A sickening sensation hit him, shaking with unimaginable agony. Usher seemed to suffer greatly, almost collapsing several times before finally reaching the secret room of the palace.
The cold floor greeted Usher’s weak and powerless body. He collapsed completely in a pitiful state. He tried to stand up, but his body felt heavy. It was as if all his strength had been drained, replaced by frustration and despair that tore him apart.
Usher felt his chest tighten with regret and sadness. All those negative emotions burst out in the form of heartbreaking, hysterical sobs.
“Forgive me, Vione,” Usher whimpered in a most pitiful manner. He closed his eyes tightly, and all the memories of the earlier tragedy spun in his head. “Forgive me.”
All the memories of his failures hit Usher like endless waves. Memories of times when he couldn’t protect the most important people in his life came like a whirlwind, destroying his sanity. In the end, he realized that all his decisions, actions, and efforts could not change the past; the tragedies were still happening.
“I will always wait for you. No matter in the present or in the past, I’ll always wait for you. So come back to me.”
Usher’s despair was broken by another memory, like a faint light. Vione’s voice echoed in his mind, trying to drive away all the negative emotions that were consuming him. Vione’s face, her smile and laughter filled his mind, as if trying to remind him that it wasn’t really the end.
Usher controlled himself as best he could. He strengthened himself with the belief that there were many promises to keep, many hopes to fulfill. With that, he stood up and immediately looked at the monitor screen. It showed the footage from the surveillance cameras of the prison where The Past Vione was now.
*
Everything was dark in The Past Vione’s eyes. Just like the darkness of that night, when everything had happened so fast and suddenly, she had lost everything. She had lost Addy and Hilary; she had lost her world.
It felt unreal. In the past, Vione had thought it was a nightmare. Unfortunately, when she opened her eyes, a pain crushed her heart.
The Past Vione’s breathing was difficult. The air turned into thousands of needles piercing her lungs. The pain returned and she couldn’t hold back the agony that ravaged her entire body.
The Past Vione groaned. Her hands clawed at the dirt of the underground prison. She tried to create another kind of pain to fight the grief that was gnawing at her from within. But no pain could surpass the agony of losing her parents.
“Usher.”
The Past Vione’s voice was very deep, but it conveyed a variety of deep emotions, full of hatred and anger. Her gaze was equally fierce.
“How could you be so cruel to me? Why did you do this to my parents?” The Past Vione cried in immense sadness. She clawed at the ground even harder, causing her skin to peel and blood to seep out. “A coup?” She laughed bitterly through the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You are truly cruel, Usher!”
There were many accusations that The Past Vione wanted to hurl directly at The Past Usher, all her feelings of injustice for what had happened to her parents. But she had no way to express them. Let alone talk to The Past Usher directly, she couldn’t even meet him. The Past Usher completely ignored her requests for a meeting.
The Past Vione snarled in a wave of despair. “Then why do you keep me here, Usher? Why don’t you just kill me? Tell Mireya to kill me as well!”
The Past Vione’s memory of the past was still vivid, when Mireya had shot Addy and Hilary without the slightest mercy. She was sure that Mireya hadn’t even blinked, that Mireya hadn’t felt any pity at all. The saddest thing was that she couldn’t do anything to protect them. All she could do was scream hysterically, run, and suddenly Alvin was already holding her fast.
The Past Vione was really powerless. Even though she tried to free herself to fight Mireya, Alvin did not give her a chance. Her hands were tied and the silver caused her pain. She became weak and the last thing she saw was Mireya barking orders to the warriors and the golden wolf leaving.
When The Past Vione regained consciousness, she found that the wounds on her wrists had been treated. In addition, there was medicine and food in the corner of the prison. Unfortunately, these could not heal all the wounds she had suffered-in her heart.
The past Vione was truly consumed by grief. Nothing could ease the pain she felt. But suddenly she heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching, and her sobs stopped.
The Past Vione’s body tensed. Her anticipation grew in the silence of the prison. She sharpened her senses, both hearing and sight, hoping to recognize who was coming.
The footsteps came closer. Their sound was very soft, signaling to The Past Vione that the person was trying to hide their presence. Therefore, she remained on guard. She waited, and at the right moment she managed to grab the wrist of the visitor. Then she felt something strange.
The Visitor-a man in fully covered clothing-did not react to The Past Vione’s action. He did not seem surprised when The Past Vione grabbed his wrist, nor did he show any intention of pulling away.
The Past Vione frowned. The visitor’s behavior puzzled her. She was confused, and then, unintentionally, they made eye contact.
“You,” the Past Vione whispered in a trembling voice. The dim light in the visitor’s eyes made her freeze. “Who are you?”
The visitor looked helplessly at The Past Vione. He seemed desperate. There was a mist in his eyes, like an uncontrollable sadness. “How are you? Have you been well this past week?”
The Past Vione’s confusion deepened. She didn’t even know how long she had been in the underground prison. There was no sun or moon to mark time. Yet, strangely, the visitor asked a question with an implied meaning.
The Past Vione was stunned for a moment. Something crossed her mind, a suspicion that made her body feel cold. “It’s you,” she said in a low voice, but full of accusation. “It was you who came that night. It was you who caused the death of my parents. It was you!”
The Visitor did not deny The Past Vione’s accusation. Instead, he closed his eyes and said, “Forgive me, Vione. Forgive me.”
“Don’t apologize to me.” The Past Vione growled, and her grip on the visitor’s wrist tightened. She pulled at the visitor with all her might. “Tell me who you are and why you have done this to us. Why?!”
The visitor couldn’t answer. He looked at The Past Vione with deep remorse. “Forgive me, Vione. I can’t answer your questions, but please, trust me. I only wanted to save you and your family.”
For The Past Vione, the Visitor’s words and the reality of what had happened were two contradictory things. “You lie,” she whispered painfully. The tears she had been holding back began to fall down her cheeks again. “You’re lying!”
“I’m not lying, Vione. Please!” This time the Visitor tugged at The Past Vione. In one swift and agile movement, he released The Past Vione’s grip on his wrist. Instead, he turned and grabbed The Past Vione’s wrist. “I am not lying, and for that, please be patient. I will get you out of here soon.”
The Past Vione would never believe the words of someone who had played a role in the deaths of Addy and Hilary. But something stopped her from arguing.
“I promise you, Vione. I will protect you. I won’t let Mireya hurt you. So please be strong. Because no matter what happens, you are a Luna. You must persevere.”
The Past Vione didn’t move at all, not even to breathe. The air seemed to gather and stick in her chest, swirling as the visitor’s words spun around in her head. Then, as she tried to take it all in, the Visitor made her mind go blank. He reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks, then gently caressed her face with his thumb.
*