Ephemeral Encounter

MEN hate crying more than anything else. That's why they rarely do it. However, it doesn't mean that they're not capable of feeling pain. When they do cry, it just means that they're too tired of acting strong or when they are so afraid of losing someone they love more than themselves.

And this is the first time someone bawls their eyes out upon seeing her. She's not sure exactly what to feel. Although Selene wonders, as she gently taps the Emperor's back while he sobs in her arms, who did he lose for him to act this way? Who did he see when he looks at her? He must have loved that someone so much that he let his guard down in front of a stranger. Selene's heart breaks with the thought. Somehow, she doesn't understand herself anymore.

Abruptly, he breaks away from her embrace but without letting go of her shoulders. He carefully examines every part of her face and down the slope of her neck. When he had enough, his eyes landed back on her face, and she stares back at him. However, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration. It's that look again. Those shining silver eyes are bothering her. Aside from his voice, his face also looks familiar, especially his eyes. Though no matter how much she tries to remember, the memory keeps slipping away from her grasp, and she finds herself at a loss again. At that moment, Selene thought that she really needed to go.

"Have you calmed down?" Selene asked while gently wiping away the remaining tears that fall down his cheeks. He didn't reply and only affectionately watches her face that it's getting uncomfortable. It's like he's imprinting the memory of her face on his mind like he's afraid that he might lose it.

Selene clears her throat before she starts talking. Her voice slightly trembles, but she forced herself to finish what she's going to say. "Whoever it is, you must have mi-ssed her very much, but I'm sorry, I'm not that person. You must have mistaken for someone else."

For a moment, a look of confusion crosses his eyes, but it instantly vanishes and is replaced with a determined look. He shakes his head, obviously not believing her. His voice sounded clear and firm in refuting her that she's already groaning inside her head.

"I am not mistaken. It's you. I will always recognize you," the Emperor stopped for a while as if thinking before touching her cheeks and squeezing it hard. Selene struggles to get out of his grasp as she slaps his hand away. Selene gives him a death glare while rubbing her injured cheeks.

"But…it's true that you look younger. It's been years already, but it looks like you haven't age"

In an instant, his other hand landed on her loose hair and started caressing it intimately, "And your hair, it has a different color now. Did you dye your hair?"

What the hell is this pervert talking about? He may look handsome and angelic, but there's nothing innocent with what he's doing. Is he into kids? Selene's eyes widen in surprise, and an alarm starts blaring off inside her head when his hand landed on her neck, especially when he swept away locks of hair that's been covering her nape. Selene immediately covers her neck and kicks him in the shin before putting a distance away from him.

"What are you trying to do?" she asks angrily. Selene was taken aback when he didn't budge from her kick. It also doesn't look like he got physically hurt. It seems like he is completely detached from everything else as his focus solely remained on her. Is he alright?

Selene raised her hand and took a step back when the Emperor moves forward. "Don't come!"

The crazy-pervert Emperor ignored her protest and quickly crossed the distance between them before cupping her face using both of his hands. "I'm just going to check if you have the same mole on your neck," he declares, his voice suddenly sounding hoarse and breathless.

He has no intention of listening! Selene's mouth slacks open in disbelief, and she's already thinking about knocking him out when the door opens, revealing a huge and scary looking man. He freezes in his tracks, and his gaze bounced back from her to him until one terrifying death glare from the Emperor made him straightened his back.

"I got a report from one of the Black knights that the High Priestess has arrived in the palace. The Queen is already heading there as we speak."

Selene immediately recognizes his voice from earlier. He must be his personal guard.

"Prepare the carriage, Alastor. We will go through the back exit," the Emperor swiftly ordered. Alastor spares her a brief glance before nodding and immediately went outside, leaving them again alone in the room. The Emperor grabs his coat from the couch and put it on her head, to probably cover her face.

Selene looks at him in panic. "I really think I need to leave right now."

The Emperor looks at her incredulously. "What are you talking about? You're coming with me."

Selene freezes when his arm snakes around her waist while the other went down her thighs.

"What—Woah! Let go of me!" she screams at the top of her lungs while effortlessly carries her outside the room.

Although there weren't any people around, he slightly pushes her head down while securely keeping the coat on her face as they traverse through the hallways. Selene attempts to get away, but his strong arms tightly secure against her body as if locking her in. It's not like she is completely helpless against his hold. She can just knock him out to escape, but why is she hesitating? And why the hell does it feel comfortable in his arms?! Selene feels confused but secure as her head nestles on his chest. However, the feeling of security instantly dissipates when she hears a loud bang from a distance. The Emperor suddenly stops walking, and Selene immediately removes the cover on her face.

She follows the direction of his gaze, and her eyes landed on a giant spiky bat that got stuck in one of the pillars across the hallway. The intense impact of the weapon flying from somewhere did quite a number on it that it left huge dents on the walls and the columns. The place might collapse any minute. From below in the arena, Selene hears high-pitched screams and sounds of hundreds of footsteps scrambling away, as if trying to escape. And then something gigantic jumps in the upper deck of the coliseum, a short distance away from where they were standing.

Across the hallway, there is a muscular giant draped with what looks like an animal skin crouched on the floor. He almost looks like a human except that he must probably tower over fourteen feet tall if he's standing properly. He has dark curly hair that matches his golden sun-kissed skin and an eerie pair of obsidian-coloured eyes. However, there's a long bloody gash on the left side of his cheeks that marred his face. It looks like he was looking for something, and true enough, he tried to grab the spiky bat that got stuck.

When he managed to bring it down, chunks of stones and concrete fell down in one swoop that Selene gasps in surprise. Selene didn't know if the giant felt her gaze on him but was suddenly staring back at her. He looks at her almost too curiously, that his head cocks on the side.

"Why is the beast from the Nodhor here? These bloody nobles and their pathetic games!" the Emperor angrily mutters while holding her body even more tightly. Suddenly, a band of female knights appears from their back, forming a defense line in front of them.

"We will take it from here, your Imperial Majesty. Please, move to safety," one of the female knights, who must be probable the leader, announces as she pulls her massive sword from its scabbard.

The Emperor didn't waste any second and immediately takes off with her in the opposite direction. Selene's hand tightens on his shirt as he picks up speed when the ground suddenly trembles. When the giant howls, the loud vibration of his voice sent tremors to the ground. It shakes everything that surrounds them. In just an instant, a chunk of the ceiling rains down on them, followed by a falling pillar. The Emperor managed to dodge it while protecting her with his body; however, he fails to notice a wooden bat from behind smashing his head. Selene screams in surprise when the Emperor falls down on his knees but still refusing to let go of her body until he finally loses consciousness and slumps on the ground.

Selene feels like her heart stopped as tears start streaming down her face. She frantically checked his head to see his injury when a hand grabs her arm. Selene looks back to see Cessair holding a blood-stained wooden bat with a resolute look on his face.

"Selene, let's get out of here. We have no time to waste." Cessair said with an unusually cold voice.

Selene looks back at the Emperor's unconscious face, and calmly replied. "No, he protected me. I can at least keep him somewhere safe before leaving."

"But, we don't have any ti—"Selene immediately cuts off Cessair from further saying anything. "I won't leave him alone here. Help me carry him."

Cessair exhales loudly and grabs his hair in frustration. "Alright, I will help you carry him, but we need to make it fast."

Cessair grabs the Emperor's right arm and put it on his shoulder while she did the same with his left. They managed to carry him up to the coliseum entrance without being noticed after using passageways that are unknown to the audience. It feels like Cessair has been in this place numerous times with how he completely memorized every entrance and exits. He opens locked and hidden doors without hesitation. Everyone has also been running away from the place that no one spared them glance, although the Emperor's knight must be looking for him right now.

Once they emerged outside, Selene places the Emperor's body in a corner and puts back the coat he's given her to cover him. While Cessair stands guard and using his body to cover them, Selene places her hand on his injured head and heals it. Thankfully, the wound wasn't that deep. He will wake up soon after taking a good rest.

Selene stares at the sleeping Emperor, and her hand automatically traces his smooth and pale face. Even when unconscious, his thick black eyebrows are scrunched up together that he can see wrinkles in between it. There are also dark circles beneath his eyes that show he must be having trouble falling asleep. Selene's fingertips trail down the slope of his aquiline nose down to his charming rosy lips that are slightly parted. She also gently brushes away the locks of wavy dark hair covering his eyes and tucks it down beside his ear.

She feels guilty, leaving him alone like this, but it won't bode well for her if others see her. She can't attract any attention more than this. But why do Selene's feet feel like it's glued to the ground refusing to leave? Why is she feeling this way? Just who is he? If only she can see his memories, but no matter how many times she touches him, she didn't see anything. She really needed to learn how to control her abilities.

Not long after she finishes healing him, she hears Alastor's voice calling out to his master. Selene immediately stands up in a panic pulling Cessair's hand to escape, not realizing that the clasp of her necklace snaps, leaving behind the signet ring that she's been keeping safe her whole life.