A/ N: Part 1: Hesitation. Yep, the first argument those lovebirds are going to have. She has a point but so does he. What is going to happen next? Would Tenebrae keep up with his plan or would he change his mind?
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The Keeper of Secrets once existed in the Astral Plane, but they decided against settling there once they realized that entities could reach to them way too. It didn't take too long for them to decide that the best place to hide would be on Earth. The rules were strict there, and more often than not, deities had to follow them. Besides, it was easier for the Keeper to hide. They would change location every year, making it an actual challenge for whoever would try and find them. Days after the Realm of all Beginnings was attacked, Tenebrae started to search the Keeper of Secrets new location. He was able to find them, hiding in a flat in Douala, Cameroon and turned his stallion into a car, once they teleported to the city. Lux still couldn't remember him or even herself, but they spent enough time together for her to trust him enough to follow him in his quest for answers.
In order to pass as humans, they changed their clothes. Tenebrae wore a pair of denim jeans with a red t-shirt and white tennis shoes. He gave his leather jacket to Lux, who was wearing a knee-length fluid black sleeveless dress with black doc martens and white socks. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail and she was wearing sunglasses to hide her silver eyes. The weather was deliciously warm, with the occasional fresh wind that blew into their faces and the place looked familiar. Lux remembered she had been there in the past, a long time ago when the country was different, still one of the many stops of the slave trade. How pleasant that was to see them free and thriving. Under any other circumstance, she would have wandered on her own and bask in the glory of this beautiful country. They didn't have the luxury of time, so she silently observed. Citizens weren't alarmed more than usual because they were used to seeing people like Tenebrae -Black Albinos were fairly common in Cameroon, so Tenebrae's pale skin and white hair weren't out of place;- or Lux -with her glasses she could pass as an African woman.-.
« Are you sure it's here? » Lux finally said. It was the first time since they left the Fortress that she uttered some words, which caught Tenebrae's attention. He glanced at her, his jet black eyes staring at her and answered.
« I trust my minions. » A smile crept on his lips as she lifted an eyebrow. « Come on now, why are you looking at me like that? »
« You can't really trust your minions. How many of them are working with your father? How many of them are susceptible to betray you? You don't know that. »
« I thought you were the first to trust people, what happened to that side of you, » He teased her, gently tucking some rebellious locks behind her ear. Lux tilted her head to the side and grinned.
« I trust people, just not blindly like you seem to do. » She chuckled to herself and crossed her arms over her chest. « Are we sure the Keeper of Secrets lives here? »
« Seems like it, Lux. We'll know very soon if the intel I got was trustworthy. »
He outstretched his hand towards the front door in order to sense an otherworldly energy. All entities had that energy that stood out in a crowd of humans. It wasn't difficult for a supernatural being to notice when another one was nearby when they were on Earth, and while the Keeper was extremely good at hiding themselves, for the one who knew where to look, their signature energy would make them stand out pretty easily. Tenebrae felt it at the tip of his fingers and turned to Lux, excited by the good news. They found the keeper. He nodded at her and allowed the tip of his fingers to let some of his dark energy go, informing the keeper of his presence. Lux watched him do and nervously fidgeted with her fingers. There, behind what seemed an abandoned hospital, was hidden the Keeper's true castle. It was invisible to the eye of the mortal due to powerful magic, but to supernatural beings like Lux and Tenebrae, it wasn't. It's true nature slowly appeared to them, unveiling the rich infrastructure. Walls were made of carved wood, telling the stories of gods and mankind exception made for the most recent events. Her attack was too recent for the Keeper to add it to the walls and they didn't even have enough time to explore the castle.
«Hold my hand, Lux. » Tenebrae suggested. « I heard we could get lost if we didn't pay attention and I wouldn't want to lose you again. »
« Are you sure those aren't just legends? » She whispered, holding his hand. « Do you have an idea of the question you want to ask? »
He paused for a minute. Truth to be told, the prince didn't think this through. He knew that they only had one question to ask but didn't know the specific rule around it. Since there were two of them, did that mean that each of them had a question or did that mean that the two of them only had one? Of course, he needed to know how to defeat his father but he still wanted to know who attacked Lux and Life. She looked at him, flustered because frustration was slowly getting to her head. She remembered nothing, couldn't even go back to her realm because her life might be in danger and she relied on her supposed « lover », she couldn't even remember. It didn't sit well with the goddess who knew that it only was a matter of time before anger took over and she did something she would regret later. She was hopeful that maybe, the keeper of secrets, could have had an answer to give or at least help her remember but they were unpredictable and as legends say, irritable.
« I think...I know. I do have a question I have been trying to ask for millennia. I have been looking for the Keeper of Secrets for that long and now that I have finally found them...I have to ask. »
« What if we can only ask one question. Are you willing to risk my memory of you? If you ask what you want to ask, then maybe I could never remember you; Are you willing to sacrifice it? For revenge on your father? »
« I am...It's more complicated than revenge. I do not want to avenge myself because my father isn't the one who attacked you. I am... » He stopped walking and cupped both of her cheeks, feeling that she was less and less enthused at the idea of meeting the deity.
« You said I will remember with time, I still don't. I kept sleeping over and over without any hint at a progress. I can't remember you. I can't remember who attacked me and how my mother even looked like. Everything is a blur. Everything is a blur. » She hit on his shoulder but he stroked her cheeks in order to calm her down. « Tenebrae, I'm serious. » She said, trying to escape from his embrace but he held onto her cheeks harder.
« So am I ! Lux, trust me on that one. I will have the answer we need. Whoever hurt you can't be as powerful as my own father and if I know how to defeat him, then I'll know how to defeat your enemy. » -She looked up to his face, her lips trembling with anger before she took a deep breath and replied.
« Whatever... »
She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes for a second. He knew by her body language that she didn't mean her words. Her body was still stiff and she was still holding back her anger given how fast and harder her lips were trembling. He was right when she opened her eyes again and saw them flash brightly. «No! » She groaned and pushed him away with both her hands. Her body had recovered enough for her to be able to use her strength against him. It projected Tenebrae's body against the wall as she walked closer to him. « No ! We won't do as you please. We are this close to having the answer we need, who attacked me could also very well attack you. I don't want you to waste the only opportunity we have a question you could figure out yourself! » She outstretched her hand towards him, her eyes flashing so brightly that he wondered if she would try and blast him, but she didn't. Instead, she took a few steps back and shook her head.
«Lux? »
« I didn't want to attack you. I'm sorry. »
« Are you... okay? » He asked, standing back up. She looked at him and shook her head. « How can I help y-- » He tried to move closer but she stepped further away from him.
« Don't... not now. Just.. let's keep moving. » She said, walking forward to what seemed to be the main room.. as soon as they entered, the room turned black, forcing Tenebrae and Lux to stand still. A single voice echoed through the room.
« Who are you? »
« I am Lux, daughter of Life. » Lux started.
« I am Tenebrae, son of Death. Who are you? » Tenebrae replied, his tone shifting from unsure to commanding.
« I am the Keeper of Secrets. »
-TBC-
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