Chapter 33: The Truth Behind Faldrin

Then Faldrin charged forward as well, and their fists collided in the middle. The ground shook beneath their feet as dry leaves scattered through the air. Faldrin quickly turned and threw a punch toward Adrian's face. Adrian tilted his head, letting the fist pass beside his cheek, then struck Faldrin directly in the stomach.

Faldrin staggered back half a step, but he took advantage of Adrian's close distance and grabbed his arm, trying to throw him to the ground. Adrian forcefully drove his shoulder forward and broke free, then turned and slammed his elbow into Faldrin's chest. Faldrin took the hit, but immediately responded with a side kick that struck Adrian in the ribs, making him stagger before he charged forward again.

The fight turned into a continuous exchange of punches and kicks. Each of them knew the other's fighting style well, and every move was met with a suitable counter. It was no longer just a battle of strength.

As the fight reached its peak, Faldrin landed a powerful kick to Adrian's head, sending him stumbling several steps backward. The blow was enough to ignite his anger, and the black aura around his body began to grow denser and more violent.

Adrian gritted his teeth and charged toward Faldrin at incredible speed. At that moment, he could see nothing except one thing... killing Faldrin.

He was moving so fast that Faldrin couldn't block his punches. One powerful blow after another rained down on him, leaving him no chance to defend himself. Finally, Adrian drove a powerful kick into the center of his body, sending him flying backward before he crashed hard into the trunk of a tree.

Faldrin tried to get back up, but his body was still suffering from the impact of the blows. He remained there for a few seconds before suddenly laughing, his laughter mixed with sorrow.

Adrian approached him, anger filling his heart and killing intent clear in his eyes. He no longer thought about everything they had been through together. All he could see was Faldrin standing before him, and all he wanted was to kill him.

He stopped in front of him and said angrily,

"You knew I couldn't control my power, yet you still left me behind... and you even blamed me for what happened."

Faldrin lowered his head and replied,

"I didn't leave you behind... I was trying to save you."

Adrian's expression suddenly changed. His brows furrowed as he stared at Faldrin in confusion and anger.

"What... did you say?"

Faldrin raised his head with difficulty and said between heavy breaths, "We received direct orders from the Guardians. Orders that no one had the right to disobey."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "We tried to make you recover your memories on your own. We tried to make you talk, but the Guardian's power inside you was protecting your memories and preventing anyone from reaching them."

Adrian clenched his fist as Faldrin continued with regret in his voice, "When we failed, the Guardians decided to intervene themselves. They were going to force their way into your mind and destroy everything protecting those memories until they found them."

Adrian's eyes widened slightly.

Faldrin lowered his head again and said, "But your mind wouldn't have survived it... You would have died."

Only the sound of the wind moving through the trees could be heard.

After a moment, Faldrin looked at Adrian and continued, "I couldn't find another way to save you except to make you angry. I knew your anger would awaken the Guardian's power, and that it was the only thing capable of breaking the chains and helping you escape before the Guardians reached you."

Adrian took a step back, as if Faldrin's words had struck him harder than any blow he had taken during the fight.

Faldrin continued in a hoarse voice, "Do you remember when I grabbed the chains? I wasn't trying to restrain you. I was putting all my strength into them to weaken them. That's why those cracks appeared... so you could break them once your power awakened."

Adrian's pupils trembled as that moment returned to his mind—the cracks that had appeared on the chains before he broke them. They hadn't appeared on their own... Faldrin had caused them.

Adrian's breathing became unsteady. For the first time, he felt that everything he had believed since leaving the prison was slowly falling apart before him.

He remained standing in place, but he could no longer see the forest, Dan, or his grandfather. Faldrin's words kept echoing inside his head.

"I didn't abandon you... I was trying to save you."

Adrian's hand trembled violently. He slowly looked down at it.

It felt as if it no longer belonged to him.

Faldrin let out a heavy breath, lowered his head, and said in a voice filled with pain, "But... I didn't know that the power you awakened would drive you to kill my brother."

His eyes filled with tears as he continued, his voice almost breaking.

"If I had known... I would have let the Guardians kill you. I would never have allowed Noyan to suffer this fate. I... I'm the reason he died."

He lowered his head even further.

"And I'm also the reason my soldiers died. That's why... I won't forgive myself until I kill you with my own hands."

Adrian couldn't find anything to say. He took one step back, then another, until his back hit Dan and his grandfather.

He raised his hands in front of his eyes and stared at them for a long moment. Images of blood, the soldiers' screams, and Commander Noyan's dying face flashed through his mind.

He whispered with a trembling voice, "What... what have I done?"

His entire body began to tremble.

For the first time since Eldar's power had awakened, Adrian felt no anger. Instead, guilt pressed down on his chest so heavily that it almost suffocated him.

Across from him, Faldrin picked up his sword from the ground and slowly stood despite his injuries. He raised the blade.

His eyes were filled with sadness, but his resolve remained unchanged.

Adrian didn't raise the Flagerum. He didn't take a fighting stance either. He simply stood there, staring at Faldrin with empty eyes, as if a part of him had just died.

Faldrin raised his sword again. His hand trembled from exhaustion, but his grip remained firm.

He stared at Adrian for a long moment before saying, his voice filled with both anger and sorrow, "I swore to avenge my brother. And I also swore that I would never let you become a tool in Eldar's hands... even if I have to kill you."

Adrian continued staring at him without moving. He didn't raise the Flagerum or try to defend himself.

Instead, he said in a faint voice, barely loud enough to hear, "If you think my death will make up for what I've done... then do it."

Dan's eyes widened.

"Adrian!"

But Adrian didn't look at him.

He simply stood there, completely defenseless.

Faldrin stared at him in silence, as if searching his eyes for any trick, any movement, any attempt to defend himself.

There was nothing.

Faldrin tightened his grip on the sword.

Then he charged forward with all his strength.

The sword rose into the air and tore through the wind, heading straight for Adrian's neck.

Just as the blade was about to touch his skin, the old man calmly raised one hand.

He didn't chant a spell.

He didn't release any energy.

He simply moved his palm through the air, as if tearing through an invisible curtain.

Suddenly, the space around them distorted.

The air rippled like the surface of water.

Faldrin's eyes widened.

"What...?!"

In less than a blink, Adrian disappeared.

Dan disappeared.

His grandfather disappeared.

And the old man disappeared with them.

Only Faldrin remained.

The sword continued forward, but it struck nothing but empty air before embedding itself in the trunk of the tree behind where Adrian had been standing moments earlier.

Silence filled the area.

Faldrin frantically looked around, desperately searching for any trace of Adrian or the others.

But the entire area was completely empty.

Then he shouted with all the strength he had left in his chest:

"Adriaaaaaaan!"

His voice echoed through the trees before slowly fading into the darkness.

But no one answered.

Adrian and the others were transported in the blink of an eye. The sounds of the battle and the soldiers' screams disappeared as if they had never existed.

When their feet finally touched the ground, they found themselves inside a small wooden house built on top of a deserted mountain. The wooden walls were covered with cracks, while the light of sunset slipped through them, casting faint lines across the floor.

Dan and Grandfather Nicholas looked around in surprise, but Adrian barely noticed the house. His mind was still back on the battlefield, with Faldrin's words repeating in his head.

"I never abandoned you... not even for a moment."

Every time he remembered Faldrin's tears, the guilt inside him grew heavier, until the weight on his chest felt heavier than ever.

The old man interrupted his thoughts with a calm smile.

"Welcome... to my humble home."

They all turned toward him.

Grandfather Nicholas stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Forgive me, sir... but who are you?"

The old man clasped his hands behind his back and calmly replied, "My name is Vitar... I'm an old mage, and I've been living here alone for years."

Adrian finally raised his head and stared at him without saying a word.

Dozens of questions were running through his mind.

How had this man suddenly appeared in the middle of the battle? How had he managed to transport all of them here in an instant? And why would he risk himself for people he didn't even know?

As if Vitar knew exactly what he was thinking, he chuckled softly.

"I know you're wondering why I helped you, so I'll answer before you ask. I was at the river getting water. My house is far from any water source, and that's when I saw what was happening and decided to intervene."

Adrian's expression didn't change.

"Then why help strangers you know nothing about?"

The old man smiled.

"Because I've held a grudge against the Nerathion Kingdom for a long time, and I don't like seeing them get what they want."

Adrian stared at him for a few moments before replying in a calm but suspicious tone, "That doesn't sound like enough of a reason."

Vitar simply gave him a mysterious smile before changing the subject.

"Forget the questions for now... You all look like you haven't eaten in a long time. I have enough food for everyone."

Dan immediately brightened.

"Actually... we're starving."

The old man pointed toward a small wooden table in the middle of the room, and they all sat around it.

While waiting for the food, Adrian silently looked around the house. The ceiling was covered with cracks, spider webs stretched between the corners, and a thick layer of dust covered most of the furniture. Even the walls looked dirty, as if no one had touched them in years.

A few minutes later, Vitar returned carrying several dishes and placed them on the table before filling their cups with water.

Dan and Grandfather Nicholas immediately started eating hungrily. Adrian only reached for his cup of water, staring at its surface for a moment before asking, "How were you able to reach the river with all those Beimur around?"

Vitar smiled as he sat across from them.

"Everyone has their own way of getting what they want."

Adrian didn't seem satisfied with the answer.

"Do you really live here alone?"

The old man calmly nodded. "Yes."

Adrian continued, "And how did you transport us from the battlefield to this place?"

Vitar sighed with a smile.

"Anyone in your position would thank me first and ask questions later."

A faint smile appeared on Adrian's face.

"Sorry... I'm more curious than I am good at staying quiet."

The old man chuckled softly, then pointed toward the food.

"I don't see you eating. Don't you like venison? It's fresh and delicious."

Grandfather Nicholas turned to Adrian with a smile.

"Eat, son. It's been a long time since we had a proper meal."

Adrian looked at the food, then at his two companions as they ate with obvious hunger. He sighed quietly. His stomach had been aching from hunger for three days, so he decided to put his suspicions aside for now.

He finally reached for the food and began eating, while Vitar quietly watched him, a mysterious smile never leaving his face.

The meal eventually ended, and silence settled over the table for a few moments before Adrian stood up without saying a word.

That strange tightness was still in his chest, a feeling he couldn't explain. It was as if something about this place refused to let him feel at ease.

He slowly walked out of the house while Dan and Grandfather Nicholas stayed inside, talking with Vitar.

Adrian closed the door behind him and began looking around the area outside the house.