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Chapter 202 – A Forgotten Past Unearthed
Chapter 202 – A Forgotten Past Unearthed
The corridors of the underground fortress were dimly lit, the flickering glow of enchanted torches casting long shadows as the group made their way toward the dining hall. Their footsteps were near-silent against the polished obsidian floors, each movement measured, precise—an unspoken habit ingrained into every one of them.
Veylan walked slightly behind Seraphis, his posture upright but not tense. He was still adjusting to the sheer weight of his new existence, the reality of his rebirth settling in with each passing second.
Ahead, Theia, Elowen, and Sylvaine exchanged silent glances, their curiosity barely veiled.
Tonight was not just a meal.
It was an initiation.
A night where secrets—long buried—would finally be spoken.
The Dining Hall – A Table of Shadows
The dining hall of the fortress was not a grand, gilded chamber meant for nobility.
It was a war room in disguise.
A long, darkwood table stretched through the center, its surface smooth and polished, yet scarred by years of use. The chairs that surrounded it were high-backed, each crafted uniquely for its owner—each carved with a different sigil.
Above, the ceiling was arched, lined with hanging lanterns that flickered with an eerie, violet glow. The stone walls bore faint engravings—runes of protection, secrecy, and silence.
No words spoken here would ever leave its walls.
Theia was the first to sit, gracefully settling into her place at the table’s left end. Elowen took her seat beside her, while Sylvaine remained standing for a moment, arms crossed as he studied Veylan.
Seraphis moved to the head of the table, motioning for Veylan to take the seat to her right.
A seat reserved for those deemed worthy.
He hesitated only for a moment before lowering himself into it.
A place at this table was not given lightly.
It was earned.
A Simple Meal, A Heavy Conversation
Before them, plates of food had already been served by the unseen hands of the fortress’s hidden attendants.
A mix of meats, dark bread, and fruits—a warrior’s meal, rich in strength-giving sustenance.
Veylan glanced at his plate, a strange flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Food.
He hadn’t needed it in so long.
But this was not about sustenance.
This was about belonging.
Seraphis, watching him closely, tapped her fingers lightly against the rim of her goblet before speaking.
“Do you remember what your life was like before?” she asked, her voice calm, but edged with something deeper.
Veylan set his utensils down.
His silver eyes darkened, distant.
And then, softly—
“Yes.”
A hush fell over the table.
All eyes were on him.
Seraphis leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. “Tell me.”
And so, he did.
A Story of Three Siblings
Veylan took a breath—not out of necessity, but habit. The memories came slowly at first, like fragments of a shattered mirror piecing themselves back together.
And then—
They flooded.
A Village on the Borderlands
“I was born in a small village,” he began. “Far from the reach of any true kingdom. A place where the forests were thick, where the nights stretched long, and where the air always smelled of pine and damp earth.”
He closed his eyes for a moment.
“I had two younger sisters.”
The corner of his lips twitched, a ghost of something almost resembling a smile.
“They were twins—identical in nearly every way. Sena and Lilith.”
Seraphis noted the way he said their names—softly, carefully. As if speaking them wrong would shatter them.
Sena and Lilith – The Sisters He Lost
“Sena was the bold one,” Veylan murmured, his voice laced with nostalgia. “Always running ahead, always finding trouble. If there was a rule, she would break it just to see what happened.”
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Lilith was different. She was… quiet. Clever. The kind of clever that made you forget just how dangerous she could be when she wanted to be.”
Elowen, listening with rapt attention, smirked slightly. “A troublemaker and a shadow. Sounds like a deadly combination.”
Veylan’s gaze darkened.
“It was.”
The Day It Fell Apart
His fingers curled slightly against the table’s edge.
“The last time I saw them,” he said, his voice quiet now, “was on the night our village burned.”
Seraphis remained unmoving, waiting.
“They came at dusk,” Veylan continued. “A group of men in dark armor—mercenaries, bandits, whatever they were, they weren’t human anymore.”
His silver eyes flickered.
“They were hunters.”
Theia, always the scholar, furrowed her brows. “Hunters?”
Veylan nodded. “Not of men, but of something else.” He paused. “They weren’t just after bodies. They were after blood.”
A realization settled over the room.
“They were collecting,” Sylvaine murmured.
Veylan met his gaze. “Yes.”
He let the memory wash over him.
“I fought,” he said simply. “I was young, but I fought. I cut down two of them before they overwhelmed me.”
His jaw tightened. “The last thing I remember was Sena screaming—calling my name—as they dragged me away.”
Then—
Darkness.
The Price of Survival
“When I woke up,” Veylan said, his voice quieter now, “I wasn’t human anymore.”
His fingers traced the rim of his goblet.
“I was in a cage, surrounded by others like me. People who had been taken. People who were being changed.”
A beat of silence.
“Not all of us survived.”
Seraphis’s fingers twitched slightly against the wood of the table. “And your sisters?”
Veylan’s expression was unreadable.
“I don’t know.”
He met her gaze.
“I never saw them again.”
The Present and the Future
The room was heavy with his words, the weight of them settling over the gathered assassins like a cold fog.
Seraphis leaned back, studying him.
“You still believe they’re alive.”
Veylan was silent for a moment.
Then—
“I have to.”
Elowen let out a slow breath. “Well, damn,” she muttered. “That was one hell of a story.”
Theia, her crimson gaze sharp, murmured, “You’ve carried this for a long time.”
Veylan didn’t answer.
Seraphis, however, did.
“You’re not carrying it alone anymore,” she said, her voice certain.
Veylan looked at her.
Something unspoken passed between them.
And then—
For the first time since his rebirth, he smiled.
Just barely.
But it was there.