Arsen did not answer right away.
The floating lamps along the hall flickered softly, their lights kept changing, it's going along with the current atmosphere.
Serphix didn't speak, he was waiting for what Arsen was gonna say, one hand pressed against the stone wall. His head still throbbed, but he did not move it away. He waited.
Arsen swallowed.
"There was someone," he said at last.
Serphix lifted his head.
"A… someone?" His voice was quiet. Careful.
Arsen nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. "Five hundred years ago. You had a lover."
The words did not strike like lightning.
They sank.
Slowly.
Serphix felt something pull inside his chest, sharp and dull at the same time. His fingers curled against the stone.
"A lover," he repeated.
Arsen's breathing grew uneven. "He was always by your side. In war. In peace. You trusted him more than anyone."
Serphix searched his own mind. He reached inward, like trying to open a door with no key to open it and find answers.
Nothing.
Only a blur.
"And his name?" Serphix asked.
Arsen flinched.
"I… I don't know," he admitted. "We tried to remember. All of us did. But the curse that put you to sleep…it touched us too. Memories faded. Faces vanished. Only feelings remained."
Serphix closed his eyes.
"So that's what I forgot," he murmured. "The most important thing."
Arsen stepped closer. "My lord, we are sorry. Truly. That is all we remember."
Silence filled the hall.
Serphix straightened slowly. His face was calm, but his hands trembled faintly at his sides.
"I see," he said.
Magic stirred around him, white and golden. The air bent.
Before Arsen could speak again, Serphix vanished.
The hall was empty.
Arsen remained where he stood, staring at the space his King had left behind. His chest ached. He pressed a hand to his eyes, breath unsteady.
That person must have been loved deeply.
His shoulders dropped.
ৎ────
Serphix appeared inside his chambers.
The moment his feet touched the floor, his strength failed him. His knees buckled. He caught himself against a table, breath coming out in harsh gasps.
Images struck him without warning again.
A hand brushing his sleeve. A voice laughing softly. Warm embrace. Someone called his name…gently.
His head rang. He slid down to the floor, clutching at his hair.
"Why?" he whispered.
The memories came in pieces. Warmth. Pain. A presence that was once close. But the face blurred. The voice was too low to hear.
"Why can't I remember you?" he shouted.
Magic flared.
The table shattered against the wall. The stone cracked. Glass exploded into sharp pieces. He slammed his fist into the floor, skin splitting, blood staining the black floor.
Anger burned through him.
At the curse. At himself.
"I failed you again.," he gasped. "I forgot you."
He struck the wall again. And again.
His knuckles broke. His shoulder slammed hard enough to bruise but he didn't care. The room echoed with the sound of destruction, furniture torn apart, walls cracked, magic lashing wildly.
Then the anger broke.
And grief rushed in.
Serphix sank to the floor, back against the bed, arms wrapped around himself like a child. His breath hitched, chest shaking.
Tears fell.
Once.
Then many.
He covered his face with his hands, shoulders trembling as the night stretched on. No one came. No one dared.
By dawn, the room was silent.
And Serphix lay still among the shattered furniture.
ৎ────
"My lord!"
Faylinn's voice broke the quiet as she rushed into the chamber, Zhen close behind her.
They froze.
The room was destroyed. Big cracks along the walls. Blood stained the floor. Furniture lay in pieces.
And Serphix…
He lay unconscious near the bed, white hair spread across the floor, body bruised and injured.
Zhen moved first. "Call the maids. Now."
Magic shimmered as specialized servants entered, their hands glowing. In moments, the cracked walls repaired itself. Blood vanished. Broken furniture reformed.
They bowed and left in silence.
Faylinn knelt beside Serphix, hands shaking as she checked his pulse.
"He's in deep pain," she breathed. "And exhausted."
They lifted him onto the bed. Faylinn pressed her hands over his wounds, light flowing gently. Cuts closed. Bruises faded.
Zhen stood at the foot of the bed, jaw tight.
"We failed him," Faylinn whispered.
Zhen did not argue.
ৎ────
Days passed.
Serphix woke weak and distant. He spoke little. Ate less. His magic felt weaker, like a river running dry.
Then visitors arrived.
The great doors of the throne room opened without force, only a soft echo rolling across the marble floor. Two figures stepped inside, their presence familiar in a way that tugged at old memories.
King Xavier of Celeste walked first. His face had changed from what Serphix remembered, though his posture remained straight as always, his eyes calm and kind. At his side was his sister, Lumina, her pale robes glowing faintly as if light followed her wherever she went.
Once, long ago, they had stood beside Serphix during festivals and treaties. Once, they had laughed with him.
Serphix did not rise from the throne.
He watched them approach, his golden eyes steady but distant.
"So you are awake," Xavier said, stopping at the base of the steps. His voice was warm, almost relieved. "Dear Serphix."
Serphix inclined his head. "I am."
The words sounded cold even to his own ears.
They spoke of small things at first. Of the peace between kingdoms. Of how Celeste had watched Elyria from afar, waiting. Serphix answered politely, briefly. Yes. No. It is as you say.
His gaze kept drifting, sliding past them, toward nothing. He was uninterested.
Lumina noticed.
She studied him in silence, eyes sharp beneath her gentle expression. The light around her dimmed slightly, as if responding to what she saw.
"You are fading," she said at last.
The words landed softly.
Serphix's fingers tightened against the arm of the throne. He looked at her, unoffended, almost tired.
"I know," he replied.
Lumina took a step closer. "Your magic is thinning. Your presence is weaker. Even sitting here costs you more than it should."
Serphix said nothing.
"You must find a mate," she continued. "Soon."
The room seemed to cool.
Serphix's expression hardened, eyes narrowing. "No."
Xavier exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "Serphix… if you don't, your strength will keep leaving you. Your body will suffer. Your magic will fail."
Serphix's eyes lowered. He stared at his own hands.
"And if I do?" he asked quietly.
Lumina's voice softened. "Then your power will return. Your bond will heal what the curse broke. You'll become stronger."
Serphix looked away.
"I won't," he said. "I won't replace someone I can't even remember."
His voice did not rise. It did not shake. Just firm.
The siblings exchanged a glance, years of understanding passing between them in silence.
"We won't force you," Xavier said gently. "But time is not your ally. You must hurry."
Lumina bowed her head. "We will return. If you change your mind."
They turned and left, their footsteps fading down the long hall.
The doors closed.
Serphix remained seated, unmoving. His breath felt shallow. Weak.
Somewhere deep inside, something ached.
Not a memory but a presence. He yearns for that presence.
He closed his eyes.
Alone.
Weaker than ever.
And haunted by someone he could no longer remember.