Chapter 22 A Path Diverged

Chapter 22 A Path Diverged
As they walked, Izzy's feet suddenly dug into the earth, halting Dixon's momentum. He slowed down, his eyes narrowing in concern, and glanced back at her. “What's wrong?” He asked.

Her gaze was fixed on him, her eyes narrowed, her face tense with suspicion. “Why are we running?” She asked, her tone demanding. 

Before he could respond, she added, her voice sharp with accusation, “how did you know Aethera was looking for me?”

His eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, but her words cut him off, her voice menacing. “Don't lie to me. I heard her call your name. The way you looked at each other… You know each other.”

His lips parted, then closed, as if searching for the right words. His eyes darted, his shoulders stiffening, and for a moment, it seemed as though he would defy her warning. But then, his resistance crumbled, and his gaze dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. “I'm... the crowned prince of Lydrian Marsh.”

Izzy's eyes widened, her face paling, as if the very words had drained the life from her. “The... terrifying Prince Mask, who people rarely see his face,” she breathed, her voice trembling.

Dixon's eyes snapped up, his gaze locking onto hers, his expression a mask of unease. His shoulders seemed to shrink, his posture shrinking, as if trying to disappear into the shadows.

Izzy's eyes remained fixed on his, her face a picture of shock, her lips parted, but no words emerged. She was frozen, her gaze locked on his, as if the revelation had stunned her into silence.

Dixon's eyes held hers, his expression a mixture of fear and resignation, waiting for her response, but Izzy was lost for words, her mind reeling with the implications of his revelation.

A sharp pain sliced through her chest, as if a jagged knife had been thrust into her heart. She gasped, her eyes squeezing shut, and a sob escaped her lips with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Dixon's eyes widened, and he reached out to grab her arm, his voice urgent. “Izzy, wait—”

But she yanked her arm away, her eyes flashing open, and her voice shrill. “Don't touch me!” She shouted, her body trembling with rage and pain.

She spun around and stumbled off the path, heading in the wrong direction. 

He took a step forward after her, but her warning glare stopped him in his tracks.

“Leave me alone!” She screamed, her voice cracking. She didn't know what to say or what to do. She just knew she needed to get away from him, to escape the pain and the anger that threatened to consume her.

She ran off, disappearing into the thick forest.

Dixon's eyes stayed fixed on the spot where she vanished, his face etched with worry, his chest heaving with frustration. He took a step forward, as if to follow her, but something stayed at his feet.

“I'm sorry, Izzy. I never meant to hurt you with this.” He muttered, His voice barely audible, as if apologising for her absence.

Izzy's cries echoed through the forest, her sobs growing fainter as she stumbled deeper into the woods. She didn't notice the thorns snagging at her clothes, piercing her skin, or the branches whipping at her face. 

The pain in her chest was too much, a searing agony that consumed her entire being.

“How dare you, Dixon?! How dare you lie to me!” She screamed, a vein pulsing in her neck. “How could you! How dare youuuuu!” 

She ran blindly, her feet crunching on twigs and leaves, her heart racing with anguish. The forest seemed to swallow her whole, and she was gone, lost in a sea of tears and pain.



Izzy ran, her feet pounding the earth as she fled from the pain. She couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, the ache in her chest growing with every step. 

“How dare you, Dixon?” she muttered, the words torn from her lips.

She ran until her legs gave out, collapsing onto the forest floor. She lay there, gasping, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Above her, the stars twinkled in the night sky, but she didn't notice. Her mind was consumed by Dixon's deception and the hurt it had caused her.

Her mind replayed his conversation, wondering what had driven him to lie. The more she thought, the angrier she became.

Her lips moved, forming the words, though no sound emerged, “How dare you, Dixon?”

Tears flowed, hot and bitter, as she wept. Her body shook with sobs, her heart feeling shattered, like broken glass.

She was lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the world around her. But the bandits saw her, and their cruel grins told her she was in trouble. 

They closed in, their laughter and jeers cutting through the night air. One of them spotted her, and his eyes lit up with interest. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” He sneered.

Izzy scrambled to her knees, her hands clasped together in a plea for mercy. “Please, don’t hurt me.” She begged, her voice shaking. 

But the bandits just laughed, their leader sneering at her display of weakness. “Aww, don't be like that, sweetheart.” He cooed, his hand reaching out to touch her face.

Just as he was about to make contact, Dixon burst from the shadows. His eyes blazed with fury, and with a single, agile motion, he took him down. 

They didn't stand a chance against him, and they knew it. They scrambled to their feet, their faces pale with fear, and took off into the night.

Izzy watched them go, her eyes wide with wonder. Dixon turned to her, his expression softening. “Are you okay?” He asked, his voice gentle.

She stepped aside, avoiding her touch, anger boiling over. “What are you doing here?” She demanded. “Told you to leave me alone. Why are you following me?”

“I–” he opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. 

“Do you think you're somehow better than those bandits?” She sneered, her lip curling in disdain. “You, who lied to me and deceived me? You're no better than they are. In fact, you're worse…”

“At least the bandits were honest about what they wanted. They didn't pretend to be something they're not.”

"Dixon's eyes dropped, and he looked away, unable to meet her gaze. 'Izzy, I...' he began, but she talked over him.

"You lied to me, and you hurt me. You're a liar, Dixon. A deceiver. And I don't want to see you again.”

He glared at her, his expression etched with guilt and regret. 

She pointed a shaking finger at his face. “If you follow me again, I'll make sure I disappear, and you'll never find me.”