Adrian had gathered all the information he needed to know about himself—about his new self.

He had died, that much was true. Yet he was still alive, and the reason was simple—he had never been a normal being to begin with. His existence was tied to the witches, and because of that, he could now wield independent magic as well.

Still, countless questions lingered in his mind—some out of curiosity, others for the sake of survival.

But for now, he chose not to press further.

"How do I return to my consciousness?" he asked.

Avirin replied calmly, "In a few moments, you'll wake up. When your Gate was destroyed, your magic flow was severed—that's when the sudden overload was suppressed. In the future, be careful with how much power you draw."

Adrian gave a short nod. "I'll be mindful. Thanks for the warning."

He had faced the symptoms before—the loss of control when emotions ran wild.

It had started after he began using independent magic. Like that time with Elizabeth, when he nearly killed her without thinking.

That outburst had left him stunned later. He wasn't someone who acted recklessly, yet in that instant, everyone who approached him had felt like an enemy—even Ruby.

The rage had consumed him so completely that he nearly lost his sanity.

If he wasn't careful, something like that could happen again.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. He looked at the man before him—his past—whose expression had barely changed, no matter how animated or restless Adrian had been throughout their talk.

"I suppose you can't tell me exactly what I should do, can you?"

Confusion clouded his thoughts.

Would destroying the Acolytes restore the era of pure devotion once more?

But if he left them alone, wouldn't that only bring more chaos… and more deaths?

Both paths seemed lined with thorns.

Avirin clasped his hands over his lap, his voice calm yet heavy. "I never asked anyone what I should do. People told me what they thought was right—but I never listened. I made mistakes, some of them too great to fix. Yet in the end, what followed might have been the best outcome possible at the time."

His eyes met Adrian's. "Tell me, what do you truly wish to achieve? A peaceful world… or a peaceful life with those you love?"

Adrian didn't even hesitate. "I just want a quiet life with the people I care about."

Avirin nodded slowly. "Then don't forget that. There will come moments when you'll face hard choices. When that happens…" His gaze hardened. "Don't ever hesitate to choose your own happiness. This life you have now—it's the one I could never live. The only time I was ever happy was during those years I spent with Bella."

Adrian saw it then—the pain behind Avirin's calm face, the regret buried deep in his eyes. Despite how young he looked, there was an unmistakable weight there—the kind only carried by someone who had lived through countless failures and heartbreaks.

Adrian opened his mouth to ask something, but his vision began to fade.

Avirin let out a quiet sigh. "Our time is over… but don't worry. We'll meet again."

"When?!" Adrian called out quickly as his consciousness started slipping away.

The man didn't answer. He simply watched as Adrian's focus dissolved into the void.

And just before everything went dark, Adrian heard Avirin's calm, distant voice—

"Never stop moving… and we'll meet soon."

….

"Haaa…" Adrian exhaled a long, shaky breath as his vision slowly came back into focus.

It felt as if a dozen drums were pounding inside his skull, each thud echoing behind his eyes.

He groaned softly, clutching the back of his head.

When his sight finally cleared, he realized he was no longer in the Vermillion residence. Trees surrounded him—tall, silent, and unfamiliar. He was in a forest.

Looking down, he saw two familiar figures sitting a short distance away. Both women had worry etched across their faces.

He took a step toward them—only to see Ruby flinch.

He froze.

Then his gaze fell upon them fully… and his breath caught in his throat.

Their clothes were half-burned, tattered and scorched in several places. Red welts covered their arms—marks left by a whip. Blood still trickled from open wounds. Their feet were charred black, their calves burned and blistered.

And on Ruby's left upper arm… a deep gash still bled steadily.

Adrian's heart shattered.

Ariana bit her lip before speaking softly, her voice trembling, "Adrian… is that you?"

Adrian looked up, meeting her eyes, and gave a small, silent nod.

"Yes… it's me." His voice broke. "I—I'm sorry…"

His knees gave out, and he fell to the ground. He couldn't believe what he was seeing—the women he had sworn to protect, the ones he wanted to keep safe no matter what—had been hurt so brutally… and by none other than—

He couldn't even finish the thought.

Ruby and Ariana exchanged a worried glance before slowly stepping closer.

Ariana knelt beside him, her hand trembling as she cupped his cheek. Ruby crouched on the other side and gently took his hand.

Adrian drew in a deep, uneven breath, pressing his face into Ariana's palm while his other hand tightened around Ruby's.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he whispered, his voice shaking.

He didn't know what else to say. Words felt useless, too small to hold the weight in his chest.

So he kept repeating the only thing that came to him—over and over again.

"I'm sorry…"

Ariana exhaled a soft breath before she said, "I am sure you must have a reason why you acted like that."

Adrian slowly nodded before looking up, "Yes…but it doesn't change the fact that the one who hurt you two was me. No one else was controlling my body. It was all me."

With his shoulders slumped, he said, "You two don't need to be with me right now. I know how it must be feeling that's why I will take you to somewhere safe and go away-"

"Adrian," Ruby called out, breaking his thoughts as she said, "We want to be with you and hear what happened. I know you feel guilty but if you go away now, it would be more painful than what we have experienced."

Adrian sucked on a cold breath as his eyes widened.

Ariana also added, "You can't run away, Adrian. You have to tell us what exactly caused this situation."

He looked at the two women…despite the fact they were tortured by him, they still didn't run away. They stayed by his side. And now, they are willing to hear what has happened.

"I am sorry…I won't talk about leaving." Taking a deep breath, he said, "Let's go somewhere safe first."

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- His emotions were all over the place in the second half. Thanks for reading

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