian had thought that Aric would keep hitting him, over and over again until his face was nothing more but a bloody pulp. But as past Rhian wheezed for breath after the second punch, he found his hands reaching up to drag his fingernails across Aric's skin in a desperate attempt to catch his attacker off guard.
It was too bad that back then, Rhian still had the bad habit of chewing his fingernails, so clawing at Aric didn't do much damage besides making him bleed a little. Besides, Rhian's stubbed fingernails were no match for the sudden dagger Aric held to Rhian's throat.
Past Rhian didn't know what to do then with a dagger so close to his throat. All he knew was that he had to get away, no matter what it took, so he searched for an opening, an advantage that would allow him to rip free from the monster before him.
Instead, he found Japeth, standing there, frozen like a statue. Despite Rhian being a tad hurtful to Japeth since their arrival to Arbed House and rejecting him to hang out with Kei, he still had hope that Japeth loved him so he called out to Japeth for help; "Japeth!"
But he'd sorely underestimated Japeth's friendship with Aric because Japeth just stood there like he'd rather see Rhian get beat up than save him from Aric's wrath. That or Japeth was in much too of a shocked state to do anything but stare like a dumbstruck fool.
But calling out to Japeth was the right call because Aric too looked over at Japeth. Past Rhian couldn't see Aric's face with his head angled to the side, he was far too busy struggling to get away from Aric to see Aric's face expression.
But the present Rhian saw. He saw Aric's countenance briefly change as his violet gaze met Japeth's blue gaze. There was no anger in Aric's gaze to be seen in that moment. There was only a glimmer of hurt, a glimmer of pain that Rhian struggled to understand. How could such a hateful monster be suddenly filled with pain?
Then, Rhian realized it was Japeth who Aric was staring at. It was his brother who was the only person as far as he knew Aric would ever show any compassion to. If Aric could show a hint of compassion whatsoever, than maybe he wasn't as heartless as Rhian believed him to be. Maybe, Aric really did care for Japeth and Rhian had only mistaken that as obsession rather than love.
So was it love and not just anger that drove Aric to throw his hand back and fling it through the air just as past Rhian managed to rip free? Was it an act of love that caused that dagger to fly through the air and pierce through the top of past Rhian's skull?
Rhian wanted to tear his gaze away a second time from the scene before him, but his gaze was glued to the sight of himself sprawled out on the grass, crying out in pain.
This was the exact moment he'd been dreading since opening that bloody door. There he was, reliving the worst moment of his life with that dagger stuck too deep in his skull to pull out. Rhian had thought he was gonna die when Aric stabbed him in the head. He thought he could almost see his life flash before his very eyes as his past self struggled in vain to pull the dagger out of his head.
A sob chocked Rhian. He could feel past Rhian's past, because it was his own pain. He could feel the way the blade of that dagger was embedded into his head, piercing his very soul and feeling almost like a burning heat enveloping his entire being.
Overcome with the pain and the sight before him, Rhian felt his legs give out on him and he sunk to his knees in the grass, fresh tears rolling down his face; his expression mirroring past Rhian's own.
Rhian wished he was anywhere but back here. He wished he was back in Camelot and that Sophie had never brought him here in the first place. He wished he hadn't opened that stupid door, because he couldn't be stronger than Japeth. Rhian couldn't forgive what Aric did to him, unlike Japeth. Rhian could never see Aric in the way Japeth saw him!
Japeth was the best of the brothers. He was the best part of Rhian because Japeth would rather forgive Aric for his mistakes and love him while Rhian would rather continue to loathe Aric and only see the evilness within Aric.
But suddenly, Rhian understood. He saw it all in a new light. Japeth was right...Aric wasnt just a monster, he was Japeth's friend. That's why Aric attacked Rhian this night. Aric had only been defending Japeth—defending him and Japeth's friendship—from Rhian who only chose to see the hatred in Aric.
Somehow, Rhian found himself on his feet and he approached closer to Aric who was thrashing in Japeth's grip, his violet gaze burning in malicious intent.
Then, Rhian did something he never thought he'd ever do. Crouching down in front of Aric, he met Aric's piercing gaze and whispered in a broken voice; "I forgive you." He glanced at Japeth holding Aric so close, his lips pressed against Aric's ear, and a single tear ran down Rhian's cheek. "I forgive you both. You hear me, Japeth? I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything...I see now that what I did was wrong. I was wrong."
Rhian's tone was raw with emotion. He felt pain, regret, and guilt burn at his insides, but there was no fear. There was no panic over that dagger getting sunk into his head, nor was there any intense reactions that arose in that moment. For the first time since this day—for the first time since Aric attacked him—Rhian felt hopeful.
He felt free.
Ironically, Rhian found a small smile tracing his lips, and he tilted his head to the brightening sky as his past self continued to cry in pain. But in Rhian's present self, he was no longer in anymore pain.
And just like that Rhian felt his spirit drift upwards and a familiar cloud of fog enveloped him. In a matter of seconds, the fog cleared. Rhian saw he was back in his bedroom in Camelot, and a sense of relief overcame him.
Sophie was standing there in front of him, and her green gaze was bright in joy as Rhian suddenly wrapped her in his arms, crushing her against his chest in a hug. Unable to help the laughter that escaped him, Rhian picked Sophie up by her waist and spun her around.
"I—I did it!" Rhian exclaimed, grabbing Sophie's cheeks. "I really did it! Oh, Sophie. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Sophie smiled up at him and he gently set her down. Reassuringly, Sophie reached out, and Rhian felt her fingers graze against the scar atop his head.
"Perhaps Aric was not your greatest weakness, but your greatest strength," Sophie told him. "Your scar was given to you in what you perceived to have been the worst moment of your life, but if you'd never gotten that scar, you wouldn't be who you are now."
Rhian contemplated Sophie's words and decided that she was correct in a way. If Aric had never stabbed him in the head, perhaps Rhian wouldn't have gone on to become Camelot's King. Perhaps, without Aric's attack, Rhian wouldn't be himself.
"They really did care for one another, Sophie," Rhian revealed, stroking his thumbs across Sophie's smooth cheeks. "Japeth and Aric...I didn't know what it was. I was a horrible brother when I judged their relationship without knowing all the facts, and now I'm the worst brother ever after the way I locked Japeth up and then made him leave Camelot."
It was the biggest realization Rhian had come to when he'd stepped through that bloody door. He hadn't realized that back then Japeth and Aric did care for one another. Despite the fact Aric and Japeth loved each other in some way, it didn't change the way Aric had attacked Rhian.
Yet...Rhian finally understood why Aric had attacked him. He understood that somewhere, deep in Aric's soul, he cared for Japeth. Did Aric attacking Rhian as an act of love for Japeth change the wrongness of his actions? Of course it didn't, but at least Rhian had finally grasped the concept that somehow Aric and Japeth did care for each other.
"What now?" Sophie asked him.
"Now I have some deep thinking to do," Rhian declared. "You opened my eyes, Sophie. You helped me see that the actions I've done, the actions I thought were justified, perhaps weren't justified at all. I shunned Japeth and treated him like garbage when I should've found another way to help him. You and Kei were wrong; Doing what I did to Japeth wasn't the right thing—Doing what I did to him was wrong."
Sophie blinked, and her expression suddenly conveyed a brief look of shock that Rhian didn't miss. He knew she didn't like Japeth. After all, Sophie was the one who suggested that Rhian make Japeth leave Camelot in the first place, but Rhian now wanted his brother back, even if his brother and his fiancée didn't particularly get along together.
"I told him that he was no longer my brother," Rhian went on, his voice thick with regret. "I told him so many awful things, but I now I need to make up for all I did to him...I—I need my brother back."
Sophie looked torn as if she hated the thought of having Japeth back but also loved Rhian too much to turn her back on him. She looked like she was about to cry with her gaze brimming in tears and her lower lip quivering.
"But, Rhian—" Sophie began, shaking her head.
Rhian knew she'd argue against him. He figured she would object to his desires to bring his brother back no matter how much she'd grown to care for him.
"Shhh, it's okay," Rhian soothed her, before descending his lips upon hers. They kissed, and Rhian felt tears roll down his own face, mixing with Sophie's own tears. He pulled away and gave her a small smile. "No matter what, Sophie of Woods Beyond, I want you to know I'm grateful to have had you in my life. Before I met you, I didn't know what love even was. You taught me what it feels like to be loved, and if somewhere, far off in the distant future, you say yes to my proposal, I'll gladly marry you for real."
A hiccuping sob ripped from Sophie's throat as she buried her face in Rhian's shoulder. For a few moments, Rhian held her tight against him and his eyes fluttered close as he pictured a new dream in his mind.
Once upon a time, he'd dreamt of him, Japeth, and their mother being one happy family. But this time, this new dream was an image of him, Sophie and Japeth ruling Camelot side by side.
If only Japeth would forgive him for all he'd done...
~•~•~•~•~•~
Rhian's eyes snapped open, and he lurched up in bed. His bedroom was dark and he could barely see his own hand in front of his face. Groggily, he groped around the bed in search for Sophie who had fallen asleep beside him a few minutes after he'd confessed to her his desires to have Japeth back.
But there was no body resting beside him. Rhian figured Sophie had gotten up to go pee or to go somewhere. He laid back in bed, about to fall back asleep when he suddenly caught the metallic whiff of blood.
"Sophie?" Rhian asked, crawling out of bed this time.
There was no answer, and Rhian searched the darkened room, only to catch sight of a sliver of light emitting from the doorway leading into the bathroom. Guessing Sophie was using the bathroom after all, Rhian started towards the light.
He came in front of the bathroom door which was slightly ajar and rasped his knuckles against the wood. "Sophie? Are you okay?" He called again.
No answer.
Fearing the worst, Rhian pushed the bathroom door open and gently closed it behind him, only to find that the white door was splattered with what looked like red paint. Curious, he brushed his fingers against the red splatters and found that to his horror, the red paint wasn't paint, but blood...Almost like that bloody door Rhian had gone through.
Rhian looked down and spotted droplets of blood splattered across the porcelain's bathroom floor, and beside the giant claw foot tub slumped a body. Rhian felt his blood run cold as he lurched forward, stumbling to his knees when he reached the body's side and rolled the body over, only to see that the body had a face he recognized.
The boy's stony face, arched eyebrows, and square jawline were unmistakable, and the uniform the boy wore belonged to that of a Camelot guard.
"Kei," Rhian breathed, shock seizing him when he glimpsed the thick red blood matting Kei's hair.
Gently, Rhian drew Kei's body back to inspect the top of Kei's head. There on the top of his skull was a shallow gash that could've only been inflicted from using a sharp tool. The wound was eerily similar to the wound Aric had inflicted Rhian with back in Arbed House, and Rhian felt his breathe hitch in his throat.
Luckily, as far as Rhian could tell, Kei's head wound wasn't fatal given how shallow it was, meaning the person who had hurt Kei hadn't purposefully been trying to kill Kei. Still, the same person who had presumably hurt Kei had also took it upon them to stage his unconscious body in Rhian's bathroom where only Rhian was bound to stumble across it. This right here was a message. A warning to Rhian.
There was only one person who this message could've been from, only one person who could've deliberately given Kei a head wound so similar to the head wound Rhian had once endured. The message was quite clear; It was time for Rhian's reckoning. It was time for him to face his demons, and to face the boy he once called his brother.
That's when a sudden voice flitted from the shadows; "Hello, Rhian..."
Rhian spun but he couldn't make out anything in the darkness. Even with the little light the bathroom gave off, the light couldn't seem to reach the furthest corners of Rhian's bedroom, making the darkness feel even more greater and infinite than it really was.
"I see you found the little present I left for you," the voice went on, sounding closer now, but still Rhian couldn't see the owner of the voice. "Think of it as a reminder. A reminder of how you too were once stabbed in the head. You see, your friend Kei caught me sneaking back into Camelot, and to defend you, he tried to restrain me, only for me to get the better of him."
The voice sounded right in front of Rhian now, so close that Rhian felt a cold presence envelope him and his body shuddered involuntarily; "What you failed to see was that Aric only attacked you to defend me...just like Kei tried to defend you against me coming in here to kill you."
Rhian's whole body went stiff as he searched the darkness, and for a second, he glimpsed a flash of silver in the corner of his vision. The familiar skrttt of scims caught his attention as well, and he tensed, his gaze landing to the bloodied bathroom floor where Excalibur rested, the blade glinting in the lowlight of the bathroom.
"It took me a lot of thinking, but after much consideration, I've come to the conclusion that if you refuse to bring Aric back for me, I'll just do it myself..." The voice continued, sounding further away this time as if the owner of the voice was deliberately taunting Rhian. "Of course, Part of me realized killing you would be too easy. You don't deserve to just die. You deserve to suffer the same way I suffered when you locked me in that wretched cell and then forced me to leave Camelot..."
Rhian felt shame burn at his insides at the reminder of what he'd done to Japeth. He'd thought that the only way to get Japeth to see the light was if he stayed locked up for a while. Sure, these means might've seemed cruel, but Rhian had thought it was the last resort.
Did Rhian regret his actions? Did he regret throwing Japeth in a cell for weeks on end watching him wither away day by day? Of course Rhian regretted it! But that's because he'd rather have Japeth let go of Aric than allow Japeth's wish to be granted.
"Show yourself, Japeth!" Rhian called, and the voice laughed, cruel laughter filling the room.
When the laughter died away, there was a heavy, tense silence. Rhian searched the shadows, but still he saw nothing but inky blackness. Cautiously, Rhian arose to his feet and stepped closer to the doorway leading into the room. He only glanced over his shoulder once to make sure Kei was still alive. Seeing his friend's chest rising and falling steadily, Rhian crept out of the bathroom.
Rhian scanned the darkened bedroom, and that's when he saw it. In the furthest corner beside the closed bedroom door stood a figure cloaked in silver robes. The figure wore a silver mask that glinted in the shadows, and as Rhian peered closer, he glimpsed two cold eyes blink open, the pupils thin like that of a Snake's.
Rhian stumbled back in shock, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Feeling the need to protect himself, Rhian snatched Excalibur off the bathroom floor and fisted the hilt with both hands, thrusting the sword out in front of him like a spear.
"What? No "welcome home" to your twin?" The voice said, a hint of amusement in their tone.
The figure stepped forward, slipped off the mask and robes and stepped towards Rhian, unperturbed by the weapon clutched in Rhian's shaking hands.
Japeth stood there in his snakeskin suit, his scims rippling along his body as if they were restless. Except the Japeth standing before Rhian wasn't the Japeth Rhian knew. No. This Japeth was someone else entirely. There was something manic about this Japeth; His stone cold face was painted with blood, Kei's blood to be precise, and his messy copper hair was dirtied and looked more wilder than Rhian had ever seen it. But what was most concerning was the malicious smile upon Japeth's lips, and the pain in his snake-like gaze.
Japeth didn't stand before Rhian now. The Snake stood before him, a cold blooded monster who didn't care about anything but inflicting misery upon others. There was only one intent Rhian could see in the Snake's eyes; the intent to make him suffer just as he'd made Japeth suffer...
"What—What have you done to Sophie?" Rhian blurted, fear seizing him in its iron grip at the thought of his girlfriend being hurt by Japeth.
Japeth tipped his head back and laughed as if he thought Rhian was stupid. Then, Japeth slunk forward, his movements surprisingly swift considering he'd been locked up in a dungeon for weeks only four days ago. Japeth stopped in front of Rhian, and there was an amused glint in Japeth's eyes as he responded; "Oh, don't you worry about her. After I was done dealing with Kei, I dealt with her too. When she wakes up, she won't remember a thing."
This was not the reunion Rhian had hoped to have with his brother. He'd hoped that he would somehow go out of his way to find Japeth and apologize whilst giving him a million reasons why he was sorry for locking Japeth up and making him leave.
But Japeth had come back...just not in the way Rhian had expected.
—————
Hey, guys.
My apologies for the long wait. Honestly, I had a little bit of writer's block so I struggled to write this chapter.
Anyway, what'd you guys think of Sophie's therapeutic approach to help Rhian with his internal issues about Aric?
And what'd you guys think of Japeth and Rhian as little boys with their mom? Cute, aren't they?
Comment and vote.
Thanks for reading!
—Alexis Peters ❤️