Amethyst

Leon was rummaging through Luke's basement which was mostly filled with weapons and the other side was filled with old books. All the books were marked with Rena's name, which meant that they used to belong to Rena.

"What exactly are you looking for?" asked Luke as Leon kept flipping through the books, finishing one and moving on to the next.

"Something that might solve the puzzle in my head," Leon said without looking at Luke at all.

"You want my help?" Shan stood behind Luke and watched Leon.

"No need, just rest and regain your strength."

Shan complied and returned to his place, lying down on the sofa. Luke who saw that just watched Shan, confused between Shan who was indeed very obedient or Shan who offered himself was just a formality.

However, Shan's choice could not be considered the best choice anyway, because Leon really did not like to be disturbed when he was serious and had asked to be disturbed for whatever reason.

"Rena is very fond of reading, Leon, but so far the only books she has read are about wolves, drama novels, and biological things. She has never read about history let alone Orlin's history."

Leon listened, but did not pay attention. He was still indifferent and kept on with what he was doing.

"I know, Uncle is a warrior from the time King Adelmo came to power, I'm sure there must be at least a simple record of Orlin."

Luke who heard Leon's conviction could only sigh, he decided to leave Leon there alone rather than getting caught up in the man's personal beliefs.

Finding nothing, Leon began to put back what he had messed up, but while tidying up, Leon found a paper scattered behind the bookshelf. Grabbing it and looking at it closely. The paper didn't have any writing on it, just a pattern.

A pattern like a diagram of dots and hexagons.

"Is this the pattern of Amethyst?" he said, turning the paper in his hands. King Adelmo had told him that Amethyst was hexagon-shaped and deep purple in color, but even then Leon had never seen it in person.

He was only told its location and given a message to protect it until it actually showed itself to him. It was Leon's oath not to reveal the location that King Adelmo told him to anyone that made Leon keep the secret until now.

"I found this, it's an Amethyst pattern, right?" Leon brought the pattern to Luke who was sitting with a book in his hand.

Luke grabbed the paper and a little surprised he looked at Leon. "Where did you get it?"

"From the few folds of the book on the old shelf, I'm sure it's Amethyst and there's no way it belongs to someone else accidentally tucked inside this house."

Luke paused, looking again at the pattern on the paper in his hand. It was indeed an Amethyst pattern, he was very familiar with it.

At the mention of a familiar name, Shan sat up and looked at Luke and Leon in turn. The name of the diamond stone belonging to Orlin was very famous and almost all Orlin people knew the name, but no one had ever seen it in person except royal descendants.

"If it's not yours, then it's Rena's. And if it's among the book, there must be other pieces she has as well."

Luke shook his head, "It's not Rena's, she never had patterns like this." Luke turned to Leon. "All of Rena's books are stored in that warehouse, there are no other books. If there were other pieces, they would be there too."

Leon looked deeply at Luke, he tilted his head briefly as he felt the middle-aged man was hiding something. But, as Leon read Luke's mind, his entire thoughts matched what he said. In fact, it seemed that he was also surprised by Leon's discovery.

"You don't have to doubt me, Leon. What I say is so transparent and has nothing to hide."

"I want to know how Rena died, how did she die?" Leon asked suddenly.

Luke's face changed instantly. This question of Leon's was not a question he wanted to be asked, and he didn't want to answer it either.

"You have to answer it because I'll keep asking it, how long are you going to keep it a secret?" Leon didn't seem to give Luke time, he kept asking the same question over and over again.

"Stop asking things you don't deserve to ask, I won't answer anything!" Luke stood opposite Leon.

Since knowing Leon ten years ago, the only thing he had never discussed twice was Rena, his wife. For Luke, discussing the woman who filled his heart was just re-watering a wound that had already dried up.

It stings his solar plexus for a second time, and Luke doesn't like that. He just wanted to forget everything with the story of Rena who died because she could not bear their child. It was the only story that existed from the beginning and until whenever it was, it was the only story.

"Stop lying to yourself!" Leon said in a tone high enough to match Luke's tone.

Shan stood up and moved a little closer, just in case the two of them crossed their emotional boundaries. Leon's emotions could do something untoward.

Especially Luke, there was no question that he had lost his mind. Orlin's famous Alphas were not sane, perhaps descended from their king who was equally crazy.

Luke looked down and sighed, "You can find out without asking me if I'm lying or not, Leon," Luke said showing his own head. Explaining how Leon could read his mind in such a way from the definite inner speech to the doubts in his mind.

But Leon still doubted Luke's words, both those spoken directly and those he only said in his head. Leon believes there is a puzzle in there that is hidden and Leon can't guess what the pieces are.

Just like Rhys, Luke must also have a side of him that cannot be detected and is hidden because of his will. Leon couldn't read it, but he could sense it from Luke's movements, his speech and the color of his face.

"I know Rena didn't die from childbirth, Luke." Leon brought his face closer to Luke's. "Who hunted her down and killed her?"