By the ti you read this, I'll already be gone so please, don't try to find . You were curious about my identity, right? You rember I once told you that the Banes are not subjects of the Empire. We were an independent power, equal in standing to the Emperor, led by Eldris El Thunderbane—the final leader of the Bane family—who perished fifteen years ago in the Ultimate War.
The sudden obliteration of the Thunderbanes left the Bane family without a leader or heir, which led to internal conflict. After countless bickerings and feuds, the Bane family fractured: the Flabanes declared independence, the Earthbanes submitted to the Emperor's rule, and the remaining factions agreed that their next leader would be decided by a duel between the heads of the remaining Banes.
As a result, the Snowbanes erged victorious, and Albus El Snowbane—head of the Snowbanes and my father—beca the leader of the Bane family, which led to bear the title of Snow Princess.
I didn't an to hide this from you. I just didn't want to talk about my background because I really hated it for certain reasons.
Now do you understand why I told you not to reveal your identity? You are the last Thunderbane and the only heir to the throne of the Bane family. This mustn't be leaked until you are strong enough to bear the weight that cos with this title.
I have already returned ho due to an ergency, so you need not worry about .
Reach the Transcendent Realm within two years and co find on the mainland, or else I will never be able to et you again. I know it's a near-impossible task since it takes ten to fifteen years to break through to the Mid-Tier Realm. Yet, I'm being selfish to ask for sothing so unattainable because I don't want to be separated from you.
Please forgive for leaving like this without fulfilling what I had offered. And don't focus on the last paragraph too much, because when I wrote this, I had already accepted that I could never see you again.
Goodbye, Raj.
As soon as I read the letter, I bolted outside and burst into Nyria's room.
"Kyaa! Who the hell are you?" an unknown lady shouted from inside.
"Where is the lady who was staying here?" I demanded.
"I-I don't know. I just got this room a few minutes ago."
I ran out and aggressively knocked on U's door. The mont she opened it, I grabbed her by the shoulders and asked, breathing heavily, "Have you seen Nyria?"
"Are you alright, Raj?" she asked, worried. "You're pouring sweat—"
"Please tell , have you seen Nyria?" I demanded.
She looked at , saw trembling, and explained, "Sister Nym t about half an hour ago and said she had to return ho for so ergency. But what worries is her last statent. She said I don't have to call her sister anymore."
My hands trembled. I turned and ran down the stairs toward the street.
"Nyria!!"
"NYRIA!!!!!"
.
.
.
"NYRIAAAAA!!!!" I shouted again and again, standing at the center of the road.
I called her na until my voice turned from screams to bare whispers as I slowly fell to my knees.
"It's enough, Raj," U whispered, resting my head on her chest. "She's already gone."
"U..." I murmured. "Why didn't she et before leaving? How can she just disappear like that?"
"Why are you worrying so much?" U replied. "It's not like she left us forever."
"You're wrong, U. Here, read this," I said, handing her the letter.
"I shall read it, but first, co inside the inn. People are looking."
There were many people gathered in the street, whispering and murmuring while looking at . At that ti, I couldn't care less about what anyone thought of , but U was also sitting beside on the road, so I pulled myself together and went inside the inn.
The mont we entered, the innkeeper mocked in his usual composed tone, "That was quite a show you perford, sir."
"Don't talk to , snake. I might vent my frustration on you," I muttered, glaring at him.
"Forgive , sir. I didn't intend to disrespect you," he replied with his annoying bow before speaking further, "Please take these cards, sir."
He had two gold-plated cards in his extended hands. The cards had my na imprinted on them.
"What are these?" I asked.
"These are the exclusive identification cards given to custors who have bought a room in our inn," he explained. "They also co with unlimited expensive food per head for a whole year."
"What's the aning of this?" I asked. "Why are you offering this to us?"
"Oh, sir, I'm not offering them. I'm just giving them to their rightful owner. The lady whose na you were shouting in the streets bought these rooms for you. But strangely, she bought both of them under your na."
I took the cards from his hand and returned to the room along with U.
We sat on the chairs where U spent nearly ten minutes reading the letter repeatedly.
"She left just like this!?" U exclaid. "Did she inform you about what exactly happened in the Ultimate War fifteen years ago?"
"She didn't say anything beyond that letter."
"B-but why? Why would she choose to remain silent, knowing it would result in perpetual separation?" U stamred.
"You know sothing, U, don't you?"
"Forgive , Raj. It's not my place to say anything. It's between you and Sister Nym. Moreover, Sister Nym made swear an oath to never reveal anything about it."
"So you're also gonna keep secrets from ," I murmured.
"Raj, it's not like that—"
"Here, take this. It belongs to you," I said, cutting her off and handing the card to her.
"Sister Nym must have bought them under your na because she didn't want to reveal mine," U said, looking at the card.
"She had prepared everything, huh?" I scoffed in a mocking tone. "Isn't she very thoughtful?"
"Raj, you shouldn't let your anger cloud your judgnt. Think about how hard it must've been for her to depart like this," U reasoned, returning the letter to .
I gazed at the letter, and it was only then that I realized how true U's words really were.
The letter was stained in nurous places by Nyria's tears, and at the end, before writing goodbye, she had tried to say sothing else but had cut it off midway.
"Vivi, can you decipher what was written here?" I said inwardly, touching the letter.
"Analyzing the letter..."
"Beginning the decryption..."
"Decryption successful!!"
"I missed you so much, Tar— "
User Comments
0 comments from readers