33

The sun, not the type of the red sky one, was kissing her face when Regan woke up, finding her pet licking her cheeks. "Ruby, no," she chuckled, pushing her away gently. The little creature's eyes grew wide and Regan realized she was doing the puppy face. She was obviously hungry.

Regan rose from the bed, the thought to go and demand answers nagging at the back of her head. She had to know what he was hiding, why Seraphina seemed so elusive when explaining how Regan got these firepowers. 

The cold from yesterday had worsened her cough, and her throat was burning. But she had to forget it, just for a while. She had to get answers. 

Regan began to pace around, her mind reeling for a way to ask him, to not make it awkward, to demand her own right. But every time she thought about his cold, scrutinizing gaze that made her feel uncomfortable, the knot of anxiety only seemed to grow.

Ruby was watching her with wide eyes, her tail swinging back and forth. Regan turned to the little animal and stroked her head, "I have to go out of a while," she said softly. Ruby was smart enough to understand and nod her head. Regan hid her under the bed.

She took a deep breath and stepped out of the chamber, meeting with the ever empty corridor that held an eerie silence. But she didn't even know where he was. How could she find someone to ask, or him himself?

Her mentor's words about the bond, about how to use it to locate him, rang in her head. Regan had never tried it before, nor did she believe it. But now, as she swallowed hard, she thought she could try it just once. It was a trick Seraphina had taught her; close eyes, image him and whisper formulaic words under her breath. Regan felt like an idiot while doing that.

But then, she felt it. A strong stream wrapping around her, leaving a pull forward that felt like a siren's call. It was invisible, but she could feel it. 

She found herself stepping down the intimidating stairs at the end of the hallway, her heart pounding in her ears as the pull grew stronger. It led her to a familiar place, that somehow was already memorized now.

But she couldn't bring herself to approach any of these four doors. What would she say? What would he think? Regan knew that if she kept acting like that, she wouldn't get anywhere.

She started to pace again, her arms crossed, waiting for something, someone or anything that would work. The pull was still there, indicating that he was inside one of the chambers, or near.

It didn't need a lot of time for a doorknob to turn and the door to crack. Regan stiffened, but she didn't move. She stood there, her throat feeling ever sorer than before.

He was dressed in what he usually wore, dark regal attire. His raven hair was messy, as if he had been running his hand on it. "You were waiting for me?" he asked with a smirk, as if he had known all along.

Regan's eyes darted, and she crossed her arms against her chest tightly to not show any nervousness. She hated it.

"I need answers," she replied tersely.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Answers? Early in the morning? To what exactly?"

"I don't want to drag it. I need to know why I'm here," she said, meeting his gaze, "Why I have these powers, why no one tells me a thing, why...." she trailed off when she realized he was practically studying her with a teasing glint. "I'm not here for small talk!" she exclaimed, uncrossing her arms and clenching her fists.

"I'm not either," he retorted calmly, his eyes never leaving hers, "and even if you wouldn't have asked, I'd tell you sooner or later."

Regan's heart raced with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Was the weight of what she had been assuming from his words that heavy?"

"But that's not a conversation we have in hallways," he continued, eyes narrowing slightly, "Come inside," he gestured to the room where he'd exited from.

Regan hesitated, her mind screaming with caution. She didn't want to enter. He noticed, his smirk still there, "Don't worry, I don't bite."

Regan didn't know if she believed that. But she needed answers. With a heavy sigh, she followed him, her steps hesitant and reluctant.

Her eyes scanned the dark room, lingering in the mysterious artifacts and ancient scrolls, set in tall and intriguing bookshelves. The imposing desk was messy and taken by open books and torn papers. On them, she saw some sketches and beautiful handwritten scripts.

He's so talented, she thought. As much as she loathed him, she couldn't deny that his drawings were exquisite. But when she saw the collection of blue butterflies fluttering inside a glass jar, she swallowed nervously. Nonetheless, his study was a testament to his dedication and focus, despite the chaos that surrounded him.

Sirius leaned against the cold, stone wall, that seemed to hold its breath as he spoke, "You're way too curious," he hummed and Regan was growing even more frustrated by his words.

"I don't have time for your assumptions," Regan retorted, her voice razor-sharp. She started to feel hot, either by the room's temperature, or by her own irritation.

"So you want things straightforwardly?" he chuckled darkly, straightening up and walking over to the window. "I've always had a penchant to reveal truths in a subtler way," he pushed the curtain aside, "But I can be different with you," the curtain itself didn't reveal a window.

It revealed a screen, a display full of galaxies and celestial objects as he moved his hand, giving it the command. 

It zoomed into a dark planet, and Regan felt a chill down her spine, a contrast to the room's temperature. "This," he said, nodding at the celestial body that looked like it had been torn apart, "it's where you come from."

Regan fought the urge to scoff, "What are you saying?" she replied, her tone incredulous though there was a slight tremor in it.

"You heard me," Sirius closed the curtain, "You're not from Earth, Regan. You're from this planet called Avalon, a destructed, forgotten oblivion now."

Regan shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing. This couldn't be possible, "I was born in Earth," she said, both trying to convince him and herself, "I'm not some alien or whatever you're trying to convey."

"And what proof do you have?" His eyes narrowed, a mocking edge on his voice, "You don't even know your parents. You don't even remember your childhood. You," he stopped, taking a step forward, "have always felt lonely, haven't you?"

Regan swallowed tightly. His words hit home and she couldn't shake the fact that they were true. But what he was saying was beyond bewilderment. "I was raised by my aunt," she protested, "My parents, the car accident....they weren't aliens!"

Sirius chuckled but it was devoid of emotion, "These parents you talk about, they weren't even your biological ones."

Regan's eyes widened. He was twisting her life before her eyes, with just some words. What was he saying? That she was adopted?

"You're telling me I'm adopted?" she snapped, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and uncertainty.

"Not just adopted," Sirius clarified, "You're brainwashed, Regan. With no memories of your past. The sole elements that connect you to Avalon, are your powers, your scar, and the necklace you bear."

Regan's hand instinctively went to her neck, realizing that she had been wearing the necklace since ever. She hadn't even noticed that, nor had sought comfort that it could bring her memories from Earth. But she didn't understand what he meant by that.

"What does that have to do with it?" she demanded.

"Everything," Sirius replied, sitting on a plush chair, crossing his legs, "The blood than runs in your veins it's not earthly. It's regal," he paused, studying her shocked growing expression, "You were born in a royal family, Regan."

Regan blinked repeatedly, her mind a mess of what she thought she knew, and what she had never ever thought. How could it be? How could her aunt have kept this from her? Had she even known anyway? What he said....the loss of memories. She didn't remember much from her childhood.

"The necklace," he began once more, steepling his fingers together, "You've never wondered why it doesn't have your initials, but instead just a Y? It means 'Yloria', your real birth name."

"W-What?" Regan stuttered, her heart pounding in her chest. Everything was happening so fast. Yloria? She had never really questioned the pendant that much. Just a letter, she had thought. She looked down at the necklace, the 'Y' glinting in the dim light like it was telling her something.

"No, this can't be possible," Regan breathed, her voice unsteady. "You're selling me lies and you think I'll buy them?!" she shouted.

Sirius shrugged, "I'm telling you the truth. But if you choose to keep believing lies, do it. It won't change anything."

Regan shook her head. No, she couldn't believe this. Her parents, she didn't much remembered them. But another planet? Royal family?

"What do you mean with 'royal family'? Where....where are my real parents then?" She had never thought she'd ask such a question. She had been living with her aunt, but never had questioned there would be more to her parents than just a car accident.

A cold smirk found its way on his face again, as if that was the favorite part of his, "They fell," he said tersely, as if the weight of the words mattered nothing to him. "Along with Avalon's destruction."

The walls felt like they were enclosing on her. Did that mean that her 'biological parents' were dead as well? Those times she had acknowledged how different she looked from her Earth parents, she hadn't ever seriously entertained the thought of having other parents. But now that he was saying it, she couldn't help but feel a pang of hopelessness.

"And how do you know all that?" Regan asked again, noting the room spinning around her and she felt the sudden urge to open these heavy curtains.

He stood up from the chair, stepped closer to her, steps deliberate, "I know because I was there," he said, his voice lower, rougher, "I was the one who destroyed your kingdom. Your parents," his voice dropped to a menacing whisper, "your everything."

Regan stumbled back. His words, so venomous, yet spoken with an eerie chillness, hit her like icy shower of thorns.

"I don't believe you," she countered, barely holding her voice from trembling, taking a step back, "You have to prove it to me."

Sirius's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't deter, "With all my pleasure," he said, the smirk not faltering. Regan's thoughts were spiraling out so overwhelmingly that she didn't even notice when he was close enough at the arm's length.

He raised his hand to her forehead, but she backed away, "I'll show you a glimpse of memory," he said, but there was no sarcasm in his voice. Regan didn't know what was happening. He placed two fingers straight on her forehead and she felt like something within her was being tugged.

Her vision blackened before she could move, an entire new image flashing in her eyes. She vaguely saw a place of fire and ash, a terrific landscape of war, people running for their lives, and amidst all that, a little redhead girl hiding. The pressure of voices in her head grew unbearable and she pushed his hand away, ceasing the spell, suddenly struggling for air.

That moment, it had felt like a dam had broken, like a memory she didn't even know she had.

She looked at him, at his smug expression and something within her snapped, "Why did you do that to them?" she gritted out, the strands of her red hair begining to spark and float slightly.

"They were obstacles," Sirius answered with cold eyes that were still looking at her, "They had to be removed. Just like you do now, Princess Yloria."

Regan's heart sank. The way he talked about the parents she had never known, never thought of, it was as if they were mere objects in his game to be removed or deleted. The gravity of his words, of everything washed over her and Regan blinked to keep her eyes from watering.

"You...you killed my parents," she said, more like a statement, her chest tightening.

But he just chuckled, "Parents you never missed, a life you never imagined. And now you're going to play the grieving daughter?" he sneered. His words were sharp, slithering like a serpent's hiss.

But he was wrong. She may have not lived in grief or with serious questions about why she was so different. But she had missed a mother, a father. She had felt the emptiness, even though she didn't know it existed.

"You don't know anything about me," she spat, her hair now emanating fire, "You're a heartless monster. A criminal. A murderer."

Sirius's eyes narrowed slightly, "I never claimed otherwise. But that's the truth. That's who you are, who I am. You're a thorn in my side, princess. But if you," he paused, all aware of her fiery hair, and her body trembling with anger and hurt, "if you join me, I might consider letting you live."

But Regan was beyond words. Her blood was boiling, her breathing quick and shallow. She barely had time to register the revelation, the implication of his words. She just knew that her hand shot up, a large fireball forming in her palm and she threw it at him without a second thought.

Sirius's instincts were sharp though and he dodged, the fireball flashing past him, crashing against the wall with such force that made it crack. Regan's own eyes widened at her fire. But she had wanted to hit him, not the wall.

"So this is how it's going to be," Sirius muttered, brushing off the smoke from his coat. Regan gritted her teeth, her anger fueling her rage as she attacked him again. He held his own hand, neutralizing the fire, but not attacking back. "You'd have to do better than that, Yloria."

Regan could feel the tears prickling her eyes, part from the absurdity of her life, part from the way her powers didn't even seem to touch him.

"I'd never join you!" she spat out, her voice shaking with anger, eyes blazing, "You destroyed my life! My-my family!"

"A family you never knew," Sirius retorted, a mocking smirk still on his face. "A family you don't even remember."

"That's because of your fault!" Regan shouted, taking a step closer, "You're going to regret it! You're going to regret killing them, whatever you've done!"

"Ah, so you feel sad for the regal life you lost," he chuckled, this time casting a spell with his palm, temporarily blocking her powers. "You should be lucky you've lived far from it."

"I don't care about the royal life," Regan snapped, her voice high and cutting, though she couldn't entirely shove the thought of what could've it been if she'd lived that life.

He began to pace, but now circling her, his presence both ominous and strangely....alluring. "But you wonder what it would've been like," he drawled, as if reading her mind. "Let me tell you, you'd have lived in luxury and all. But freedom would be a mere impossible dream."

"I'm not free here either," Regan shot back, trying to control her breathing.

"But in Earth you had choices," he pointed out, reaching to grab a tuft of her floating hair, but she only recoiled, "They wouldn't force you to marry a coward, promiscuous prince like your mother did," his expression grew darker and his words, spoken with a surprising bitterness, hit like a sledgehammer, "But in Avalon, they would've married you off to the first suitor they'd find."

Regan felt a flicker of doubt. What did he mean when he talked about her mother? She didn't even know what to believe anymore. If she'd listen at her skepticism, it'd tell her this was all a web of darkness and lies she was caught in.

"You don't get to decide that," she hissed, trying to ignore how close he was, "Why should I even believe you?"

Sirius stopped for a moment, his eyes glinting with something unreadable, "Believe or not, Regan. This is the truth. The romanticism of a royal life is a mere facade. It conceals darkness. An empire built on sins, lust and greed." 

There was a certain disdain in his voice, one that Regan found hard to grasp. He was talking about sins when his soul was blacker than sin itself. 

"And what do you even know about sins?" Regan sneered sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"More than you think," Sirius replied, his voice low and dangerous, "But of course, it's easy for you to judge."

Regan's fists clenched, trying to lit up a flame. But as soon as it sparked, it faded. She couldn't help the frustration. 

"You dare talk about sins when you... you're...you and these who–" Regan cut herself off sharply, realizing what she was about to say. No, she couldn't afford such slip of tongue. It'd be too personal, too prying.

He paused, locking eyes with her. "These who?"

An unwanted flush crept up Regan's cheeks. Why did she have to say that?

"Who obey you," she corrected, darting her eyes away.

"Ah, I see," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "They obey me because they don't have a choice, princess. Because they know where they stand, and where I do. And as for your past," he stepped back, releasing her hair, "I did what I did for my reasons, just as you unleash your flames for yours. You and I, we're not so different, princess, both fueled by our own motivations."

"I'm nothing like you," Regan seethed, the neckline on her neck feeling way too heavy, "You have no right to insult my family and me!"

"Oh, I'm not insulting you," his voice was softer, almost taunting, "You're pure and untouched by the darkness that surrounds the world. But destiny has its way of making things complicated. The fire bond, precisely."

"I don't give a damn about the fire bond," Regan spat through gritted teeth. She didn't want to do anything with him, let alone be connected in such way. "You destroyed my life, and I'll make sure you pay for it," she declared, her voice trembling with determination.

"So you choose to fight," Sirius noted, his eyes still cold yet filled with something she couldn't figure out. "But if you'd side with me, we could achieve great things together."

The audacity he had grated on Regan's nerves. It made no sense. Why would he want her on his side?

"Never, ever," Regan's voice was furious, filled with an unwavering conviction, "I'm not some tool for you to use."

Sirius smiled, but it was a thin one, one that didn't reach his eyes, "Excellent," he said, his voice calm but dangerous, "But remember, vengeance is a sword that cuts both ways, princess. Wars have one victor. And t

hat won't be you."

And with these ominous words, he stepped back, a black mist forming around him until he disappeared into the shadows of the chamber and left Regan there, torn and damaged.