Eternity in the darkness - Chapter 98

“Ruka,” she said and I saw his eyes that were cold glow with hatred.

“Let’s end it here, Olivia,” he said calmly making her eyes go wide and with no further notice her body caught fire.

It wasn’t a quick death but a slow painful one. She yelled and screamed in pain while Ruka stood there watching her, enjoying the anguish she was in like he had finally brought peace to his deceased family. Her body was burning slowly and completely, I turned my head away from the torturous sight. That’s when I remembered about Evan. I turned back running towards where the shadowed creature was lying. I bent down quickly to where he was once I spotted him, taking the skeleton in my arms as I heard him cough.

“I thought you were dead,” I said looking at his skull face and heard him chuckle.

“I have already been dead before so it shouldn’t matter,” he said coughing, “Hey,” he said as my eyes turned watery.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” I said softly as snowflakes fell from the sky.

“You know who I am,” he said in his raspy voice and I nodded, “So much for a disguise.”

“Why didn’t you say who it was when we met?” I questioned him and laughed a little, “You were the one Olivia wanted all this time and she didn’t notice you were the franchixer who had been sent to the land of the dead.”

Evan was the franchixer who was sent to this land by his mate Valerie to protect him. I had noticed the moment he and Olivia had begun fighting, it was a hunch in the begining but I confirmed it by looking at his teeth and the back that had something extra which was more likely used to be supported for wings.

“When a person is consumed by negative energy, the person loses his rationality and reality of what’s presented in front of him. Moreover, she was attracted to the skin than what was there here,” he said bringing his bony hands towards his chest, “Valerie had for seen the future of Ruka and had sent me here before she took her last breath. It pains to think I couldn’t and wasn’t allowed to go back to her but I was sent here for a purpose, a purpose I believe that’s fulfilled now.”

“Evan,” I said regretfully. One Of the shadowed creatures came towards us which I believe was Drux.

“You are smarter than I thought, Eve Whitlock,” Evan said now placing his hand on my cheek, “Kind, smart, brave, thoughtful and having all the features that is required to be a queen and a mate for a franchixer. The small time I have spent with you and assisted you has been a pleasure. You were truly an angel sent from heaven,” he said.

“You’re speaking like these are your last minutes,” I said and saw him raise his hands towards the sky.

“You need to leave now, Eve. Go back to Ruka and leave the land of the dead,” Drux urged me quickly, “You need to leave before the exist closes. I’ll handle from here,” he said.

“Thank you for everything,” I thanked them before running on my heels towards where Ruka was.

On the way, I met Aiden who was accompanied by Derek. Ruka had come along with Sebastian, Derek, Aiden, Lizzy, and Louis to the land of dead. Now that Olivia was dead my heart felt lighter and when I saw Ruka he gave me a soft smile as his eyes met mine. But when I took one step forward something bright blinded us making me close my eyes.

“What’s going on?” I heard Lizzy ask.

“Meteor shower in the land of zombies,” Sebastian said, “Wh-” before he could complete his sentence all of us fell somewhere hard on the ground. There was a sudden temperature change from extreme cold to a normal windy weather.

When I opened my eyes I saw we were surrounded by trees with no trace of snow. We were back to the land of the living. I looked at the people around me frantically and felt my heart drop on the ground. No, I thought to myself. This wasn’t happening.

“Where’s Ruka?” I asked looking at Sebastian and saw him shake his head sadly.

“I’m sorry, Eve,” he said as silence fell all over us.

“There should be a way,” I said looking around, “Everybody was able to get out of there so should he.”

“Ruka knew the chances of exiting before he stepped in and he did even after knowing it. He might be able to exit but we don’t know when he’ll be able to,” Louis said looking at me.

I knew the answer, yet I wasn’t ready to accept it. He was a franchixer and the land of dead was used to trap the former franchixer. What if Ruka never came back? A tear rolled down my cheek as I felt my body go cold. Why was this happening to us? Many tears rolled down as seconds passed by and soon I was sobbing in Sebastian’s chest as he rubbed my back soothingly. I didn’t know what I would do now, a life without him was something I had never imagined and now everything seemed so empty. I didn’t realize when I fell asleep but when I did I didn’t wake up in two days scaring everyone half to death.

When I woke up Annesana told I had lost a lot of blood and had sprained my hand pretty bad when Louis and the others had brought me home. A week had passed since the time we had returned back from the land of dead but Ruka hadn’t returned. I knew everyone were worried about me therefore I behaved and stayed alive as I could in front of them but the problem were the nights when one thought led to another as I stayed wide awake on the bed and I would start crying all over again.

I had gone back to the forest for three continuous days but there was no sign of him. Mom and dad had asked me to visit them when I felt like to which I had agreed. Aiden kept me company most of the time while I wanted to go out of the castle but today Lizzy and Kyle came with us too.

“Eve?” I heard Lizzy call me.

“Yeah?” I asked her.

“We were planning on having dinner outside tonight. What do you think?” she asked me.

“That would be great,” I said smiling at her as we drove on the deserted roads around the forest.

“Then it’s decided. You know there is this great place near…” Kyle spoke to Aiden. As Lizzy drove the car I saw something shine in the midst of the forest.

“Lizzy stop the car,” I said making her hit the breaks instantly.

“What’s the matter?” she asked me as I opened the door and walked towards the forest, “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” I said before running across the trees.

I didn’t know why my heart was beating that quickly but something was up here and I wanted to know if my gut was right. I ran and ran until I reached towards the lake that glittered under the moon. My chest heaved up and down as my eyes looked around the place.

I waited there as minutes passed and felt my tears fall down from my eyes. I closed my eyes as I felt the wind blow and slowly it began drizzling.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you keep standing there like that, love,” I heard a voice behind me making me turn around.

“Ruka,” I whispered his name. He was standing there with his blue jeans and pale white shirt, his purple and red eyes looking at me with love while a smile played on his lips.

“Evie,” he said raising both his arms wide open for me and I took no more time to fall into his arms. His hands wound around my waist firmly as I took in his warmth I had missed, “I missed you,” he whispered into my hairs.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” I said pulling back to look at him and his fingers tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Yet you have come here,” he smiled leaning down to give me a kiss on my lips, “I told you didn’t I. No matter where you are I will always find my way back to you. You are my light and hope, Eve. Your the reason I live,” he said making me warm with his words.

“I-” I was interrupted by Lizzy and Aiden calling out for me.

“EVE! Where-” Lizzy came out and her eyes went wide. Not able to believe what she was seeing now, “Oh my God. Ruka!” she screamed and hugged him from the side. I moved back a little so that she could hug him properly but instead, she punched him in his chest.

“You made us worry,” she said, “Don’t you ever dare to do that,” she said sniffing at the end.

The dinner plan was canceled and we went straight back to the castle. Back at the castle when everyone saw Ruka the guys exchanged hugs and a pat on the back while Andria had her eyes all watery. They didn’t ask much questions and I guess they were saving it up for tomorrow.

“Olivia said you couldn’t return back,” I said to Ruka once we were in our room alone.

“Valerie knew her mate would leave the land of dead at the first opportunity he found, therefore, she had designed it so. Evan had tried killing himself but to only be born as a shadowed creature on that land. Valerie had given him the last task, the last wish that was to protect the remaining family. You dropped your necklace in haste,” he said as his fingers found mine, interlinking them together, “As his task was full filled he felt no need to be around anymore and as a former franchixer he used his abilities in sending me back to the land of living as his parting gift for you from both the worlds. Here,” he said putting the cold necklace in my palm.

“Does that mean…he-”

“Yes, love,” Ruka said squeezing my hand gently, “A person without the other half is more or like a lost wanderer. It was time for him to depart from this world so that he can reunite with his soulmate,” he said making me nod in understanding.

“I’m glad your back,” I said after some time looking into his eyes.

“So am I,” he replied with a gentle smile.