Beyond the Mask

Anger, intense and throbbing, flowed through Marcus's bloodstream. Seeing that dirty soldier smirk at him, despite blood running down his face, caused a new surge of anger to wash over him. He burst into his personal quarters, the solid oak door closing loudly.

Res Aqua was seated next to the window, facing away from him, with her vibrant hair standing out against the pale moonlight coming through. Seeing her, his bethrothed, the love of his life, did not calm the turbulent emotions inside him.

"Res," he snarled, his voice laced with barely controlled anger. "Explain yourself."

Res turned slowly, her face a mask of cool indifference. "Explain what, Marcus?" she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Don't play coy with me," he spat, walking towards her his anger seething "Why were you fraternizing with that… that gutter trash?"

Res's face briefly showed irritation. "It was nothing," she said casually.

"Oh it was nothing, huh?" Res, don't deceive me. I noticed how you glanced at him and leaned in..." He paused, narrowing his gaze. "He uttered some words to you."

Res hesitated, a brief moment of fear passing over her face, brief but unmistakable. "I... I simply requested for him to go away," she stuttered.

"Go away, Go away?" Marcus chuckled without humor. Res, there is no need for you to justify yourself to a mere enlisted soldier. You just instruct him to go away.

He inhaled deeply, attempting to control his anger. He felt that there was more to it. He looked into her eyes, hoping to find solutions. "He mentioned something that I prayed wasn't true, something I had hoped was a lie for 5 years, he asked whether i ... whether i happen to know Elian Aetheris?" she asked, her voice gentler.

The name hung in the air, heavy with unspoken accusations. Marcus watched as a jolt of something akin to terror flashed across Res's face. Her sapphire and emerald eyes widened, momentarily unguarded.

"Elian?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "H-how did he know that name?"

A gasp escaped Marcus's lips. This was more than just a drunken encounter with a conscript. This… this was a connection to the past, a past he would rather forget.

"Res," he said, his voice urgent, "Elian Aetheris… he went dark. He abandoned Arcana Academia, cost them dearly. He… he cost you dearly too, didn't he?"

A tense silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken memories. Res stared at him, her face was so full of emotions: fear, anger and sadness, a flicker of something that might have been grief.

Out of nowhere, a terrifying scream shattered the quietness. A primal howl echoed through the hallway, causing Marcus to shiver. The piercing shriek tore through the meticulously crafted facade, leaving a chilling void in its wake.

Res's complexion turned pale. Filled with fear, her wide eyes met his with a gaze of terror. The abrupt termination of the scream was quickly succeeded by a horrifying thud.

Marcus experienced a chilling fear settle in his stomach.

The cry reverberated down the clean hallways of the palace, a raw sound that filled Res Aqua with a surge of instinctual dread. Marcus seized her arm firmly, his grasp leaving marks. "Remain with me at all times," he croaked, his voice a soft snarl. Rushing towards the sound, the thick oak doors of the interrogation room shattered from Marcus's furious push.

They were immediately struck by the strong, metallic smell of blood hanging in the air like a shroud. Before their eyes, a terrifying scene was revealed in the flickering torchlight. Two of Marcus's most reliable guards were sprawled on the floor soaked with blood, their faces twisted in mute agony. Andre, the drafted soldier, stood bent over their corpses with his back facing them.

However, Andre was no longer the beaten and bloody person that they had tossed into the cell. Two enormous bat wings, dark and shiny in the faint light, grew from his back. His torn garments draped loosely over his slender, strong figure. He had his head lowered, his face covered in darkness.

A deep, guttural growl came from Andre, causing Res Aqua to feel a shiver down

her spine. He stood up gradually, showing a face that was no longer human. His eyes shone with an evil red color, his mouth contorted into a wild growl, showing sharp teeth. His fingertips were adorned with long, black claws that dripped with a thick red fluid.

Res let out a horrifying scream that reverberated throughout the damp stone walls. Fueled by a primal rage, Marcus threw himself at the transformed Andre. He extended his arm to grab Andre's throat, but was forcefully thrown back against the wall by an unseen power.

He fell down in a pile, his breath taken away. He struggled to breathe, looking in shock at Andre, who was now standing with his hand extended towards Marcus, palm up. A mysterious force pulsed through the atmosphere, emanating a sizzling power that immobilized Marcus.

Gradually, the demonic change started to fade away. The bat wings folded back with a snap of leather, disappearing like abandoned capes. Andre's sharp nails returned to regular fingers as the bright red shine in his eyes dimmed to a dull red. He moved back and forth slightly, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"An… Andre?" Res whispered, her voice barely a breath.

Andre turned towards them, his face a mask of exhaustion and confusion. He blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on them.

"I… I am Elian Aetheris," he rasped, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar. Then, his eyes fluttered shut, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.