Xiran felt apprehensive at Rumail’s words but he only curtly nodded. Turning to Rivan he asked:

"Can you take Frila with you? I will talk to Rumail."

"Yes, let’s head to our secret hideout. Amidst all the chaos, it remained untouched so it’s safe to assume that the enemy doesn’t know about it yet," Rivan suggested while taking Frila by the hand from Xiran and guiding her to his side.

"Yes, you go ahead, Rumail and I will follow behind," Xiran instructed him. Rivan took Frila along with him and left in his car.

Rumail and Xiran finished up the work in the cemetery and with one final lingering glance at Carios’s grave, they both left in Xiran’s car. Rumail drove while Xiran sat in the passenger seat, lost in thoughts.

"Señor, I heard back from my source who successfully infiltrated the hideout where they had taken Treia and found out what they wanted with her," Rumail cautiously began to provide him with the details he had learnt.

"What did your source learn?" Xiran turned his head to glance at Rumail, he knew in his heart that something awful was coming. His face was still expressionless, he hadn’t smiled or slept in days.

Rumail took a deep breath and began to narrate everything Amoris had told him. Once he finished, a deathly silence followed him. He carefully peeked at the silver-haired vampire.

Xiran sat so motionless, his hands fisted so tightly at his sides that veins stood out against his skin and his muscles dangerously strained. His sharp jaw was clenched extremely tight and Rumail heard him grind his teeth. There was this savage fierceness in his eyes which made them gleam like thunderclouds.

Using his vampiric speed he punched the dashboard of the car splitting it into two with a crushing sound.

"Stop the car," he yelled at Rumail, who instantly obeyed. Throwing the door open he darted outside and flicking his wings open, he flew away into the stormy weather. The atmosphere was restless, his city was restless and his heart was beyond restless too.

Rumail dolefully watched him fly away and then started the car to head towards Rivan’s place. Reaching it he entered through the tunnel and arrived at his hideout. Rivan was impatiently waiting for them outside. But seeing only Rumail stepping down from the car he anxiously asked:

"Where is Xiran?"

"I told him everything and he flew away in a string of fury, I don’t know where he went," Rumail’s face was strewn with worry.

"Rumail! You shouldn’t have let him go. You realize how vulnerable he is right now, all that pretence he is trying to keep for everyone’s sake is finally going to come crashing down and none of us will be able to handle him then."

Rivan punched his hand in exasperation, his heart bled for his friend, for he knew Xiran was considering himself responsible for all the unfortunate events that had unfolded in the last few days. And if something was to happen to Aselia, he would be broken beyond repair.

"He didn’t give me a choice, he broke the dashboard and if I had stopped him, his rage would have accelerated."

Rivan understood none of Rumail’s words would have made a difference.

"I hope he will return soon, we need to keep him calm so he won’t make any rash decisions," Rumail nodded as both brothers made their way inside the house and waited.

Frila was with Melori in her room so they sat in the living room waiting for Xiran to return. No one was in the mood to eat or talk much. The night fell when Rivan received the notification that Xiran had entered the tunnel and was headed this way.

He called Melori to pour some red nectar for him and prepare dinner. Frila was sleeping, so he asked her not to disturb her.

Xiran entered the house in a fit of blazing fury and went straight towards Rivan. Both brothers sprang up from their seats.

"Rivan! I am going to Tetrois with Yurian. I want you to send my private jet with your chauffeur and pilot to Makior City, so anyone who would try to follow my jet will be sent on a wild goose chase. I need to set some things straight," he announced in agitation. His mostly calm and handsome face was deadly today and Rivan had never seen his friend in such a state before. His eye bags had deepened and there was this wildness about him instead of that regality he always carried.

"Xi! Let’s just sit down and formulate a plan before rushing head-on into something and regretting it later," Rivan took two steps towards his friend who gritted his teeth before he bellowed loud and clear:

"The only regret I have is leaving Treia alive that day, letting Xifin and Sohlia walk away, and having a lifestyle which resulted in hurting and killing so many innocent people. These are the regrets I have to live with and these are the regrets that are going to define my future. But, no one else is getting hurt on my watch."

Rumail was rooted at his spot for the anger he saw rippling through Xiran was so intense that he didn’t dare move. Rivan on the other hand approached his friend and tried to hug him but Xiran stepped back and said:

"No, don’t try to make me feel better. Just take care of everything here until I return, especially Frila."

"Xiran, what are you going to do? At least tell me or take Rumail with you," Rivan pleaded, his eyes not leaving his friend. His heart ached to see him in such a dilapidated state.

"Rumail will stay with you, I need to do this alone. I am going to save her from this wretched hellhole of a life I have, she can’t keep suffering because of me and my family," and before Rivan could counter or catch him he moved at his vampiric speed and was gone in a flash, leaving them in a dazed state.

Xiran went to his house, the one where he had stayed with Aselia for a few days. Entering the house hit him with her memories and he paused for a second, letting himself feel. He stood at the entrance with his eyes closed, thinking of her smiling face and yet all he could imagine was that smile disappearing.

He didn’t understand how Treia was able to remember, since Amoris hadn’t seen what they had done to Treia, she didn’t know about the serum. By the time Amoris had started to eavesdrop on their conversation, Phantom had already restored her memories.

He went to his room and changed his clothes, he then waited for Rivan’s chauffeur to take his car to the airport and board the private jet. In this way, anyone who might have been following him will now be following his empty private jet.

He then left his house and arrived outside the office of hunters. He had completely transformed himself, wearing a black turtleneck and slacks, he had covered his head with a woollen cap and his face with a black mask.

Yurian was waiting for him, Xiran gave him a curt nod as they got into Yurian’s car and headed for the airport. Xiran was deadly silent throughout the journey, he kept glancing outside the car where life still hadn’t returned to normal. Many people migrated from the city in the aftermath of the attacks.

"You alright?" Yurian finally broke the awkward silence which filled the car.

"I will never be alright now," Xiran’s words were woven with bitterness. A bitterness Yurian hadn’t seen in him even when they had imprisoned him.

"Don’t be so pessimistic, ups and downs are part of life. Remember, this time will pass and a brighter future is waiting for you around the corner," Yurian tried to extend his optimism to Xiran who just bitterly laughed in return and said:

"There is no bright future for me, only darkness awaits until I kill my father and yet I don’t think I will ever be strong enough to end him."

They had reached the airport and the car slid inside the hunter’s jet. So both of them got out and proceeded to the sitting area. They strapped in and the jet took off. Both men resumed their conversation.

"Did you talk to her? She has been worried sick about you," Yurian probed while eyeing him with concern. He was not only worried about Aselia he was very much worried about Xiran’s mental state as well.

"She should stop worrying about me, I am fine and I will talk to her face-to-face now. What I want to say to her can’t be said on the phone," Xiran’s words were hollow, they lacked his usual warmth just like his eyes, they were too cold now, like his father’s. Yurian couldn’t help but feel a shudder going through his body, listening to the silver-haired vampire.