SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES-Chapter 187: An Idiotic Decision.

Aramith left the arena with confusion in his wake.

Forsaken Peak had won, but to celebrate or not, they were unsure of what to do.

Serephene scanned the throng of people as they left, looking for the girl who—

"Found you," she smiled as she saw the disguised Mozrael leaving the place. "You had me fooled the first time," she added.

But then, her smile disappeared as a thought crossed her mind.

That attribute... he's a damned. There's nothing special about that.

Her expression turned more serious the more she thought about it.

She opened her palm, and then bone dust came together, forming a white centipede, which she whispered a command to.

The centipede crawled around her palm, then exploded into bone dust, which was carried to whomever the message was for.

After calming herself, Kesha made her way out of the arena. Her last outburst had confused them more than Aramith's victory had.

Making her way back was the most difficult part, and the closer she got, the more jumbled her emotions got.

She wasn't sure which emotion she felt the strongest: if she was angry, sad, worried, or discouraged.

Lia...how can I break her heart again? I promised her good news, but what happened...how do I even tell her?

She slowed her breath and tried to calm her mind as she grabbed the door handle, then, with a gentle push, the door to the room slowly creaked open.

The moment the door cracked, the soft, delicate voice of little Lia followed: "Kesha?" She asked, a hint of joy laced within her words.

"It took longer than I planned, sorry about that," Kesha said as she closed the door behind her.

"How...was it?" Lia asked carefully.

Kesha forced a smile."Aramith...he's gotten stronger already. I couldn't...defeat him." She tried to sound more surprised than disappointed.

So that's why you sound so disappointed. For some reason, this came to her as something funny.

"So where is he?" Lia asked after a short pause.

Kesha lied quickly as if she was just breathing."He had to leave quickly. But he said he'd come by."

But Lia noticed…

The quaver in Kesha's voice was starting to become more obvious.

She couldn't tell Lia what Aramith said: "I have no reason to see her here."

How could she bring herself to break Lia's heart again? Especially after she'd confidently promised her.

Kesha looked at Lia and tried to smile, knowing very well Lia couldn't see it. Perhaps she was trying to deceive herself more than she was trying to reassure Lia.

But Kesha's own heart was betraying her. One look in those lifeless eyes, and her smile faded to the sorrow she was bottling up.

It was strange how even without her eyes functioning, Lia could still show emotion and understanding within them.

"Where did he go?" Lia asked.

Kesha's lips trembled, but she forced herself.

Don't break. For Lia's sake.

"Not telling," she replied with a teasing tone as transparent as the crystal tears glistening in her eyes.

Lia could tell. She was smart like that. Kesha could try her best to hide her emotions, but after being with her for so long, it was impossible for Lia not notice the change in her tone.

The disappointment that had accompanied Kesha into the room was heavier than the lump in her throat.

Yet, she wasn't going to be the one to force her to spill everything.

"I can't wait to see him again." How ironic.

" What do you think, Kesha? I know I'm cute, but should I change my clothes too?"

She touched the necklace on her neck, the one Kesha had given her a month ago. "Will he be impressed by how much I've changed? Wait, I'll scold him first, then…" Lia began reminiscing.

At that point, Kesha couldn't take it anymore. Her sobs gave her away. Tears rolled down her cheeks like how the clouds, in all their magnificence, can only hold all that water for so long, and eventually let it all down because it was all too much to carry.

But sometimes the clouds do not cry for themselves or themselves only; they cry for the people down below who can only patiently wait for the rains to come down, like how Lia could only sit there and wait for Aramith to show up— The same Aramith who showed no promise of making his way there.

Kesha cried because she couldn't do anything about it. She let herself down. She let Lia down, and somehow she felt like she let Aramith down, too.

The powerful lone wolf, breaking apart, was a painful sight to hold. It took a lot of control on Lia's side; impossible for her to remain cool-headed

"It's okay, Kesha, I'm fine, really."

"How can you say that? I know you're trying to make me feel better and hide it, like all the pain you'd been hiding within you."

"I have you, and that's enough."

Lies!

"But I couldn't fulfill my promise."

"I know that. But I also know that you tried your best, and that's the best I could ask for. I'm the useless one here who can't do anything and has to rely on everyone else. Especially you."

"No. Lia, please don't say that. I've never thought of you as—"

Lia cut her off."But you know, he will come back. I know he will."

Kesha hurt even more when the words landed, because she said the same words the night Aramith was banished—the night this all started, when he was bound to leave and never return.

I wish I'd never come here.

Hope was a cruel thing.

It gave you expectations, distorted reality, and made your mind create scenarios you knew could never happen.

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The door closed with a controlled click behind him, and the silence that followed was heavy; not for him, but for her.

Aramith stood near the window, looking out.

"Why did you do that?" Mozrael asked. Her heart still thumped with fear.

"It was the only choice I had."

"But the—"

The door was kicked open with a loud slam, shaking Mozrael.

"You're an idiot," were Lynnor's first words as she stomped inside.

Aramith didn't turn. "I won."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

The wind outside howled softly, slipping through the silence and reminding them of the previous battle. Mozrael looked between their faces.

"You revealed too much," Lynnor continued. "Way too much."

Aramith finally glanced over his shoulder.

"They already suspected."

"Suspicion and confirmation are not the same thing," Lynnor snapped. "And you didn't just confirm it—you had to demonstrate it too."

She took a step forward, hands clenched at her sides.

"Do you have any idea what kind of attention that draws?"

"Yes," he replied quickly

That answer made Lynnor stop short.

"Then why?"

Aramith turned fully now, expression unreadable.

"Because hiding it was starting to cost more than revealing it."

Lynnor let out a sharp breath, running a hand through her hair.

Mozrael froze, unable to understand.

"Cost?" she scoffed. "We talked about what would happen if you revealed too much. Especially your father..."

Silence stretched.

Aramith didn't answer immediately.

"Father?" Mozrael asked. She knew they knew something she did not know, and that caused her heart to burn slightly.

Lynnor looked at her, then shook her head. "You don't need to know it all now. I'll tell you later, or maybe he will."

"I decided to leave a message," Aramith said.

Lynnor's jaw tightened.

"What message?"

He turned back toward the window.

"They wanted to measure me, so I let them do so."

Lynnor laughed once, sharp and humorless.

"That's a stupid excuse, kid."

She stepped closer, lowering her

voice.

"Do you know what happens next?"

Aramith said nothing.

"They'll start connecting dots. Past reports. Old records. Names that were supposed to stay buried." Lynnor's eyes burned. "And when they do, they won't come at you in an arena."

Another pause.

Aramith's fingers tightened slightly around the windowsill.

"That was going to happen eventually," he said. "Today just moved the timeline forward."

"For what?" Lynnor demanded. "So you could make a point?"

"So they stop underestimating the wrong people."

Lynnor shook her head. She glanced at Mozrael, noticing the slight confusion in her eyes as she tried to follow.

"You're not the only one who'll pay for that." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

At that, Aramith finally turned again.

His gaze was colder now.

"I know."

The room fell quiet again.

"What's done is done," Lynnor said after a long moment, "Just don't do this again without letting me know next time."

Aramith looked away.

"There won't be a next time like this."

Lynnor exhaled slowly.

"I hope you're right," she muttered. "Because if you're not—"

She stopped herself, then turned toward the door.

"—then that 'idiotic reveal might be the least of our problems."

The door closed behind her, and as she stepped out, the anger she'd been suppressing became evident on her face.

"You have no idea..."

Aramith remained where he was, staring out into the cold night.

Somewhere far away, ripples were still spreading, and plans were being set into motion.