A few hours passed before the ship came for us. It was a grueling experience I didn't want to relive but had to for Rem's sake. Fenris and Caden had searched the surroundings for the elf but only found Rem's bag, which had been thrown into the cave during the fight.
The trip to the manor was unpleasant, to say the least, but at least I could stay near my little luma the whole way. I guess it scared them to take me away because I behaved while she was near.
Another silver-blooded Lycan named Ben came for us, along with his older sister, Amelia, a white-haired female Lycan. Unlike everyone else, she glared at me without fear and even pushed me aside to reach Rem.
Fenris had pulled the sword that Midna had forged from thin air from the ground, bringing it with us. That alone wasn't surprising as it was something Cerberus couldn't leave behind, but unlike other god artifacts, it failed to respond to him.
It didn't respond to any of the Lycans on board, not that they handed it to me, but I doubted it would have activated. The sword didn't seem to be the average god artifact we were used to. When we got to Silverant, I was glad to get off the noisy ship and be met with an even noisier town.
Music, people, and machinery were everywhere, yet there were no hovercrafts, as everyone took Lycan-powered carriages around town or walked everywhere. My poor ears could barely register what was happening as Rem had always avoided big cities with me.
I thought it was because Cerberus was looking for us, but I quickly realized it was much more than that. She was always thinking of me and how I would adjust to everything. The stupid luma had been slowly introducing me to places for me to get accustomed to, but the culture shock was imminent.
With her not around, I could barely register how advanced the main towns were. Zent in Allora had some advancements, but I bolted out of there before I got to analyze anything. Caden was the one who filled me in on what I was looking at once he noticed my amazement.
Luckily, I was a quick learner. There were screens everywhere, phones, and all the good stuff this family would introduce me to. They made buildings of cement or glass there, making Silverant the hub of every race.
When you said this was where everyone gathered, I didn't believe you, but… it seems… everyone is coexisting here.
From the vibrant colors to the array of elves, humans, vampires, and wolves, everywhere was alluring to me. It seemed that the young witch I had once underestimated twenty years ago had accomplished much more than I gave her credit for. Fenris's and Lilith's dreams were slowly coming true, even if they were just in this town.
There were witchcraft shops on almost every corner, as Rem's mother had made Lyari a haven for them—something I never thought I'd see. So much had changed between the races since the last time I had walked freely in this world, but there was still much hate present, too.
When Rem and I traveled, we always stayed near the elven lands, which, thinking back on it, was probably intentional on her part. Elves hated technology, though the blaze elves' towns were pretty advanced compared to the others.
You were always thinking of me and slowly adjusting me to the normal of this world. Fuck, Rem…
These new changes were intimidating, but luckily, I was too focused on my little Luma to care for anything else. Once at the manor, when the medics tended to Rem, I tried to stay out of their way even though I refused to leave her side.
The entire building was made of white marble. On the side was an elegant rose garden with a lovely dark oak gazebo. Wolf statues were around the yards, and the name plaques were irrelevant to me.
Probably some ancestor crap… but it seems my little love is a princess.
I was reluctant to leave her room until Lilith pulled me out and dragged me into the bathroom.
"Take a quick bath." She huffed as a servant handed her some clothes for me to wear.
"What? No, I—" I tried to dismiss the idea, only for her to stand in the way again.
"Shower. The blood on you reeks!" She protested as Shade eyed me down.
One move, and she would try to put me in my place.
"Oi…" I sighed, shaking my head.
Fuck, this will end quicker if I listen to you.
Undoubtedly, she wouldn't let me out of the bathroom until I was clean.
Rolling my eyes at her, "Fine." I breathed, grabbing the clothes she offered.
"Good, throw the dirty clothes into the bin. They are charred and unusable, " she said as I closed the door once I was inside.
Taking off my shirt, I saw the dry blood on my skin from the previous night.
Rem's bites...
Seeing them made me want to punch right through the walls of this room, reminding me of how powerless I was to stop her from getting hurt. Throwing the dirty clothes into a nearby basket, I skipped the pool that seemed like a bathtub and headed straight into the stalls nearby.
Just being away from Rem made my anxiety skyrocket as I turned the nob to wash off the blood. That was the easy part, but to get rid of the feeling within me was another thing. I felt like shattering right where I was.
Screaming… at the top of my lungs is a demanding desire to quell down, but if I do, they won't let me near you. Fuck… what do I need to do?
No matter how much the water splashed over my body, the red never seemed to go away, especially the one in my hands from when I held her close.
Why… did this have to happen? I thought I had all the time in the world with you. Why… was it… No… when I see you next time, I'll… Will there be a next time?
Once clean, I shook off that thought and exited the stall. There, I saw a towel near the clean clothes they had given me. I was in such deep thought that I never noticed when they placed it. Closing my eyes, I dressed, readying myself for whatever happened next.
But it wasn't enough. My mind is a mess, and I don't know… I don't know how to start to fix this. Is there any fixing? I… Rem… What do I do now?
When I exited the bathroom, I stared at a Lycan female with black hair while her brown wolf mate was beside her.
How did I know? Well, the wolf was staring a hole into me.
He was studying me while ensuring his beloved was safe—something I failed to do.
"Hey, my name is Melody, and this is my husband Liam." She started, holding onto something in her hands.
Little did I know she had a story for me, one I was not quite ready to hear, especially after everything that had happened. The gods were eager to test me.
"Alijah, I've wanted to meet you for quite some time." She paused as I shook my head.
This… isn't… I need to be with Rem.
Ignoring her, I tried to step away from them, but the girl with the twins stopped me.
"You…" I mumbled as a sharp growl left my lips. "Look, I don't have time for this."
Even with the sharpness of my tone, she wouldn't budge.
I don't want to hurt anyone, but… if you insist on keeping me away from Rem… I'll…
"I won't take much of your time. Plus, Rem's being washed by Amelia now; you shouldn't interrupt them." Melody informed, narrowing her eyes at me.
What? Your Aunt is bathing you? Shit! That means the medics found nothing! You aren't awake!
That alone made my heart ache like it never had before.
"What? No…" I winced, stepping back onto the wall as it was the only thing that kept me steady.
She slowly closed the small gap between us before grabbing my hand. "Here, let me treat you."
I yanked away instantly, "I…"
At that moment, I should've walked away. However, the only thing that kept me was the familiarity in her essence.
Brother... Why am I sensing you in the females?
"It's okay. I won't hurt you." Melody reached for my hand again as her daughter stood beside me, studying me like her father.
"What do you want?" I grumbled, trying to hold myself back from doing anything Rem might dislike.
Taking the opportunity, Melody snatched my hand again.
This girl's fearless, just like Rem.
I never expected someone other than my luma to care if I was injured or not.
Did Lilith tell you?
The wound had stopped bleeding, but it was still raw.
"I wanted to talk to you about your brother." Melody declared, leaving me with my jaw dropping as I pulled away from her again.
You are insane! Why the fuck would I want to know about Lucan? He left me in that forsaken place to die! I… I… don't need to hear a single thing about him!
"Enough, that doesn't interest me." I huffed, triggering her eyes to dart up towards my gaze.
Liam shifted stances as I felt a small smile cross my lips. He wouldn't hesitate to jump me if I made any movements to hurt her.
I don't desire to make this house a blood bath. All I want is to be with Rem. Can't you all just let me be?!
Instead of backing off, Melody pouted and clasped my hand again. "I wasn't finished treating you! Stop acting like a small child! You remind me of Soph when she was three!" She scolded me, leaving me with my head tilted.
Is there something wrong with your brain, or is this bravery?
Usually, those came together, but this was on another level, which reminded me of Rem's boldness when we first met.
"Oi…" I breathed, feeling defeated by her.
Her amber eyes softly gazed at me before going back to bandaging my hand.
"You think Lucan abandoned you, but he didn't." She declared.
My eyes widened, "What?"
How do you know that name? Records? No…
I doubted they had any documents from my original time, or perhaps they did, but the elders were never the sharing type.
Then again, Fenris is their alpha. No… you… just who are you?
Her essence was so similar to Lucan's that I couldn't help but wonder if…
"When the elders trapped you, the eternal witch Edna cursed your brother, rendering him useless to help you." She started as I listened.
"It was a generational hex that cut him from his beast self, which meant..." She trailed off as I shifted my gaze away.
"He was turned into a runt." I finished her sentence, prompting her to nod.
Edna… Just…
Her name kept popping up everywhere, leaving me unsure of what to think—Rem's explanation of what was happening helped.
It seems a pure one slipped through the grand purge the vampires did. It was easy to kill the diluted ones, but a real one? That will be…
Before I was born, most races declared them too powerful to exist. Eternal witches were female humans with unique traits that allowed them to control time. Nothing compared to god artifacts, but it could be powerful enough to affect other things.
Usually, the most they could do was stop the clock for themselves, turning them immortal to the passage of time, though some could even control time to the point of affecting others. The records from when they were more prominent were all gone when the vampires destroyed their homes.
Not that I ever tried to research them back in my time. These witches were dangerous because the older a witch became, the stronger they were.
It is terrifying to think that someone from my time is still alive, but it appears you are older than that, aren't you? You somehow found your way into my prison in that multidimensional world. How you could contact me always intrigued me, but it seems I was an idiot then.
The witch that contacted me when I was in that dimension never revealed her face.
Clever old hag.
At that point in time, I didn't care about how I left that realm.
No, I only cared about getting out and when it would happen. You were a means to an end, and I was planning on killing you after your usefulness was done, but to think… you would've tried to use my obsession with Lilith to control me.
I wasn't the only fool, as she hadn't thought it through. Back then, I would have killed her and then claimed Lilith for myself, but if she used Rem...
Shit... I don't know if I won't bend to you then. I'd give anything for my little Luma.
When Melody was done covering my wound, I gazed at my hand, unable to understand why she helped me.
"You might not want to know, but I had a moon elf cast quite a painful spell to see the memories of my ancestors. Lucan was going to fight the elder Lycans in their decisions when Edna took away his ability to do so." Melody informed me as I sighed.
Moon elves could project one's memories, whether deep or forgotten. If the proper ritual were set up, they could tap into the memories of past ancestors. However, the deeper they went, the more painful the experience became.
In my time, no one would willingly submit to those incantations, especially if they didn't have a name.
"Why are you telling me this?" I placed my hand down back to its original spot, shifting my gaze back onto her as the gentlest smile rose on her lips.
"Because Rem was right, and we didn't listen to her. What they did to you was wrong, Alijah, and we should've been there for her and you." Melody answered, turning her gaze towards her husband.
"I… don't…" I trailed off, shaking my head.
"No, we're also technically family. So, I didn't want you to think badly of my great-grandfather." She bit into her lip, meeting with my sight again. "Your brother died a year later after being cursed when he tried to get you out, even though he was powerless and was killed by the elders for his treason. His wife and daughter lived, though." She added as Sophie pulled a letter out of her pocket.
"We found this preserved in one record from the Lycan libraries in Malcerem. There's a lot more there if you want to look later. It was meant for his wife, but he would've liked you to have it." The young girl noted, trying to hand me the letter.
My eyes narrowed as I rejected the letter by turning away and walking past them. However, before I got too far away, I shifted my gaze towards the family trying to reach me.
At my brother's descendants...
"Lucan's words to his wife, that's between them. I don't need to know them." I voiced as a weight was lifted from my shoulders.
Damn, I can't believe your line has persevered until this point. Even though they murdered you for trying to save me, part of you lived on until this day. I…
Even though her words were hard to believe, I didn't sense a hint of deceit.
Ah… I'm sorry for doubting you, big brother, but give me a break. I was in an awful place back then. I… I'm so sorry for putting you in that position. It was never my intention to tear you away from your family.
"T-Thank you for letting me know, Melody." I smiled, prompting both girls' cheeks to turn pink.
Liam narrowed his eyes as a frown rose on his lips. It appeared I still had my charms, not wanting to use them on anyone other than my luma. Without wasting another minute, I went to Rem's room to see they had changed her into a dark blue gown.
Seeing her resting on the coziest bed I had ever seen was comforting. Vera was in the room with her before I arrived, but she quickly ran out when I got there.
I… don't have the energy to care.
If I were the old me, that would probably have interested me, but all that filled my mind was how to get Rem. Sitting beside her, I grabbed her hand, hoping she would squish it back, but it never came.
The warmth of her hand sunk into my skin as her face was so peaceful that I struggled between wanting to see her wake up and letting her sleep like this forever. However, wanting to see her smile and hear her outgrew everything else.
Though I would probably wait an eternity for her to return if there was the hope of Rem waking up, sadly, even with time, no one grew closer to figuring out what was happening. Two weeks passed when tensions ran high in the house while my little Luma slept through it all.
Sometimes, throughout the day, I could hear Vera screaming down the halls as I tried to keep to myself. Her frustrations were primarily directed at herself rather than anyone else, which was disheartening to hear, but I wanted to ignore it all.
My role in this was to stay near Rem while the medics checked her.
I'm no healer or warlock to comprehend what's happening.
The twins tried to find any lead about the sword, hoping it would guide them to Rem's savior. They traveled constantly between Celestelia and Allora for any clues, while Fenris and Lilith tried to find every type of healer on the planet to help them.
Each of them left us empty-handed with nothing to hold on to.
Luckily, the family had left me alone since I had been behaving while I was with Rem.
I was a far cry from the man they used to fear, and that's all because of you. Why… won't you come back to me?
Even though I stuck to my lane, I could feel the looks of discontent every time I walked around a corner. Whenever Caden was home, he brought me food to Rem's room.
"Here so you don't starve." He huffed, placing the tray nearby.
If it weren't for his constant hovering, there would be times I wouldn't eat. Every time, I couldn't help but chuckle at the young wolf's demeanor. He confused me since I usually went to the kitchen to find at least one meal for the day.
I never expected anyone to do that for me.
Ah… I couldn't care less, though. All that matters is waking Rem up, and they seem to fail miserably at it.
Well, I was too, which left me feeling utterly useless. It was probably the only reason I hadn't blown up at them for their lack of results. My powers, although significant, weren't meant to save anyone, leaving me to wait and hope someone would find something soon.
I had always been a patient man, but it seemed two weeks of being deprived of my little Luma were becoming too much for me after getting used to hearing her voice for the past six months. The sudden emptiness of it being gone was getting to me.
One day later, I found myself restless, sitting beside Rem in her room. Even though I tried to stay in my lane, I started to snoop around in her room, only to find her bag in one closet. It had been thrown there, forgotten in the chaos since we arrived.
A silly idea popped into my head at that moment.
Perhaps you'll return to me if you hear some of your favorite music.
It was a ridiculous thought, as no magic could break with a simple sound, but anything was worth a try at this point.