"Why are you angry?" Deon asked, pushing the conversation forward. Despite his hesitation, he aimed to satisfy her curiosity, whether it benefited him or not.
He knew it was hypocritical of him—to himself and his goals—but he couldn't keep deceiving Vierenna. She was too real to him to continue lying. Everything she had done for him and in his favor only deepened his guilt toward her.
He would tell her part of the truth she sought and see what happened. It would hurt her, no doubt, but the truth was better than living a lie. Otherwise, why else would she be in his room this late?
"Because you lied to me," Vierenna answered, looking at him through half-lidded eyes, her face buried between her bare knees. "You're hiding things from me... a lot of things."
"You're not wrong," Deon admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "I am hiding a lot, but I don't think I lied to you. I may have withheld the full truth, but I never lied."
Vierenna lifted her head from her knees, scrutinizing him. "Maybe! But I want to know what you're hiding, what Mother hid before you."
Deon's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Mother—Viktoria. Anything about her was a great curiosity to him, something he sought to unravel in hopes of solving the mystery of his existence.
So, unable to conceal his burning curiosity, Deon leaned toward Vierenna and asked, "Did she say something to you? Tell me!"
Vierenna leaned back slightly, surprised by Deon's sudden enthusiasm. His eyes glowed faintly, reflecting his intense curiosity. She considered exploiting his eagerness to extract as much information as possible, but she stopped herself. She still wanted him to tell her willingly. Besides, some of her mother's words weren't a big enough secret to keep from him.
So, she decided to give him only what she deemed appropriate. Perhaps that would soften his heart and convince him to be honest with her. "She didn't say much. Just that you would need my protection and guidance, that you would need time, and that you're my brother. She said a lot, but that's the summary of it all."
Deon had a mountain of questions. Much of what she said implied that Viktoria knew what would happen to her son—and to him. And the way she instructed Vierenna made it seem like she was okay with it. Why would she say that Deon 'as he is now' is her brother? Deon didn't understand. The way Vierenna phrased it was straightforward and dismissive, as if it were an absurd notion in itself. Maybe to Vierenna, it was, but to Deon, who read between the lines, he sensed a hidden truth in Viktoria's words, as if she had been trying to help him. That truth was reinforced by what Vierenna had said earlier.
'I do need protection and guidance, and time more than anything else,' Deon thought to himself, his head bowed as he stared at the bedsheets covering him. 'But why would Viktoria help me, assuming she orchestrated my reincarnation? Did she sacrifice her own flesh and blood for someone like me? For what reason?'
Vierenna snapped her fingers in front of his face, startling him. He turned to her only to see her worried expression. "You spaced out for a second. Are you okay?"
He didn't answer. He just watched her face and the subtle shifts in her attractive features. He felt drawn to her, but for that reason alone, he pulled himself away, regaining control. "Vierenna, please! Tell me everything Viktoria said about me. I need to know—it's very important."
Vierenna felt her heart shatter into tiny pieces just from Deon calling her by her full name, and even more when he referred to their mother the same way. There was no denying it anymore—her baby brother had changed. For better or worse, she would find out herself.
Just as she was about to speak again, ready to share more details about her mother's words, Deon interrupted her, sounding almost desperate. "I'll try to tell you what you want to know. Just tell me—I need to know!"
Vierenna swallowed hard, reminding herself of her mother's words, 'He will always be your brother.' hoping they would comfort her. To her surprise, they did.
She shifted from beside him and sat facing him. She didn't know why she did that, but she felt like she was confronting him, not just talking to him, and that hurt a little.
Regardless, Vierenna began recounting her meeting with her mother and how she had confronted her that night. She didn't tell him the reason for the meeting—both because she was embarrassed about her past jealousy toward him and because she couldn't bear to tell him the truth about his awakening ritual and the dead mana he had absorbed under their mother's orders. But she told him everything Viktoria had said and all the uncertainties she had cast upon her.
She watched Deon's expressions change—uncertainty, shock, confusion, and even fear. At some point, his face became unreadable, but he didn't suppress his emotions.
As Vierenna continued speaking and observing him, she grew concerned for him. She even began to doubt whether Deon truly knew what their mother had been hiding. She considered stopping, but this was what he wanted. Besides, even if he didn't know everything about Viktoria's secrets, he certainly knew more than she did. And Vierenna couldn't stand being kept in the dark.
It took several minutes for her to finish recounting that night's events, but she was proud that she did so efficiently, given that she hadn't been a mage at the time. Her memory hadn't gone through any enhancements yet. But she had to push that pride aside for now.
Her baby brother's expression was disturbingly blank. She herself was more worried than before. She leaned toward him and placed her cold hand on his cheek. "Was that too much?"
He looked at her, tilting slightly into her touch, some light returning to his eyes. "I overreacted. I should be happy with what I've learned. But that doesn't make it any easier."
Vierenna's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained control. She felt that whatever came next would change a lot. She didn't feel ready, but she had to be. So, she asked, "Doesn't make what easier?"
Deon looked into her eyes, sensing her hesitation. He himself was still trying to process everything he had just learned from her.
For a moment, he considered lying. But that wouldn't be fair to her.
'And here I thought I would do anything to return to my world! I can't even lie to someone who's supposed to be a stranger to me.'
Deon gently took the hand on his cheek and moved it away. Vierenna frowned for a moment, but her expression quickly turned into one of uncertainty and expectation at the same time. She leaned forward even more, as if trying to hear something Deon had yet to say.
Deon took a deep breath, pushing aside all his doubts. He had decided to tell her, but now, in the moment of truth, he didn't know where to start. The whole thing seemed too absurd to be believable. But he had to start somewhere.
And what better place to start than the beginning of his despair?
"I had once a dream..."