Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 195: Some Could Afford ()

~Dragon Keep, Ten Days After Neveah’s Fall~

"Narx." King Jian called to Menarx who stood on his balcony, staring out into nothingness.

King Jian had only just stepped into Menarx’s quarters and Menarx had not even taken note of his presence.

In these past days, Menarx had grown increasingly withdrawn and absent minded and it was becoming a cause of concern to his brothers.

"Narx." King Jian called again when Menarx gave no response.

Menarx turned, passing a glance over his shoulder to King Jian, his gaze lingered on King Jian for just a moment before moving right back to where it had been.

"It has been ten days..." King Jian began but trailed off, King Jian himself was unsure of what to say.

Would he say that Neveah was certainly dead now and it was time to come to terms with it? Could he convince Menarx of that when he himself was yet to comprehend how it had come to this?

Could he tell Menarx to pull himself together when Menarx was not the only one in Dragon Keep affected by it?

Could he tell Menarx to give up when King Jian himself had given no orders to withdraw the dragon guards but instead ordered them to intensify their search?

"Your withdrawal is disrupting flight patrol schedules, for how long will you have Kirgan and Cassian stand in for you?" King Jian settled for a lighter topic.

"They can handle it." Menarx replied in a tone of disinterest.

King Jian’s brows furrowed slightly, the Menarx he knew was amongst the fiercest and most brutal of his brothers...

To see the day Menarx would be in such a state of despair and make no efforts to conceal it, King Jian did not even know what he could say to Menarx.

King Jian had never expected Menarx would be so deeply affected by Neveah, a deep sense of guilt had settled in his heart and he just could not shake it off.

"They can...but you know that is not my point." King Jian continued, walking over to stand beside Menarx.

"Standing here like this... staring in the direction of the cliff, what unbecoming behavior is this?" King Jian asked directly.

Menarx did not respond immediately, lowering his gaze for a moment before he spoke.

"I should go there...keep searching, but I do not dare go, to hear yet again that she is yet to be found..." Menarx murmured beneath his breath.

"The girl...you care for her?" King Jian asked.

"Care...is an understatement." Menarx replied with no hesitation.

"This is what I feared of Xenon... I cannot believe it would be not one...but two of you instead." King Jian said. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"You must be relieved then... without her, you have nothing to be worried about." Menarx blankly replied.

"Take a good look at yourself and tell me again that I have nothing to be worried about." King Jian shot back, passing Menarx a glare.

Menarx grunted beneath his breath but said nothing more, he was not at all concerned for his present state.

"How long then? How long till you shake this off?" King Jian asked after a moment of quiet.

"Shake...off?" Menarx repeated the words slowly as his gaze moved to King Jian.

"Jian... how can you even be okay with this? Are you truly not bothered in the slightest?" Menarx asked in bafflement.

"She jumped off by her own will." King Jian reminded in a dark tone.

"We pushed her to her death Jian! Do not twist the facts!" Menarx snapped.

King Jian’s brows twitched slightly at Menarx’s tone but he gave no more reaction than that.

"Jian... I know, I know after what happened with Xenon...you are cautious of everyone. You worry for us all and want to keep us safe..."

"I understand it all, I know your heart but Jian... Misha was Misha and Neveah is Neveah, those two are not the same person...they never will be." Menarx reasoned.

"Xenon fell to the wild haze again and you knew nothing of it, with flight patrol keeping Kirgan and Cassian away mostly and Imagor tending to his rider... I have had to ward off mount Edar by myself in these days."

" I fear I might battle Xenon if he tries to break out..."

"The petitions have begun again, they say Xenon is a danger that cannot be harbored...a danger that must be eradicated."

"They two are not the same indeed. And what kind of person is Neveah then?" King Jian asked coldly.

"One broke him... another is breaking you, tell me Narx? How am I to see the difference?" King Jian asked again.

"Jian...do not make this about her. Neveah has done no wrong, yet she bears the burden of your hatred for Misha."

"She was here only because Xenon asked for it and we indulged him. Between Xenon and the rest of us, when has she ever had a choice in any of this?!" Menarx hissed.

Menarx’s words were the truth that not even King Jian could deny and so he remained quiet.

"You know the truth and you won’t even admit it. You are so blinded by the past that I wonder, between you and Xenon...who truly was cursed?" Menarx murmured with a shake of his head.

"Then what would you have me say?" King Jian asked with a frown.

"The truth, Jian." Menarx replied blankly.

"I did not want her to jump! How could I know she would have no care for her life?! I would not have said any of what I did. Hell, I would have let you go find her alone since my presence seems to ruin everything..."

"It breaks my heart to see you and Xenon like this... I also want her to be found but there is nothing I can do, that truth?" King Jian asked pointedly.

Menarx was slightly surprised at King Jian’s words.

"Jian..." Menarx began but King Jian cut him off.

"But I have an Empire to rule, Menarx. Millions of lives in my hands... I am Dragon King, you can afford to despair... Xenon can afford to go wild, but I?... I can only be fine!" King Jian hissed as he turned and stormed out.

"Scales! Veah, where in the world are you?" Menarx whispered in a heavy tone as he stared after King Jian.