Echoes of Broken Vows

Chapter 14

The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the temple’s hidden garden. Rowan sat beneath an ancient willow tree, its sweeping branches providing a natural curtain of privacy.

The air was thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine, a stark contrast to the tension that permeated the rest of the temple.

He tensed as he heard footsteps approaching, relaxing only when Sam’s familiar figure slipped through the willow’s branches. Without a word, Sam sat beside him, their shoulders barely touched.

They sat in silence for a long moment, Rowan felt comfortable enough with Sam, he didn’t feel the need to talk. The soft ripple of a nearby fountain and the whisper of wind through leaves were the only sounds that broke the stillness.

Finally, Sam spoke. “Do you remember the first vessel selection you ever made?”

Rowan’s face darkened, the memory still vivid and painful. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget him.”

Rowan paused, recreating this moment in his mind. “It was that young blacksmith, Ryan. I still have dreams about him.”

Sam nodded and got closer. “I remember how shaken you were that day. It was the first time I saw you broken to a level that you started to question our purpose here.”

“And you talked me through it,”

Rowan said, looking at Sam with a hint of bitterness in his voice. “Convinced me it was for the greater good.”

“I truly believed in that,”

he looked at Rowan, “I think that sometimes I still am.”

The pressure they felt was clear, years of obedience to the Eidolon’s twisted practices pressed heavily on both of their souls. They both started to feel the lump in their throat build up, to urge to break down and give up. They couldn’t afford that, they might never have.

“Don’t forget that we were different people then,”

Sam said softly, a single tear glided down his cheek. “We were blinded by our loyalty and ambition.”

Sam lifted his head slowly, “and honestly, sometimes I miss that notion.”

Rowan began to gently trace the outline of the Eidolon symbol on his robe with his finger, finding the different textures of the fabric soothing. The silver chalice and serpent that had once filled him with pride, now was a constant reminder of their sins. “Sometimes I wonder how many innocent lives I’ve ended.”

Rowan looked down and stared at the blades of grass, exploring each one with his eyes. “How many families have shed tears and grieved because of me.”

Sam laid his hand on Rowan’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “That’s why we decided to stop, isn’t it? To put a stop to this vicious cycle, to prevent more innocent lives from being sacrificed for the rich and corrupt.”

Rowan nodded slowly, drawing strength from Sam’s words. “I just wish we acted sooner. Before Ryan, before so many others had to suffer.”

“We didn’t have a choice. Also, you can’t change the past, so it’s a shame to suffer because of it”

Sam said, his voice firm yet compassionate “But we can change the future. Remember what you saw in that vision, remember how the world would be if the Eidolon continued their practices unchecked.”

The branches of the willow parted momentarily as a sudden gust of wind swept through the garden, revealing the sky above. A shooting star streaked across the heavens, gone in an instant but leaving a trail of light in its wake.

“A sign perhaps?”

Sam mused with a gentle laugh.

Rowan managed a small smile. “Or just a coincidence. Either way, I’ll take it as a good sign.”

Sam clapped Rowan’s back, forgetting about his wound and making him grunt with ache. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Rowan repaid Sam with a punch to his shoulder.

Years of friendship and shared experiences passed between them in that single glance. Despite the weight of their past actions, despite the uncertainty that lay ahead, they both knew they could face anything as long as they stood together.

“Sam,”

Rowan said with a strained voice, “promise me something. If we make it through this, if we succeed in bringing down the Eidolon, promise me we’ll do whatever we can to fix what we have done. To help the families of those we’ve harmed.”

Sam hugged Rowan, they both embraced the warmth it gave. “I promise. We’ll dedicate our lives to it if we have to.”

As the time of curfew approached, they had to leave, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention.

More guards started to patrol the areas nearby.

Rowan and Sam rose from their secluded spot beneath the tree. They both felt that this conversation was much needed, they missed spending time together.

A sound fractured the silence of the night as they were about to make their way back to their quarters. A scream, distant but unmistakable, echoed from the direction of the temple. It was a cry of pure and primal pain.

Rowan and Sam felt a chill, their eyes met in horror.

“The interrogations,”

Sam whispered, his face pale in the moonlight. “Sailas must have started already.”

Rowan clenched his jaw, strong anger boiled within him.

“We can’t afford to waste any more time,”

he declared, still hatefully looking in the direction that the scream came from.

Sam nodded, all traces of their earlier moment of peace vanished in an instant. “Every minute we delay, someone suffers.”

As another scream pierced the air, Rowan and Sam exchanged one final, loaded glance. Without another word, they slipped out of the garden and back towards the temple.

Now, the real test of their courage and conviction was about to begin. They reentered the dark halls of the Eidolon temple, followed by the screams of the innocent.