Chapter 313: Beginning Of A New Dawn
In the darkness of his mind, he felt his head throbbing relentlessly. A distant, muffled voice reached him through the haze.
Someone was wailing. It was the sound of a man who was totally devastated. Ivan could faintly feel warm, protective hands wrapped around his small, weak body.
Something wet was falling onto his face.
When his crimson eyes fluttered open, he saw a familiar face.
It was his father, King Iskara.
Though the face was known to him, the expression was that of a completely broken man who had lost everything. Ivan could feel his father’s shoulders tremble. Only one name tore from the King’s lips, repeated over and over like a prayer.
"Irene....my beloved."
The sheer agony in his father’s voice shattered the young Ivan’s heart into a million pieces.
He then heard another man’s deep, rough voice. "You have to be strong, Iskara. Ivan still needs you, now more than ever."
"But Father... my Irene. What am I going to do without her? How can I...live?" Iskara’s broken voice echoed through the silence of the ruins.
"I know, my son. But stay strong for the only symbol of love she has left behind for you. You must be there for your son. He has witnessed a horror far worse than any child should ever see," the man reminded him.
Another pained sound escaped Iskara’s lips. He finally turned his bloodshot red eyes toward Ivan’s fragile form. Ivan felt his father’s warm, trembling hand rest upon his head.
"I am sorry, my son. I am so sorry you had to endure this. I am sorry I was not there to protect you both." He wept even harder, his voice cracking with regret. "Forgive your father for not arriving sooner."
Ivan began to lose consciousness once more, the sound of his father’s pain-filled voice echoing in his ear. His heart squeezed painfully. The last thing he felt was his father’s embrace. He could feel the King’s body shaking in a desperate attempt to restrain the overflowing emotions for his lost beloved and for the son who had witnessed a horror no child should ever experience.
Ivan did not wake again until three days later. Because his powers had awakened so violently for the first time, his body had been ravaged by a high fever. The toll of such immense power on his small frame was nearly too much to bear, which was why he had remained unconscious for so long.
When Ivan finally opened his eyes to a world without his mother, he was a changed person. His gaze was devoid of the innocence and warmth it once held. He did not speak for a long time afterward.
Iskara feared that the sheer shock of the tragedy had robbed his son of his speech. Yet, even as the King endured the devastating loss of the love of his life, he never once left his son’s side.
Never once did the King blame his son or make him feel responsible for the tragic chain of events. As a father, he was simply grateful that Ivan had survived. Though he was heartbroken to lose his life partner, he knew his wife would never want their son to carry the heavy burden of her loss alone.
But Ivan was broken beyond reasoning.
He remained silent for at least a month, finally speaking only when his cousins, Damien and Cece, returned from their maternal grandparents’ home in a kingdom far from Versailles.
Even as he began to speak again, his words were few.
It became clear to everyone that the child was not the same as before. He refused to use his powers for a long time and distanced himself from everyone, including his father.
He drowned himself in the pursuit of being the perfect Crown Prince. He felt he owed that much to the father who had never stopped caring for him, even in the depths of his own grief.
At the age of thirteen, he saved Alex from human traffickers after Alex had been kidnapped, gaining his first truly loyal friend and comrade. Not long after, he saved Arthur from being sacrificed to one of the Darkrots in a nearby village.
After that, he continued living this new path of his life until one fateful day at the academy, when he met a woman who wept for him as he shared one of the most painful Chapters of his life, something he had never told anyone before.
Eve cried for the innocence he had lost at such a young age. She cried for the child who never stopped blaming himself for his mother’s death. She cried for the boy who believed he did not deserve even a fragment of love or affection from anyone. Someone who still carried that unbearable burden on his shoulders even now.
It was a burden she understood all too well, because she carried the same within herself over her own mother’s death. The only difference was that her father had never let her forget that it was her fault, while Iskara had done everything he could to ensure his son never blamed himself.
Ivan simply held her quietly in his arms as she cried for him. He had not shed a single tear while telling her everything, but Eve had seen the overwhelming sadness, loneliness, and quiet despair that he still carried within his molten red eyes to this day.
They held onto each other for a long time until her sobs finally subsided.
The sun had begun to rise over the horizon, marking the start of a new day, when she finally lifted her tear-stricken face to peer at him through her wet lashes.
Tightening her hold around his neck, she whispered, "I love you."
Ivan’s eyes widened at the three little words she had confessed to him once again. Even after hearing of the darkest part of his life, she had not wavered.
He went completely still.
Although he said nothing, she could feel him searching her eyes. He was looking for any trace of hesitation or resistance. He was looking to see if she said it merely to comfort him, but he found nothing of the sort.
All he saw was the truth.
Her eyes were the gateway to her soul as she confessed to him once more with all her heart. "I love you, and I will only ever love you. Forever, my Ivan."
For the first time in a very long time, Ivan felt something stir within him. One by one, the jagged pieces of the heart that had been broken since he was five years old finally began to mend.
Wordlessly, he moved on instinct and sealed her lips with his in a kiss so passionate, so gentle, yet so soul-stirring that it seemed to speak the thousands of words he could not bring himself to say.
For the first time in a long while, he felt something ease within his chest after finally releasing everything he had buried for so long, all because of the woman in his arms, the woman who was most precious to him. The one he loved with every part of his heart and soul. The only person before whom he could bare himself completely, knowing she would still love him just as fiercely, if not more.
After that, they spoke no further of it. They just lost themselves in a kiss so intense it felt as though they were trying to erase every painful memory from each other’s minds. They held each other close, as if gathering each other’s broken pieces and fitting them back into place with the utmost care.
It truly felt like the beginning of a new dawn, marking the first real step towards healing.
.....
Later that day, since it was the weekend, there were no classes. As Eve and the others had been confined either to Dracoria Palace or the academy for quite some time, they all decided to venture into town for a change.
This time, however, their group was much larger. The carriage rolled towards Crimson Hollows, carrying Eve and Ivan, Damien, Cece, and Edward, along with Oliver and Aden.
After the heavy chain of recent events, they wanted to unwind a little, though not without taking extra precautions. All of them were dressed in plain clothing, their cloaks pulled up like many others on the streets, carefully concealing their identities.
Ivan stayed close to Eve the entire time, yet allowed her to wander wherever she pleased, knowing how much she loved exploring. Which, in truth, he loved watching her inner child come alive.
Damien naturally remained at Ivan’s side, while Cece walked ahead with Eve and Edward. He had noticed the subtle shift towards something more romantic between Cece and Edward, but chose to say nothing.
He knew Edward was a good man. Besides, Damien was already doing enough work for everyone, teasing the two of them out of their wits at every opportunity.
Oliver and Aden also stopped by a couple of shops, discussing and browsing through the new goods in the market.
All in all, it turned into a light and pleasant afternoon, until the sun slowly began to set.
Ivan was about to suggest that they head back early, well before the academy curfew, but the ladies clearly had other plans.
