Echoes Of War

48

As we all sat in the living room of the safe house, the atmosphere was filled with tension. All eyes were fixed on Xander, Prince of House Thundar.

Attempting to break the silence, Xander cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but no one laughed. "Well this is awkward." An uncomfortable silence lingered.

Serana was the first person to break the silence and asks the question that we're all dying to know; "Why did you say anything?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, Xander being back doesn't only have an effect on me but on her as well. "Why did you push us away, when we went to talk to you after the rally?"

Xander's gaze flickered to Serana, and for a moment I could see the remorse in his expression. "I didn't know if I could trust you," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "I saw you not alone but with the Prince of Elara and an unknown woman....I didn't know if I could trust you...." his words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of betrayal.

I felt a surge of anger and resentment bubbling inside me, but I quickly managed to keep it in, refusing to show any emotions.

"So you attacked your sister?" Killian breaks the silence and everyone turns their attention back to me, "I didn't know it was Kel'enas, I promis if I had known that she's my little sister......I wouldn't have done-"

"That doesn't justify anything." Killian yelled back almost getting up from his chair beside me. "You don't understand-I-" Xander tries to explain but yet again Killian cuts him off, "You're nothing but a coward. That's what you are."

"You don't know me, you beast. I could've never layered a finger to her if I had known." Xander yells back. I wanted to yell, to tell them both that, that was enough, that yelling back and forth at each won't change a single damn thing, but I could barely speak, my head pounding and the more at steer at my hands moving uncontrollably, the more I realized that this is actually happening...... and I can't do anything, I feel weak, and my body still hurts, and I'm in an agonizing pain.

"Enough, both you." Serana yells back at them both, "This won't help Kel'enas get better...."

"I never meant to hurt you." Xander words hung in the air as he apologizes once again.

Killian manages to seat back down, his hands finding mine under the table. He notices my hands still spasming uncontrollably. I squeeze his hand tightly, for once in my life I felt as if I could reply on someone else with feeling as if I was a burden to them.

His hand squeezes mine back, as if pulling me back to reality.

Cross the table Xander's eyes meet mine, filled with guilt and remorse. But somehow I couldn't offer him any sympathy, not because I was bitter of what he had done to me but I just couldn't.

And yet he was my own brother. My own blood, the rightful heir to the throne.

As the conversation continued around me, I reminded silent, lost in my own thoughts and the ache of my injuries.

----------
Laying in bed, I couldn't sleep. My body is aching all over again, Serana is standing watch over me, as I laid on my side, my back towards her and the door. "Perhaps these will help, they aren't Thundar medicine but-"

"I'm fine," I only whispered, because I knew if I had turned to face her she could read me like a book. "Let me help, you Kel'enas. I beg. Your arm it would-"
I sigh heavily as I added, "Could you please leave?" I hear her footsteps walking near the bed,

"Kel'enas, what truly happened between you and Xander?" "Leave Serana." I whispered, feeling exhausted.

"But Kel-" "That's an order. Leave!" I could feel her hesitation but I couldn't face her, "I just gave you an order General."

"Of course my Queen." I could hear her footsteps as she left the room, and closed it.

I sit up and decide to try to heal myself but the wounds ran deeper than what spells could mend.

With a heavy sigh, I cast a spell to make the room soundproof, shutting the whispers of those who outside. In total silence, I felt at peace, I managed to walk back to the bed and the floodgates opened, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Each drop felt like a release as if I was holding my breath the entire time, yet pain remained.

My mind wandered back to the losses I endured, fist my mother, my brother's death, my sister's disappearance and now faced with the revelation that Xander is alive.

I was overwhelmed with emotions that I didn't know how to handle. "No no."

As tears steam down my face, I shake my head vigorously, trying to dispel the overwhelming emotions coursing through me. I can't cry, not now, not ever. I remember Master's stern voice, admonishing me for shedding tears during our training sessions back when I was a kid.

"Enough." She could yell, "Crying is a luxury that you can't afford, get it together." She would say, her hash words are hash reminder of our hash world.

But despite my efforts to hold back the tears, they continue to flow, each drop is a testament of pain, suffering, and exhaustion weighting down on my shoulders.

I could feel my resolve weakening, as my anger bubbled up to the surface.

In desperate attempts to regain control, I summoned my Thundar magic, allowing darkness within me to surface. Shadows enveloped me, swirling around me like shroud, and I feel a coldness seeping into my bones.

It's an unfamiliar sensation, one that's both terrifies and empowers me.

But as more and more darkness consumes me, I feel my strength waning, my consciousness slipping away slowly. The last thing I remember is the cold feeling, before everything else went black.