After staying a while when Aselia almost passed out from drinking, Xiran took his leave. He asked Rivan’s chauffeur to drop them home, not wanting to drive while she was intoxicated.

She rested in his lap and his heart relaxed. He almost had a heart attack earlier when she didn’t pick up her phone and the surge of jealousy that washed over him seeing that stripper still lingered inside him.

Xiran had decided to meet Sulran the next day but didn’t want to take her along, so he asked Frila to stay with her while he was gone.

"Xiran!" She opened her dreamy eyes and innocently stared at him.

"Yes?" He asked, removing stray hair from her face.

"Did you learn the dance moves from him?" She sweetly asked, blinking at him, leaving him speechless for a while.

"I did, hush, sleep now," he tried to pacify her. Mischief birthed in his mind and he knew he would have fun teasing her later.

"You will show me, right?" Her eyes were drooping and she yawned.

"I will," he couldn’t believe what he was promising her and hoped that all this will be forgotten in the morning. He knew she was a horrible drinker and hardly remembered things afterwards.

Reaching home he carried her inside, she was completely knocked out by that point so he tucked her in bed, kissing her good night.

Xiran had just the place in mind to meet Sulran. He waited for dawn and once Frila arrived he gave her instructions before leaving. His destination was his mother’s grave.

Xiran took his jet and it was almost noon when he arrived in the city he hated the most. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Heading to the cemetery he bought some white lilies on the way. He proceeded to her eternal resting abode, a heaviness tearing him down.

Reaching the white tombstone with golden engraving he placed the white lilies on her grave and stood watching it for a long time, beautiful memories of her resurfaced and his heart pained at the thought that he had killed her son. Tears pricked his eyes and his steady hands shook today.

His mother had always struggled with Xifin but she never stopped loving him for he was her son. Xiran knew she would have been disappointed to see how he turned out.

"I am sorry mother, I had to kill him. He left me no choice and I hope you can forgive me," he sniffled, the hidden burdens of his heart that could only be unloaded in front of her.

The day she passed away, Xiran knew that he would be alone in this world but he had hoped that Xifin might come out of their father’s shadow. It wrecked him apart when he didn’t and the fact that he had to put him down was taking a toll on him. At least, when he was alive Xiran knew he had a blood-related family but that front was vacant now and it killed him inside.

He bent down and grazed his hand on her name, a sense of relief rippled through him and he closed his turbulent eyes, seeking peace at that moment.

Finally, he straightened up and murmured after opening his eyes:

"Here goes nothing so I hope he is who he claims to be," Xiran opened his cuff button and began to roll up his sleeve till he reached the star pattern and without further ado pressed it. It lit up instantly as if the liquid mercury had been shot up in his arm, it swirled and burnt bright and Xiran didn’t have to wait long.

A blinding light appeared at a distance from him and Sulran teleported. His exquisitely glorious wings were spread wide behind him, and a pleasant smile adorned his lips as he elegantly folded them.

Xiran noticed he was no longer in that weird outfit he was wearing the last time, he was dressed in jeans and a shirt. Xiran wondered where he must have gotten them.

"We meet again, you surely took your time," Sulran slightly teased but Xiran remained impassive.

"I don’t trust you, I don’t trust anyone anymore. So you need to prove to me who you are," Xiran stood his ground as Sulran took in his surroundings but couldn’t understand the weird tombstones bulging out of the ground. Xiran’s tall frame covered the tombstone behind him so he couldn’t see it or read his sister’s name that had been engraved on it.

"It will be my pleasure. I will need to touch your head for that so I can show you. May I? It won’t hurt," he extended his hand towards Xiran again and this time he didn’t flinch back, but simply nodded his head.

Sulran’s smile widened as he stepped closer to Xiran, noticing how much he resembled his sister. It warmed his heart and he wanted to hug him but knew they weren’t there yet. At least Xiran wasn’t threatening to kill him, so there was progress on that front.

Sulran placed both his hands on either of Xiran’s temples and the grey in his eyes swirled and turned white as Sulran’s memories flowed into him. For this was Sulran’s power, he could share memories, show memories and see memories of anyone he touched on their temples and focused.

At that moment he was showing Xiran his memories of their planet and his mother when she was young and used to stay with them. He showed him enough to make him believe what he was saying was true, that he had travelled through galaxies to be here.

Xiran got glimpses of the ethereal ambience of the pristine planet his mother belonged to. In a memory she sat along with Sulran near what seemed like a river made up of a milky liquid and both of them were giggling while throwing stones into it, disrupting its peaceful surface. Everything he saw was in a hue of white and silver, elegant and pure. It captivated his senses and his heart yearned to see that magical place with his own eyes.

Sulran finally removed his hands and stepped away from him and softly asked:

"Do you believe me now?" And Xiran vehemently nodded, too emotional to speak.