Chapter 142: The truth you seek.
~Ava's POV~
"What's your name?" It was a weird question to ask.
"Lorraine, princess."
I decide to sit down. "Let's hear what you have to say." I took a deep breath, waiting for what I knew would change my life forever.
Something I know might decide whether I can continue to be with Raphael or not.
"You should sit too, Mage ruler. You need to hear this as well." Anastasia does not argue.
"Long ago, the Mesodomica kingdom was huge and flourishing. They were reverence and even worshipped. Better than gods themselves. Even the gods of the third realm came to them."
So powerful. How was Raphael able to destroy them?
"You are wondering how the beast was able to defeat them?" I nodded at her.
"Princess, if I told you, this is your third life, would you believe me?" I stared blankly at her. I was not surprised though.
Nothing surprises me anymore. Or so, I thought. "What if I told you, in these lifetime of yours, you and the sacred beast have had ill fates of being connected."
"It does not make sense."
"Yes. It does not. From what Drogon told me, Grey never had a mate to begin with." Gwen replied. Her disbelief in her expression.
Anastasia, however, was quiet. She did not say anything. Lorraine scoffed at us and then added, "There are a lot of things you do not know."
"Okay. I agree. Then tell us the things we do not know." I was tired of getting pulled around.
Lorraine looked at everyone in the room. My eyes followed hers. Gwen stood by the wall with her arms crossed. Anastasia sat rigidly in her chair. Callie, my loyal maid, stood behind me while Clarai, Anastasia's servant, remained by the door.
"The truth about Grey and Raphael might shock you," Lorraine began. "They are one and the same being."
My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"Raphael is part of Grey. A part that the gods took away from him to make him weak. That is why his body accepted Grey so easily. They were never separate beings, but one split apart by force."
"Did the gods' plan work?" Anastasia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She speaks as if she knows more than she lets on.
"No," Lorraine replied. "Even with part of himself missing, Grey remained powerful. The gods failed in their attempt to weaken him."
I leaned forward. "Tell us everything. No more secrets."
Lorraine nodded. "You were once and is princess of the Mesodomica kingdom. Your family ruled over a powerful people, a mix of many species just like Lystra."
"The Mesodomica people were said to have god blood running through their veins," she continued. "That is why they were worshipped. Some say they were even more powerful than the gods themselves."
"And what about me?" I asked. "What was my role in all this?"
"In your first life, you visited the god realm as the Mesodomica princess. There, you met Grey. He was alone, a powerful but lonely god. You felt drawn to him from the moment you met."
I feel a pull within me. A faint memory perhaps, or just my imagination creating pictures from her words.
"You and Grey became friends first. Then lovers. Your love story became known throughout the realms. But the gods grew worried."
"Why?" Gwen asked.
"They feared any child born from the union of Grey and the Mesodomica princess would be too powerful. You could wield magic, create life, and change the balance of realms, those were your powers alone and Grey was already a threat to them. A child with both your powers would be unstoppable."
"So the gods went to your parents, the king and queen of Mesodomica. They demanded they end your relationship with Grey."
My heart sank. "And my parents agreed?"
"They tried to separate you, not wanting to lose their only daughter. But you would not listen. Your love for Grey was too strong to break."
"What happened next?" I whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"The gods made a deal with the dark one. They cursed you to a cycle death and rebirth. Each time, you would be born again but never live long enough to reach the age where your full powers would appear."
Tears formed in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away.
"And Grey? What happened to him?"
"The gods ripped part of his soul away. That part became Raphael, sent to the second realm. Before they wiped Grey's memories, he began a war in the god realm that lasted for ages. Eventually, they captured him and took all his memories."
"So Raphael does not know he is Grey?" Anastasia asked.
"No. Neither of them knows their true nature."
"That explains so much," I whispered. "The connection I feel with Raphael... it is because we knew each other before."
Lorraine nodded. "Grey was kept prisoner after the war. The gods tricked him, saying if he defeated the dark one, they would free him. The dark one had grown greedy, asking for more than what the gods had given him for cursing you. Only Grey was strong enough to defeat him."
"But after Grey chained the dark one as asked, the gods lied. They captured Grey again and locked him away. They put Drogon in charge of his prison."
"Drogon?" Gwen asked. "Is he not a victim too?"
"Yes. Drogon also suffered from the gods' games. They gave him no choice but to watch over Grey."
I stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the animals went about their day, unaware of the secrets being revealed in this room.
"How do you know all this, Lorraine?" I asked without turning around. "Who are you really?"
"The people of Lystra know me as a crappy fairy old lady. That is my disguise. But I have watched over you since your first life. I was there when it all happened." I felt, she was hiding things but I kept quiet. I didn't want to push.
I turned to face her. "Were you from the Mesodomica kingdom too?"
She smiled sadly. "I have my own story, princess. Perhaps for another time."
"This is your third life," she continued. "In your second life you died before learning the truth. Before you could break the curse. But this time is different."
"Because I found Raphael," I said.
"Yes. You found part of Grey and Grey himself in this realm. The connection between you two remains strong, even after all this time."
"What does this mean for us now?" Anastasia asked. "For our kingdoms? For the threat of Grey?"
"Grey is not the threat you believe him to be, Mage." Lorraine explained. "He was made into a monster by the gods' actions. His rage comes from pain and betrayal."
"And Raphael?" I asked, my voice shaking. "If he and Grey are one, what happens if they become completely one?"
"That is what we must find out," Lorraine said. "But first, you must decide what to do with this knowledge, princess. Will you run from your past or face it?"
I looked at everyone in the room. Their faces showed worry, fear, and confusion. I felt the same, yet something else burned inside me too. Determination. I wasn't ready to give up on them.
"I need to speak with Raphael," I said finally. "He deserves to know the truth about himself."
"Be careful," Lorraine warned. "This truth could change everything between you."
"I know," I replied. "But I cannot keep this from him. If we are to have any future together, it must be built on truth."
"What about Grey?" Gwen asked. "If he remembers who he is, who you are, will he still seek to destroy everything?"
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