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"My father suffers from the Noctisveil syndro," Leonardo began after settling into the wooden chair in the physics tower. "It’s a... a familial affliction, really. An incurable illness that slowly ravages both the respiratory and muscular system, weakening the body over ti until..." He faltered, the words sticking in his throat like a painful lump.
"I knew it was hereditary, but I... never thought my father would be so unlucky. He kept the truth from , and although I understand why, it still burns everyti I think about it."
Leonardo’s words were laced with a sense of betrayal that still lingered, his anger and frustration simring just below the surface.
Es’s eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend what he just told her. She had expected many things, but not this. Not a terminal illness that hung like a specter over Leonardo’s warm family.
"He’s been sick all his life I suppose, that’s why he looks the way he does." Leonardo explained, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and affection. "I learnt that he never wanted a mate during his younger years, cause he didn’t think there would be anyone who would want him due to his condition. But then my mother entered his life, and she’s been the bright spot in our family’s darkness. She was born a beta, so she’s always active, that’s why she does multiple things with ease without facing exhaustion."
"I’m sorry to hear about their condition." Es’s face reflected her sympathy, and her eyes filled with a deep concern. "I wish there was sothing I could do to help."
Leonardo’s response was a small, wistful smile, and it was the first ti he ever smiled at her. "It’s alright. They prefer to keep their struggles private anyway, so I’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself."
Es nodded solemnly, her hand rising to cross her heart in a gesture of promise. It was not in her place to say otherwise if they don’t want to reveal their burden.
"Anyways, how do you plan to make your grand escape?" He switched topics, picking up an empty vial from her work table. His fingers drumd a gentle rhythm on the glass as he asked, "Have you secured the necessary budget for this escape? Do you have a destination in mind? Have you charted the safest routes?"
Es pressed her lips into a thin line, and she smiled sheepishly. "I haven’t done any of that." She admitted. "Escaping was a decision I made on a whim. See? This is why I need your help, I can think about other things when we’re together."
"uh-huh, I didn’t know you had my brain booked as your backup plan." His response was sarcastic, but Es let his words slide since he was willing to help her.
anwhile, unbeknownst to Es and Leonardo, Dahr lurked outside the door, his ears pressed against the wood as he eavesdropped on the conversation.
"She wants to escape?" He whispered to himself, his expression incredulous as his mind raced with the implications. "And who is she conspiring with?"
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Atop a rolling hill, Kangee had mapped out the entire forest, its keen, dark gaze sweeping across the wide terrain. After completing its task, the raven winged its way back to its master, who sat in serene contemplation atop the hill, legs crossed in a lotus position.
As Kangee settled beside him, it transmitted the gathered information with a soft squawk.
"No evil demons in sight, master." It reported, prompting a gentle hum of acknowledgent from Donovan.
The corner of his lips curled into a sly smile, hinting at a plan in the making. "It certainly isn’t fair that they’re all choosing to hide. Perhaps it’s ti I summoned Eugene," he mused aloud, to Kangee’s confusion.
However, the smile on Donovan’s lips vanished as swiftly as it appeared. Kangee took flight, and Donovan’s eyebrows furrowed as he sensed an unexpected presence behind him.
The peculiar thing was that this presence didn’t trigger his instinctive sense of danger. Instead, the subtle vibration in the earth beneath his feet alerted him to the stranger’s steady approach.
The soft rustle of leaves and the subtle shift in the air announced Mr Irwin’s presence, and his gentle voice carried on with the breeze. "I had a feeling I’d find you here," he said, his words lingering in the silence.
However, Donovan remained motionless, his back still turned to the intruder.
Mr Irwin’s caution was palpable as he added, "This could end badly for if I approached the wrong demon." Though his tone was asured, Donovan sensed a quiet confidence beneath his words, a hint that this intruder was well aware of whom he was addressing. The voice of the man was strangely familiar, yet Donovan’s mory failed to place it.
He rose to his feet, his movents fluid and deliberate as his towering fra unfolded like a dark, imposing statue. He turned to Mr Irwin, who looked at him with an unflinching gaze. Despite the potential danger of being around him, Mr Irwin’s expression remained serene, a calm greeting spreading across his face.
"Long ti no see, Donovan Morgrim." He referred to him by his full na, and in an instant, a star blade materialized, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly light as it rested threateningly against Mr Irwin’s neck. But the man did not flinch, barely betraying a single hint of fear.
Donovan on the other hand, looked bothered at the thought of soone referring to him by his full na.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and nacing. "You have so nerve coming here." His grip on the star blade was steady, but he could not bring himself to strike. His instincts were warring with his rational mind, stopping him from delivering the killing blow. anwhile, Mr Irwin did not mind his threats, and with a deep, almost sorrowful empathy, his gaze took in the intricate web of curse marks that marred Donovan’s body.
"What have you done to yourself?" He asked, his tone gentle and laced with pure concern, despite the blade still pressed against his neck. "This burden... it can kill you."
"I don’t need a terminally ill man telling what can or can’t kill ," he sneered. "Who are you, exactly?"
Kangee squawked as well, demanding Mr Irwin to respond to its master before his fate was sealed. Kangee knew its master’s temperantal behavior all too well, and as long as an Illyrian who isn’t his mate approaches him, that person would be t with a swift and rciless judgnt.
Donovan’s instinct would have prompted him to strike down Mr Irwin the mont he sensed his presence, had it not been for so unknown restraint.
"How could you forget ?" Irwin’s gaze softened. "Fifteen years ago was a long ti, and you were still a child, but do you not recall what happened when I visited you in the dungeon?"
At the ntion of Dungeon, the word stirred a long dormant mory within Donovan’s mind. As Irwin’s aura and voice resonated with recognition, Donovan’s posture stiffened, his muscles tensing beneath his skin. He couldn’t visualize it, but it was a dark, foreboding mont he wished he never rembered – the iron cells, the agonizing tornt, and the countless sleepless nights within those cold, unforgiving walls. Then there was this man, who visited him – a man he dared to trust after eting him just once.
"It’s..." Donovan began, his voice hesitant, as if the phrase were being dragged from the depths of his consciousness.
Irwin’s gaze, however, remained focused on cursed marks etched on Donovan’s skin, his eyes filled with a deep concern. "What exactly did you do to yourself?" he asked. "You never bore so many marks before. How many curses are you trying to ta? They will eat you from the inside out and you can die..."
"Leave," Donovan commanded, swiftly retracting the star blade from Irwin’s neck. It vanished into thin air afterwards, and he took a deliberate step back. "Don’t try to interfere in my matters, lest you suffer the consequences. You broke the promise you made to , Irwin – a promise to never set foot before again."
Mr Irwin’s gaze wavered at the reminder, "Won’t you ask about—"
"No," he quipped, making Irwin look at him. "I don’t want to know if he’s alive or dead. The land you’re in is crawling with malevolent demons. Go ho, and avoid my path." With that, Donovan turned and leaped off the cliff, leaving Mr Irwin to ponder on the severity of his words.
After his exit, Clandestine made her way to her husband, and she was relieved to see that her husband was untouched. She had only allowed him to et with Donovan because, despite his unpredictable nature, she was convinced that he would not hurt her husband.
"What did he say?" She inquired, her voice laced with concern as she gazed at her husband’s troubled expression.
Irwin turned to face his wife, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "He’s avoiding ," he replied. "But there’s sothing else. I think Donovan has made himself a sacrificial lamb."
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