In which she is so far gone

∴ ════ ∴ ❈ ∴ ════ ∴

It didn’t have to be this way. Her intentions were pure. Pure as the snow that fell in the winter. She truly did need to help her brother, but she was too late. She could feel his life wither, and then fade. Now, however, her intentions have changed. A bit of vengeance would be nice, but her plans were far greater than something as petty as that. She could easily cause so much damage, yet she held back for long. She tolerated those idiots for so long.

Her real goal was not the throne. It was Caiv. The moment she laid eyes on him, she knew exactly who he was. She was just confused of why no one else saw it.

And Calysta. The fool of a Queen. She'd never get far when her eyes were so, so blinded.

The youthful assassin held back her deranged laugh.

Eridanna Malvet was never her name. Much less the faux alias, Eri.

It was a spur of the moment decision she had made then. So she called herself Eridanna Malvet, the name of the one who was never coming back… the name could finally be put to good use.

Her real name was Faren. Faren Ryth.

She wasn't surprised she pulled off the little stunt. It was a simple, yet complex lie, and Faren Ryth was a brilliant liar.

If anyone knew her real identity, they'd trace it back to them, and that could not happen.

So as Faren watched from the distance, a thought of those beasts she had slain came into her head.

But the truth was, those creatures in the maze were not the real monsters. She was.

Being raised in the shadows, Faren had learned to deal with her demons. She had learned how to tame them. She had learned how to use them for her own gain.

She did learn from the best, after all.

So Faren just waited there, in the forest right next to the castle. Hiding in plain sight, as she liked to call it. But she saw it all. Everything.

She knew who hired the assassin to kill the Princess. She saw Ayla and Calden. She watched them. She expected every step they took. She knew exactly what would happen that night. Every single possibility ran through her mind over and over again. And through all of them, Faren was always there. Always there to gather the body and identify it.  

Faren had looked the face and arms over time and time again. That brand she hated so much. A rigid shape burned into his shoulder. The mark of the infamous Dáiret Clan. The same wretched clan that made her such a monster.

A youthful boy. Such a sudden death.

But that didn't matter. The Dáiret clan was used to death. They welcomed it and celebrated it.

But as much as Faren wanted to celebrate this, a part of her had a bad feeling. The Dáiret clan would have no way of knowing when Ayla would wake up, which means someone had woken Ayla up. Someone had been drawing Ayla out of the castle, and the foolish princess took the bait.

But news of the Princess's return was not yet revealed. Someone in the castle had called for the Dáiret shifter to kill the Princess.

See, there's a reason why she left. Even if the blood of the Dáiret Clan runs in Faren's veins, there is no way she'd be restrained like that. Faren works better alone. Besides, if she hadn't left then, she probably wouldn't even be alive now. And that would make the world terrible boring.

Faren sat next to a small fire, the chilling air whipping past her face. She pulled her hood over her head, then leaned closer towards the fire. Just a few steps away from her was the body.

Her gaze fell to the mark on his shoulder again, and Faren had to bite her lip to look away.

But her focus was shot right back to the boy.

The assassin stood up, then made her way to the boy. Tiredly, Faren sat down next to him, then placed her hand on his forehead.

Black veins raced through his body, making their way to the mark.

And then the boy's hand reached up towards her. Before Faren could get away, his hands locked around her throat. And then his whole face shifted. The veins vanished, and a rough man's face now stared back at her. But his eyes...They were so empty… So dead…

But so entrancing. Her mind was consumed by the past, and Faren saw those malicious grins. She saw that wretched chalice and that look of terror.

She let out a barely audible scream, then unhooked a dagger from her boot and stabbed at the man, but instead hit air.

And then she looked back down. Everything was normal. The man was never there and the boy truly was dead. The dark veins still ran through his body, and Faren was still holding her knife, but her hand was shaking.

This castle held memories she didn't want to get herself back into, but it held secrets she knew she had to.

In anger, Faren kicked the body, and it rolled downhill from her spot in the forest.

And it was so dark, Faren couldn't see. It was out of mind now.

Normally, Faren didn't like to dwell on the past, but it seemed almost as if the past was throwing itself onto her.

But that was fine. She'd play their little games. As for Caiv… She'd find him, and she'd find out exactly what someone like him was doing in Terria next to the Queen.

Once she uncovered the secrets of the throne, she'd finally be able to tear him down. Give Caiv a bit of chaos. Wouldn't that be ironic?

And as much as she hated to admit it, the only way she could do that was through Princess Ayla Nesrin. The fool didn't even know what she was. How pitiful….

She knew it was risky, but the only way she'd know who sent the shifter to kill Ayla, she'd have to go to the core of the whole scheme.

Faren would return to the Dáiret clan.