Who are you?

Chapter ten

Ethan walks forward, just when he raises his leg to walk inside the forest. A weight fell on him, rolling him away aside.

Ethan struggles to stand up. He looks at the man that had just hindered him from entering the forest.

He didn't know if it was a curse or a blessing.

"Hey! What the fuck were you trying to do, you could have_," the words vanished from his mouth like a rocket off to mar.

Lucas looks at Ethan closely, then his gaze fell on his clothes. Amazed at what he's wearing, Lucas smiles slightly, "What are you doing wearing that, Ryder?"

Ethan turn away from him and commenced towards the forest again.

The sudden howl from the forest pulled them to a stop. Lucas looks at Ethan again, unable to believe his eyes.

If a beast is howling in there, then this isn't Ryder.

But that wasn't possible. How could the man look so much like Ryder? Perhaps the one in the forest isn't Ryder.

Lucas rushes to Ethan, "Ryder?"

Ethan raises a brow, "I don't know what you are referring to but don't try to stop me from dying," he yells out angrily.

Ethan tried again but this time, Lucas held him so tight by his hand, "I can't let you go. If you go, you will die.".

Ethan whips his head towards him, " I don't care. I have no reason to stay alive," his voice was emotionless.

Ethan hits Lucas by his stomach and rushes to enter the forest at Lucas' hesitation.

Lucas jumps up quickly and pulls Ethan back with his left hand.

Ethan turns back to look at him, "What do you want from me!" His angry voice echoes out his sadness.

Lucas stares at him longer than he should, "Why do you look so much like the beast in there."

Ethan look at him harden, "What do you mean by that?"

Lucas sighs, "The beast is very upset with himself because of his birth circumstances, something he can't even avoid. And he's sad because he's just lost something so precious. Is the same going on with you?"

Ethan's lips thin, his eyes widen, " How did you know?"

Ethan's head whirl as he thought of Bryson and how miserable his life was. Was the man before him a sorcerer?

"Do you think the beast should kill himself because of it?"

"Why not? What's his existence in life?"

Lucas smiles faintly, " If it was that easy, it might have been better. But, Ryder can never perish. He's an immortal. Only he can kill himself," he turns to look at the forest.

Ryder? Ethan quickly searches his brain for something. The name sounds familiar but Ethan couldn't place it.

"Tell me, what are you running away from?" When Ethan didn't answer, Lucas sighs, " What if I tell you a true-life story?"

Ethan watches Lucas walk to a big fallen tree. He sits and looks over at him.

Ethan sighs and reluctantly walks closer to him.

"There was a man that was cursed from birth. He would turn into a beast with blood lust whenever he got angry. And he grew up like that, morphing into a beast and killing the innocent. I heard he even killed his mother."

Ethan's eyes went wide at the confession, " What?"

Lucas's expression was grief as he continues, "He met a girl, I think she's the first woman he loved. Well, the lady possesses some qualities because the man was able to control his beast for some minutes even after she had been killed."

" Who killed her?" Ethan grew anxious to know.

Lucas sighs and quickly remembers the moment they walked out on the witch holding the girl by her neck. It was a sad moment to remember.

"The witches did. Though the reason why it is so is still as confusing as the weather."

" And where is the beast?"

Lucas looks ahead at the forest, the loud echo of his howl can still be heard. Lucas sighs, "He's in that forest, battling with pain and anger but he didn't kill himself."

Ethan looks away, disappointed at himself for a moment. Maybe Lucas was right, he reasons and sighs.

"So," Lucas was saying as he looks at him again, " Why did you want to kill yourself?"

Ethan blinks once and tries to hold back the tears. Then, he narrates his earlier encounter with the ministers' sons. Especially his revenge plan after they had sent someone to kill the only man he knew as family.

"I'm scared they might be looking for me at the moment," Ethan says, his voice thick with emotions. The sounds of his sad voice remind him of Ryder.

And he realized how much he has missed him.

Lucas gets up and walks back to the entrance of the forest. He picks up a bag and walks back to Ethan, "Let's go to my house. You will be safe there."

Both men walk a few kilometers away from the forest, to a small hut. The hut was Belle's house. Lucas doesn't even know where her father was. And he hasn't had the time to look for him. All that was on his mind was staying with Ryder.

They walk inside and Lucas drops the bag with him on the table.

The room has been transformed magically. There's a huge bed, with a quality bedsheet. Also, there are chairs and a table aside.

Lucas also made a shelf and put some books on it.

"Have you eaten?" Lucas asks as he watches Ethan walk to the chair. Now that he thinks about it, even the way they walk seems so much the same.

"No. I haven't had anything since morning."

Lucas moves to the rear part of the room and opens the cupboard, " it's almost evening. You must be starving," he brings out a loaf of bread with mayonnaise and places it on the table. He walks back to get him some water.

Ethan had delved into the food before he came back. He places the water on the table before he took a seat beside him.

"So, how is the beast to you?" Ethan says amidst the food in his mouth.

" He's a friend and he's the closest I've ever had."

Ethan stares at him for a while, taking in his sadness before he gulps down some content of the water.

He soon finishes and walks back to the cupboard to keep the Mayonnaise in, "So, what are you doing here? Do you guys live here?"

"No," Lucas made a short nod, " I'm waiting for him," he looks out of the window towards the direction of the forest, "I can only leave here with him. But he's too angry to do that," he looks at Ethan, " What will you do now?"

"I guess I will just go back home and face whatever punishment awaits me."

" Liam will kill you."

Ethan raises a brow, surprised, " Liam? Do you know him?"

Lucas opens his mouth to speak but the neigh of horses outside interrupts him.

He stood and walk to the left window, the one that leads to the village. He opens the door slowly and looks out. He watches the soldiers march towards their hut.

For a while, he thought they would only walk by. But the moment he saw Damian and Carlos, he knew they were looking for Ethan.

"What's it?" Ethan jots him out of his thoughts and moves to check what he had just seen.

Lucas pave a way for me.

Ethan's eyes almost bulge out as he stares back at Lucas, "They are here for me. Are they really going to kill me?"

Lucas thinks for a while and walks to the bed. He unzips the bag and brings out nice trousers and a t-shirt, with a cotton jacket.

He throws them at Ethan, "Wear them!"

Ethan looks at the clothes longer than he should, the soft material indicated it was something the nobles do wear. He has seen something of such on the ministers' sons.

"Wear them now if you want to save yourself!" Lucas informs again, urgently.

Ethan quickly pulls off the clothes he's wearing. He wears the one Lucas gave him.

The sudden knock on the door sprang Ethan to hasten up. Lucas picks the clothes and pulls them under the bed before he moves to the door.

Lucas opens the door slightly and stares into the face of Carlos, "Hi."

Carlos frowns, "I'm looking for a bastard and I got some information he's in."

" I and the prince are in. So, I don't know what you are talking about," Lucas says slowly.

Carlos pushes him away angrily, opening the door very wide so he would be able to enter.

Ethan sat on the chair, staring out through the window at the forest.

Carlos walks in and gives the room deep scrutiny. He walks some steps so he would be able to look at Ethan's face.

Ethan's heartbeats increases and he had to pray silently so Carlos wouldn't get who he was by its sound.

"How dare you disrespect his highness!" Lucas shouts at Carlos.

Ethan felt a sudden thud in his heart at his outburst. His highness?

Carlos forces his head to bow slightly, "I'm sorry. I was looking for someone. And I didn't expect to find you here."

" I didn't expect to find you here too, behaving like a nuisance," Ethan manages to say without exposing his identity.

Carlos clears his throat meaningfully, "I will take my leave now," he looks at Ethan's face again before he walks out.

Lucas closes the door and looks back at Ethan.

Ethan's heartbeat hasn't returned to normal. He still felt the fear in his body. The way his body shudder uncontrollably was a sign.

Ethan turns to look at Lucas suddenly. Something was wrong somewhere. Carlos is a minister's son and he knows what the prince looks like.

How then could he not see beneath the lies?

Ethan gets up, "Isn't there something you aren't telling me?"

Lucas sighs, "I thought I might not have to say it."

Ethan gives him a skeptical look, " What are you talking about? I mean isn't Carlos supposed to recognize me? He saw my face. Or are you a sorcerer? And how did he know you? Who are you really?"

Lucas sighs and takes a step closer, "I'm not a sorcerer and I don't possess magic. I'm Lucas, the prince's bodyguard."

Ethan takes a step, the pieces were finally coming together.

"And you," Lucas continues," and the prince looks the same."

Ethan's heart stops breathing as he stares at Lucas with his mouth open in agape.

Lucas nods briefly, "The height, the voice, the way you walk, and most especially your face seems similar."

"Now, it's my turn to ask who you are," Lucas sighs deeply, " So, who are you?"