Eiran's voice wavered at first, as though each word had to pass through a wall of guilt before it could be spoken.
"My family… originally had twins," he began, fingers tightening around the edge of the table. "Me… and Rain."
The small room felt heavier with each sentence. The dim light of the oil lamp flickered against his face, revealing the strain he could no longer hide.
"My parents believed twins were a bad omen," he continued, bitterness slipping through despite his effort to stay composed. "They thought Rain was the misfortune. So they hid him. Locked him away in the attic as if he was something shameful." His lips curled faintly, but there was no humor in it. "To the world, I was their only son."
Darius sit still, listening without interruption, though his jaw had already begun to tighten.
"But Rain and I…" Eiran let out a weak breath. "We were inseparable. Even as children, we found ways to be together. We looked exactly alike, so we would switch places. I would sneak him out, let him see the world, even just for a while. It made him happy."
For a moment, Eiran's eyes softened at the memory. Then the softness shattered.
"And because of that… he was taken."
The silence that followed felt sharp.
"There was someone who held a grudge against my father," Eiran said quietly. "They want to abduct me… but it was Rain who went out that day. He was the one they took...because they thought he was me."
Darius's gaze darkened.
"When my parents found out…" Eiran gave a hollow laugh. "They weren't worried. Not even for a moment. They were relieved." His voice cracked despite himself. "But I couldn't accept that. I searched for him. I never stopped."
He lowered his head, fists clenched on his lap.
"Then one day… after I had already begun serving His Highness in the palace… Rain came back." His breath hitched slightly. "I thought I had lost him forever, but he stood there at my door like nothing had happened."
Darius noticed the tremor in his shoulders.
"He told me he had been taken in by a merchant," Eiran went on. "He never spoke about what he went through before that. Not properly. But I could tell… he suffered." His voice dropped. "Because of me."
The room grew unbearably still.
"So I let him do whatever he wanted," Eiran admitted. "Even when he asked to switch places while serving His Highness. I couldn't refuse him. I didn't have the courage to ask why he's so eager to serve his highness.I thought… it was the least I could do."
Darius closed his eyes briefly, as if aligning the fragments in his mind.
"Half a year ago," Eiran continued, "when Rain learned that His Highness was alive… that he was living quietly in some small town … he came to me again." His fingers trembled. "He asked me to leave His Highness to him. To step away and live my own life."
"And you agreed," Darius said, his tone low.
Eiran nodded weakly. "I thought… Rain cared for him. That he wanted to protect him. I believed it was something good."
Darius exhaled slowly. "So the one who has been with Sion these past months…"
"…was Rain," Eiran finished.
The confirmation settled like a stone.
Darius remained silent for a moment before speaking again, his voice firmer now. "Now that I think about it… there were differences. Subtle, but there." His gaze sharpened. "You are not the same as the one I observed before."
Darius met his gaze directly.
"If I told you," he said, "that Rain is capable of harming Sion… would you believe me?"
Eiran froze.
"…No," he said immediately. "That can't be."
Darius did not argue.
Instead, he reached into his coat once more and placed the dagger on the table between them. The metal caught the light, cold and unmistakable.
"This is yours, isn't it?"
Eiran froze, then nodded. "Yes… I gave it to Rain. He said it would make things less suspicious if he carried something familiar."
Darius's eyes hardened. "This dagger was found at the scene of the murders."
Eiran's breath caught.
"And yesterday," Darius continued, "Sion and Rain vanished. The house and smallholding were left unattended. There were no signs of preparation, no signs of travel. Only absence."
Eiran stared at the dagger as if it might deny the truth for him.
"No… no, that can't…" His voice broke. "They could have gone somewhere… maybe—"
Darius shook his head. "No. The state of the place tells otherwise. It was abrupt. Unplanned."
Eiran's shoulders slumped, as though the last thread holding him upright had snapped.
"This is my fault…" he whispered, then louder, his voice cracking under the weight of it. "This is my fault! Because of me… His Highness…"
He buried his face in his hands, trembling.
From the doorway, his wife stepped forward quietly. She had been listening longer than either of them realized. Without a word, she placed a hand on his shoulder, steady and warm.
Eiran leaned into it, his grief spilling over.
Darius watched for a moment, then spoke, his tone firm but not unkind. "Blame can wait. Right now, we need to find him."
Eiran lifted his head, eyes red. "Y-yes…"
"Think carefully," Darius said. "Did Rain ever mention a place? A destination? Anything that could lead us to him?"
Eiran shook his head at first, frustration evident. "He always avoided talking about himself. Every time I asked, he would change the subject…" He paused, brows furrowing as he forced himself to recall. "But… there was one thing."
Darius's attention sharpened immediately. "What is it?"
Eiran hesitated, then said, "Once… he asked me what kind of place would be best to build a house. Somewhere secluded. Quiet. Far from people."
Darius's eyes narrowed.
"A place where no one would disturb him," Eiran added softly.
The implication was clear.
Darius straightened. "That's enough to start."
He turned toward the door, urgency already in his steps.
Eiran stood abruptly. "Wait."
Darius glanced back.
"I'm coming with you," Eiran said, his voice steadier now despite the lingering tremor. "He's my brother. If he's doing something dangerous… I might be able to stop him."
Darius studied him for a moment. There was hesitation, yes, but also resolve. This was not the same uncertainty as before.
Finally, Darius gave a short nod. "Fine. But please step aside if it became too dangerous."
Eiran managed a faint, strained smile. "I will."
Before leaving, Darius sent word to Cassian, informing him of what they had discovered. If things went wrong, they would need support. Cassian, for all his frivolity, was not someone to underestimate.
By the time they set out, the sky had begun to pale.
Dawn crept slowly over the horizon, casting a cold light over the road ahead. The air carried the quiet stillness of early morning, but beneath it, tension coiled like a drawn blade.
Neither of them spoke much as they rode.
Darius's mind was fixed on one thing. Every moment that passed was another moment Sion remained in danger.
Eiran, beside him, clenched the reins tighter.
"Rain…" he murmured under his breath, a mixture of sorrow and fear threading through his voice. "Please… don't do anything you can't take back."
Ahead of them, beyond the winding paths and the silent hills, lay the place where everything would be decided.