“Remember, Alpha! Do not let you and your past self know each other. If that happens, the balance of time and space will be upset. Only one Alpha will survive.”
Rowena’s voice echoed in Usher’s mind. The warning only added to his panic. The safety of little Vione and Usher was at stake, but he couldn’t just show up and reveal himself. He couldn’t allow himself to be known for who he really was at that moment. So he racked his brain, desperately searching for something to hide his identity as little Vione and Usher became increasingly vulnerable in the lake.
Usher’s panic was momentarily halted by a realization. At that moment, he was still a child, just an eight-year-old boy. Wouldn’t it be all right if they met? Little Usher certainly wouldn’t recognize his future self.
Without further ado, Usher wasted no time. He ran quickly to the lake and, without a second thought, plunged into its depths.
His heart was pounding. Usher was racing against time. He swam fast, so it wasn’t long before he reached little Vione and Usher just in time.
Little Vione had already exhausted her strength. Her arms, once reaching desperately into the air, now fell into the water. Her body almost drowned, as if the bottom of the lake were pulling her down by invisible threads.
Meanwhile, little Usher struggled to hold onto little Vione’s clothes. He maintained her position to keep her from sinking while he himself struggled with a similar goal.
Little Usher continued to struggle until he finally saw Usher approaching them. His vision was limited by the water, but he couldn’t be wrong that Usher had come to rescue them. So, he tried to communicate with all his limitations. “He-help. Vione.”
Usher immediately grabbed little Vione by the waist. He pulled her toward him as his muscles tensed against the resistance of the water. Then he grabbed little Usher with his other hand.
Successfully holding both Vione and little Usher eased Usher’s panic somewhat. But he couldn’t breathe easy yet. He had to get Vione and little Usher back on land immediately.
The water was churning. A heavy feeling began to take hold of him. Time seemed to drag on for an eternity until Usher finally managed to get Vione and little Usher out of the lake.
Usher quickly laid Vione and little Usher, shivering with cold and exhaustion, on the grass. They writhed reflexively as their lungs struggled to expel the water they had inhaled. They coughed and then took deep breaths, trying to get as much air as possible.
Now Usher could finally feel a sense of relief. The reaction of Vione’s and little Usher’s bodies indicated that they were all right.
“Thank God,” Usher murmured softly, his voice full of affection. He stroked Vione and little Usher alternately, tidying up their disheveled hair. “You two are fine.”
Vione and the little Usher were both taken aback. They exchanged glances before finally looking at Usher in unison.
“Thank you for your help. You saved our lives.”
Usher responded to the little Usher’s gratitude with a quick nod. “It’s no big deal. The important thing is that you are both safe.” He stood and scanned the area. “Well, it looks like your playtime is over. It’s better if you both return to the Palace.”
Something seemed to be bothering Vione as she furrowed her brow. Then she asked, “Do you know us?” Her look at Usher intensified, as if seeking reassurance. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in the woods before.”
Usher couldn’t answer. He could only smile calmly, which only made Vione and little Usher more suspicious. So, the little Usher asked him.
“What’s your name? Maybe I know you?”
Again, Usher didn’t answer. “You don’t have to know my name. It’s not important at all.”
“On the contrary, it’s very important,” the little Usher replied quickly, noticing that Usher was showing signs of walking away. “I am Usher Thorne, son of Alpha Kendrick Thorne and Luna Jemma Lumina Vale.”
Usher cleared his throat to hide his widening smile. “Of course I know you.”
“Oh,” the little Usher muttered quietly with an uneasy feeling. To be honest, he had never done anything like this before. Boasting about his identity was not in his nature, but he had no choice. “It’s good that you know me. So, I would like to invite you to the Palace for saving me and my friend, Vione.” He briefly introduced Vione before continuing. “I hope you will accept my invitation.”
“Thank you for your invitation, Usher, but I must decline.”
“Why?” the little Usher persisted.
“The reason is that I have other matters to attend to. So, let’s part here,” Usher said, looking alternately at Vione and the little Usher. “I will leave, and you two should return to the Palace immediately. You don’t want to worry Alpha and Luna, do you?”
The uncertainty made the little Usher stop pressing, and Usher didn’t want to waste the opportunity. He used the slight pause to leave promptly.
“Wait!”
Usher’s footsteps stopped instantly. He turned reflexively to see little Vione staring at him.
“Be careful.”
Usher smiled and nodded for the last time before he really left. He left little Vione and Usher, who didn’t linger either. They decided to follow Usher’s advice to return to the palace.
The journey back to the palace was filled with a strange feeling. It seemed that both little Vione and Usher felt strange about Usher’s behavior. Besides, it didn’t make sense for someone to miss the opportunity to receive direct gratitude from the palace for saving little Usher.
Little Usher’s suspicions kept him looking around. He remained vigilant, not wanting to take any chances if the person who had helped them turned out not to be as good as they thought.
But the little Usher didn’t want to worry the little Vione. Especially since he noticed that little Vione was almost silent during the whole journey home. So, he cleared his throat and said, “It looks like he’s the person you saw earlier, Vione. The person I thought was a deer.”
Little Vione gasped. She blinked and turned to Usher before nodding. “Ah, y-yes. I think he is the one.”
In reality, little Vione felt the opposite. As they walked on, there was a lingering feeling in her mind that something was wrong. It seemed that it wasn’t him I had seen earlier.
*