Walls Between Us

/A/N/ Consequences chapter will be a little late this week because I have alot of school projects going on and didn't really have time to write it.

This started off as a single paragraph for my homework. But I couldn't hold back the urge and wrote this entire thing in 1 hour. 

Inspired by "don't forgive, don't forget" by marslikesyellow on ao3

The endless white snow.

The crackling campfire that threatened to die out any moment.

The dozens of Voltaris gathered together, smuggling against each other for warmth.

The looming figure overlooking the camp, hands clenching Voltar, body tense, red eyes out for any sign of danger.

Not again... Senn grumbled. Nonetheless, he did the same as he always did, walking through the camp, but no one looked at him. He was but a ghost in a distant memory.

Ingressus' memory.

Senn watched their every move, trying to catch anything new. He wasn't sure why he did at this point. He had been seeing this day in his dreams for so long, he probably already knew every single detail in this scene. He knew all their names, he knew all their stories and he knew all their pain. All he had to do was stand there as everything played out.

A child giddily ran past him, a bright smile on his face. Senn's eyes followed Ingressus as he dashed up to the hill to join the figure atop the hill - Dominus Voltaris. The Voltaris master relaxed upon seeing his son, who crashed into his arms, pulling him into a tight hug. Senn felt a tug in his chest, and looked away. He couldn't take it. He couldn't bear seeing the father and son bonding so happily.

Without knowing it was the last day they would ever be together.

Senn stood there, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Until the footsteps came.

He closed his eyes. He couldn't watch.

The songs of war cut through the peaceful air, weapons clashing, war cries filling the air. Senn had tried covering his ears before. It didn't work. So he bit his lip as he listened to the sound of blades cutting through skin and screams of agony that would suddenly be cut off.

' Take Voltar and run! With this, you are now the master of the Voltaris clan...'

He heard the slash of a sword. Another body fall limp. An Aggressium Song. And finally the splash of water.

It was always then he would open his eyes. Something in him wondered if that moment alone was what made him stay every time instead of trying to wake up. In front of him stood Thalleous Sendaris, face and greatsword stained with blood - blood of the Voltaris he had so mercilessly killed.

Senn slowly walked up in front of the champion, taking in all his features. His Sendaris blue markings, his shorter horns, the cuts all over his body, but most of all, his hollow eyes. Those eyes always haunted Senn. How Thalleous could look so emotionless after slaughtering dozens, not even a hint of remorse.

Those eyes...

He wasn't sure whether he hated them or Tygren's twisted ones more.

~*~

When Ria woke up, she immediately noticed the lack of warmth beside her. She sat up, looking at the other side of the bed - empty. Again.

She glanced over to the end of the room. Voltar was gone, but Thalleous' sword remained untouched in the same position. Senn had never touched it since the Second Great War - a decade ago. Ria always wondered why as she helped clean the dust off it. She guessed it was because he missed their hero too much, but something in her knew it wasn't so simple. He had been fine wielding it during the war. Why now would she catch him staring at it absentmindedly everyday? Why now would there always be an uncanny look in his eyes - not sadness, not grief, but conflict, like there was a war in his mind - whenever Thalleous was mentioned, one worse than the Deathsinger or Tidesinger?