Choosing A Side Part 2

The weight of Amelia's words pressed against my chest like a stone, suffocating and cold.

Kase was dead.

It was a reality I never expected to face so suddenly. Even after our battle, I had been convinced that Kase was still alive, lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again. And yet, here Amelia stood, telling me that he was gone—killed by Zhoron and my mother. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. My breath came in shallow bursts as I tried to process the whirlwind of emotions crashing through me—hatred, confusion, disbelief. After hearing Amelia's story about Kase's power and how he used it on her, my mother, and possibly Syvis also, my hatred for Kase resurfaced from the oblivion where I had it. I had this urge to have him in front of me and destroy him with my own hands. Yet...

"Kase… is dead," I muttered, more to myself than to Amelia.

Amelia took a hesitant step toward me, "Darx, I know this is a lot to take in. I—"

I lifted my hand, cutting her off, "Tell me everything," My voice was low, strained, teetering on the edge of control, "Everything that's happened since I left."

Amelia hesitated for only a second before nodding. She understood—there was no room for comfort right now. I needed the truth. I needed to piece together the puzzle of what had happened in my absence.

She inhaled deeply before speaking, "After I failed to kill Kase, I had to disappear, but before I could get far, I found out that Kase was being sent to the Dark Elf territory."

I frowned, "The Dark Elves? Why?"

"The humans were too preoccupied with the Demon war. The Queen feared Humans were too preoccupied with the Demon war, and if the Beast-Kind chose to invade the Dark Elves, no one would be able to intervene in time. To send a warning to the Beast-Kind, Queen Zara decided to send an S-Rank as a show of ****."

I clenched my jaw, "And they chose Kase."

Amelia nodded, "Yes. But he didn't go alone," She hesitated, her gaze flickering with uncertainty before she continued, "Ilene went with him."

"M-My mother..."

I had spent years asking myself how my mother could choose a man like Kase. But after hearing Amelia's revelation about Kase's powers, I don't know how I feel anymore. Had she truly chosen Kase? Or had she been just another puppet dancing on the strings of Kase's cursed ability?

Amelia pressed on, "S-Syvis was with them, too."

A sharp pang shot through my chest, "What?"

"Syvis went as part of her duty as a Dark Elf princess. Her mission was to ensure that the Dark Elves would support the humans in the war against the demons."

I shook my head, struggling to make sense of it, "Syvis… why would she go with Kase? After everything?"

Amelia's expression darkened, "It wasn't by choice. At least, at first. After what happened the night you and Kase fought—after Agnes's ****—the punishment for Syvis was severe. She was given no alternative but to go and do whatever it takes to complete her duty."

I took a step back, running a hand through my hair as I tried to steady my thoughts. Everything I had believed, everything I had known, was unraveling before me. My mother, Syvis, Kase's manipulation—each revelation was too shocking.

I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to meet Amelia's gaze, "And then what? What happened in the Dark Elf territory? How did Kase die? Were you there?"

Amelia swallowed hard, her fingers tightening at her sides.

Amelia nodded solemnly, "Zhoron approached me before I could escape Riledo. First, he asked me to tell him everything I knew about Kase, and I did, as well as my suspicion of his power. Zhoron then told me the Queen shared the same suspicions I had. Kase's ability was too dangerous to be left unchecked. It wasn't just about power—it was about control. Kase could bend people's wills, twist their emotions, and turn people into a puppet with a heartbeat. What are the limits of that power? That kind of ability… in the hands of someone like Kase?" Her lips pressed together, her eyes dark with something heavy, "It was a risk the kingdom wasn't willing to take."

I clenched my fists, trying to make sense of it all, "But Kase was one of the last three S-Ranks we had after Agnes. Killing him would only leave two."

"It wasn't about strength on the battlefield anymore, Darx. It was about something much worse," Amelia's voice dropped, almost a whisper, "They feared he would turn the wrong people to his side. What if he seduced the Queen? What if he used his power to seize control over Riledo itself? The moment I told Zhoron everything I suspected, he revealed that the Queen had already been considering the same thing. That's why they sent me to follow him. To ensure the deed could be done."

"What happened while you were following him?" I asked.

With a slow nod, Amelia took a breath and began, "I left Riledo by boat, heading for the Dark Elf territory. The journey took weeks, and when I arrived, there were two waiting for me. Dark Elves. Spies from Oblivion. They were my contact."

I narrowed my eyes, "Oblivion?"

"Yes, black market scum. Those two trafficked their own kind and sold them to human nobles?" Her jaw tightened, "I hated working with them, but I didn't have a choice. They had the resources I needed to stay hidden. Makeup, disguises, routes into the city without being seen. They took me deep into the heart of the Dark Elf territory. And once I was there… I saw everything. I saw what Kase was doing."

A deep unease settled in my gut, "What did you see?"

Amelia hesitated, looking away, "Darx… I don't think you should hear this part. Maybe you just need to know how it ends. That's what matters, isn't it?"

"No," I shook my head, my voice laced with ice, "I need to hear it all. Don't spare me."

Her shoulders tensed before she exhaled like she was bracing herself, "F-Fine."

The silence between us felt suffocating before she spoke again.

"The first time I saw him there… he was with Ilene and Syvis—both of them. Together," Amelia stopped momentarily as if gaining the courage to continue, "When I arrived, I thought there would be more attention between them because of everything that happened in Riledo, but to my shock, it was the opposite. The three... let's say they were... how to put it... y-you understand, right!?"

Something inside me cracked.

"That's a lie," The words left my mouth before I even processed them, "That can't be true."

"I wish it was," Her voice was almost pained, "But I saw it with my own eyes. Something must have happened on that trip. Kase wasn't just with Ilene. He was with Syvis, too. They were… his."

My breath turned sharp, ragged. My mother. Syvis...

Amelia's gaze was on the floor, "I saw things. Things I won't describe to you. Things I don't think you want to hear."

My hands trembled. My heartbeat pounded in my ears like war drums. But deep down, something inside me twisted with grim understanding. If Kase truly had the power Amelia described… then...

"Do you believe me now?" Amelia's voice was gentle but firm, "Do you understand what he was? What he could do?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, my jaw tightening until it ached, "That bastard," I whispered, my voice raw with fury.

I still stand there, silent, as Amelia continues her story. My mind felt like it was being torn apart with every revelation she laid before me.

"I remained in the territory of the Dark Elves for several months," Amelia said, her voice steady yet tinged with an underlying hesitance, "During that time, Syvis did everything she could to persuade her father to support the humans in their war against the demons. She promised to fulfill any request he made in return for the Dark Elves' assistance."

I remember that that was the request that The Queen had asked Syvis, but she refused. At the time, I believed Syvis rejected the request because she wanted to be with me. Still, I promised to accompany her to see her father and find another way to resolve the issue. However, I did not expect what I would discover later. That night when I saw Syvis with Kase...

"What did the King want?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Amelia exhaled, watching me cautiously before speaking, "Marriage. The Dark Elf King declared that he would only support the humans if Syvis married the S-Rank of the Dark Elves."

I clenched my fists against my thighs, "Did she... did she marry him?"

"No." Amelia shook her head, "It turned out that the Dark Elf S-Rank had no interest in women. His tastes were more aligned toward men. And even if that weren't the case, there was something else that prevented the marriage."

Her voice trailed off, but I caught the hesitation in her eyes, "What was it?"

She looked away, "During that time, both Ilene and Syvis became pregnant... by Kase."

Everything inside me went still. A suffocating weight pressed against my chest as if the air had been sucked from my lungs.

Amelia looked at me, her expression shifting with something close to sympathy, "Darx...?"

I barely heard her. My mind reeled, tumbling through an abyss of emotions I thought I had buried. Betrayal, fury, disbelief—all swirling in a maelstrom too vast to contain. Syvis... and my mother... both bearing Kase's children?

"I thought..." My voice cracked, my throat tightening around the words, "I thought m-my mother couldn't have more children."

"She couldn't," Amelia admitted, "But the Dark Elf S-Rank is a healer. He was able to cure Ilene," She hesitated before adding, "However, when he attempted to heal Kase's injuries from your battle... he couldn't. No matter what the S-Rank did, Kase's wounds wouldn't heal. He was disturbed by this since, according to my two helpers, the dark elf S-Rank had never failed to heal anyone before. He could mend broken bones, even restore lost limbs—but whatever you did to Kase, it was beyond his power to fix."

A hollow, bitter satisfaction curled in my chest at that. I remember taking his arm and disfiguring his face. At least I had left my mark on him in some way. But the weight of Amelia's words was still sinking in, drowning me in a flood of emotions I couldn't fully process.

"After much persuasion," Amelia continued, "The King finally agreed to help the humans. But there was a condition—Syvis had to remain in Dark Elf territory. And she would be required to marry a new candidate of the King's choosing in the future."

"I-I-see..." I said, still trying to deal with all the emotions I was feeling.

"After the news that Syvis was expecting Kase's baby, the King wanted Kase out," Amelia continued, "He didn't want Kase there anymore. And he intended for Kase to take Syvis' child with him once it was born. But Syvis refused to part with the baby. Eventually, the King relented and allowed the child to stay once the baby was born."

I rubbed a hand down my face, trying to make sense of everything. I had convinced myself that I had moved on from Syvis and my mother's betrayal. But now, hearing the full extent of what had transpired, the wound was ripped open all over again.

Amelia paused, giving me a moment before she went on, "During all that time, the Beast-Kind attempted to invade Dark Elf territory a few times."

I snapped my head up, narrowing my eyes, "Did they succeed?"

"No. Thanks to Kase and the Dark Elf forces, as well as diplomatic efforts from Queen Zara, the Beast-Kind eventually ceased their attempts. But that also meant that the main reason for Kase to remain there was gone. With the Dark Elves now supporting the humans and the Beast-Kind no longer a direct threat, there was no longer any justification for him to stay."

I stared at her, my pulse hammering, "So my mom and Kase returned to human territory."

"Yes," Amelia nodded, "He and Ilene decided to leave. And that's when I knew it was time."

A chill ran through me, "Time?"

She met my gaze steadily, "I signaled Zhoron. The plan to **** Kase had begun."

I exhaled slowly, my mind still struggling to catch up with everything I had just learned. Kase, my mom, Syvis, the Dark Elves, the war, the assassins—every piece of the puzzle was falling into place, revealing an image.

"Tell me what happened next," I said, my voice quiet but firm.

"Around that time, Kase received a letter from Queen Zara," She began, eyes locked onto mine, gauging my reaction, "It was an official summons requesting that he travel to a village near the southern border of human territory to investigate an incident there once he finished his work in Dark Eves territory. But in reality, it was nothing more than a ruse—to ensure Kase couldn't return by ship."

I frowned, my mind working quickly, "So he was led into a trap."

Amelia nodded, "After Kase and Ilene left the Dark Elf city, I sent the signal to Zhoron and followed them, just as we had planned."

"How long did you follow them?" I asked, unable to mask the intensity in my voice.

"Several days. I remained hidden, keeping my distance, watching their every move until we crossed into human territory. And once we did, Zhoron was already there, waiting."

I know very little about Zhoron. Only the rumors that he was raised by dragons and that he was the one who murdered the King to be with Queen Zara. But above all, he is quite strong. And yet, even knowing his reputation, I couldn't shake my unease.

"Zhoron found me first," Amelia continued, "He explained what the next steps would be. The most important thing was ensuring that Ilene was freed from Kase's influence before Kase was eliminated."

"How?" I asked, my throat dry.

"Time," Amelia said simply, "Zhoron believed that the only reason I had broken free was because I had been separated from Kase for long enough. The moment I recovered my free will was after Kase was trapped in that cave for days. That's when I realized it wasn't love—it was control."

I clenched my fists. The idea that my mother had been under that same influence sickened me.

"Zhoron wasn't willing to risk killing Kase while Ilene was still under his power. Who knows what could have happened to her mind if Kase died while she was still connected to him? So, the plan was to kidnap Ilene first and keep her away from Kase for several days. Once she was free of his influence... then Zhoron would finish it."

A long silence stretched between us before I managed to speak, "And it worked?"

Amelia showed a slight smile, "Yes. The fabricated incident in the village was to separate Kase from Ilene. It was all planned. Zhoron took Ilene before Kase could realize what was happening. And then we waited."

I swallowed hard, "How did my mom react?"

"Badly. Just like I did," Amelia admitted, her eyes distant, "Ilene was confused. Broken. But slowly, she came back to herself. And when she did... she was furious. Furious at herself. At what she had done. At what had been done to her."

I could hardly breathe. The image of my mother, proud and strong, reduced to nothing more than a pawn in Kase's twisted game—it was unbearable.

"Once Ilene was safe, Zhoron went to confront Kase. He told us to stay behind and let him handle it. But neither of us could just sit there. We followed him," Amelia hesitated, "Ilene was still weak from... everything. And from how far along she was in her pregnancy. But she refused to stay behind."

"And the fight?" My voice was hoarse, and my heart was pounding in my chest, "Tell me what happened."

Amelia exhaled as if the memory itself was exhausting, "It wasn't even a fight, Darx. Not a real one. I had seen Kase fight before—I knew he was strong. I thought I understood what it meant to be S-Rank. But I was wrong. Very wrong."

She shook her head, "Zhoron was something else entirely. Kase didn't have a chance. Zhoron's power was overwhelming. It was like watching a god step down from the heavens to pass judgment. And the judgment was swift."

I could only stare, my blood cold.

"When it was over, we approached what was left of Kase. He was still alive, barely. Bleeding. Broken. Pathetic." Amelia continued, her body shaking slightly.

Amelia's lips curled in disgust, "I took my turn first. I yelled at Kase everything I wanted to say. Every ounce of hatred I felt for him, every way he had ruined my life. I wanted him to know. And then... Ilene stepped forward."

I held my breath.

"Ilene didn't say a word. She just looked at him, then raised her sword."

The weight of the silence that followed was unbearable.

"She drove it straight into his heart. And that was the end of Kase."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my mind reeling, my emotions in turmoil.

Amelia's voice softened, "It's over, Darx. He's dead. Kase is dead."