Remembrance Over Solitude

Chapter 38

"Serena Moris."

The words that came from his mouth were only that of a first and last name that I had no recognition of, yet it didn't stop me from feeling a spike of precariousness that jolted me back to my usual guard. I eyed him with caution yet he only looked at me with a confident and sly smirk as he guided me in our waltz across the ballroom. "Excuse me..?" "Oh, pardon my rudeness. I forgot that your amnesia has rendered you clueless in the face of your old last name. But don't worry, that's exactly why I'm here tonight."

I pursed my lips into a thin line, there was something about this man didn't feel humanely correct, the air he had around him felt almost sinister. I tried to keep a small distance away from him despite the limited space I had, but his grip around my hand and waist was unrelenting, a strength far superior to mine. "Who are you?" I finally asked.

"You should know me, we have talked a few times although we've never seen each other physically." He cryptically informed with a low chuckle. "But putting that aside, we also knew each other once a few lifetimes ago, my dear Serena. It truly has been too long." He cooed, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear to reveal the earring that was gifted to me by Pantalone, the precious pearls that dangled at the end of the small chain exhibited its lustre in the light of the hall's magnificent chandelier.

"That's a pretty earring, it suits you." His hand wandered closer to touch it until I slapped it away with a warning look.

"Don't touch me."I hissed at him. "You're the one who sent that letter to the Tsaritsa so I could find that burnt-down domain, weren't you?" It was an educated guess I made after hearing and understanding what he had said earlier. "Indeed I was. How was it? Did you like the little gift I left for you?"

I sneered at him reproached at his wording. 'Gift' is hardly what I would use to describe what was enacted on me due to his letter. "Hardly. I was almost executed under the accusation of treason because of that 'gift' you sent her majesty. Do you know how much trouble you put me through because of that?" "Well you're still alive, right? Also,that clue had allowed you to investigate a remnant of your past that you would have no way of knowing without me making you aware of its existence." He smiled triumphantly, swooping forward in swift motions to move us around others.

"You still haven't told me who you are." I sceptically reminded him, narrowing my eyes at him from under my mask."My identity will remain a secret for now, when the right time comes, I will reveal myself to you and hopefully, by then you will see the world with open eyes. In the meantime, you're free to ask me anything you'd like to know about the incident 200 years ago. I'm sure you're curious, though there are some things I can't tell you just yet." He said as though he was predicting exactly what I was thinking in my head, I was planning on interrogating this man and question the knowledge he possibly possessed but I was also wary

This man who I had just met not even 10 minutes ago is saying that he has relations to me from before I was encased in the iceberg, could not have just coincidentally showed up in front of me while I am here in Fontaine, the place where it all started. Why is he only coming to me now after all this time? Moreover, I'm not sure if I should trust his words, how do I know that he's telling this to help me or to bring me down? There's no surefire way of telling.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Hm, good question. I would have been a little disappointed if you were too trusting." "For starters, I have almost nothing to gain from you remembering your past and there's nothing that you have that I want, so I'm not expecting to gain any profit or reward from you. I'm doing this purely out of my own free will."

I quirked a brow at his statement, "Almost nothing?" I repeated his sentence. "Well, of course, there is an end goal that I'm aiming to obtain from this. Which consists of you finally remembering everything that has happened and hopefully me as well." He smiles softly with an expectant and knowing tone to which I nod dubiously. He's well versed in the way of concealing any signs of a lie. I can't sense anything from him that would suggest so. So it's either he is telling the truth or he's just that good at lying. Either way, I'm taking everything he has to say from now on with a grain of salt.