A Million Beginnings, One Quiet Ending
Chapter 30: What Went Wrong

Chapter 30: What Went Wrong

ANNA

When I awoke, I saw myself lying in a beautiful garden. My sight was blurry and I felt cold.

I turned my head to look around and then I saw him. The man who had saved me.

He was putting on a white cloak. His body resting against the bark of a tree, his eyes closed.

I jumped up from where I laid down. I looked around, the entire garden looked familiar as if I’d been here before.

"Oh! You’re awake." A voice said from behind me. A voice I recognized.

I turned around and saw the blonde haired man putting on a red robe, his eyes glowing red. He had a face that could most possibly be defined as pristine.

"How’s your body doing?" He asked me with a smile on his face. To my surprise, a table and a set of chairs appeared out of nowhere.

A kettle and teacups appeared on top of it as well.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked in a sweet and soothing voice. I had heard the voice before but I could not quite place it.

"S-sure." I replied. He poured me some tea and then slid the cup to me.

I picked it up and had a taste and found out that it was very sweet and very well made.

"Do you remember my voice young one?" He asked me again.

I recognized the voice but didn’t seem to know who this was. I stared at him for a long time but could not place my finger on it.

I heard a ruffle in the grass to my left and turned to see what it was about. And I saw him standing there staring at me.

His eyes held numerous sufferings. One look at those eyes and one could tell that he had lived a thousand lifetimes.

"How are you?" He asked me. His voice rich and sweet and his face handsome as well.

His black hair, red eyes and muscular physique drew me to him.

"I’m fine." I replied.

"My name is Asher. What’s your name?" He asked with a smile that seemed forced.

"Anna." I replied softly.

He nodded his head and then turned to the man who had served me tea.

"Now. Why did you abandon her in a place like that for years?" Asher shouted at the other man.

"I did not abandon her. I just did not want to cause a rift between the Phoenix race and the demigod race." The man replied.

My head started aching. Numerous images flashed through my mind. I screamed out in pain, pushing the chair back abruptly.

Asher came to me and held my head up as I writhed and screamed in pain.

"No! No! No!" I shouted multiple times and then felt a gentle touch on my forehead. The visions stopped. The excruciating pain was gone and I was steady.

I opened my eyes once again and could see Asher looking at me. His eyes filled with so much pity.

I got up from Asher’s arms and turned to face the other man.

"You’re Radkiel." I said to him, finally realizing who he was.

"Yes. Yes. That’s who I am." He smiled and nodded his head as he sat on one of the chairs.

"Why did you leave me there?!" I shouted at him. I was very angry at this point.

"You heard me before. I did not want to create a war between the Phoenix race and demigod race." Radkiel replied me with a straight, expressionless face.

"You could have at least come to save me." I said to him. "I trusted you."

"But you’re saved now right? I was the one who sent him," Radkiel explained pointing at Asher, "to save you."

I turned around and walked away in anger. I walked towards the stream and sat there just staring at it flow.

I sensed someone behind me. He was trying to make himself hidden.

"I know you’re there. What do you want?" I asked without turning around.

"I’m sure you’re angry and it’s justified, but I’m also sure Radkiel means well." Asher spoke from behind me.

"Is that the reason he left me there for 10 years?!" I screamed at the top of my voice.

The more we talked about it, the more the unpleasant memories resurfaced. It made it seem like I was reliving through the experience.

Asher sat down beside me with his knees curled up to his face and then he started talking.

"My entire world was destroyed in front of me and I wasn’t strong enough to protect it." He said to me.

I turned to face him but his head was buried between his knees.

"My mother, father, my best friend and the woman I loved were all killed in front of me." He continued.

I kept on staring at him and saw tears dropping to the floor. I was shocked, he didn’t seem like someone who would cry.

I put my hand on his back and patted it. "Don’t worry, I understand how you feel." I said to him softly.

He raised his head and I could still see the tears streaming from his eyes.

"My entire family was murdered as well. Radkiel found me and trained me himself." I explained to him.

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at me. "Radkiel trained you? All he ever did for me was talk."

We both laughed at that statement. "So it was Gabriel who trained you?" I asked with the smile still on my face.

"Yeah. He is what you would call a brute. He beat me up multiple times and healed my wounds multiple times." Asher explained.

I laughed at his words. "Radkiel teaches the basics of Essence and how to control it."

"He didn’t do the same for me, I had to learn most of it by myself while he sat there drinking tea." Asher replied.

I laughed once again at Asher’s words but from the look on his face he wasn’t joking.

"So... how were you captured?" Asher finally asked.

I sighed and then started recollecting how it all happened.

"Radkiel sent me there to eliminate Solaris. He had previously told me that he was stronger than I was and I had no hope of defeating him." I started.

"Then why did you go? You could have told him that you would train more." Asher asked with concern in his voice.

"That’s because Solaris was the one who murdered my entire family." I replied without any emotion at all.

"So you wanted revenge?"

"Yes, I wanted revenge." I replied. "I’m sure you feel the same way about the people who destroyed your world."

"Yes, I get what you mean."

"Now back to what you asked me. When I got to the planet, I met three Phoenix at the sea shore." I continued. "They were formidable, especially after they merged together."

"Yes. I do remember facing something like that." Asher said to me.

"Oh! And you’re still alive?"

"Yes, I defeated them so..."

"What?! I was left nearly dead and you say you defeated them?" I asked, clearly shocked and surprised.

"Yes I did. But they were really strong. I killed them multiple times but they kept on coming back."

"I wasn’t even able to injure them at all." I replied. "I can only use Essence for physical attacks and that’s it."

"There’s more to it than meets the eye Anna." I opened my eyes in surprise, he finally said my name. "Now, carry on."

"Yes. After they defeated me, they took me to Ravesh who’s the Lord of the city where you rescued me from." I continued. "H-he let his men rape me for three whole months."

Asher’s eyes widened and I could sense his energy spike but nevertheless, I continued. "Anytime I did something wrong like rebelling against a guard, I would be raped."

"That’s why you ended up that way huh?" Asher asked me, his energy levels going down by the second and his voice suddenly calm.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go back there and eliminate every single one of those flaming birds." Asher declared.

"As I said before, I can only deal physical attacks and they do not sustain any physical damage. Even if they do, it won’t kill them."

"But they do sustain physical damage." Asher revealed to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You don’t just strengthen your body with Essence, you have to coat your body with it as well so it acts as both defensively and offensively." Asher explained.

"How do I do that?" I asked him again.

"I’ll get you a good teacher because I’m not that good at imparting knowledge to people." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled.

"So you were able to damage them physically when yo

u faced them?"

"Yeah I was but they regenerated from any physical assault."

"Okay. So... who’s the teacher you suggest." I asked with high expectations.

"Gabriel."

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