The Moonlight Swordsman

The tension in the air fizzed out as the group dispersed, their goal accomplished. The prince strode away, his entourage of Crestfall family members trailing close behind, heads held high with pride.

Whispers and murmurs filled the air as the remaining attendees dispersed, each with their own plans and motives.

"What should we do with his body?" One of the members of the Redmont family asked.

"Let me take it home; I want to bring it in to skin him alive and display it on my shelves," Harold said.

"No... I will take it with me; I had the strongest bond with him." Thomas interrupted.

"And yet you were the demise of them." A member of the Balthazar family spoke.

Thomas glanced towards Yelena.

She sighed, "He was my son; let Thomas take care of him."

*Tsk*

Harold's expression showed he was not happy with the decision.

"Don't worry, Harold, you can take your daughter's ashes with you, hahaha..." a member of the Balthazar family said.

"Fuck you, I am leaving."

Soon, Thomas and David were the only ones left alone in the aftermath.

He carried David's lifeless body in his arms and proceeded to the nearby cliff, his steps heavy with grief.

"I know what I have done; there is no forgiveness for me. You shouldn't have left the family, David.

"You chose a girl over us, and escaped with her, tarnishing our family name."

Thomas arrived at the cliff's edge with David's body, overlooking a peaceful lake below. The water flowed gently, stretching all the way to the horizon.

The view from the cliffside was spectacular, with the lake gleaming in the sunlight and the sound of water echoing softly in his ears.

For a brief moment, Thomas cast a solemn look at David's lifeless body. "I hope you find peace in your next life," he murmured softly, his voice carried away by the wind.

He gently released his grip, and David's body plummeted into the endless waters below, disappearing into the lake's depths. The ripples danced across the surface as if saying goodbye to the fallen warrior.

Thomas stood there for a moment, lost in thought, before walking away from the cliffside and into the unknown, leaving behind a silence that reverberated with the gravity of his actions.

*****

A week had passed since the incident, and Aizel was back in his magic classes, intent on furthering his studies. However, he had come to the humbling realization that he had no talent for potion-making.

Despite his best efforts, his concoctions were always a letdown, resulting in more explosions than desired effects.

It was the same for Seraphine, who also struggled to excel in the subject. Hazel, on the other hand, stood out in class, demonstrating her expertise in the field through her earth affinity and extensive knowledge of herbs and plants.

The biggest surprise, however, came from an unexpected source: Soren Balthazar.

Aizel approached Soren, intrigued by his extraordinary potion-making abilities. He inquired as to how Soren was able to concoct potions flawlessly every time.

"I can make potions in my sleep, nothing is too difficult for me," Soren simply replied.

Aizel made a mental note to stay away from him, convinced that there was something wrong with him. He couldn't shake the feeling that Soren had a few screws loose in his brain after all his boastful claims.

As the institute professor was preoccupied with ongoing events and meetings, a week passed with only one potion-making class.

While Aizel struggled to make the potions, a body swayed somewhere in a lake, eventually reaching the shore after a week. It was none other than David.

"David...

"David, wake...

"David, wake up…"  David's eyes fluttered open as he discovered himself sprawled on the shore, surrounded by boulders and rocks. As he took in his surroundings, trying to piece together what had happened, confusion clouded his mind.

He instinctively reached for his stomach, where he felt the lingering pain of a sword wound. Though the bleeding had stopped, there was a large scar in its place, a somber reminder of the attack.

The voice he had previously heard remained a mystery, and he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that washed over him. He tried to sit up, but his strength failed him, and he slumped back onto the rocky shore, determined to find out where he was and how he got there.

"David..."

"Huh, Katherine?"

"I am waiting for you, David..."

He looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. His gaze was drawn to a small, purple crystal that was partially buried in the ground and emitted an otherworldly glow. Its unusual color drew his attention.

"Katherine?"

As David forcibly removed the crystal from the ground, waves of memories from the past flooded his mind. His eyes turned a fiery red. As tears streamed down his cheeks, he screamed in anguish and fury.

"KATHERINEEEEE…..."

The crystal in his hand trembled, pulsing with otherworldly energy that amplified his emotions to an overwhelming level.

The intensity of his pain and rage shook the ground around him as if nature itself were trembling in response to his unbridled emotions. David collapsed to his knees, clutching the crystal tightly, unable to control the torrent of emotions that crashed over him.

As the sun began to set, he looked up at a pink sky. A gentle breeze caressed his skin as birds flew overhead in graceful arcs.

The tranquility of his surroundings sharply contrasted with his inner turmoil.

Deeper than the ocean, our love was,

My heart weeps as your ashes fall,

Our tomorrow, scattered in the wind,

Laughter to sorrow, a pain that's chagrined.

They laughed in their shallow delight,

Unaware of our love, ever so bright,

But they shall see, and they shall know.

For one last dance, these seeds I'll sow.

Tear this kingdom that stands so tall,

In chaos and destruction, I'll watch it fall.

For my love, our story is not yet done,

In another life, we'll rise like the morning sun.

David's determination was strengthened as he repeated the vow in his heart, and rose to his feet, and walked away.