Xena
22. A good man

Xena and Aiden's relationship is getting closer. Their togetherness made Xena feel something in her heart. Moreover, Aiden's good attitude and his face that looks increasingly handsome and charming, making Xena slowly start to fall in love with him.

That afternoon Aiden and Xena re-entered the forest area, or rather entered the beautiful place they found under the lake. As usual, to get to that place they have to dive into the lake first.

The moment they reached the edge of the lake, Xena was made stunned by the beauty that was seen before her eyes. The lake water was clear blue, sparkling beautifully like crystal. Besides being beautiful, the lake water also feels so cool. Xena touched the surface of the water with one of her hands, leaving her speechless for a while until Aiden's voice sounded." Xena!!. Call her while patting Xena's shoulder softly.

The two of them went back to dive into the lake, and this time Xena could clearly see the huge chain she had seen before. If he had only seen the large chains from the two sides of the lake before, then this time he saw those chains from the four sides of the lake like they formed a cross. Faintly, Xena saw a shape or a form, whether it was an object or something that she herself did not know what. Xena thought maybe the chain was deliberately used to tie something she saw.

Realizing Xena was not beside him, Aiden looked back. He swam over and pulled Xena's hand back towards the door.

Long story short both of them were already in that beautiful place, and now they headed for a long hallway that was behind a large chunk of stone. The hallway with a width of approximately one meter was so dark, cold and also crowded.

"This place is very humid and very stuffy. I'm sure once, this must be a secret passage that's never used again." Xena said as she continued to step up. While Aiden stood in his place, fumbling the walls of the hallway. There was a carving on the wall that caught his attention. Although he could not see it clearly, but Aiden believes the carving he was currently touching was the same as the carving on the walls of his kingdom.

"Aiden!! Call Xena and turn her body. But Aiden didn't.

"Aiden!! Where're you?." Call Xena while walking towards the stone door, intending to get out of the passageway. But suddenly his hand was pulled by someone from within that wall, making him flinch in shock.

"Who are you?." The hardship is trying to release his hand.

"Relax Xena. It's me, Aiden!!

"Aiden?."

"Yes, it's me!!

"You!! Did you intentionally want to prank me?."

"No Xena. Don't misunderstand me."

Aiden explained that he accidentally pressed the wall of the hallway which turned out to be a secret door. There's another hallway behind that door.

Curious, the two of them walked down the hallway. I seem to have been through this road. Both said in their hearts. The further they went, the more convinced they had ever gone down that path.

Soon, they found a small crack that turned out to be the exit of the road, and the door was headed towards the bunker, but from a different direction, or the back of the bunker. Xena was silent for a moment, as she suddenly remembered the incident. The incident where his father was killed in the hands of the enemy of the kingdom of Zephyra while protecting the prince of the kingdom. Yeah right, he remembers everything. This place was where his father was killed, when they escaped from the palace a few years ago.

Xena's stuck there. Her tears were dripping without her being able to hold it. The shadow of her father lying covered in blood while dying, was still clearly recorded in Xena's memory. The pain, anger and hate he felt back then.

While Aiden who was currently also recalling something about the place, looked at Xena and then approached her

" What's up, Xena?. You're okay, right?." Aiden asked as he held both shoulders.

"You sure?." Ask Aiden to make sure. Xena nodded.

"I. I miss him so much. Do you know, my father died in this place." Xena answered while wiping her tears, making Aiden slightly jerked.

"really?."Ask Aiden.

"Yes.true. They killed my father in this place. And all because....." Xena hung up her sentence.

"Because?." Ask Aiden.

Xena took a breath. " Have it.forget it." Xena.

Xena then stepped foot towards the cliff that was a few meters in front of him. He remembers Abraham's grandfather saying that there was another entrance to the bunker, and Xena thinks it was near the cliff. As he approached the cliff, he saw a stone marked with a special carving that only he, and his family knew, because the sign was made especially by his own father the late Hector Coraddo. That mark was the same mark that Aiden saw earlier inside the hall wall.

Aiden looked at Xena, as Xena placed her hand on the stone. And before long the stone shifted like a door. Aiden was stunned to see it. He was increasingly convinced that Xena and her family were indeed not random people. They must have something to do with the kingdom of Zephyra. Aiden was very sure of that.

Xena invites Aiden in, and Aiden complies. The door was headed for the bunker. Aiden kept thinking about Xena and all the events he had seen while he knew her, as well as that place, which Xena said was the place where his father died.

Aiden then linked all of that to the incident he just remembered. Aiden remembered that he had indeed passed through the hall earlier with a royal general and also the general's family, when there was an enemy who wanted to finish his life. And he had only realized, the passage he had passed through earlier was the passage he had passed through while escaping from the palace. That means the passageway is a secret path to his palace. If Aiden hadn't touched the carvings on the walls of the hall, maybe he and Xena were already heading to the palace.

The passageway was a secret passage to the palace. Oh my God why did I just realize it?. And what do not-don't Xena .... Aiden muttered inwardly, as he thought it was possible that Xena was the son of the general who had saved her. After Aiden tried to remember the incident, he vaguely remembered that time other than himself, general Coraddo, his wife there were two little girls who came running with them. Could it be Xena and Audrey?. Ask in the heart.

Aiden turned the memory on his head, connecting all the events he had been through with Xena. This bunker, the golden cup bearing the royal emblem, martial arts and archery that Xena mastered, secret roads, carvings on the walls of the hallway and at the door of the cliff earlier, also Xena's story about her father who died in that place, made Aiden's belief even stronger. Xena was Corado's son who died saving him years ago.

And is it possible that the reason Xena hated me so much and the kingdom, was because of her father's death?. Oh God!!.Is it possible that Xena hated me for thinking that I was the one who caused her father to die?. Ask Aiden in my heart. His steps suddenly came to a halt, but his gaze locked onto Xena who was walking in front of him.

Feeling noticed, Xena turned her body around. "What's wrong?. Why stop and look at me like that?." Ask Xena.

"I was just wondering about your story. I also wonder why you know this place. I mean the road to this place." Aiden Sahut.

"Didn't I say that. That's where my father died. I come here often anyway, so of course I know. But I really didn't know that there was a secret passage under the lake leading to this place." Answer Xena.

"May I know why they killed your father?." Aiden asked, making Xena reflexively look at him.

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