"Hey handsome" Elijah stood before the grand mirror, carefully fixing his dark curls with the precision of a man who knew exactly how good he looked. With a smirk, he adjusted his tie, placed his signature hat atop his head, and admired his reflection one last time. Perfection.
Satisfied, he turned and descended the grand staircase, his polished boots clicking against the marble steps.
Below, his birthday celebration was in full swing. The grand hall pulsed with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. Golden chandeliers bathed the room in warm light, illuminating the polished floors and the elegantly dressed guests.
He moved through the crowd with ease, flashing effortless smiles, nodding at guests who greeted him with admiration and envy. Born with a Blue Zeten and Green Neba, he had lived his life however he pleased. Schools and institutions begged for him to enroll. Noble houses extended offers of marriage. None of it mattered. Elijah wasn't interested in being a hero, a scholar, or a ruler.
He just wanted freedom.
Diana stood near the balcony, sipping wine from a crystal glass, her fiery red hair cascading over the shoulders of her elegant crimson gown. Her black eyes shimmered under the chandeliers. She looked untouchable, like she had stepped out of a legend.
Elijah smirked and approached her. "You look beautiful today, Diana," he said smoothly, taking her hand before she could react.
Diana blinked, a flicker of pink on her cheeks. "You always talk like this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Only to people worth my time."
She laughed softly, rolling her eyes, but she didn't pull away when he led her onto the dance floor.
As they danced, their movements were effortless, the world around them fading. Elijah was used to this, pretty girls who came and went like the seasons. But Diana? She felt different. They had only known each other for a few months, yet there was something about her that intrigued him.
As the night wore on, guests began to depart, each leaving behind expensive gifts wrapped in gold and silver. Elijah accepted them with a polite nod, though he barely cared. They were just things.
Then, Diana approached him last, standing before him with an unreadable expression.
"I have a gift for you too," she said.
He tilted his head, amused. "Oh? Did you get me something more interesting than a golden sword or a title deed?"
Diana chuckled and stepped closer, pressing a hand against his chest. "Something better."
Before he could ask, she pressed her lips against his.
Elijah barely had time to process it before instinct took over. His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed her back, deep and slow, savoring the moment. His heart raced, not from excitement, not from thrill, but something else. Something unfamiliar.
But then a sharp, searing agony tore through his chest.
Elijah stumbled back, his breath hitching as he looked down. Blood. Dark red, spreading across his crisp white shirt. His vision blurred as he lifted his gaze to Diana.
She was holding a glowing red cross-shaped sword.
"You bitch," he choked out, collapsing to the ground as his blood pooled around him.
But then Elijah's wound suddenly closed in an instant, the torn flesh knitting itself back together as if nothing had happened.
Diana's expression twisted in horror. "What? what is this? How? Why are you still here?"
Elijah groaned, brushing the blood off his now-ruined suit. He clicked his tongue in irritation before flashing a smug grin. "Oh, you didn't know?" He patted his chest. "Rich people just have better stuff."
Diana's eyes widened. "An artifact…?"
Elijah rolled his shoulders, already feeling back to full strength. "Yeah. Had it implanted in my heart since I was a kid. It blocks one fatal wound every twenty-four hours." His smirk faded into something colder. "Guess you wasted your only shot."
Diana took a slow breath, processing his words. But instead of fear or anger, her face was eerily calm, like she had already accepted the consequences.
"You're not going to let me go, are you?" she asked quietly.
Elijah tilted his head, feigning thought. "Hmm... nah."
Before she could react, he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into the marble floor. She gasped, body going limp from the
sudden impact. "Not gonna fight back?"
"I can't win…" she muttered.
"Too bad," Elijah mused, crouching beside her. He grabbed her wrist and twisted, drawing out a sharp cry of pain. "You were fun."
Diana didn't beg. She didn't curse him. She just breathed through the pain, face pale but composed.
That made him pause.
She wasn't some delusional assassin or mindless person. There was no hatred in her eyes. Just an exhausted sort of acceptance, like she knew this was always going to end badly for her.
That almost made him respect her.
Almost.
"Alright," Elijah sighed, finally letting go. "Start talking."
And she did. The Blessings Ceremony. The gods. The trials. The promise of power.
Elijah listened, leaning against the wall as she spoke. His anger cooled into something different, curiosity.
A god's trial, huh? Power beyond imagination?
Sounded way more interesting than another year of dealing with his family.
"So," he muttered, stretching his arms, "you were going to send me there whether I liked it or not?"
Diana hesitated, then nodded.
Elijah let out a short laugh. "You know, if you'd just asked, I probably would've gone willingly."
Diana frowned. "Why?"
Elijah smirked, but there was something dark in his eyes. "I really don't feel like dealing with my parents."
There were other reasons, of course. Curiosity. Hunger for blood. The thrill of the unknown. But most of all, this was the perfect excuse to disappear.
"I see," Diana murmured, watching him carefully.
Elijah exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Alright. Let's do it."
She blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. Send me there." He spread his arms dramatically. "No more tricks, no more schemes. Just stab me and get it over with."
Diana hesitated, gripping the hilt of her sword. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious." Elijah grinned. "But, uh—before you do it, how about one last kiss?"
Diana gave him a flat, deadpan look.
"Or not," he shrugged, still smirking. "Your loss."
Diana sighed, looking thoroughly unimpressed. And then, without another word, she stabbed him through the heart.
A brilliant light engulfed him. And just like that he was gone.
[ Present time ]
Elijah sat in silence, fingers twitching against his knee as he stared at the stone floor of the ruined building.
Memory loss.
That damn girl, Dina never mentioned anything about memory loss.
His jaw clenched as his hand slowly curled into a fist.
"When I get back," he muttered under his breath, voice dark with promise.
"I'm going to kill her for real this time ."