It's been days, but what happened that day is still fresh in my mind. Questions keep arising about how everything unfolded, yet I still can't find any answers. There are so many questions, but none of them have been addressed. I don't know what to do anymore.
Taking a deep breath, I paced back and forth in the grand fountain at the center of the seven buildings.
"Hey," Ysabel approached me, and I frowned, unsure why she had called me.
"What is it? Why did you have to summon me here so early?" I asked, facing her. She looked at me with an expression that was unfathomable. What was wrong with her this time?
"What?" I asked again as she remained silent, simply gazing at me.
"Do you have feelings for Storm?" she asked directly. Startled, I took a few steps back from her. "Can't you even answer a simple question?" she added, a smirk playing on her face.
I took a deep breath and locked eyes with her. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh, come on, just answer the question!" she said, sounding irritated.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Let's pretend this conversation never happened." I turned around, intending to walk away, when she spoke again.
"Why did you assist him in killing Lin then? If that wasn't love, then what was it? You were never that kind of person. You would never aid in someone's murder, even if that person meant nothing to you."
"I don't know. How can I give you an answer when I don't even know myself?" I replied, then turned to face her.
"You love him," she said directly, looking into my eyes. "Maybe you did something to Cassandra that made her possessed, right? In order for you to have Storm for yourself?" She accused me of something I hadn't even done.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused, taking steps back as she approached me with fiery eyes.
"Then how are you going to explain this?" she said, showing a syringe in her hand. When I recognized the item, I was shocked. It looked identical to the syringe that had been injected into me when I was in the forest, causing Emerald to go berserk. As I recognized it, I instinctively took it from her hand.
"Where did you get this?" I asked, still looking at the syringe. She tried to take it back, but I hid it behind my back. "Tell me, where did you get this?" I asked again, but she remained silent. Her emotions were a jumble—madness, flustered confusion, and overwhelming irritation.
"So it is you," she said, holding her chest in slight shock.
"Hell no, just tell me where you got this," I pressed, showing it to her, but she snatched it from me.
"I found it in Lin's bed. Did you inject her with this?" she asked, glaring at me with anger in her eyes.
"Did you really think I could enter your dorm room without Storm?" I asked, extending my hand towards her. "Now give it to me, as I wasn't finished examining it."
"How can I even trust you?" she retorted, and I rolled my eyes.
"No need to trust me, and I don't need your trust either. I just need the syringe because it looks like the same one that was injected into me while I was in Yseria."
"Does that mean you have your memories now?" she asked, realization dawning.
"Yeah, does it matter to you anyway?" I asked, my confusion evident.
"Well..." she tried to compose herself once again, "Well, it doesn't," she answered, as if there was something she was hiding. I dismissed the thought, as my focus was on retrieving the syringe.
"Okay, then give it to me. I need to check the contents," I requested, reaching out for the syringe. She rolled her eyes at me before finally handing it over.
"Make sure it wasn't you, Eveline. Because if it was, I will never forgive you," she told me, looking directly into my eyes and moving closer. Our faces were just a short distance apart.
"It's not me, I swear," I assured her, but she simply flipped her hair, turned around, and walked away.
"Return it to me when you're done," she said without looking back, continuing on her way.
"What's that on your hands?" Renz suddenly showed up in front of me, and as I was startled, I suddenly hid the item in my pocket.
"It's nothing..." I shook my head before looking at him directly in his eyes. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask this..." He looked at my eyes as well with a confusing and looking-forward-to-hear-what-I-wanted-to-say expression.
"Yes, what is it? My only friend?" He said while smiling, still focused on my eyes.
"Are you even real?" I asked without looking away. He was taken aback.
"You were talking to me, and I'm replying, doesn't that count as real then?" He asked in reply, and I took a deep breath.
"I just don't know. What if I was being delusional? What if everything is not even real? What if you're not real?" I asked in a very sad tone as my eyes began to water.
"Look," he took a step closer to me and held my left hand, placing it on his chest. "Does this also not count as real?" He said while smiling.
"Hey, Eveline!" A sudden voice suddenly called out my name, making me turn around.
"Storm? Did you just call me?" I asked in total confusion when I saw Storm running towards me. When he reached my position, he caught his breath while holding his knees.
"Yes, I did," he replied while still catching his breath.
"By my own name?" I asked again, still confused.
"Yeah?" he answered questioningly as he properly stood up to face me. "What's wrong?"
"You've never said my name before, that was the first," I said, still confused and unable to fully comprehend the situation.
"Really?" He asked, but it seemed more like it didn't matter or something. "Anyway, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you since earlier. And who were the person you were talking to?" He said as he surveyed the surroundings.
"I was talking to Renz." I looked back to where Renz was, but there was no one. I'm really confused now. Is Renz real? Or perhaps not?
"Hmm? No one's here..." Storm said, looking around with a confused expression on his face.
"But anyway, I need your help with something," I diverted the topic as there are still some things that need more attention.
"What is it?" Storm asked, returning his attention to me.
"Come closer." I signaled with my hand for him to come closer, as I did not want anyone to hear our conversation.
"Wait? Are you going to kiss me?" He asked as he took a step back, which made me roll my eyes.
"Of course not, I have something to whisper in your ear, idiot," I replied, but he was still hesitant to move closer and maintained a certain distance from me.
"You know what? Nevermind. I may not probably need your help." I rolled my eyes at him and was about to leave when he suddenly grabbed my arm, and he leaned closer. The sudden proximity made my heart skip a beat, and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. A shiver ran down my spine as his bold action caught me off guard, igniting a flutter of nervous anticipation in the pit of my stomach. The tingly sensation only intensified as he moved in closer, leaving me acutely aware of his physical presence and the growing tension between us.
"Why are you not saying anything then?" After a couple of seconds of silence, he spoke up. Shocks, he was actually waiting for me to speak up.
I shook my head to divert my attention to what I wanted to say in the first place. I then put my left hand up to cover the side of my lips and got my mouth closer to his ear. "I have a syringe in my pocket that I suspect contains a weird chemical, and I wanted to know if my hunch was right. Could you help me with it, you know?" I asked in a hushed, conspiratorial tone.
There was a sudden silence, and when I observed that he seemed like he wasn't moving, I took a few steps backward to check on him. As I met his eyes, he looked away and lightly brushed the back of his neck. I also noticed his ears turning a little red.
"Why?" I asked, but then he recomposed himself and returned to his usual demeanor.
"I could help you with that. Let's get going, I know exactly someone who could actually help," he said. He then instantly held my left wrist and gently guided me towards the direction he wanted to take me.
He took me to a laboratory, and when we entered, the Lecturer who liked to torture me was there, doing something with chemicals.
"What are we doing here?" I asked Storm with a hesitant look. It seemed like the person he was referring to earlier was her, but I just couldn't fathom that she could be someone to be trusted with this.
"She's the person who could help us," he told me, then grabbed me towards the lecturer's position.
She didn't even bother looking at us when she spoke, "What are you two doing here?"
"Give it to her," Storm told me, but I looked at him while shaking my head in refusal.
"Come on, she could be trusted," he said, trying to make me feel better about her, but it just wasn't working.
"Just state your business as I don't have all the time in the world right now," the lecturer finally looked over us, but with an irritated expression, as if she was being disturbed.
Storm gave me a nod, and I took a deep breath as I inserted my hand in my pocket to take out the syringe. Holding the syringe in my hand, I held it out for her, and she looked at it briefly before taking it. She struggled to take it from me as I was still hesitant to give it to her, but then I ultimately relented.
"Can you examine the chemicals that were inside of it?" Storm asked the lecturer, who was now carefully inspecting the contents of the syringe.
"This is a demon's saliva. If injected, it will drive the demon crazy, making them possessed," the lecturer informed us.
"Who would even try to do that—" I couldn't finish my sentence as the school alarm suddenly blared, deafeningly loud. Storm and I exchanged a questioning look. What was happening in this school?
"Let's take a look," Storm said, taking my hand as we headed outside.
Everyone was running, fleeing as if their lives depended on it, as if they were being chased by something truly dangerous. Storm and I gripped each other's hands tightly, determined not to get separated as the crowds of students swelled. Most of them were making a beeline for the combat area, seemingly considering it the only safe haven they knew. Meanwhile, Storm and I were pushing through the crowd, heading in the opposite direction from where they were coming.
When we arrived, we were bewildered by what awaited us. Many possessed creatures were there, and in the midst of them all was Renz, who was laughing maniacally. I felt a surge of confusion as I gazed at him, and when he noticed my presence, he floated over to approach us.
"Too bad, I couldn't inject this into your nerves as this man was a hindrance!" he shouted, holding a syringe in his hand before pointing it at Storm.
"It could have been better if I included you here," he added, gesturing towards the vast number of possessed individuals who were now creating chaos, emitting loud noises and destroying everything in their path.
"Why the hell are you doing this? You're not like this, Renz. What's happening to you?" I asked him, my voice filled with a mix of concern and disbelief.
"He's not Renz, Eveline," Storm informed me, his eyes fixed on the figure in front of us.
"HAHAHAHA," Renz laughed as he slowly transformed into something else—a shadow.
"Shadow?" I whispered as the once familiar figure of Renz now resembled nothing more than a dark silhouette.
"I really liked this," he said, displaying an emerald glowing stone. "It grants me wishes and has given me so much life."
"What the hell was that?" I hissed, but then my demon Emerald, reacted inside of me. He opened his eyes before conveying something to me.
"That's my eyes, Eveline," he revealed.
"What? How come it's in his possession?" I asked him, a sense of confusion creeping in. "But you are not blind, though," I added, slowly realizing that he still had his eyes.
"If you look closely, one is much brighter than the other. That means the unglowy one doesn't contain any eye," he explained briefly.
"How did he take it from you without me realizing?" I inquired, feeling a mix of shock and disbelief.
"He took it from me when he visited Yseria. He injected something into you in the forest while you were completing the princess task. He disguised himself to look like Kyle."
"What?!" I exclaimed.
"Who are you talking to?" Storm, who was beside me, inquired.
"I'm talking to Emerald," I replied. At that moment, Storm swiftly led me to a tree for cover as many of the possessed beings began to launch attacks towards us.
"This is the reason why I should confront my own father," Storm said, his expression resolute as he gazed at his father, flying freely and reveling in the chaos.
"That's why I've noticed something strange whenever I try to get close to you. It's because he's attempting to manipulate you into transforming into a monstrous possession," he added, his gaze intense as he looked into my eyes.
"Why is your father like that?" I asked Storm, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Because he's pure evil. He's a demon himself," Storm replied, his gaze shifting towards his father with a mixture of resignation and bitterness.
"Let me out, Eveline. I have something to tell you and Storm," Emerald urged me, and I complied, murmuring on my tattoo to release him. Soon after, the tattoo faded, revealing Emerald beside us.
"Do you know who your mother was, Storm?" Emerald began as soon as he was free, causing Storm to step back in surprise, momentarily taken aback.
"What do you mean?" Storm responded once he regained his composure.
"Your mother was once a Goddess, and I was her guardian. Your father was a demon. They were friends once, maintaining peace in the realms. However, one day, the demon manipulated the Goddess, luring her into a false sense of love to gain power. He was cunning and succeeded in deceiving the Goddess, leading to her becoming pregnant with you. The Goddess lived in blissful ignorance until she realized the truth—that it was all a ploy for power. The demon broke the dimensional lock, allowing his kind to escape from the dark world. That's why during red hours, many become possessed, as the demons seek out suitable human vessels from our realm."
As Emerald spoke, Storm's emotions danced across his face, a mix of shock, disbelief, and a hint of realization coloring his features. The weight of his heritage and the betrayal of his father seemed to settle heavily upon him, the truth unfolding before his eyes like a cruel tapestry of fate.
"That's why you have goodness inside of you because you're half demon and half goddess," Emerald concluded, pointing at Storm.
"Wait, then if you're the goddess's Guardian, how come you became a demon? How come you're inside of me?" I questioned Emerald, my voice tinged with a mix of confusion and wonder.
"When the war between the goddess and the devil erupted, chaos engulfed everything. I was merely a bystander. However, when the demon managed to slay the goddess, he sought to eliminate me as well. In order to evade his wrath, I transformed myself into his kind and entered into your mother's pregnant body with you. That's why I am as I am now," he explained, his tone carrying a weight of sorrow and regret as he unveiled this hidden truth.
"I regret not taking action back then, as I believed it was impossible for evil to triumph over good. But everything has unfolded as it has because of my inaction, because I chose to remain just a mere bystander," Emerald confessed, his voice heavy with remorse and the burden of his past choices.
As Emerald revealed this intricate and tragic tale, the air seemed to thicken with the weight of history and the complexities of fate. Storm's gaze flitted between us, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions—astonishment, disbelief, and perhaps a glimmer of understanding as the pieces of his heritage fell into place before him.
"So let me take care of everything, go find a safe place," Emerald added, wanting us to leave, but I firmly shook my head.
"No, I'll help you in everything I can," I replied. "I also do not want to become a mere bystander and regret it like what you experienced," I reasoned.
"You're really hard-headed," Emerald told me.
"Don't get hurt," Storm told me as he held my hand gently.
I smiled at him, giving his hand a soft touch before looking back towards the possessed individuals.
"Let's get this done and over with," I added while looking at them.
"Let's go," Emerald told us, and we walked towards the chaos.
Before we could finally manage to get close to the possessed individuals, Storm held my arm, causing me to turn towards him.
"What is it?" I asked curiously, my heart racing with anticipation.
He licked his lower lip nervously, "Uhm, I just wanted to say this, as I think I might never get another chance to do it," his voice trembling slightly.
I looked at him with a questioning expression, my brow furrowing in concern. "Why, Storm? What is it?"
"I..." His eyes darted from mine to the side, filled with shyness. Then, he took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to continue. "I love you, Eveline." He finally confessed, his gaze locked onto mine. "I don't know how or when it started, but I've developed feelings for you. If this might be the last time, I just wanted to tell you, so I wouldn't have any regrets."
I felt my heart swell with emotion as a warm smile spread across my face. "Thank you for telling me. I love you too."
Storm's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, he seemed lost for words. But then, a look of pure joy and relief washed over his features. Without hesitation, he reached out and pulled me close, wrapping his strong arms around me.
Gazing into my eyes, he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine, pouring all of his pent-up passion and affection into the kiss. It was a tender yet fiery embrace, our lips moving in perfect sync as we savored the moment, oblivious to the world around us.
The kiss seemed to last an eternity, but all too soon, we reluctantly parted, both of us breathless and flushed with emotion. In that moment, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, our love a beacon of hope in the darkness.