18 16~

"Rafael!" Rune called out to his brother as he followed him.

But Rafael was in no mood to listen to anything or anyone.

"Rafael! just wait for me, please listen to me, Rafael."

Rafael went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed, while Rune sat beside him, but before he could say anything Rafael spoke, "I don't want to hear anything brother... I just don't."

Rune licked his lips, it pains him to see his brother like this all changed, "I won't say anything that you don't like."

Rafael scoffed before Rune said again, "If you don't wish to be his teacher then fine... don't I will talk to the duke. I will fight him as well if needed."

Rafael suddenly stood up, "You didn't fight him when I wanted you to."

It was like a punch to the gut for Rune when Rafael said and Rafael realized that as well as he quickly said, "I am sorry."

Rune gulped and hardened his heart, "Back then he was..."

"I know. He was right. I was wrong."

"Rafael, I don't want to talk about that time."

"Exactly. I also don't want to talk about that time in fact I don't want to talk about anything... so you can leave."

Rune slowly got up, "I'll leave for now...I'll come back for lunch, and I am going to have lunch with you. There is a lot to catch up on."

Rafael smirked, "Bring Alcohol."

Rune smiled, "Sure." after that he left, but when he came out, he saw Yug and once again his smile vanished, "You have your answer there Duke, my brother said no..."

Yug replied, "I know I heard that, but I would like to have a chat with him."

Rune scoffed, "Duke, I know you have a habit to give your son everything he asks for, but Rafael is not a thing and..."

"I know that..." Yug spoke in a louder than usual voice, "I know that very well and I am just here to talk to him, he is my family as well... I have met him after so many years I think I do deserve to catch up."

Rune couldn't argue against that, so he stepped aside, "He is not like before. You know you can't just do whatever you want..."

"I know... I know we have to walk on eggshells around him, but I can do that."

Without any further ado, Yug walked inside, and saw Rafael drinking when Rafael felt someone's presence in the room he looked at the invader and rolled his eyes, "If you are here to talk about that teaching stuff then my answer is no and if you are here to kill me, then go ahead I won't fight you."

Yug shook his head and went forward. He grabbed another bottle of alcohol and drank it while Rafael glanced at him after a while Yug spoke, "Since when did you become so obsessed with death?"

Rafael smirked, "Since when I lost my mind, I guess."

"Life is precious, you have to live it fully." Yug said and looked at Rafael, "They were your words."

In the reply to Yug, Rafael turned to him and smirked, but the pain was clearly visible on Rafael's face, "I will trust you, you are my family, my little brother..." He said with so much venom that Yug nearly flinched, "They were your words... I don't need to remind you that you turned away from your own words."

Yug took another sip, "I never did that Rafael, you are still my family, my brother... it is you who threw me out of your life."

"Because it was you and everyone else who refused to trust me." Rafael was breathing heavily, "I don't know what you want to say, but I don't want to see your face."

Yug banged the bottle against the table and glared at Rafael, "You were on a suicide mission you, without any evidence, said something too dangerous, first of all, you said that the cult of Mithras was real when it is not.

And even after knowing how religious and sacred that cult is, you had the guts to say that the cult was illegal and that they were doing crimes in front of the entire court, nobility, royalty, and the temple."

The cult of Mithras was said to be people who followed Mithras a trusted underling of the founder Sean, after the death of the founder the cult existed and seemed to have preserved his teachings after Mithras died the cult continued to exist for some time as well.

They were well-respected people and had done a lot for the people, but it is believed that all of the cult members were killed during the destruction of the temple of Nirvana.

So it does not exist anymore, but their stories and legends are still popular and they are still respected.

But one day after Rafael came back from a war... he just said that the cult existed and it consisted of the vilest and most disgusting people in the world, that made people enraged and some even laughed at him but he stood to his ground.

Everyone laughed at him and eventually he was declared a mad dog, in the entire empire Rafael is known as a mad dog who can bite anyone.

After this Rafael left the position as a commander in the middle of a war...when the army needed him the most.

Rafael Evan Demir was the best of the best, his fighting skills l his strategy, he was a prodigy, a truly gifted being. At the age of fifteen, he became the commander of the northern army.

It was an honor to see him on the battlefield and fight against him. That's why the army put their trust in him; it was like they were sure that since Rafael was with them their win was sure, but when he quit suddenly out of nowhere it caused an uproar, the soldiers became tense and they hated him.

Everyone hated him, but he didn't go back. Thankfully, it was the first princess Iyana Izel Aloisia who came forwards to take his place and she was able to handle everything, and bring the victory home.

Even though they won, the people wanted to punish Rafael, but Yug stopped it, by saying that Rafael was ill, mentally and since he was the duke's third most powerful person in the empire people listened to him, and surprisingly first princess Iyana supported him as well.

And that's how they were able to save Rafael but after that Rafael changed he never smile never talked, it was like the Rafael they knew was dead. And now at twenty years of age Rafael lived like an empty shell.

Diora and Rune wanted to do something, but proving that Rafael was mentally ill was the only way to save him. So they also kept quiet. And till the day they are guilty about it, but to save their brother they can do anything.

Rafael smiled bitterly, "I just wanted you to trust me."

Yug looked at him and said in a firm voice, "Listen carefully Rafael, what you tried to do back then could have gotten you killed and if you tried anything like that again, I, Rune, and your sister we will do anything to keep you from being killed even if it means breaking your bones and confining you to bed forever.

Even if I trust you, even if Rune trust you, and what you said was true then you have no idea what you are dealing with, it's too dangerous, if that cult is alive then it's thousands of years old, years of knowledge, power and wealth it has...you can't go against it...and I will not let you, Rune will not let you either. So forget it."

Rafael sighed and smiled bitterly, "I see...I see...so it okay it is easy to see me suffer every day, to see me die every day, but it is tough to trust me and support me?"

"Yes..." Yug said, "It is very difficult to support you because it can get me, Rune, Diora, you or my son killed, and very brutally killed."

"Your Son has made you a coward." Rafael accused Yug kept the bottle down and said, "Your obsession has made you blind...it was nice talking to you, Rafael...I will leave for now, but just remember that I am always there for you..."

Yug was gone after that while Rafael was left alone.