In the Shadow of the Past

When they entered, the mansion was silent. The heavy curtains on the walls of the high-ceilinged hall fluttered slightly in the breeze. A fire burned in the stone hearth; it was clear that someone had been waiting for them.

Lucas sprawled across a wide armchair. Kael opened the small bar cabinet next to the fireplace, pulled out three cups, and filled them with drinks. Velrith stood, her eyes scanning every corner of the hall, cautious, careful.

With a relaxed smile, Lucas said,— "No need to be so tense. It's not as sacred as they make it sound."

Velrith shrugged,— "It just has the vibe of a place where someone's going to ceremonially sacrifice me."

Kael smiled as he handed her a cup,— "That idea has only come up twice. Both times it's been shelved for now."

Velrith took her cup, muttering under her breath before drinking,— "Better being sacrificed than stabbed by someone in my family." Then, loud enough for them to hear, she added, "Being sacrificed doesn't sound like a bad idea after all."

Kael raised his cup,— "Then the first candidate is Lucas."

Lucas furrowed his brow, but his expression remained soft. A small dagger appeared in his hand, more playful than threatening.

Lucas (lightly),— "Really, Kael?"

Velrith turned to Kael, twisting her cup in her hands,— "I could turn my back on him. Even while he's sleeping."

Her eyes then shifted to Lucas, her voice dropping a little,— "But you... You look like you could kill me with a pen from your pocket."

Kael laughed,— "Trust, that's not something earned easily. Lucas is still in his trial phase."

Lucas took his cup,— "Is this because we met an hour late? You're ruthless."

He shrugged,— "Whatever. Even my trial phase is solid. Believe me."

They moved to the armchairs by the fire. The dancing light of the flames illuminated Velrith's face, emphasizing the weariness under her eyes. For a while, no one spoke. Only the crackling of the fire was heard.

After taking a sip from her cup, Velrith broke the silence,— "Should I just tell you without asking?"

Both of them turned to her. Velrith fixed her eyes on the fire,— "I remember who I am. Where I lived, what I felt... and how I died."

Lucas shook his head, but Kael didn't joke this time. They listened carefully.

Velrith,— "I was 15. Now I'm 18. So... I've been waiting in the ground for three years."

Kael leaned forward,— "Really, three years?"

Velrith,— "For some reasons, yes." She paused, then added, "Do you want me to talk about my physical features?"

Kael eagerly,— "I think you should. Considering how good you look now... I'm curious how you appeared back then."

Lucas lightly smacked him,— "Is this really the most important thing right now, Kael?"

Velrith smiled,— "I was the duke's daughter."

Lucas,— "Wait, is there a chance we know someone like you?"

Velrith paused for a moment,— "This... which kingdom is this?"

Kael,— "Nerath."

Velrith's eyes widened slightly,— "Then... do you know all the dukes?"

Kael, lifting his nose slightly,— "We know even a single ant in this kingdom."

Velrith,— "Then... I was the daughter of Duke Varneth."

A look of surprise settled on both Lucas and Kael's faces. Lucas, in a near whisper,— "Are you Elira...?"

Velrith took a step back. She hadn't expected to hear her name. Her eyes locked on Lucas,— "How do you know my name?"

Kael spoke up,— "How could we not know? The daughter of a duke on par with the empire, and someone who caught everyone's attention with her abilities... Also—"

Lucas finished his sentence,— "We knew you. In fact... we met you personally."

Velrith narrowed her eyes. She seemed like she was seeing them for the first time, but something felt familiar,— "I still don't remember you."

Kael, chuckling softly,— "Remember how you said you didn't remember your past?"

Velrith's eyes widened,— "Right... I only remember my final moments. But how did we meet?"

Lucas,— "We measured your magical power. We were also your instructors."

Velrith paused for a moment. Deep in her memory, she recalled one day—two strangers visiting the dukedom... Kael's bright dark blue hair, Lucas' striking yellow eyes.

— "Yes… now I remember a bit."

There was another silence. Then Velrith,— "So... did you hear how I died?"

Kael and Lucas exchanged a look, then turned back to Velrith. Kael,— "They said you went missing on a hunt... that your body was found a year later."

Velrith began to laugh at these words. Lucas and Kael were puzzled.

Velrith,— "Wasn't I the duke's daughter, known for her abilities?"

Kael didn't understand the question, but for Lucas, it was different:

Lucas,— "It was impossible for you to get lost in that forest. You knew it like the back of your hand. And none of the creatures there could compete with your power."

Kael understood with Lucas' explanation,— "So, it was murder... and you knew it."

Velrith shook her head,— "Yes. Let me tell you."

She took a deep breath.

— "When I was heading down to the dining hall, the duke's door was ajar. I heard a foreign voice from inside. I was curious. The speaker was a prince, the heir from another kingdom. They were talking about their plans. How I could be an obstacle... And anyone who heard that conversation would have understood a murder was going to happen."

— "Actually, I was planning to escape early in the morning. But... I remembered a prophecy I had seen before. I changed my plan. I accepted my death."

— "Just as I expected, that night an assassin came to my room. My eyes were open. I didn't resist when the dagger sank into me."

Kael's voice lowered,— "So... your father killed you."

Velrith smiled faintly at the wound those memories left,— "He's not my father anymore. But yes, he sacrificed me for his own plans. If I had a little more time, maybe I could have solved everything."

Lucas draped his arm over Velrith's shoulder and smiled,— "Now we can still solve it. Velrith, you're still Elira."

Velrith looked at him and smiled faintly. She could feel the trust. It was clearer now.

— "Yes... I am Elira. And I am also the last heir of the war god. Just... I've returned in a different body."