Chapter 3

3

If this were the past, I would never have destroyed a memento of our history.

But now, looking at it only made me sick.

At that moment, Kaelith Cross, the War Goddess, emerged in her silver armor, supporting a frail-looking Caelum.

She gripped her sword―the blade of the War God―and her eyes were like lightning.

With a swift motion, she thrust the blade toward my throat.

The sword whistled through the air, stopping only a fraction of an inch from my skin.

The cold aether of the blade cut my neck slightly, and a thin line of blood began to trickle down.

"Caelum is our brother. Stop making things difficult for him!"

"He is weak right now. He only wanted to share the Well of Souls with you to recover!"

"How can you be so cold-blooded? Do you want him to die?"

Her voice was heavy with self-righteousness. She wasn't asking; she was issuing a decree.

My heart throbbed with a dull ache, followed by a wave of exhaustion. I didn't want to talk anymore.

I pushed her sword away with a cold flick of my hand and used my sleeve to wipe the blood from my lips.

Hiding my disappointment, I whispered a reply.

"I am not stopping him. If you want to soak in the pool, go ahead. Take it all."

Their faces lit up with joy, finally satisfied that I had yielded.

As they started to move past me, Caelum put on a performance, his face a mask of feigned kindness.

"Did I upset Lord Alaric? If so, I can just endure the pain. I don't mind. I am not worth the trouble you both go through for me."

His eyes turned red and watery. To any observer, he looked like a tragic victim.

Sure enough, Lyra and Kaelith panicked, pulling him into a tight embrace.

As they left, they didn't forget to get one last dig in.

"Ignore that hypocritical lizard. He is just acting pathetic to make us feel guilty."

"Caelum, you are the best thing in this world. If anyone dares to speak ill of you again, I will rip their tongue out myself."