Chapter 61: Forgive Me...
Odesse’s eyes widened in profound shock as she stared at the figure standing in front of her. She could barely credit her own senses, her heart hammering against her ribs as her mind flashed back to the warning Cara had playfully uttered just hours before. A heavy panic set in.
"Eryx," she breathed softly, scrambling backward to the far edge of the mattress, trying to put distance between them.
Eryx merely stood there, an unsettling smile fixed on his face.
Odesse glanced toward the heavy chamber doors and then snapped her gaze back to him. "What are you doing in here? How did you get in?"
"The guards weren’t attentive when I came in," he replied smoothly, stepping forward to sit slowly on the edge of the bed. "So, I was able to pass."
Odesse’s confusion mounted alongside her fear. She shifted away from him again. "What are you doing?"
He didn’t answer right away, his smile never wavering. His gaze drifted downward, locking onto the curve of her stomach. "It seems the child is growing," he murmured, tilting his head with a warm, closed-eyed smile. "That is really great news."
Odesse found herself paralyzed, unable to speak as she watched him. His voice was calm—too calm, eerily detached—and the expression he wore felt entirely bland, stripped of any genuine human warmth. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the silk of the mattress. "Do not worry, I have not come here to hurt you."
Finally gathering a fragile thread of courage, Odesse demanded, "Why are you here?"
Eryx stood up slowly, a wry smile wrinkling his forehead. "I am here to take you with me."
"Take me where?" her voice wavered, thin and breathless.
"I am going to take you to the place of the person planning on killing his highness."
It felt as though Odesse’s heart entirely paused. "Huh? What do you mean? Who is planning on killing his highness?"
Without offering an answer, Eryx began walking slowly toward the exit. Desperate for answers, Odesse slid off the edge of the bed to follow him. "Wait! What do you mean? Who is it?"
He paused near the threshold, turning his neck slightly. "You have to follow me, and I shall show you the person."
Odesse stared at his back. A deep internal conflict tore through her. "This person... they feel like Eryx, but they don’t at the same time. This aura... it is the same as that day, yet completely different." She looked around the dim boundaries of her room. "Is this a dream? A vision? If I follow him, I might find the threat... but..."
"Are you coming?" Eryx asked, never turning around.
"I have to," Odesse decided, her hands instinctively shielding her stomach. "If this is a dream, it may serve as a warning. If it is reality... I have to protect his highness." "Yes, I am," she said aloud.
A smirk crossed his features. "Wonderful."
He opened the door and held it frame-wide for her. As she walked past him, keeping her hands protective over her belly, he added, "You are pregnant, so it’s only good I treat you with respect."
Odesse looked into his eyes, but they told a completely different, unreadable story. She stepped out into the hallway, and Eryx closed the door quietly behind them. The corridor was dead silent, cast in complete shadow.
"Shall we go?" Eryx asked.
Odesse nodded slowly. Taking the lead, he guided her down the long halls and down the grand staircase until they reached the palace threshold. The heavy front doors were already hanging open. Eryx looked back with a parting smile as he stepped out, and Odesse followed him into the courtyard.
She looked up at the sky. It was completely dim—the moon was entirely missing, the stars were choked out by darkness, yet the unnatural cries of birds still echoed through the night. Looking around the sweeping grounds, she noticed a glaring absence.
"Where are the guards?" she whispered softly.
"The same thing I asked myself when I came in," Eryx replied, continuing his steady pace.
"Where have you been for all these months?" Odesse pressed as they walked.
He didn’t reply immediately. He simply let out a long breath. "Even I would like to know. The endless walk is tiring. Isn’t it, Odesse?" He turned his head with a vacant smile before facing forward again.
Fear spiked inside her. "What does he mean? Has he forgotten everything that happened that day? I do not wish to go anywhere with him anymore. I have to go back." She parted her lips to speak, but he cut her off.
"We are at the palace gate. We are almost there."
She paused, looking around. The main gates stood completely unmanned. "What should I do? Should I keep going?"
Suddenly, a chilling, low whisper, a voice she had not heard in months, echoed directly into her mind, sending a violent shiver down her spine:
"The truth you seek shall be revealed, but shall what he speaks be believed?"
Odesse’s eyes widened. "Huh? What does that mean? Should I follow him? Are you telling me I should believe him?" Tightening her fists, she mentally cried out to the void, "Answer me, please! Is this a dream? Why aren’t you replying anymore? Have you forgotten you promised to protect me? Answer me!"
She dropped her head, trembling in the silence. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She flinched violently, looking up to find Eryx standing directly in front of her, a chilling smile plastered on his face. Her blood froze.
Then, his expression softened into a warm, familiar mask. "What is wrong, Odesse? Are you alright?"
Odesse moved slightly, subtly forcing him to drop his hand from her shoulder. Once his grip lifted, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I am."
"That is good. Let’s keep going."
He turned to walk forward, but Odesse remained rooted to the spot. Eryx stopped, turning back fully to face her. "What is it?"
With her face cast down, Odesse whispered, "Where are we going, Eryx?"
"I told you earlier. To see who wants to kill his highness."
"Who is this person?" her voice remained low, thick with mounting dread. "Where are they? Why are you here, and what do you want? Do you want to kill me, huh?" Tears finally spilled over, pooling in her eyes and splashing down onto the dirt.
Eryx walked back to her slowly. "Why would I kill you, Odesse? I love you."
She looked up at him, instantly taking a step back. "That is exactly why you would want to kill me. Because I don’t love you the way you want me to. So why would you want to help me find the King’s killer? How do you even know this person? And where is everyone? The guards, the servants... even the moon and the stars are missing from the sky!"
Eryx kept quiet, his eyes shifting toward the open gate. "Let us go, Odesse. Time is running out."
"What time, Eryx? Tell me now!" she shouted.
He advanced on her slowly, watching her hands shake uncontrollably. "I know this person because..."
"My love..."
The familiar, deep voice cut through the darkness. Odesse’s eyes twitched as she snapped her head upward. Standing just outside the palace gates was Valex, with Kael standing reliably at his side.
Odesse’s mind reeled in absolute shock. "My king..."
Eryx turned as well, watching the King approach.
Valex offered a warm smile, though his brow furrowed as his gaze landed on the stable hand. "What are you doing out this late at night, my love? And what is he doing here?"
Odesse looked past him to Kael, utterly bewildered. "What are you doing back here, my king?"
Valex chuckled softly. "I wanted to surprise you. I know in the letter I said I would be back in two days’ time, but it was a lie. I wanted to surprise my darling wife... though it seems I got surprised instead."
"No, no, my king..." Odesse stammered, desperate to explain.
Valex raised his hands, opening his arms wide to her. "I know you won’t do anything wrong. So why don’t you come into my arms and give me a hug, my love? I have missed you dearly."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Relief washing over her, she walked past a silent Eryx, crossing the threshold of the palace gate to throw herself tightly into Valex’s embrace.
Behind her, Eryx began to smirk, his eyes freezing over into something entirely inhuman.
Suddenly, a violent, chilling sensation ripped through Odesse’s entire body.
She snapped her eyes open, gasping for air. She looked up, but she wasn’t looking at Valex. She was staring directly into Eryx’s smiling face.
She pulled back violently, her heart racing in sheer panic. "What...?"
She spun around, scanning the darkness. There was no sign of Valex. There was no sign of Kael.
"Where are they?" she panicked, looking back at Eryx. "What were you doing there?"
He only smiled, his voice echoing unnaturally. "Foolish, foolish Odesse."
In the blink of an eye, the palace gates vanished. Odesse found herself standing in the center of a massive, dense forest clearing, a single dirt trail cutting through the wilderness. It was as if she had been instantly transported, though neither her brain nor her body could comprehend the transition.
Realizing the shift, she flinched, sweating profusely as she spun in circles. "Where am I? Where am I?!"
Eryx was nowhere to be found.
Pressing a frantic hand to her forehead, her breathing grew shallow and labored, her heart turning incredibly heavy. The towering trees felt as though they were physically closing in on her, suffocating her as the perimeter blurred. A sudden, burning wind swept through the clearing, scalding against her skin.
Stumbling backward, her feet caught on the rough terrain. She touched her stomach, her voice cracking. "My baby... no, no... what is happening? Why is this happening? Why, why, why, why, why...?"
Her strength entirely failing, her voice dropped to a broken whisper. "My king, forgive me."
With that final plea, her vision went black, and she collapsed backward onto the forest floor, losing consciousness.
...
The air gradually grew cool again, and the moon finally returned to the sky, shedding its pale light over Odesse’s still form. She had been lying in the dirt for what felt like hours.
Then, a faint sound drifted through the quiet—a whisper, heavy with an agonizing weight.
"I am very sorry, Odesse."
The sheer sorrow in the voice pulled at her mind. The memory of who owned that voice sparked a sudden recognition, and her eyes fluttered open.
"Eryx," she whispered weakly.
Lifting a shaking hand to her head, she groaned in pain, trying to push herself up into a sitting position. As her fingers brushed the back of her skull, she felt a sticky wetness. Bringing her hand forward into the moonlight, her eyes widened in horror.
"Blood..."
Panic instantly flared for her child. She dropped her hands to her belly, cradling it tightly. "My dear, are you alright? Your mother is sorry... I am so sorry you have to go through all this." She looked up at the moon, tears blurring her vision. "Even I wonder why I have to go through all this."
"Forgive me, please," the voice came again, lower this time, thick with heavy, weeping sorrow.
Odesse looked around, struggling to get to her feet. "That voice... it sounds exactly like Eryx. How do I get away from this forest? Why would he bring me here?" The sound of quiet sobbing echoed through the trees. She paused, listening closely. "Is he crying? How do I get out of here? I need to leave." Sighting the cleared trail ahead, she began to walk down the dirt path, her steps slow and cautious. The trees eventually gave way, opening up to a stark, barren precipice—a high hill overlooking a vast, dark abyss below.
Odesse stepped toward the edge, her breath catching in her throat as she looked ahead. Standing directly at the edge of the cliff, facing the endless darkness, was Eryx.
