Chapter 72: Decision

When Aries opened his eyes, it was like replaying a terrifying scene in his mind.

Pieffer was dashing towards Cari. Her blade was aimed at the chest of her opponent.

Aries touched his own chest. He remembered getting stabbed before losing consciousness but there was no wound in there or even a scar.

The healing ability of Pieffer had truly improved. He quickly rose to his feet and rushed towards the princess. This time, he did not miss. His hand seized the weapon hand of Pieffer and pulled it away from Cari.

Everyone stopped moving and all eyes had fallen on him. Sunrei and Pines were down on the ground, both have cuts on their feet.

It was certainly inflicted by Pieffer. She had rendered them immobile to prevent them from interrupting.

"Please, Piefffer. Don't kill her," Aries begged.

Pieffer instantly dropped her sword and cried.

"You... didn't call me Princess…"

Aries smiled and tightened his grip on the hands of Pieffer as he said, "I remembered everything."

"No!" Cari yelled as Pieffer shed more tears.

"Let's talk later," Aries grabbed Cari by her hand. "We should head back to Gust's manor."

Cari tried to escape using her magic but Aries was repelling every spell she was casting.

"How can you do that?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," Guardian Aika revealed herself at the entrance to the manor. "Aries is already aware of your mind tricks. He is already immune to all of it."

"Why don't you just kill me?" Cari stopped struggling against the strong grip of Aries.

"You know how much I wanted to do it," Pieffer frowned in annoyance. "You should be grateful to Aries."

"I am always grateful to him," Cari furiously snapped at her. "That is the reason I want to take him out of this place! He deserves something better!"

Aries dragged Cari inside the manor and pushed her down on a couch at the entrance hall.

"Where is Gust?" he asked Guardian Aika.

"Reinstating the barrier at the Western Border," the guardian replied without looking away from Cari.

"I will help them out."

"No need," Guardian Aika stopped him from stepping out of the door. "Cari is the only threat in the House of Twins as of the moment. You should stay here and guard her or should I confine her to the dungeon?"

"Cari will work with us," Aries seriously declared.

"I don't…"

"I'm not asking you," he had firmly interrupted. "I am commanding you."

His words silenced everyone in the room. The firmness in his voice probably made them anxious.

"Do you… remember our past lives?" Fear and excitement mixed in the eyes of the Goat House Leader.

"No," he honestly answered. "Working with us is your punishment."

"You cannot force me, Arie," she rejected the idea with a frown, "Even if you are our captain, you cannot make me do what I don't want to do!"

"I know how much you are suffering," Aries gazed seriously at Cari. "Remembering everything can be agonizing. I only heard things about this vicious cycle but those stories are already maddening. How much more with you who didn't forget a single thing?"

Cari was silenced and Aries went on with his speech, "We can only keep our sanity because we cannot remember our past lives. We can start all over again as if nothing bad had happened. Things will come to pass like it is the first time and because of that, we can still hope to change things if we just give it our all," he held out his hand to Cari and told her, "I want you to hope with us."

The Goat House Leader shoved his hand away and seriously declared, "You can never stop this vicious cycle. What is about to happen will happen. You can never change anything!"

"Through the centuries, did nothing really change?" Aries asked. "Do we keep on living the same life? Do you?"

Cari refused to answer as tears filled her eyes.

"It may be a subtle change but things are still changing," Aries believed. "I want to save Serestral. No matter how many times, I will never get tired."

"You are always this foolish!" Cari cried in frustration.

"And you are always so supportive with my foolishness," Aries smiled at his comrade.

"I hate you!" Cari yelled at the top of her lungs. "I tried to change things for you! But it seems that I will witness your tragic ending all over again!"

"Let's hope for the best," Aries beamed wider.

"You are hopeless," Cari could only sigh and wipe the tears in her eyes.

"Sunrei, Pines, can you stay here with Cari? Pieffer and I need to talk."

"Sure," the blonde prince answered as the Fish House Leader yelled, "What will you talk about?!"

"Just let them be," Sunrei elbowed Pines.

"Fine!" the Fish House Leader furiously yelled then settled beside Cari with arms crossed over his chest. "Talk all you want!"

^#########^

Aries took Pieffer to the backyard. He wanted to tell her a lot of things but could not get the right words out of his mouth. He could only stare at her with longing. They had been together for only a month and he never expected any deep emotions to be formed between them.

"I'm sorry," tears brimmed in the eyes of Pieffer. "It's my fault that your soul wandered away from us."

"Let's not talk about that," Aries nervously smiled. "It's already in the past. I'm… I'm just glad that I recalled my memories. I'm… I'm happy to have remembered you."

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Pieffer smiled and held his hands.

"If you only knew how much I wanted to embrace you…" her voice faltered when Aries took her in his arms.

"Let's stop hesitating," he whispered to her ears and tightened his arms around her. "I miss you, Pieffer."

"I miss you so much…" Pieffer buried her face in his chest and cried. "But… how about Lady Pieffer?"

She gently pushed Aries away from her.

"Isn't she… still alive somewhere within you? We don't want to anger her any further."

Pieffer is right. I should never forget about… my beloved…

"I'm sorry," Aries apologized with a throbbing head. Confusion was starting to drain his mind.

"You don't have to apologize," Pieffer smiled. "We don't have any relationship so there is nothing to be sorry about," she took a deep breath and stretched her hands up in the air. "This is a tiring day. We should rest."

Aries nodded agreement and followed Pieffer back to the manor.

^########^

Aries slept for an entire day. He dreamed again of the memories he already regained that when he opened his eyes, the feeling was still surreal. He could not believe he had forgotten so many things. It was still difficult to process that he lived as an assassin. He who dreamed of becoming a hero since he was a child had become a killer. Worst of all, he loved another person and hurt Pieffer.

Aries placed his palm over his face. He was so disappointed with himself.

"There is no use moping in this room!" he bolted upright and swore to himself, "I will never forget ever again!"

He stormed out of his room and knocked at the door of Cari's chamber.

"Why do you keep on pestering me?" the Goat House Leader asked with a frown after letting Aries into the balcony of her room.

"Me? Pestering you? Have you forgotten how you played with my memories?" Aries sat on the railings, crossed his arms, and glared at Cari.

"I'm sorry," Cari muttered. "Pieffer came here an hour ago. She is such an annoying person."

"Be grateful that she let you live."

Cari rolled her eyes then asked, "What do you want?"

"I need your help. I want to remember everything and never forget any detail," Aries seriously asked the Goat House Leader.

"No," Cari looked away from him.

"Why?"

"Are you really that insensitive to my feelings for you?" Cari yelled angrily at Aries. "I love you! I only want what is best for you! How can you ask me to make you suffer?"

"I know how you feel about me and I am grateful for it," Aries was sincere. "Thank you for choosing to remember everything even though the memories are more painful than not. If only I can repay all of it... but the only thing I can give you is my dedication to the Zodiac Knights and to Serestral. My heart... you know how who is in it. I'm sorry, Cari… I know you will find happiness in another man."

The Goat House Leader was deeply hurt that she had to look away and try to hide the tears brimming in her eyes. 

"I offered it before but you declined," she said after a few moments of silence. "You told me that you don't want to remember your past lives because you want to enjoy the present. You even asked me to erase the resurging memories of your previous lifetimes. But I can only repress it."

"I was a coward back then," Aries admitted. "And that must be the very reason we could not end this vicious cycle. I want to remember and understand everything, even our enemies. The Celestial Knights… I want to try saving them."

Cari looked back at Aries and cried.

"Can they still be saved?"

"Gani and Jodien are already working with us," Aries reminded the Goat House Leader. "This might be the start, right?"

"You will eventually remember everything."

"I want to remember everything as soon as I can. I don't want to wait until things are too late to be stopped."

"Do you really want to remember everything?" Cari was still hesitating and worrying about him.

"I do," Aries seriously answered. "Please, Cari. Help me."

The Goat House Leader stared at him for a long time before saying with a defeated sigh, "If that is what you want. Let me prepare for it. You should also ready your mind for it."

"Thank you, Cari."

"I don't think you will be grateful after you remember everything," Cari looked away from him.

"I will not regret this," Aries promised.

"You never regretted anything," Cari laughed with bitterness. "Anyway, I think it is best to start once the barriers around Serestral are reinstated.

"I thought it will take time for you to care again about this kingdom," Aries smiled.

"I told you, I tried to change things but failed. Now that I cannot stop you from fulfilling your knightly duties, I might as well stick by your side. I want you to remember me as the girl who never left your side."

"Thank you so much, Cari," he had given her a bow before heading towards the door.

"There is one more thing," the Goat House Leader said when Aries touched the doorknob. "Pieffer wants the same thing."

Aries glanced back at the balcony and anxiously asked, "Will it be bad for her?"

"I think so," Cari replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I don't care if she suffers. It is you I am worried about."

"I will try talking her out of it," Aries smiled and bowed one more time to the Goat House Leader.

^########^

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