Chapter Five: The Guard's Secret
875 Words
Xoraxys
I was running out of time.
Soon, I would lose her. Soon, she would start hating me. Soon…
I watched her sleeping form, my fingers hovering just above her cheek. Ever since that night, I could feel her slipping away, brick by brick rebuilding the walls I had spent years tearing down. Her eyes no longer shone with love when they met mine—only doubt, only questions I had no intention of answering.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my fingers tracing the delicate curve of her jaw. “Mine” The word escaped in a low, possessive growl. No matter what, she would always be mine. I had claimed her, marked her, drowned her in my essence.
I could lose her! I wouldn't lose her! She was mine. Every part of her belonged to me, every laugh, every tear, every emotion she possessed was mine and mine alone.
All I had to do was make her forget again. Erase the doubts, quiet the voices in her head.
Then everything would be perfect again.
A part of me knew it was selfish, but I owed no one an explanation. I was a demon lord. I didn’t need a moral compass. What I needed was a way to make her forget—permanently this time—without breaking her mind in the process.
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Jade
By the gods, could things get any more complicated?
Ever since that night, memories had been surfacing at random, flashing through my mind like pieces of a puzzle I had no idea how to put together. I’d thought regaining my past would bring me answers, but all I had were more questions.
And the worst part? The only two people I trusted were lying to me.
I sat behind the massive mahogany desk, my elbow propped up as I chewed mercilessly on the back of my pencil. I was more than frustrated.
Why were they lying? What were they hiding?
I lifted my gaze to Lyrien. He stood rigid as ever, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his storm-gray eyes scanning the room for threats. Always the picture of discipline.
“Lyrien?” I stood, moving to stand before him, studying his expression. “Have you ever been to the human realm?”
He shook his head. A lie.
I pressed on. “Did you know me before I came to the demon realm?”
For the briefest moment, I saw it—hesitation. A flicker of something behind his usually unreadable gaze.
“No, Your Majesty,” it was impressive how they lied through their teeth. “I never knew you before you came here.”
Lies. They had been lying to me for two years.
A heavy sigh escaped me. “Leave, Lyrien.”
He hesitated. I could see it in the way his fingers twitched near his sword. But my tone left no room for argument. With reluctant steps, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
I exhaled sharply and dropped onto the couch, my mind racing. First Xoraxys, now Lyrien. Did they take me for some sort of i***t?! I couldn’t trust either of them—not not now, not till I had all my memories back.
But even with my memories I had no doubt Lyrien was lying, two years ago when Xoraxys had introduced him to me as my guard I couldn't help but feel a since of familiarity, back then I hadn't thought much about it but now...
Now with these random fragments of memories I knew something was very wrong, I just needed t–
A memory surfaced.
I lay on soft grass beneath a vast night sky, the stars blinking like scattered diamonds. Cool air whispered against my skin as our fingers intertwined.
Lyrien’s thumb traced slow, soothing circles in my palm, silence stretching between us—not awkward, but comfortable. Familiar.
“Must you go back to the demon realm?” I asked, my voice quiet, my gaze fixed on the endless sky above us.
A heavy sigh. His fingers slipped from mine as he sat up.
“I have to,” he murmured. “There are things I must take care of.”
Before I could speak, he pulled me into his arms, locking me in a firm embrace, his face buried in the crook of my neck. His voice was muffled against my skin when he spoke again.
“But I’ll come back, Jade. And when I do, I promise—I won’t leave again. I’ll stay by your side. I will always love you.”
And just like that, the memory faded.
I gasped, sitting upright as the last remnants of his words echoed in my mind. Always love you.
What the hell?! What was that all about?! Me and Lyrien? But.... It couldn't be! How could I be in love with Lyrien? I was Xoraxys's soulmate!
I groaned, could shot get even more frustrating!
I bit my thumb, lost in thought. I couldn’t rely on either of them for answers. They would only feed me more lies.
Moral of the story.... Never trust men...
I needed to know what they were hiding and I knew exactly how.
- Writer
