"Is that not who you are?"The words rolled off Rhea's tongue, her voice tinged with an undeniable confidence, the syllables drawn out with the warmth of her Stellan accent. She spoke the truth and dared him to confront it. Her gaze was steady, unwavering as her golden eyes the hue of molten sunlight narrowed upon him, cutting through the shadows that embraced him. He was the
"Don of Death," and his legacy had not faded, no matter how far beneath the earth he was. His actions had shaped the world outside, rippling through the lives of innocents and criminals alike. This title was not something bestowed upon him lightly. It was an identity he had sculpted from his ruthless ambition. Revered by those who lingered in the depths of infamy, feared by those whose opinions mattered most. His crimes had painted the world in blood and chaos, but now, here in this sunless prison, it was up to him to decide if that mantle would cling to him forever.
Rhea stepped forward, closer to the metal bars that separated them. The magic items that held him in this place thrummed faintly, a soft vibration in the air. Her hips swayed with a confidence that belied her youth, and her eyes, twin suns, flickered with curiosity as she leaned in. She could only make out the gleam of one of his eyes, a sharp, glowing gold that nearly mirrored her own. It was the only clearly visible part of him beneath the shadows. His voice, thick with an accent she couldn't quite place, began to wind its way through the stale air, heavy with the weight of a thousand sins.
His story unfolded and each thread steeped in betrayal, loss, and vengeance. She listened quietly, her lips pressed into a thoughtful line as his words tumbled forth, as if reminiscing about the man he once was—or the man he might have been. the god
Erebus. His name echoed in the half-elf's mind, and with a name like that, it seemed his fate had been determined long before his first breath. The gods had chosen him to walk a path lined with darkness. He had survived where so many others had perished, a mortal man playing the part of an immortal villain. Yet, for all his power and infamy, he was still human. Mortal. And all men die, eventually.
The Knight's eyes drifted briefly over the marks behind him, etched into the cold stone walls like a diary. He was counting down the days. Perhaps to freedom, or perhaps to something darker, more final. It was her duty as a Rune Knight to warn her superiors if she believed there was even the slightest chance he could escape. The consequences of his freedom were unimaginable. And yet... Rhea remained silent. Something about him
intrigued her. She had faced monsters before, creatures far more dangerous than any man, no matter how feared or revered. But Erebus... He was something else entirely. He was a man bound by his past, by the weight of the choices he had made, and the chains of fate itself.
"I do not fear you, Don of Death," she finally spoke, her voice strong and clear. There was no hesitation, no quiver of doubt. Her words hung in the air like a challenge, daring him to test her resolve. She had battled dragons and beasts whose very names sent shivers down the spines of the bravest warriors. So, she took another step closer, the soft glow of her eyes locked onto his single, golden one.
"The Rune Knights talk about you all the time," she continued, her accent painting each word with the richness of her homeland.
"They laugh about your name, about the day you might return. They call you a ghost, a relic of a past that no longer matters." A soft, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
]b]"Sometimes, I almost feel sorry for you."[/b]There was only a deep and unspoken understanding in her gaze.
"You were always bound to become this... what you are now," she mused, her voice softening, almost compassionate.
"The gods, in all their twisted designs, had a hand in this, didn’t they? Perhaps you could never have been anything else. But..." She paused, tilting her head slightly, the light catching the gold flecks in her irises.
"Perhaps it is not too late. Not too late to change, to redeem yourself—if that is something you even desire."With a sigh, Rhea straightened and let her posture relax. The tension in her muscles eased as she flipped her dark hair back over her shoulder with a casual grace.
"My name is Rhea Alvarez," she said, her voice proud, the words rolling off her tongue like the melody of a long-forgotten song.
"A daughter of Stella. Born a Dragon Slayer. The Outcast Rune Knight Sergeant." She smirked, a small but confident curve of her lips.
"They call me La Dorada—the Morningstar."It still surprised her, sometimes, how quickly she had risen through the ranks of the Rune Knights. She had only been in Fiore a few months, but already, she was making a name for herself, much like Erebus once had in his earlier years. Her path, though, was not forged through darkness and vengeance. Hers was one of triumphant light, and discovery of finding out who she was meant to be. From a young age, Rhea had always been a prodigy, outpacing her older cousins in battle, strategy, and skill. But here in Fiore, she was being tested like never before. It was a challenge she relished, though it forced her to confront questions she had long buried.
"I came here," she began, her voice taking on a more thoughtful tone,
"Upon request of my mother. She claims she thought it would be best for me to learn to control my power, but I believe she felt like home was holding me back. I, chose to come to uncover truths about my family. Unlike you, Don of Death...." she glanced at him, her gaze intense but not unkind,
"I do not yet fully know who I am. I am still discovering what my role is in this world, where I belong, and what I must become."Her gaze softened, just slightly, as she regarded him.
"You seem so certain of who you are, of your place in all of this... But does it truly satisfy you?" Her voice, though quiet, was filled with a genuine curiosity.
"Do you ever wonder if there could have been another way?"