Ari walked the through the endless hall of emptiness. The paintings, the murals, everything was the same no matter how long he walked or which way he turned. It was as if he was walking around in a loop, not really going anywhere. Ari stopped and gazed at the mural again before furrowing his brows. He sensed its presence clearly then.

"Meris, where am I?"

"The beginning," the beast said. Its voice echoed through the empty halls.

"Of what?"

"Of what you can remember. Perhaps, all you would like to remember."

Ari turned his head when its voice grew closer. However, there was no one there.

"There is nothing here," Ari murmured.

"Look closer."

Its breath blew in his ear, causing him to jolt away. Meris appeared before him in human form and pointed down the same path Ari had taken time and time again.

"There."

"There is no--"

"Look."

"I am looking," Ari said, growing frustrated.

"Not with this." Meris nudged Ari's face. "Or this." She poked his forehead. "But with this." Her finger slid down his neck to his chest where his heart was. "Through all the lifetimes you have lived, you may leave with you your memories, but the heart never forgets. Never."

Ari stared at the white floor below him. His hands shook. The beating of his heart ran rampant in his chest. Ari knew without even having to think much on why. Some part of him did not want him to remember. It was Harun. All of the awful parts of him seemed to be. Ari laughed bitterly.

He was made a fool by everyone aside from Cyrus who was merely trying to show him the truth. But everyone disguised it so well --and that talk he had with Auovin. Just the thought of it made Ari squeeze his eyes shut. When he said to Auovin that he was not him when he had that gaze in his eyes. He very well was that person who had hurt him and Ari told him, in that same moment, that he would not do a thing to hurt him. Ari bit down on his lip, wishing he could take it all back. He should have listened to Sai and not have been so curious. If he had listened, he would not have such a heavy heart and guilt to carry.

"Ari, do not change your mind now. It is far too late. You are here now and there is no going back. There is only forward."

Ari looked at Meris with distrust.

"I know you are afraid, but there is no reason for it. None at all."

"I am not afraid. What is there to be afraid of? It is a past that has nothing to do with me, but I will learn of it if I must."

Meris smirked and said no more. She motioned for him to come along, but Ari stayed where he was at.

"The rune here. Cut your hand and trace around it like so... and then a door will open. Do you not remember even this?" She laughed and vanished once again. It caused Ari nothing but unrest. What game was she playing at exactly? If it was his temple why was it that she remembered things that only he should know?

Ari bit his finger and trace across the rune marking as instructed. The stone rumbled. It made a cracking sound until something unlatched from within. Dust speckled with sharp ice filled the air, causing Ari to cover his eyes and look down. When he looked up again there was door partially open. Meris had been right in her words, but it made him more uneasy than before. Just what is she trying to achieve by giving him all of the knowledge he wanted to know? He was so used to people not giving him it and when someone finally did it unnerved him. Nothing came without a price.

No light or sound came through the door. It was all darkness accompanied by an eerie quietness that settled in the air. Ari shifted on his feet, growing restless. When he entered through the door his eyes widened at the sight that laid before him.

Hundreds and hundreds of humans gathered in this temple for prayer and praise. Candles were lit everywhere as if the sun was shining up above them. Ari gazed around but was became distracted by the constant sound of feet hitting the cobblestone and the sounds of the many voices filling the space. Their clothing was not much different from what he was used to seeing. Many men wore skins of animals on top of the thin cotton shirt and pants. The woman wore dresses made with cheap material. You could not see one person with a patch or so in their garments. Their mannerisms were a bit different, though. The women were much more modest and the men more chivalrous. They gave precedence over to the women and children than themselves. All their eyes were alight with hope and happiness which made Ari smile.

Grass grew everywhere. When there was not cobblestone there was grass. Ari spotted the pink flowers Kaval showed him speckled throughout the temple. Kids were playing nearby with sticks. They were laughing until one fell into some water. They laughed even louder then.

A small river flowed through the edge which Ari followed. He could hear its steady rhythm. It forked off in the distance; one led to a pond where he could hear the fish swimming and jumping up, the other to a waterfall which amazed Ari one so large could be found in such a place. He could hear the rush of it all the way from where he was.

Up above Ari saw it then the hole in the mountain which gave way to natural lighting, allowing for things to grow. The snow must have melted from the mountains which made the river and waterfall. When it became winter Ari was sure it would have been even more beautiful then. Ari's heart warmed at the thought. There was a fondness for this place already growing inside his heart. It was as if he had been gone for so long and finally came back. The stone walls were just as the ones as he had seen before. In the mountain—

Ari's heart quickly dropped as everyone dropped to their knees with either their hands to their hearts or their hands tightly clasped together. Their eyes lowered to the ground as they cleared away for the person to pass, but Ari kept upright and stared at the person coming through.

His eyes grew wide as saucers as he saw a man who looked just like him adorned in lavish creme and gold clothing. He was a little older looking than him no more than two or three years. He had black hair like him, just slightly longer, and his eyes were as gray as his and his skin—. The man passed right through him as if he was not there. Ari looked back at the man and saw some partial markings on his back similar to his own.

"Harun, wait." Ari heard Kaval's voice. He rushed passed through him as well, causing Ari to fall to his knees.

"Another time, Kaval." Harun looked back at Kaval and smiled. His voice was deeper, but they were the same. They were the same. Ari held his head as a blinding pain went through it. His head pounded with memories that were not his own. Each one seered into his mind, his very flesh. Ari sank his hands into the grass trying to beat down the pain. However, it became unbearable to the point of screaming out in pain.

"Would you like to remember more? This is only a taste of what I can show you." Meris viciously whispered before its voice faded away.

Ari did not know what happened, but when he came to his head hurt less. He was swept into another moment in time back in the mountain where he sat high above everyone else in a chair decorated with rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and gold melted and carved into the stone chair. The Great Hall was massive. It was filled with empty rows and rows of seats etched from the mountain itself. The hall was blanketed with petals from where he sat to the beginning of the entrance.

Within the emptiness, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Ari looked on in surprise when he saw Auovin and expression written clearly across Harun's face. Auovin was goregous then as he was now. His white shirt had a slit through it which you could see the beginning of his chest muscles and some of his shoulder. He was very much the same. Ari grabbed his heart when it began beating out of his chest. What was with this feeling? He had seen him plenty of times, but this--

Ari flicked his eyes back to Harun watching as a smile crept across his face. He rested his head against his fist and did nothing but stare. Ari knew almost instantaneously then that that was when he first met Auovin. To him... at that time... it was like love at first sight.

"I think... I became enraptured with him then. I have never seen anyone with brown skin and eyes such as his... but at that time..." Ari's head pounded the more he tried to understand and remember.

"Yes, without him ever even having to say a word, you became smitten with him, but what came after will make you think otherwise." Ari furrowed his brows.

"Your memories are all a mess," Meris whispered once more."Shall I fix them for you?" Ari shuddered and shook his head no. He did not want to remember anymore. This alone made a pang go through his heart at the longing and loss that consumed him.

Harun walked down the stairs at first before he disappeared and reappeared in front of Auovin.

"I have heard rumors and tales about you and your kind, but this is the first to have met one."

"As is the same for me," Auovin said, trying not to stare too long in his eyes.

"What is it that you want?"

"Same as what you want."

"And that may be?"

"Some kind of peace between us."

"Oh... " Harun licked his lips and circled around him. "I have heard of that as well. I have not lifted a hand against your kind, however. I find it rather tasteless. Blood taste better when each is willing and--"

Harun paused.

"--Alive, after all."

"They listen to you."

"When it benefits them."

"But they would listen if you told them to."

"Perhaps."

Auovin scoffed, beating down a smile threatening to blossom on his face. "You are too modest."

Harun shrugged his shoulders, letting a piece of his robe slip down his arm.

"I would not like to think so. Autonomy is something they value."

"As well as logic, but that seems to be misplaced."

Harun sniffed and rubbed his nose.

Ari knew Harun wanted to kiss him then, to feel his skin brushing against his fingertips, and to comb his fingers through his hair, but he hid it well. He was never so taken with lust as he was then and did not know what to do but hide it away as he did many of his other emotions.

"You must have come here with something in mind to solve this problem. Tell me what it is that you suggest." Harun did not care about the issue going on between The Greats and blood demons, but Auovin held his interest as much as the stars did. He wanted to learn more about him and if there was a way to keep him close, he would not hesitate to snatch the opportunity.

"A blood pact," Auovin said.

"Come again?"

"Not only will it tighten our power over the humans, it can bring us to some kind of truce. They revere you, after all, both the humans and The Greats."

"And what would it entail, exactly?"

Auovin raised his hand and cut it open with his nail.

"A promise."

"Promise? What is that?"

"Something that binds you to your word. It is a contract of a sort. If you break it, nothing but ill-will will follow you. Since it will be made in blood, it would be death."

"I see. What promise would that be?"

"To never betray the other."

"I never say things I do not mean."

"Then this should be no issue."

Harun looked at Auovin for a moment before he cut open his hand.

When they shook hands a mark etched onto each of their faces. Ari's eyes widened as he remembered that mark. He had traced his hand across it because it was so intricately made and pretty to look at. But to think it was from--

Ari looked up in horror, realizing he was no longer in the mountain but a hill with a large tree surrounded by those same pink flowers. Sweat dripped down Ari's forehead as he breathed sporadically. He caught his breath as quickly as he could and calmed his mind.

In the next moment there he was atop a hill, looking longingly up at the stars with the same eyes Ari had seen Auovin do time and time again. Ari's face grew hot. Soon tears poured from his eyes, causing him to become confused. He swiped at them and saw Harun with tears streaming down his face as well.

"I did not... did not betray him," Ari murmured with a voice filled with sadness. There was so much pain filling his heart, Ari did not know what to do but sink his face into the dirt. He clutched at his heart but the terrible ache would not go away.

"Do not become saddened now so quickly. This is only the beginning, after all, and I want to show you more and more, so you will remember."

Ari looked up and saw the same beast he was confronted with from before. Those same red eyes filled with malice and hatred that threatened to swallow him whole once more. "Remember everything."

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️