Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 138: And The Moment Arrived



The restaurant's mood died down in an instant.

Standing just behind Eratz, was Professor Rowan.

He looked almost the same as Eratz remembered, his hair white, flowing past his shoulders, and his beard long and silver, giving him the air of an old sage.

His eyes, though softened by emotion, still held that sharp, penetrating gaze Eratz remembered all too well.

For a moment, neither of them moved. It was as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them, locked in a silent exchange that spoke volumes more than any words could.

The last time they'd seen each other was nearly a year ago, when Rowan had turned his back on him, after Eratz had been accused of cheating.

Rowan's lips parted, but the words seemed to fail him. He looked at Eratz as if he were seeing a ghost, the regret etched deeply into the lines of his face. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing with the effort, but still, no words came.

Eratz's face showed no emotion, but this void told everything by itself. He was speechless.

The professor who took him under his wing, the man who was his mentor and shared his experience with beast masters, and the one he had to disappoint to save his friend.

That man was right here, looking like a weary old man, lost and afraid.

Rowan took another shaky breath, his hands now visibly trembling. He tried again, his voice breaking.

"I... I don't know where to start. I thought I was ready for this, but seeing you now, I... I can't..."

He forced himself to look up, meeting Eratz's gaze once more, but his eyes were brimming with fear and sorrow.

Eratz let out a long, slow breath. He looked away briefly, as if collecting his thoughts.

"Fine," he muttered. "I can spare a few minutes."

He knew this moment was inevitable, but it didn't make it any easier.

Rowan's shoulders sagged in relief, the tension draining from his face. He nodded quickly, like a man who had just been granted a reprieve from a death sentence, but with what could happen, maybe it looked more like a death sentence already.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Eratz glanced back at his friends, offering them a small, reassuring smile before gesturing for Rowan to follow.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Gabriel, who had been lingering awkwardly by the entrance, stepped forward, and followed them.

The three of them made their way to the exit, the door swinging shut behind them with a soft thud, leaving the buzz of the restaurant behind.

The cool night air wrapped around Eratz as he stepped outside, the restaurant's noise fading into the background.

He walked slowly, hands buried deep in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the ground, lost in thought.

Rowan led the way, his steps uneven, Gabriel trailed behind them, silent, the tension hanging between them like a heavy fog.

They rounded the corner of the building, moving into the shadowed back alley of the restaurant.

Eratz followed Rowan without a word, his gaze still downward. It was only when they stopped that he looked up, and his entire body froze.

Standing before him were several teachers from Genova Academy, their faces filled with a mix of forced smiles and guarded expressions. At the center stood the director, a combo that Eratz remembered all too well.

Minus Melcin, the people who were present during the reunion leading to Eratz's expulsion were gathered.

Eratz's eyes widened, disbelief flooding his features. He took a step back, shaking his head slowly, his breath hitching in his throat.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he whispered, the words barely escaping his lips.

Rowan turned around, an apologetic look on his face, his hand half-raised as if to offer an explanation.

"Eratz," Rowan began, his voice trembling. "I know this is unexpected, but there's a good reason for this. Please, let me..."

The moment Rowan met Eratz's gaze, he froze. The fury in Eratz's eyes was like nothing he had ever seen before, raw, unfiltered rage, simmering just beneath the surface.

"What is the meaning of this?" Eratz's voice was low, but it carried a venom that made Rowan flinch. "I thought you wanted to talk. I trusted you, Rowan. I came here because I believed in you."

Rowan's face crumpled, his hands shaking as he took a step back.

"Please, Eratz," he pleaded, his voice breaking. "You have to understand, I had to do this. It's not what you think. Just listen to me..."

But Eratz's patience had snapped. He stepped forward, his body trembling with anger, his voice rising with each word.

"Understand? What is there to understand? You brought me here Rowan! You knew how I felt about these people, and you still brought them here? And you specifically picked those who where in that room when they expelled me! How could you abuse my trust like that?!"

The teachers exchanged uneasy glances, the director's frown deepening as she took a cautious step forward, but Eratz's fury was like a storm, impossible to contain.

"You think I don't see what this is?" Eratz shouted, his voice echoing off the brick walls. "You want to ride on my success now, don't you? Now that I've made it, now that I've proven myself without you, now you show up? Where were you when I needed you? Why didn't you listen to me when I claimed my innocence? Why are you stalking me everywhere?! Now, now that I'm getting successful?!"

Rowan's lips trembled, his face pale. "Eratz, please... It's not like that. I..."

"It is like that!" Eratz's voice cracked with the weight of his emotions. "It's always like that with you people. Always scheming, always backstabbing. It's like it's in your blood. Why can't you just be normal? Why is it so hard for you to just be decent human beings?"

The silence that followed his words was thick, suffocating. Rowan looked as if he had been

struck.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His eyes were wide, filling with tears as he realized the depth of the wound he had reopened.

"I'm not trying to manipulate you," Rowan said, his voice a desperate whisper.

He stumbled forward, hands outstretched as if to reach for Eratz, but Eratz stepped back, avoiding him.

"I swear to you, that's not what this is. I was terrified to face you, Eratz. Terrified of what you'd say, of the hate in your eyes. But I couldn't live with myself anymore. I couldn't sleep, knowing what I did to you."

His voice cracked, tears spilling down his weathered cheeks.

"I've carried this pain with me every day," Rowan continued, his words tumbling out in a rush, his breath hitching. "Every time I looked at myself, I saw your face, the betrayal I put there. I've been haunted by it, by you, by the student I abandoned when he needed me most."

He fell to his knees with a sudden, sharp motion, the impact of his body hitting the hard pavement ringing out in the alleyway.

He bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the cold stone of the street, his hands clutching at the ground as if it were the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely. "I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice muffled against the ground. "I'm so, so sorry, Eratz. I was a coward, and I made a terrible mistake. All I want is a chance to say it, to look you in the eyes and tell you how sorry I am."

The alley was deathly quiet, the sound of Rowan's ragged breathing the only thing breaking the silence. The teachers stood still, their faces pale, the director's eyes wide with shock.

Eratz looked down at Rowan, his own hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He swallowed hard, fighting against the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.