Sins of Love, Renesme Silverstein - Part 6. (Patreon)

In a brightly lit Arena, stood the Elders of the Order in the Gallery. Their attention was on the two people standing in the middle of the Arena, facing each other with grim expressions. One was the Elder, and the other was the next Supreme Zero. And today, they were up against each other in a Death Trial. 

“So lad, are you going to face me yourself or have you found a Champion to hide behind?” 

Gladrielle sinisterly smiled at Shazan. He was at ease, but there was rage inside of him that he wanted to unleash on this lad. He hoped that he would get a chance for it, but he knew that Stephen wouldn’t allow Shazan to fight. Despite the dissatisfaction, he was certain that he would come out as the winner, and the person who loses his life at his hands would be the responsibility of this young lad who had offended him. 

He looked at the girl with wine hair in sparkling greed. He knew that something was special about her, and he wanted her. Her beauty incited his lust for her, and the prospect of getting his hands on her was making him impatient.

Shazan stood there with his thoughts in chaos. He was not worried about the Death Trial. Gerald had agreed to stand as his Champion. He would be here in a few hours. What was eating his heart were the words of Julius. And those words were still fresh in his mind. 

“Don’t get too attached to her. The people of her family die young.” 

Julius’ words reminded him of something he forgot to consider. The information Stephen had given him had made him reach the same conclusion. However, when he met her, the thought didn’t cross his mind. He was lost in her, and he forgot to inquire her about it. 

His heart was aching, and he was on the verge of breaking. The thought of losing her terrified him, and he was not capable of paying attention to his surroundings. The tears in his eyes refused to come out. They were drowning his heart in sorrow. And he was scared to even ask her about it.

Seeing Shazan not respond to the words of Gladrielle, the Elders frowned. Stephen looked at Serafina and Keira who were standing by his side, but he couldn’t see what was wrong with him from their thoughts. They were worried and clueless for why he wore such a melancholic and grim expression. 

Julius had a pensive look on his face. He had only said those words to warn him and help him, but he had failed to see how much Shazan had gotten attached to Renesme. It was unbelievable to him, and now he regretted saying what he had said. He stepped forward to walk to him and tell that he was also willing to be his Champion in the Trial, but suddenly, an unexpected force halted his body. He found himself incapable of stepping forward and going to the Arena. He couldn’t even move an inch forward. His old heart and fearless mind were now terrified as they had never been before in his life. His eyes looked at the girl who was standing by Shazan’s side, and the expression in her eyes as she stared at the ground, sunk his heart. 

“I will be facing you on his behalf.” 

A low but clear voice resounded in the Arena, surprising every single individual present there. 

Gladrielle was surprised as well. His grave eyes shockingly looked at the little girl he wanted to attain. The shock made his heart uncomfortable, and the dissatisfaction rose the fury to the heights that made him lose control. The very thing he wanted to possess was willing to fight against him for someone else. It was nothing less than a slap on his face. 

“You are the reward of this Death Trial, girl. You cannot fight me. Stay out of this!” He ruthlessly spouted those words.

“I am not your property, and there is no force in this world that can make me submit to it.”

The calm and coldness in the words of Renesme sent chills down the spine of people. Gladrielle had not realized it, but every other Elder could now feel it. They were incapable of moving even an inch of their body, or even say a word. A force caged them, and they were helpless against it. 

“I belong to him alone, and I will be by his side forever.” 

Shazan heard her words, and the pain in his heart started fading away. It was not her statement that brought peace to his heart, but the single word ‘forever’. There was a promise that word contained in it, and he understood what Renesme wanted to convey to him. He wouldn’t lose her. He wanted to ask her about it, but he controlled himself and collected his thoughts.

He looked at her, and their met eyes met. Her thin lips curved in a smile that brightened his heart. She lovingly locked her small hand with his, and assuredly squeezed it. 

Their intimate behavior left Gladrielle in chaos. His eyes turned red in rage, and he was breathing unevenly. The words of Renesme had made it clear that she would never submit to him, and her actions made it clear that her heart belonged to Shazan. It was for the first time in his life that he felt so inferior to someone, and he was unable to bear this feeling of misery.

“Very well… Since you want to die then I will help you die.” He said his words with conviction. 

His rage had engulfed his reasoning, and his mind was left incapable of assessing the fear the Arena was shrouded in. He was one of those Elders who had not taken Julius’ warning. He was not ready to believe that a twelve-year-old girl was more Powerful than him, and so the thought of losing his life never occurred to him. 

The words of Gladrielle ceased the smile on Renesme’s face. 

Shazan was confident in her strength, and so he was not in the least worried about her. He was mockingly smiling in his heart at Gladrielle. He had dug his own grave by allowing Renesme to fight him. It was even better than having Gerald as his champion. She will end it faster.

“I will go stand with the others.” He sighed and said to Renesme. 

“No need.” She refused to let go of his hand. “It will be over in the blink of an eye.” 

Her words made him curious, and he stayed. He wanted to see the Power of Renesme, and her claim to finish it in the blink of an eye intrigued him. His confidence in her didn’t even let a doubt rise.  

“Show me.” He teased her. 

No one else could hear what they were saying to each other. Renesme had used her powers to isolate their voices from reaching others. 

“Okay.” She sweetly smiled at him and drew her free hand towards where Gladrielle stood. “Watch, and don’t blink. This is the power of an Azrael.”  

Shazan looked at her pointed finger, and then at Gladrielle. There was no change, but then before his eyes, Gladrielle turned to a mist of blood. There was no flesh or bones left. It was just a mist of blood. 

His heart forgot to beat, and his eyes wavered in shock. He had not seen anything like it in his life. Whatever she had done, she did it at a speed that he couldn’t comprehend. 

He was mesmerized and stared at the mist of blood that was stagnated in the air. It was an Artwork, and he could feel the excitement burning in his veins. He loved it. He watched, and under his eyes, the mist started to gather. It was as if a force was sucking it, and then it was sucked into a ball of blood. The ball kept contracting until it was the size of a bead, and then fell on the floor. The clinking sound it made when it hit the floor told him that it was as solid as any metal.

“What’s that?” He asked.

“I left his remains so that his family could bury him.”

Her callous answer left him speechless. He knew she could read his mind. What he wanted to know was how she did it, but she refused to answer. 

“You are dangerous.”

“Well, Thank you!” She cheerfully answered back.

Shazan helplessly shook his head. He looked at the Elders in the Arena, and their pale faces and shuddering bodies made it hard for him to contain his laugh. He felt bad for them, but the scene was funny to him. He had never before seen this group of people in such a state.

His eyes landed on Serafina and Keira, and just like the rest of the people, they were scared as well. Their fearful eyes looked at Renesme as if she was a Monster, and he didn’t like that. He didn’t want them to think of her like that.

“I will be in your room,” Renesme said, and before he could look at her, she vanished.

He stood there in the silent Arena for several minutes before there was finally some movement. Keira jumped off the gallery and appeared by his side. He smiled at her and accepted her in his embrace. Her terrified heart finally began to settle down, and her fear faded. 

“She would never harm me, Keira.” He whispered near her ear and planted a kiss on her head. 

“I know,” She answered. “But I can’t help fearing her. It was terrifying…”

Her words were honest. She could only maintain her composure and not worry about his safety for she had the utmost trust in him, but the fear of Renesme was now engraved in her heart. She would never forget what happened here today, and no one else would forget it either.

“It was beautiful…” He expressed his thoughts and teased her. 

“You are a freak. How can you not be scared of what happened before your eyes?” She smacked a light punch on his chest. 

Shazan chuckled at her words, but now he was asking himself the same question. The first thought that had appeared in his mind when he saw what happened was about how beautiful it was. He considered it an Artwork. Fear had never whispered in his heart. He was rather excited about how exquisitely she had played with the mist of the Blood. 

“What did you do to get that girl on your side…” Stephen approached him and asked. He was wearing a half-smile, but he was still sweating from the fear in his heart. 

“You do not need to worry about her. She has no interest in our Work.” He answered as he ran his gaze over the rest of the Elders. 

He had always been someone who could capitalize on the opportunities. It was in his best interest to ease the fear in the hearts of these people. He could already see why Renesme had done things in such a flashy manner. She wanted to tell these people to not create problems for him. Now, these Elders would never dare to stand against him in fear of Renesme. 

Warick nodded to him and then left the Arena. Some Elders followed after him, and the rest stayed there. The turnaround in the council of Elders was surprising. None of them wore a prideful expression now. There was regret in some eyes. Others were filled with despair and self-ridicule. Their decades of hard work and pride now felt insignificant. They had been ignorant about the truth of the world, and now, a girl who was not even in her teens yet had turned their world upside down.

“I will ask the Elders to keep what happened here today to your hearts. If the word gets out about it, the younger generation might lose its will and ability to flourish. And I don’t want anyone to expect me to seek Renesme’s help in affairs of the Order. She had already told me that she won't follow any Orders.” He said his last sentence in a clear and collected voice. 

The Elders were old and shrewd people, and he knew that if he didn’t make things clear to them, they would come to seek his friendship and get Renesme’s aid. He had no interest in being pursued by these old men. 

“I will take my leave before the sun rises.” He said and glanced at Serafina who was standing by Stephen’s side. “I will see you guys in three months, at my wedding with Lady Serafina. Be safe.” 

He grabbed on Keira’s hand and turned around to leave. Serafina silently followed after them. 

“Shazan…” Serafina called out to him as they headed to his room.

“Yes?” He drew his hand to her, and as she accepted it, he pulled her closer to him. “What’s up?”

“You are going to marry her?” 

“I am.” He answered and caressed her hand. "I proposed her earlier tonight, and she said yes.” 

Serafina was not against him marrying her. She was just worried about whether it would create problems for her or not. She knew that with Renesme’s beauty, personality, and strength it would be hard for anyone to compete with her. Arianna would be fine, as his love for her would never cease. Keira would be fine as well, as she would soon be the mother of his child. Karen was doted and loved by him. She was born to be his bride. He had raised her in his care. All of the girls who were destined to be his wives held a special place in his heart. And she saw today that he loved Renesme as well. It was just her that still had to make such a place in his heart, and with so many girls around, she felt a little helpless. 

Shazan knew what was worrying Serafina. He was born and raised in the company of girls. He understood their temperament and their fears. And the fears in Serafina’s heart were not unsubstantial. However, he didn’t say anything to ease her worries. Her fears would only truly go away after she would become his wife and start living with the family. 

“Where’s your shadow?” He asked her to divert her attention. 

She stifled a giggle at the mention of her Shadow. 

“She went to her brother’s place. Ilsa wasn’t pleased when Father revealed that I would be marrying you. She doesn’t like you. And she didn't want to be here to meet you.” 

“Of course she wouldn’t. She’s a muscle-head.” 

“That’s the reason why she doesn’t like you. She started disliking you more when she heard you address her as a muscle-head.” 

“All I said that day were my honest thoughts about her. I also said that she was beautiful, but she only took the muscle-head part to her heart.” He retorted as if he was wronged.

Serafina knew he was messing with her. She cared about Ilsa a lot. Ilsa was her Shadow; the fate of the Shadow was connected to its Master. The man she would marry, her Shadow would marry the same man. The custom of a Master and Shadow was ancient. Azeros exercised it. The bond of a Shadow was only a pledge, but it had to be honored. There were people who kept temporary Shadows as well, but Ilsa was pledged to her as her life-long Shadow. And so, she was going to be by her side till death. 

“Try to make up with her when you meet her next time. Please?” She requested him.

Shazan sighed when he heard her say that. He knew she cared about her Shadow. He liked Ilsa and her disposition. And there was just something about her that urged him to tease her. He couldn’t help it. That girl was indeed a muscle-head. 

“You don’t need to worry about that. I will take care of my bride.” He assured her. 

Renesme was sleeping soundly when they arrived in his room. She wore a serene expression of her face, and her breathing was even and peaceful. They guessed that she must have been tired, but Shazan had bells of crisis ringing in his mind. He didn’t reveal his fears to the girls and silently walked into the changing room. There was something that Renesme was hiding from him, and he wanted to get an answer to that. It took him a while to collect his thoughts, and then he made his resolve. He would ask her about the matter of her family members dying at a young age when she wakes up. 

He left the dressing room dressed in his sleepwear and entered the bed. He wrapped his arm around Renesme and held her close to him. Her warmth and aroma soothed his worries, and his eyes drooped. He felt Keira snuggle him from behind before he drifted off to sleep. 

The next day when he woke up, he realized that he had slept for a prolonged period of time. He had planned on leaving before the dawn, but now he would have to stay here another day. He yawned and got up from the bed. There was no one else in the room, and as he concentrated his Powers on finding Keira, he heard her talking with Renesme inside the bathroom. They were taking a bath together. 

The idea of joining them for the bath was tempting, but he shook it off and lied back down lazily. He didn’t linger on hearing what the two girls were chatting about. He let them have their privacy. He picked up his cellphone from the side table and made a call to his beloved. 

“Brother!” Karen answered the phone with excitement. 

“How’s my Karen?” He smiled and asked her. 

“I am fine. Arianna and Marilyn are fine as well. Asaya came over last night and stayed with us, and right now, we are planning to go for some swimming.” 

“They are by your side?” 

“Yes. Shall I put the phone on speaker?” She asked.

“Nah… It’s fine. Tell them that I can’t return today. I slept off last night, and I just woke up. I will be there tomorrow.”

“It’s okay.” She answered. “Any problems?” 

“All have been dealt with. No worries,”

There was a brief silence, as Karen waited for him to say something more. 

“You have something to say, don’t you?” She finally asked. 

He couldn’t help but smile as her question. Karen had always been perceptive of things, and she was smart. She could sense it if he had something on mind. 

“Pass the phone to Arianna. I want to talk to her.” 

“Here…” 

“Yes?” Arianna sweet voice entered his ears. 

He could sense that she wasn’t pleased with him. He had told them that he would return to them today, and he hadn’t. 

“I love you…” He told her.

“I know,” She sweetly answered, but it was evident to him that she was upset. “I received a call from Keira earlier.” She told him.

“Oh…” He didn’t know what to say to her. 

“And I talked with Renesme as well.” 

Now he was left speechless. He had no idea what to say. He thinking about how he would reveal Renesme’s matter to Arianna, but Keira seemed to have already taken care of it.

“And…”

“What do I think about her?” 

“Yes,” He answered.

Arianna stayed silent for a few moments and then sighed. 

“She’s a beautiful girl. And I trust you,” She answered him. “Make sure you do return tomorrow, or I won’t talk to you for a week.” She warned him. 

“I will be there, my princess.” He smiled at her words. She knew how to make him fear her.  

“I love you!” Arianna giggled. 

“I love you, My Life.” 

“I love you too!” Karen said shyly.

And then there was another voice. 

“I love brother as well…” It was Asaya’s meek voice.

Shazan couldn’t help but laugh at what was happening. It was too sweet, and his heart warmed up. 

“I love you, Karen” He told her. “And I love my little bird,” He answered the youngest one. “Be sure to enjoy yourselves, and do help Asaya learn to swim better.”

“We will!” Arianna and Karen answered in unison. 

“Be safe!”

He ended the call and placed the phone back on the side table, and then he drifted off to sleep again. It was a lazy day.