Astral Odyssey: Dying Ember

World 5.25: Eva

While everyone was busy cleaning up the aftermath, Austin was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his arms propped on the bed. He gazed at her sleeping profile sadly. "Why is it always you who's getting hurt...?" He whispered.

After a few seconds, Austin's eyes slowly grew wider as an idea surfaced in his mind. It's always her... It's always her! Everyone else only gets injured when they're with her. The target has never been me! 

The moment he arrived at that conclusion, everything else made sense to him and he immediately have a prime suspect in mind. He got up and stormed out to catch the bastard himself. Damn it! We've wasted a year for nothing! All because I saw things from the wrong perspective to begin with. And that bastard dares to act loony to throw off my suspicions... The moment I get my hands on him, I'll tear him to pieces!

When he went out to the garden and saw the familiar uniform of royal guards, he wasted no time in ordering for them to follow him.

In his panic, Edwin forgot all about his fear of the current state Austin was in. "Your grace! Whe-"

"There's only one man we know who's so disconnected from people that we'd barely get any news of him and who has a sudden penchant for rearing animals!" Austin spat out with veins popping in several areas. 

Edwin did not need to ask anymore to know who he was referring to and what Austin intended to do with him. He silently watched as Austin went to the stables and left the mansion on horseback. There was no need for Austin's explicit instructions for him to understand that he was to stay behind and take care of things back here.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of the man anywhere along the way or at his house. Austin and the guards stayed hidden in the house or the nearby trees and shrubs, but there was still no sign of the man even after the sun rose.

Austin guessed that he had been prepared to abandon his home the moment he chose to attack with the animals. He punched the tree that he has been hiding in so hard that some splinters embedded into his hand. "Drey..." His eye burned with fury and vengeance.

After describing how Drey looked to all the guards present, he assigned some to continue keeping watch on the house in case Drey decided to return, while the others would continue their search for him. 

Drey was now a wanted man.

Upon returning back to the mansion, Austin was still burning with fury at himself, Drey, and how things were not progressing well. Not wanting to return to Eva's side in this state, he took to the backyard where he had dummies set up for shooting practice and thrashed them all badly. Some was battered to the point that the seams came loose and the stuffing leaked out, some were riddled with holes, and some were all cut up into bits. He panted hard as he vented all his anger out. He looked up and closed his eyes while taking a few more deep breaths. Finally feeling more in control of his emotions once more, he headed for Eva's room to find Edwin inside her room.

Edwin had seen everything that Austin did in the backyard so did not need to be told that Drey was still at large. Not wanting to trigger Austin, he made a mental note to inform everyone to never breathe a word of anything relating to Drey unless it was good news.

"Did she-"

Edwin shook his head. He knew that Austin would have been concerned about her so stayed awake to watch over her despite his lethargy. He had convinced the doctor to rest so that he would be in his optimal state when he was really needed.

"Thank you. You can go and rest now."

"No, you should be the one-"

"Go. I want to be with her."