SECOND CHANCE

How strange to dream of you, even when I am wide awake.

-Kiki Sloane-

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Tarsa could hear her mother's voice, screaming something, yet she couldn't catch a single word from the door that was slightly ajar.

She was breathless when she finally reached the office door and the doorknob felt cold in her touch when she stretched out her hand to push the door open.

At first, Tarsa wanted to announce her presence, yet when she caught a glimpse of what was happening inside the room, she slammed the solid dark wood open.

There, there was a man that Tarsa recognized as the protector of the late Kairi. He was holding a beautiful sword, but it didn't look solid, yet at the same time she knew the sword would cut anything that touched its magical blade.

That must be the famous wind sword of the protector. Tarsa had never seen it with her own eyes, but she heard a lot of marvelous rumors about it.

"No! Stop!" In her haste, Tarsa ran toward the man and stood up between the blade and her parents.

Tarsa managed to put herself in such a position not because all of sudden she could move as fast as lightning, but because the three of them were caught by surprise with her sudden appearance.

Damon stopped mid-air with his sword still in his hand, but when Tarsa ran toward him and stood in his way, he made a slicing movement.

After all, this was the girl who took Xierra's heart.

"STOP!" Tarsa screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw the wind blade was very close to her. Surely, it would cut her mercilessly, and probably she would regret her reckless act, but it was her parents there. She wouldn't stand by the side when both of them were in danger.

However, the excruciating pain that she expected didn't happen, as she felt warm wind brushed her face and untied her hair.

Tarsa's long black hair fell on her shoulder and covered half of her face, while she heard her parents call out her names in panic.

She knew this was a stupid decision, but she moved out of instinct. The instinct to protect people that she loved.

"What are you doing?!" Claire pulled her daughter close to her and hid Tarsa behind her back.

Only then did Tarsa open her eyes and was surprised that she didn't even get a scratch from the blow. She raised her head and found Damon staring at her with an indecipherable gaze. What was happening? Wasn't she being stabbed by him a moment ago?

Tarsa's eyes traced to Damon's hand, which no longer held the wind sword. The sword just vanished.

"Don't you dare to touch my daughter!" Claire glared fiercely at Damon, despite her trembling body, while Russel stood in front of his wife and daughter.

"Leave them alone, I will go with you," Russell said in a defeated tone. There was no way they could fight the members of Duvessa, not even the military out there could hold them for a long time. He was screwed when he made that decision and thought they would let them slip unscathed.

"No!" Claire disagreed, even so, she didn't have any other solution to solve the problem. She just didn't want to lose her daughter or husband.

Wasn't that too much to ask? Wasn't Russell's status as president of this country, at least, could do something about this situation?

"Enough!" Russell barked at his wife angrily. Claire was too emotional and it clouded her judgment and understanding of what they were facing right now. "Take Tarsa out of this room. I will go to see Kairi Ariana and talk to her."

Claire wanted to reject that, but she had never seen Russell, who was very frustrated. The way his husband looked at her as if he was pleading for her to do what he said.

On the other hand, Damon didn't say anything when the family of three in front of him was having their own time to have their disagreement.

Because he had his own fracas in his mind. Damon's cold eyes stared intensely at the girl, who was hiding behind her parents.

Damon wouldn't be mistaken. That was the same feeling and authority that he felt a moment ago when the girl told him to stop.

His sword did not disappear on its own; neither did he have any intention of stopping. Hell, he wanted to tear the girl's body so badly and pulled out Xierra's heart from her.

However, when she told her to stop, it was the same command that Xierra used. The voice that filled with authority and an unbreakable spell that demanded him to obey.

Not only that, the disappearance of the wind sword was another proof that he didn't imagine things just because he missed Xierra.

The wind sword existed to protect all the Kairi, thus it wouldn't be able to be used to hurt them.

If that was the case, then… What was she?

The girl absolutely was not Kairi, but her heart…

Could it be possible?

Has something like this ever happened before?

"You will not go anywhere," Damon said in a rigid tone when he saw Claire was about to bring Tarsa out of the room.

"I will go with you. The decision's my mistake." Russell insisted on taking all the blame. "If the Duvessa wanted me to step down from my position and receive my punishment, I would do it."

Damon's eyes were still fixed on Tarsa. However, those eyes did not belong to Xierra.

Xierra's gaze was always full of determination and confidence. There was no fear or doubt in her eyes, not like her. Not like the eyes that were currently returning his gaze!

"You will come with me." Damon ignored Russell's rumble, as he nodded to Tarsa. He would make sure of it.

Whether his theory was right or not…

And whatever the answer would be, probably this was his second chance to repent for his negligence.