154: Losing himself - Egon's POV (part 1)

Losing himself - Egon's POV (part 1)

The surroundings became a blur as he surged forward with incredible speed, closing in on his younger brother like a lightning bolt, effortlessly eluding the vigilant gazes of the two knights. "Bastian!" His voice boomed like thunder, causing the horse to startle, leaping backward and coming to an abrupt stop.2

"Brother!"

Bastian dismounted swiftly and raced toward Egon, who materialized before him, clutching a parchment in his trembling hand, a solitary tear streaming down his eye with a haunting sorrow.

Egon tightly grasped Bastian's shoulders, his own trembling along with his hand, charged with the raw energy of the beast.

"Bastian! What is it?"

Bastian wiped his runny nose with the back of his sleeves, his voice escaping in pained growls resembling a wounded animal as its spirit departs its body.

"Uncle! He will summon the shapeshifter Alpha, just like our father did before him!"

Egon's arms dropped heavily to his sides, his muscles coiled with an overwhelming surge of fury, his typically unbothered strength suddenly burdened with the weight of towering mountains.

"What are you blabbering about?" Egon's voice boomed with authority.

Bastian's trembling arm rose, the parchment crumpling in his fist. "He said he's going to reunite with father in the afterlife!"

Egon's expression crumbled, his features twisted in torment. "He ventured into that cursed forest?"

Guilt, ruthless and unremitting, sank its teeth into Egon's chest, much like the onslaught his scars sizzled with when Adela was not around. He vividly recalled Leopold's wretchedness upon witnessing Arkin dancing with Grace de Lanark. How could he have been so blind to the signs?

"Egon!" Bastian's fists clenched two handfuls of Egon's shirt. "Prevent him from summoning that devil!"

"You know he can't do that; only the direct heirs of the Empress are entrusted with the knowledge of the white devil's name. The devil only answers to me as the successor after our father."

Or you, he thought silently, but he chose to keep that information hidden, unable to confront the reasons behind his decision.

Despair in Bastian's eyes morphed into hope. "Then he will use a gun! Take me with you! He will stop when he sees me!" He begged.

Egon had no time to entertain arguments, and the sight of their lifeless uncle was something he couldn't bear for his brother to witness. With resolve, he firmly gripped Bastian's wrists and gently lowered them.

"Bring his son, gather physicians, and meet me there. It's absolutely crucial that you bring Arkin to him. Do you understand?"

Egon ran after that.

Amidst the deafening silence of his journey, Egon became one with the wandering spirits, racing alongside the flickering illumination of living beings. They zipped past him effortlessly, oblivious to his presence. The air clung damply to his wide-open eyes, while his mouth hung agape, silently releasing a scream of anguish. As he glanced down at his feet, it seemed as though he was moving in slow motion, akin to how a mortal would perceive traversing through a gateway of mana stones.

Egon halted at the eastern entrance, drawing in a deep breath, his senses keenly attuned to detect Leopold's scent, determined to track him down before it was too late. However, he swiftly reconsidered and made the decision to rely on his hearing instead.

"I should've reduced you to ashes that day, cursed forest," he hissed through gritted teeth, casting a venomous glare at the scenery before him.

Closing his eyes, Egon focused on the familiar sounds emitted by his uncle's body, hoping to discern their location. Yet, instead of the expected sounds, he heard something he wished he hadn't.

"Where are you, devil?" Leopold's voice emerged feeble and hoarse, as if he had been shouting for an extended duration. "In the name of Atticus and Egon, I command you to reveal yourself before me!"

Egon tried to follow the echo of the words. His uncle was still alive, and the Alpha would never adhere to his command. All that he had to do was find him now.

Where are you?

It was with a mirthless smile on his lips that he realized where Leopold would choose to go. Even without the power of the beast, Egon should have run to the tree his father tied him to when he committed suicide.

He moved swiftly, blurring through the surroundings, pausing briefly in the shadows to assess his uncle's position without being detected. Egon's eyes widened at the heart-wrenching sight before him.

Bastian had been mistaken. It wasn't a gun. It was a lopsided kolhisan dagger clutched in his uncle's hands, its jagged edges promising the most excruciating pain upon entry into one's body.

"No!" Egon's voice erupted with every ounce of strength he could muster, but it was a heartbeat too late. The dagger plunged into Leopold's abdomen, sealing his tragic fate. In the blink of an eye, Egon stood there, feeling as if he had lost his very ability to stand, his hands hovering helplessly over his uncle's trembling body sprawled on the ground, blood pouring from his stomach.

Blood.

So much blood. Just like the day him and his family met their demise within the depths of that accursed forest.

He fell to his knees.

"Father!" Egon shouted, the forest animals fleeing from around him. "Father!" He shouted again, "Don't die, you can't die! Father!" the boy inside of the beast cried. 

Striking himself hard across the face, Egon suppressed the rising bile as he tightly gripped the hilt of the dagger, desperately trying to ascertain if it had pierced any vital organs within Leopold. He could see his own hands on the weapon, but the strength of a grown man had deserted him. He was once again that helpless boy, bound and tormented, with his mother's lifeless form beside him and his uncle, clothed in his father's bloodied and distorted visage, was dying in his arms.

The distant sound of galloping horses snapped him back to the present. His newborn brother was safe; he had become a man and brought aid.

Egon was not alone. Bastian was safe. Bastian was alive.

"I will remove it properly, uncle," Egon hyperventilated, his voice strained. "You will survive."

"Egon! Uncle!" Bastian's voice echoed from afar, while his uncle's heartbeat grew fainter.

"I-I will remove it, stay with me," Egon whispered, angling the dagger correctly before carefully extracting it.

"Ugh!" Leopold winced in pain.

"Stay with me!" Egon choked out, hastily tearing off his shirt and pressing it against his uncle's profusely bleeding wound. Leopold's gaze lost focus, briefly closing his eyes once more as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Egon turned, sensing the approaching horses.

"Doctor! I need a doctor here!" he called out desperately.

pqdm.com