Zeres shot him a kind gaze before he looked up. Then he smiled. A sad smile. “That must really sting. Abigail said I’m important to her but… I kind of feel like she’ll forever see me only as a friend. And yet… I cannot seem to give up and keep hoping that one day, she’ll see me as a man and not only as her friend.” He glanced at Eris next. “Does the person you like already have a lover?”
Eris shook his head. “Not yet.”
“I see… then don’t give up. One day, that person might look at you. And return your feelings.” Zeres encouraged Eris.
“I… hope so…” though Eris said that, Iryz thought that his tone somehow did not sound hopeful.
“By the way. When will you take that mask off and show your face to me? I can’t believe we’ve been partners for three years and you’ve yet to show me your face.” Zeres approached her and reached out for his mask. Zeres’ movement was swift, but Eris’s response was even swifter as he stepped back. Zeres missed the mask by centimetres.
Zeres halted. His hand was left hanging mid-air.
“I’m sorry.” Eris said and he sighed.
“Are you really planning to hide your face from me forever?” Zeres arched his brow.
“No.”
“Then when will show your face?”
“One day.” Eris’ reply was short and did not offer anything more.
“Fine.” Zeres seemed to have finally given in. At least for now. “You’re one hell of a secretive witch, you know that Eris?” He sighed again before he returned to his post.
Iryz did not even know what to think or say at this point. She could not understand what all this was about. Was she seeing just random memories of Zeres’ in the past? But why? Why was she seeing this? Was there any meaning for her to view this?
And this boy. Iryz could not seem to take her attention off him. Was it because his eyes looked like hers?
A bit frustrated, Iryz finally moved from her spot and approached the boy. Maybe she could try to talk to him? Wait, should she not go for Zeres instead?
When she changed her course, the sun suddenly rose. It was as if time had been flash forwarded within a blink of an eye.
Then Iryz saw Zeres left. She stayed with the boy waiting for what he would do next.
After a long while, the boy named Eris began to move as well. He was following after Zeres in secret! Just who was this boy?
Before she knew it, they had arrived in another place. She could see ranges of rocky mountains ahead of them. The mountains were so black that they looked like they were made of pitch black crystals. She could also see a small wooden house situated near a stream at the foot of the mountain.
They watched from a distance as Zeres entered the wooden house. The boy was quiet as he looked absentmindedly towards that house.
Iryz did not know why but she felt her heart ache for this boy. Maybe because the look in his eyes right now looked really heart breaking. She saw his fists clenching hard. Was the person this boy was talking about – the person that he loves but loved someone else – Zeres? Iryz placed her mouth onto her palms as she gasped, and her eyes widened.
The next moment, they were in another place again.
They were inside a house this time. A house made of wood and stone. One glance and Iryz knew that this was another ancient house. Was this the boy’s house? But wait. Why was she stuck with this boy instead of Zeres? If she was supposed to follow someone who she had an attachment to, was it not Zeres? How did she end up being stuck to this boy? It was like the memories she was seeing was not actually Zeres’ but this boy’s! But why? And the book! Gosh! She really did not have the time to watch all these memories if they could not give her a hint of the location of the bo –
Iryz was silenced because of the realization that just dawned to her. This house… this shelf… this was the place that Zeres and her were at just a moment ago, right?! Wait… so why was this place here now?
She was certain this was the same place! Apart from the fact that the shelf was not all packed with books and was not looking as elegant as the first time she saw it with Zeres, she could swear that it was the exact same place! Could this be the real picture of that illusion? Maybe the real books were the ones left in here!
Iryz was about to immediately begin looking for the book when she got distracted by the mirror that was hanging to the side. It was the same mirror she had seen in that room earlier. ‘I knew it! I remembered seeing a mirror. I was not crazy! Phew!’ Iryz thought to herself as she laughed inwardly.
But then, the boy approached it and stood before the mirror. And when he took his mask off, Iryz stood there, paralyzed. Because the reflection of the boy in the mirror looked exactly like her! What is the meaning of this?! What is going on?!
He stared at the face reflected in the mirror for a moment before he began taking his clothes off. And Iryz was dumbfounded once again as she saw him remove the bandages that was wound multiple times around his chest. He was not a boy! This Eris person is a girl! This person who looked exactly like her had been disguising as a boy. And it seemed she had been keeping up this disguise in front of Zeres for three whole years!
As Iryz was trying to take all this in, she had a feeling that things would not turn out as simple as it was. She had that sinking feeling that there was more to things that met the eyes. Her heartbeat raced and she felt her head spin as she tried to make sense of what was going on in here.
