PART TWO

His boot touched the ground, pressed into the jagged stone as he neared the edge of the cliff. Up there the wind was turbulent and moving with a raging taunt as it pushed against his back.

Up there he was alone.

Orixe closed his eyes, every breath slower than the one before. Beyond the restlessness of his own heart, he could hear the trees rustling below - a sea of green and yellow waving at the rise of the sun. Warmth trickled onto his skin - his jet black hair brushing against pale skin as his eyelids slowly lifted.

The wind had driven him far during the shade of night - farther than he imagined.

To the west was Alor, just speckles of their golden roofs greeting the morning sun. And to the east was the camp - the camp where the Zeros waited with unwilling patience for his return.

He knew running away was selfish, unbecoming of his position, but everything was unfolding little by little inside of him.

He took a breath - cool air rushing in and then out as he lifted his right hand in front of him. The crevices of his palm were calloused and rough with his thumb slightly swollen - he frowned as his fingers began to shake.

How long had it been since he felt this way? Since he allowed himself this selfish moment?

It was an endless overflowing of everything he had kept to himself for all those years.

Anger.

Fear.

Loss.

Happiness.

Memory.

All because of the possibility. All because of him.

It felt strange and alarming - being able to feel everything again.

He frowned, staring at the light imprint burned into his wrist - the result of a branded sigil. A mark of belonging and ownership.

A mark of punishment.

No. Remember your duty. He reminded himself as he clenched his fist tight to stop the shaking.

The duty of Orixe was as the leader of the Zeros and the loyal commander in service of the Red King. It was a title he had earned.

Duty came before all else. It was his duty to bring his captives to Gaamor - to present the Ancient at the feet of the throne.

Duty above all else, no matter the cost.

He clenched his jaw, taking another breath to regain his composure.

ORIXE

Luhan’s urgent call rang clearly in his mind.

“What is it?” he spoke out loud.

The boy…..do we wake him?

His brow squeezed together - a breathless sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

“No,” he stated without explanation. He didn’t tell his comrade then about his wavering confidence - his fear of abandoning his duty if he was to see Baekhyun awake.

“Prepare for Krell,” he ordered, “and interrogate his friends. One of them must be hiding the Ancient.”

Okay, Luhan answered, when will you be back?

“Now,” Orixe replied as he looked down over the cliff, and with another step - he fell.

His feet dropped, the weight of gravity pulling until the wind caught his body - carried him faster until all he could hear was the rushing wind and the muffled tone of Luhan’s questions drowned in the back of his mind.

MANY YEARS AGO….

A flicker of candlelight absorbed into the darkness - shadows cast against stone halls and moments of stifled laughter echoing within its cracks.

He held himself back, breath mute and body melding into the obsolete as the damp stone pressed against his thin linen shirt.

The wait was always uncomfortable, unbearable. It was the only part of this game that he hated the most.

Uncountable moments.

Restless time.

Everything that fought against his wild nature.

But the wait was simply the beginning because between the stiffness of his sore arms and the chill of the midnight cold, lay the dread -

- the dread of never finding.

- the dread of never being found.

He scrunched his shoulders, palms rubbed against his shivering arms in agitation. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear it.

An echo of stifled laughter.

A rustle of clothing and footsteps.

He smiled - a warmth thawing the corners of his frozen lips.

Patience, he told himself, patience was the key.

One breath, slow and steady.

Another echo of laughter, this time louder. He shifted deeper into the shadows - eyes now targeted and focused on the figure emerging from the end of the hall.

Another quiet breath.

He focused his emotions and held them back as the beat of careful footsteps paced hesitantly - closer and closer. Amidst the darkness, his eyes were a shade of dark blue - a sheen of a vibrant glow as his prey now stood directly in front of him with his back turned.

His veins pumped with vitality - an initiation of vigor finally breaking through the rigid mantra of patience he had been repeating for the longest time now.

“Found you,” he laughed.

And he could see his prey freeze, turning his head so their eyes met, but within seconds - he jumped, arms wrapping around the other as they both plummeted onto the ground.

A piercing cry flooded the air - a tangle of arms wrestling and legs wrapped around the other until the fear contorted into a simple flurry of laughter and joy.

They lay on the cold, damp stone floor - two chests rising in unison and one breaking into a fit of giggles.

He sighed, his arms and legs now weary as he turned his head to the side to see -

- the way happiness hid within the wrinkles of honey-brown eyes -

- the way his lips pulled apart into a breathtaking smile -

- the way the gold of his hair gleamed under the moonlight.

He closed his eyes, focusing on his voice - a chime of something that made him shudder. It was wrong, he knew, to feel in such a way.

He was no longer human, no longer allowed such thoughts.

His entire existence was for the purpose of protecting him - that was the oath he took. It was the oath branded into the skin of his right wrist.

The laughter died and he opened his eyes, turning again only to find himself breathless for it was in these moments that he questioned himself.

It was moments like these when he wished to be human again - to fall endlessly into his emotions without a doubt in his mind.

It was in those timeless moments as he drowned in the childish mischief of honey-brown irises that he felt afraid of himself.

“Took you long enough.”

He smiled.

“I wish Father would let us play like this more.”

“Yes,” he whispered back, turning to face the dark sky as a frown pulled at his lips.

“I’m going to Lokaar tomorrow.”

“…..”

“I guess we won’t see each other for a while.”

He nodded, an emptiness plummeting into his stomach.

“Take care of them while I’m gone.”

He nodded again.

They lay in silence as the chime of past midnight rang under the moonlit courtyard. It was the one thing they enjoyed doing together - watching the stars and trying to catch one falling if they could.

“If I asked, would you be friends with me forever?”

He smiled because it was an absurd question. He had sworn an oath - his loyalty was without question.

“Would you?” the other asked again.

“Of course,” he chuckled.

“Even if I annoy you?”

His lips curled. “Yes.”

“Even if I make you play with me all day?”

“Yes, Beloved.”

“What if I run away?”

A pause.

“Then I’ll search for you.”

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes.”

“What if you can’t?”

The last question was a whisper, but he could hear it - the trace of fear.