The Demon king's Last oath

The fire crackled softly, casting long shadows over the clearing. Elara sat across from Caius, her emerald green eyes piercing in their intensity. For the first time, they were face to face, no formal letters, no family intermediaries—just them, the silence between them thick with unspoken questions.

"You said you'd tell me everything," Elara said, her voice calm but edged with steel. "So start talking."

Caius shifted uncomfortably, his gaze briefly flicking to the stranger, who was reclining against a nearby rock, clearly enjoying the tension.

"I don't think you're going to let this go, are you?" Caius said finally.

Elara crossed her arms, her expression firm. "Not a chance. If I came all this way, I deserve answers."

"She's got a point," the stranger chimed in, smirking faintly. "You dragged me into this mess, boy. Might as well drag her all the way in too."

Caius sighed, pulling his satchel into his lap. "Fine. You want answers? Here they are."

He reached into the satchel, withdrawing the shard. Its dark crystal surface glinted faintly in the firelight, pulsing with a quiet, ominous rhythm.

Elara's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't flinch. "What… is that?"

"It's called a shard," Caius said, holding it carefully. "A fragment of the Demon King's power."

Elara's expression faltered for a moment, disbelief flickering across her face. "The Demon King? You mean the one from the war—the one who nearly destroyed the world before being defeated?"

"Yes," Caius said, his voice steady. "But when he was defeated, his power didn't vanish. It was split into pieces, scattered across the world to keep it from falling into the wrong hands."

Elara stared at the shard, her gaze intense. "And you've been… collecting them?"

"They call to me," Caius admitted, his tone quiet. "I didn't ask for this, Elara. But the shards are tied to me, and I can't ignore them."

"And the people hunting you?" she pressed. "They want these shards?"

Caius nodded, his expression dark. "To use them. To awaken something—or someone—that should stay buried."

Elara leaned back, her emerald eyes narrowing. "So, let me get this straight. You ran away from your family—from me—to chase after these shards and fight off whatever horrors come with them?"

Caius's jaw tightened. "I left to protect all of you. If I stayed, the people hunting me would've come to the estate. They wouldn't have cared who got caught in the crossfire."

Elara's frustration bubbled to the surface. "And you thought leaving without a word was better? Do you have any idea what that did to your family? To me?"

Caius hesitated, guilt flickering across his face. "I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice," Elara snapped, her tone sharp.

"You think I wanted this?" Caius shot back, his voice rising for the first time. "You think I wanted to be hunted, to spend every day fighting for my life? I did what I thought was best for everyone. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it's the only way I knew how to keep you safe."

The fire crackled in the tense silence that followed. The stranger, sensing the weight of the moment, wisely stayed quiet.

Elara's expression softened slightly, her voice quieter now. "I didn't come all this way to argue, Caius. I just… I don't understand. Why you? Why are the shards tied to you?"

Caius hesitated, his blue eyes drifting to the shard in his hand. "I don't know. Not fully. But I think it's connected to the oath I swore in another life."

"Another life?" Elara echoed, her brow furrowing.

Caius glanced at her, debating how much to reveal. "I'm… not like other people, Elara. Before I was born into this life, I was someone else. Someone tied to the Demon King."

Elara's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt.

"I don't remember everything," Caius continued, his voice quieter. "But I know I was there when he fell. I swore an oath to protect the balance, to stop his power from being misused. And now, for some reason, that oath is still binding me."

Elara stared at him, her expression unreadable. "You're serious."

"Completely," Caius said.

Elara sat back, her emerald eyes scanning his face as if trying to piece him together. Finally, she sighed. "You're right. This is dangerous. But running from it won't solve anything."

Caius looked at her, surprised by the shift in her tone. "What are you saying?"

Elara's expression hardened. "I'm saying I'm not going anywhere. If you're going to face this, you won't do it alone."

"You don't understand what you're asking," Caius said, his voice edged with concern.

"Then help me understand," Elara replied, her gaze steady. "I've trained my whole life to stand beside you, Caius. Maybe I didn't expect it to look like this, but I'm not turning back now."

Caius hesitated, his mind racing. Finally, he nodded, his voice quiet. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

The fire burned low as the three of them settled into a tenuous peace. Elara sat quietly, her gaze occasionally drifting to the shard Caius had returned to his satchel.

The stranger, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke. "Well, this just got a lot more interesting."

Caius shot them a glare. "Not a word."

The stranger smirked, leaning back. "Oh, don't worry, boy. I like her. She's got spirit."

Caius sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let's just get some rest. We'll need to move early tomorrow."

Elara nodded, though her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer. As she settled down for the night, one thought echoed in her mind.

"Who are you, Caius Thorne?"