Warning: Slight gore

Late in the evening, I wake up from a cold draft. Where Lore once slept in my arms is now empty. Suspecting he got up to grab a drink or use the bathroom, I turn to my side to give my arm a rest. That's when I find Lore sitting on the edge of the bed donning a puzzling expression; a distant gaze, eyes deep cerulean as dark as the depths of the ocean.

Offering his hand, he says, "Come with me."

"It's the middle of the night," I argue, rubbing my eyes. "Has something happened?"

I've noticed that he has changed from his sleep pants to a plain dark top and pants. His hair's pulled into a tight ponytail and a pair of black gloves cover his hands. An ebony handle for a dagger rests at his waist, one I've never seen before. For unknown reasons, the attire unsettles me. The air has a chill that wasn't there moments ago. That chill makes my gut lurch, though I'm unclear of what I want to do or should do.

"Are you going somewhere?" I ask, glancing at the window to check if I'm mistaking the time. I haven't; the sun has yet to rise. It's the dead of night.

"We are going somewhere," he answers, grasping my hand. With a single tug, he has me stumbling out of bed. "Wear something you can ruin."

"What?"

"Come to my room when you're ready." He exits without another word. Every step is so eerily quiet that I find myself rushing to dress. Something is amiss; the way he spoke, the way he moved, the way he looked at me didn't sit quite right. A heavy sensation settles in my gut, like a boulder has taken to testing the strength of my stomach.

Once dressed, I walk to Lore's room. The door is unlocked. I push it open. Lore stands by the window, closing the curtains to cast the room in darkness. The only light comes from a small candle on the bedside table. Our shadows stretch across the room into the dark corners, becoming one.

"Shut and lock the door," Lore orders. I do so, hesitantly.

"What's going on?" I inquire, gazing at Lore's silhouette that fades into the shadows.

"You said you wished to learn my secrets. I've shared a few with you already." Lore faces me wearing that same distant stare. He has cut a piece of himself off that refuses to reveal what's truly on his mind. "This last secret is one I guarantee you will regret learning. Make the decision now; remain oblivious and live happily here while setting aside everything having to do with the church or learn the truth that will change everything, possibly even us."

"Us?" I echo, approaching him. "Why would this change anything about us? What's happening? You can't expect me to answer when you're being so vague."

"I normally wouldn't be, but it's doubtful Draven can make you forget this truth once I've revealed it," Lore replies. "Draven's trait, you aren't aware of it, correct?"

I nod.

"Draven can change past memories and even leave behind goals for the future. No one will be the wiser."

"How did the church never discover his trait?" I ask, baffled to learn Draven's capable of such things.

"Draven was born in Vexsis. Revealing their trait is only necessary when they cross over to earth, but sometimes a paper goes missing here or there. So long as the church had no excuse to interrogate a noble such as myself, they had no right to, and I managed to keep his trait off the records."

That is a nifty card to have in his back pocket.

"As gifted as Draven is, you are a trained paladin capable of taking down two advanced Warlords on your own. You even broke free of Roemithia's torment. There's a high probability that Draven's trait will not work on you," Lore elaborates. He steps away from the window. The golden light of the candle reflects off the darkness of his eyes. Golden flakes drifting within endless blue. "Once you see this, we may not be able to make you unsee it. Awful memories will be dredged up and even more added, so you have to make a choice."

Approaching him, I rest my hands on his neck, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. His eyes flutter closed when our foreheads brush. Every word I speak is muttered against his parted lips, "You should already know my decision, Lore."

"I must insist that you think over it more."

"I will not. I wish to be here with you and the kids. Whatever this is, we'll handle it together." I press a kiss to his lips. "And if bad memories are dredged up, then it will be up to you to hold me through the night."

Lore releases a relieved chuckle. He leans in for another kiss, speaking against my lips, "I will gladly do that."

Reaching into his pocket, Lore retrieves a flat triangular object. White as snow and smooth as a worn river stone. He presses his thumb against the center. The object expands, revealing red lightning streaks within. This energy reminds me of the airship to Vexsis and the Warlords. Lore drops the object. Initially, the object hovers above the ground spinning in complete silence, then rests motionless atop the floor. A red rectangle appears above the object, like a door made of the same substance we passed to enter Vexsis.

Gazing at Lore, I catch yet another familiar glimpse; a kind of madness in his eyes similar to when he spoke of killing the Seymour's. I don't know what to make of it, an excitement upon revealing this to me or something more sinister.

"What... what is that?" I ask.

"A portal," he replies. "A very illegal one, but owning a nellore factory and having quite a few friends who are not fond of Vexsis or Earth makes obtaining and concealing illegal objects rather easy."

Secrets upon secrets, as expected. Where do they end, if ever? Lore has been an enigma since the day we met, but never would I have surmised all that he has kept from me. That I could never discover. He has always been one step ahead, as if he has played this game a thousand times and knows every possible move. Even mine, and he's been playing with me long before I realized it.

"Who are these friends?" I inquire, rubbing my fingers against my palm.

"They go by many names, but the one most use for them is the Red Moon."

"Lore..."

The crimson of the portal casts shadows in his eyes. "I warned you," he whispers.

He did, but after all we've gone through I'm not about to give up now. "Did you have anything to do with what happened on the airship, with those priests?" I ask, trembling at the memory.

"No. Many people enjoy claiming to be within the Red Moon. That was not a plan set up by them."

If Lore's being honest, I must take him at his word, however this entire situation puts me on edge. As if Lore has led me to a cliff where he promises a safe drop below. I must close my eyes and jump, feeling no fear and unaware if his words are true.

With a deep breath, I allow Lore to guide me through the portal. The feeling doesn't mimic going to Vexsis. There's something warm and my feet feel as if they aren't walking on solid ground. The world morphs to a brilliant red, deep as a ruby, blinding as if I'm peering into the center of a great flame. Then it's gone. I find myself in what I can only presume to be the cellar of a church. I recognize the arched stonework and steepled ceiling. Among the provisions there's a statue of the Three Mothers to confirm my theory.

My blood runs cold upon spotting a priest gagged and bound at the center of the room. His head hangs low, shielding his face. Blood trickles out of a gash in his forehead, staining his once pristine white robes. Slash marks litter his arms and legs, tearing the robes to pieces. They lay scattered around him, soaking up the blood dripping from his injuries. My breath catches in my throat, although I'm unclear if it's from surprise or fear.

"What is this?" I whisper. Lore brushes past me to approach the nameless priest.

"This is a church cellar in Filderway," he replies, making my knees go weak.

We aren't in Nosa. We aren't even in Silra. Filderway is a full state away along the western shoreline. That portal brought us all the way here? How far is it's reach? This, accompanied by Lore's magic, is this not proof?

I swallow the lump in my throat. What I feel cannot be put into words for there's too much at once. Enough to keep me quiet and still, watching Lore stand by the bound priest. There's a chill to his gaze, more freezing than any winter I've ever felt. The once humid air of the cellar dissipates, replaced by an overwhelming cold.

Lore suddenly grasps the priest' shoulder so roughly that he releases a sharp cry heard even through the gag. "And this is someone who owes you much more than an apology."

Gripping the priest's chin painfully tight, Lore forces him to look up. I recognize those eyes; Priest Aja.

I can't breathe. A primal fear, that of a terrified child consumes me like a wicked storm. The turbulent wind ripping through my consciousness has me stumbling. Grasping the edge of a nearby table, I narrowly prevent myself from falling to the floor. My visions blurs, becoming incapable of separating the past from the present. The cellar morphs into one of tiles and hospital beds. I try to blink away the memories, to ignore the sensation of Aja's hands and his smile hovering about me, but the memories won't leave me be. They drag me under an unforgiving current, threatening to drown me.

"Lore, how... he... why is he here?" My voice comes out as a pathetic whimper.

"Priest Aja has been on my watch list for quite a while," Lore replies, approaching me. I don't know what to do when he takes me into his arms, holding so tightly I fear he'll shatter me into pieces. "He's a rotten bastard who has done the same to others as he did to you."

I don't know where to look, shifting my attention between Lore and Aja. Then Lore rests two fingers beneath my chin, keeping my attention on his luminous eyes.

"How did you...?" I mumble.

"I told you, he was on my list for a while. After what happened in Vexsis, I did a little digging to see who worked at Trinia around the time you were training. I wasn't certain it was him, but," Lore hesitates, his eyes drifting over me in slow motions. I still can't read his expression. There's a distance I can't cross.

"He has a thing for teenage boys, so he fits the bill," he finally finishes in a harsh growl.

I want to hurl. I want to scream. I want to run, but Lore nudges me. I stumble forward, biting back a frightened whimper. When Lore's arm slips around my shoulder, I almost fight him off, terrified of being held down. But then his back rests flush against my chest, returning warmth to my chilled limbs. He doesn't heave as I do, making his slow breaths comforting. Though the panic remains like a snake waiting to strike, I'm able to breathe easier. My hands reach for his arms, still unclear if I wish to grip for my life or set myself free when he starts walking towards Aja.

"When you came to my estate, you were searching for a serial killer," Lore says, hugging me as a lover would when whispering sweet nothings. "Well you found me, my sweet Seren, and tonight we're going to kill this priest together."

"I... Lore, t-this--"

"Shh," he whispers, reaching for something at his side. I don't know what it is, too overwhelmed to look away from Aja's pleading eyes. Then I feel the familiar hilt of a blade in the palm of my hand. Looking down, the dagger Lore carried now rests firmly in my grasp. He keeps a grip on me, ensuring I won't drop the dagger, but he doesn't have to. I'm holding it so tightly that my knuckles ache.

"Trust me, this will make you feel so much better," he says, inching us closer. Aja panics, rattling the chair with his erratic movements. The gag softens his cries, but they continue as soft hums in the air.

"This bastard didn't hurt just you. There were boys before and boys after," Lore adds, every hushed word making my skin bristle with heat.

Aja hurt other kids. He kept hurting them. He took advantage of them, of me, of my trust and my faith.

"He deserves punishment," Lore urges, pressing his cheek against mine. "I admit that it's frightening at first, but afterwards--after they're gone, there's bliss. Unbelievable bliss. Trust me."

We stand in front of Aja now. Lore raises our hands so the blade rests on Aja's cheek. Pressing forward, the tip of the blade pierces his skin. Blood trickles down his chin to his neck. His pleas grow louder, almost understandable.

I don't know if I can do this even after what Aja has done to me, and to others. Though it would be a lie to say that I don't want him to die, that I don't want him to feel immeasurable pain, I'm not certain if I can deal out that pain myself.

...but why not? Have I not killed and hurt others before? Innocent people; vampires and dhampir that the church condemned and I followed blindly. Now a member of that church sits before me, one who caused harm to so many, who helped take away far more than my childhood, yet I'm hesitating. Why? Do I still fear the church? Do I fear myself? I don't know what it is. I don't know what I want.

"Seren," Lore calls like a siren beckoning me to sea.

He says nothing when I reach out to remove Aja's gag. I'm not sure why.

"S-Seren," Aja whimpers. His voice is more hoarse than I remember, years of cigar smoke I presume. He reveals crooked, yellow teeth that make me think of the blight test; the straps around me, the cold metal room, and the smothering scent of sterilization.

"You don't want to do this," he pleads with tears in his eyes. "I know I've--I've done wrong by you and many others, but I've changed. I've begged the mothers for forgiveness and sought the light. That is why I relocated, to get away from that life. I swear I haven't done anything. I haven't, please!"

His pleas do not incite forgiveness or care. They bring about rage. A searing anger that screams; he dared commit such heinous acts and all he did was pray? I spent my life bottling up my past, recently dealing with it in waves of terror, and who knows what others have gone through, but all he has done is pray. Begged, even now, pleading for his pathetic life when...

"How many boys pleaded with you to stop?" My question makes him choke. "Did you ever hear any of them beg the mothers to make you stop?" He cries pathetically. "Do you regret any of it or do you only regret getting caught?"

"Seren, please, I--"

The dagger digs into his thigh. Aja screams. The shrill sound rings in my mind. The dagger pierces his stomach. His shoulder. His arm. Aja's screams grow. Lore releases me. There's blood. So much red consuming my vision. There's nothing in my mind, only the repeated action of bringing the dagger up and down. Hearing Aja scream, incapable of moving, exactly as I was, stuck in place, crying out for help that never came. The world blazes red, strong as a raging inferno that overtakes me until I'm left heaving.

"Seren." I rear back, almost stabbing Lore in the chest for merely speaking my name. He catches my wrist, holding firm. "It's okay now. He's gone."

"Who's gone?" I ask, breathing heavily. I don't even know why I'm so winded. My arm hurts, as does my hand, like I cut--

Blood drips from my hand as if I've bathed in it. The dagger's bloodied from tip to handle. My hand barely holds the handle, the tip of my fingers have rested against the blade, slicing through my own skin. Looking down, my clothes are stained, equally caked in blood. There's something warm on my face. I bring my hand up to touch it, feeling the familiar sensation of blood smeared across my skin and stuck in my hair.

Lore nods to my right. When I look over, there's an unrecognizable corpse stabbed too many times to count. His face resembles that of a man mauled by a wild animal, torn to shreds so the skin slips off the bone. His guts slither out of his open stomach like snakes, slipping to the floor where a pool of blood has formed.

My stomach knots. I vomit and drop the dagger. Lore grasps my waist, preventing me from stumbling to the floor in a frantic mess. He holds me tightly, preventing me from crumbling as I whimper out, "I... I did...I killed him."

"I told you, it's frightening at first, but take a breath." He does and I mimic him. "And another." We repeat until I'm breathing steadily. "He's gone. He'll never hurt you again. He'll never hurt anyone again."

"But the church--"

"Will think he was killed by the serial killer they're continuing to search for," Lore interjects. He brushes the hair from my face, smearing blood across his gloves. "Only you and I know of this. Now," he gently guides me towards the portal I hadn't realized he reopened. "Clean yourself up. By the time you're done, I'll have returned and we may discuss further."

"F-Further?" I sputter, fitting my hands together in hopes to stop them trembling.

"Oh, my sweet Seren." He rests a gentle hand on my cheek, offering a twisted smile. "The church, the mortal monarchy as well as the vampire monarchy, there is so much more to them that you've yet to learn. But after tonight, once you see the truth, we will burn them all to the ground."

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

*sips tea* Well, this was a very big reveal chapter. Lore is the serial killer Seren has been searching for. Seren has killed Aja with Lore's help. Lore has even more secrets concerning the church and monarchies. How are you feeling after this reveal? What more is there to learn? Will Seren regret what happened tonight? Will he still be able to accept Lore after knowing the truth? I did mention this story would get dark so... yeah. Here we are.