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As the Iwrin drove away after leaving his master his speed grew slower and slower as he wanted to return back to his cruel master .
Yet he would not able to see his master now.
On the other side, his master stood alone on a quiet pathway where no one could see him.
The first light of dawn touched his face ,his eyes were changing colour like they were remembering the hydrangea boy he met last time.
He started to walk with calm steps full of elegance. Even with his tall legs, his steps were small, as if he wanted to return with the maximum count.
Things became unexpected when his calm figure grew even sadder as he changed his way from the straight path lined with towering trees to the river of red roses.
Ivaan's shirt began to stain red and carried the scent of his beloved lady, the one he often remembered these days.
He stood there alone, unseen by anyone.
Then he reached a hidden place within the roses , his secret hideout for escape, a small soft grassbed covered with rose petals.
He sat in the middle of the roses, his back straight, with his palms resting on the moist grass.
His fingers landed on a rose which was full of thrones , still he didn't felt any pain when he was lost in his thoughts.
A drop of his blood drained, yet he simply smelled the rose and slowly sank to the ground. Above him, the clouds drifted gently, making him feel the quiet rotation of the earth.
Ivaan slowly closed his eyes, the skin beneath his eye got softened, which hecovered them with his forearm.
As he was ready to refuse to go because he felted he had no strength left to face another funeral or to hear the cries of Rudy's loved ones.
The thought of enduring more deaths, the ones yet to come in Darkskin, was beyond question.
Time seemed to stop around him as he drifted into sleep. The winter sunlight was the best comfort for his restless mind; the butterflies fluttering nearby felt like a gentle massage, and the scent of roses worked like incense.
In his dream, he was living the life he had always wanted surrounded by the people he loved. Their faces were blurred, yet their voices were clear and easy to recognize.
Time started to flow again, and his dream was suddenly broken by a face appearing before his eyes.
He was stunned the laughing face, bright and carefree like a silly boy, was none other than the Viscount's son.
Yet instead of reacting, Ivaan hides his surprise, keeping his expression calm and unreadable.
In the next moment, he was pulled back as someone was chasing Ivaan from behind, his dream finally and actually broke...he started to cough.
It took him a while to realize he was still inside his dream, and even Lior wasn't real anymore, which made him angry.
He closed his eyes again and took a deep, calm breath.
Hmm, hmm.
————
"Huff, huff… master, master…" People were shouting.
Voices of people.
Ivaan opened his eyes.
His vision was blurred.Mist in front of his eyes.
He was lying on the ground on his stomach, feeling the sand against his face and the metallic smell of blood clinging to his nose.
As he forced himself to stand, dizziness overwhelmed him. The world spun, and voices rang in his ears.
"Ah… what's happening… huff…"
He pressed both hands against the Mother Earth.
He could now hold himself up without any effort.
"Master, I'm glad you are alright. We have done a lot… I felt the barrier in front of". Subordinate seemed to panic while he was totally invested in helping his master.
Yet Ivaan refused support. He tried to understand the situation how, just a moment ago, he had been resting in a flower bed, and now he was in the middle of a battlefield.
Fragments of his memories reminded him of what had actually happened since then how, two days ago, he had returned to his estate on his foot covered in earthen to attend the funeral of a lost one and preparation for Darkskin.
How people cried over the ones they loved, how they begged for their return, even when hope no longer answered them.
Lia ,the woman who called herself Rudy's lover, collapsed into his mother's arms, her body shaking as she begged in her broken voice.
'Please… for God's sake, bring him back…'
'He promised he would return. He said he would come back… but he broke that promise. He can't be like this.'
'My Rudy would never break his word. This isn't him. Please… come back.'
The next fragment of his broken memory did not return gently.
It pulled him back to the moment he left the estate with the three teams, all prepared moving cloaks, steel-weighed robes, and swords, hollow sounds, everything moving according to plan.
Then the moment came, the separation at the foot of Darkskin.
Mist covered the way.
Wild grass and the honking sounds of predators who were howling in hunger.
There, he left the Viscount's party behind for healing, for those who might return broken or who could no longer continue to be treated.
Ivaan's voice echoed strangely; his words themselves held command.
"Viscount, this mission is meant for investigation," Ivaan said quietly.
Yet his eyes said the bitter truth.
"But you are well aware of the danger to life. Be alert at every moment. Don't let your guard down for a second."
As he turned toward the destination, his eyes reflected the same darkness that surrounded Darkskin itself.
As he moved on, he could already see it ,how many of them would never witness the next dawn.
And without another word, he advanced with the remaining parties in silence, toward the unavoidable division of the three groups, each sent forward to face its own execution.