Chapter 17: Chapter 17

All I remember is that I was lying in my bed, completely out of my consciousness. I was tired from the day activities with Adam, so I went to bed as soon as I finished my night wash. When I fell asleep, shrouded voices kept entering my head and it was so nostalgic.

"I love you, Eve..."

"And I you, Adam..."

Adam and my voice echoed in my ear as images of me and him lying down the flat lively green grasses appeared within me. He still wears the same lovely expression in his face and I can feel my cheeks, as if it was tied up, never falling down due to my grins. He pulled me close to him, tucking my loose strands behind my ear, and then whispered some words that were too unclear for me to understand. The images suddenly disappeared and all I can see now is a vast of nothingness. "Is this still a dream?" I walk down the black space and all I can hear is my own breathing and the echoes of every step that I made. I closed my eyes and then everything changes into chaotic scenery. Run...

And I did.

I ran as fast as I could, without looking at anything, but there are people screaming everywhere, and fire devoured almost all of the houses in the village. I feel my eyes brimming with tears as I run steadfastly. What is happening?

"How dare you involve yourself with such a lowly creature!?" A deep menacing voice stopped me from my tracks and as I looked back, a dark humongous figure towered over me, and I shook in fear. All I can ever see is his large sword covered with dark red blood.

"She's not a lowly life Father! She is my wife!" I glanced at where the voice came from and it was Adam, he was reaching out to me when I felt a deep slash land on my body. I wanted to cry, hell, I wanted to scream, and most of all, I wanted to comfort the weeping Adam holding my body. It was a weird time, it's like I was watching me and Adam but I was in my biddy in my dream, it was like lucid. I wanted to wipe Adam's tears away, it pains me, seeing him this distressed. Please stop, Adam... I was sobbing but no tears are coming out, I was dead, dead in his arms. "You are going to suffer this eternity for turning your back on me and disgracing my name. You will live forever to see her die over and over again on the lives that she'll live, and I will make sure that each one is going to torment you and her soul until you can handle no more." Adam's merciless father spoke once again and then the nothingness returned.

"I promise I'll come back for you..." Two voices of two different men echoed and I saw a man standing in the black scenery. Adam... He had his arms open wide and I sprinted until I get to him. I wanted to shout and scream his name but even if I open my mouth, there was no sound, there's just silence. How could this life be just messy? How could a father do that to his son? How could he do this to my Adam? As I was few steps near him, he was gone once again but a familiar voice from behind startled me.

"Hello, sweetie..." I turned to my back and when I did, it was the man I was looking for, Mr. Magician... I stared at him and he was wearing his hat and his dark suit like a grim reaper. As he started to lift his face, what I saw was the same from my memory back then. He looked like Adam, but I knew there was something different. His eyes were green...

****

I was in the office early in the morning, and my mind flew to what my dream was, and unlike normal dreams, I never forgot about it. It was still engraved in my mind like it was a life I lived.

"Eva, are you okay?" Natalie was looking at me and I bit my lip, feeling like a kid about to burst into tears. I nod at her and I knew she knows that I want to be left alone. Is that the reason why my life was such a fuck up? This time, I had it. I cried, and I stopped myself from dialing either Zach or Adam since I know that it won't solve anything. If Adam knew, my memory will once again be deleted, if I told Zach, he will laugh at me.

I want to see Adam. The screams and cries of Adam came back to me, making me feel more terrible. Thinking of how I died over and over again must have been really tormenting. That's why his eyes always seemed so tired and frustrated when I saw him at first, I don't ever want to see that again. I want to protect him, but how? I need to act like I know nothing, but will that stop it? Now, that I know how deep my feelings were, how can I even stop it?

I sulk down the floor and brought my knees to my chest. I stayed there, forgetting about work, torturing myself by crying. I jumped all of a sudden when a warm thing brushed against my arm.

"Why are you crying?" Adam was sitting beside me and seeing his face made me lose it.

I sobbed as I embrace him tight and he just held me in silence. He was caressing my head, and his dark shirt just takes in all my tears. It's like all my longing for all my lives clung to him right there, I just held him and poured my eyes out, happy and sad that he came to see me. It's obvious that I love him, the first time he saw me I knew, that there was something. It was no fucking deal; it was a spark that ignited me every time he is around. After some minutes, I stopped weeping and I just held him tight, clinging onto him like a monkey.

"Eve..." When he spoke my name, I pulled myself away and sit down on the floor once again. I don't even know how I can look at him without dying inside. The face of him crying and screaming kept coming onto my mind and now it makes me wanna tear up whenever I think of seeing his face directly.

"Eve, look at me." I breathe, and purse my lips in, then turn to look at him. He looked as charming as ever, his hair was still pure without any gel, and he looked like home. He strokes my cheeks, wiping off my tears with his thumb.

"Why are you crying?" He asked once again, and I immediately think of what white lie I could mumble.

"Just a bad dream..." I whispered and damn, I can't even look at his eye. He surely noticed it, he is damn sharp like a new honed pencil. I glanced at him and he was just staring at me. Please, don't ask anymore. I repeated the words in my mind like an oration and surprisingly it worked!

"Then don't cry alone, Eve... You can always call me when you feel bad, cry on me." His words just cut deeper in me, but I stopped whimpering since it will make the tension much worse. I nod at him and he pulled me again for a hug, easily I comply. We stayed like that for like the longest of hours but really was just in minutes. It's the type of silence that I love, the time where our words don't matter. The silence says it all—as I stayed in his arms and while he laid his head on mine.

"Why do you keep saying that you are not the one in my heart?" I uttered, not moving out of his arms.

"In this current life, before me, was someone else. Maybe back in your childhood up until now, he matters."

"I wanted to thank him when I was a kid, Adam. It wasn't anything else."

"What if he is more than just the man in your childhood?" I look up at him but my arms are still attached like glue.

"What do you mean?"

He sighs and shakes his head, "Damn that fucker." He whispered and I laughed at how he just cursed at nobody.

"Well, I'll take this then." He squeezed me tight and I giggled.

"When are you coming back to the house?" I asked.

"Maybe after a bunch of work. Why don't you stay at the HQ tonight?"

"What?" I croaked and he beamed at me like a proud boy. "But— "

"Thompson will pick you up by 5 pm." I groaned like I was reluctant but I was really happy. How time flies by huh. He stood up and he pulled me to my feet. He laid a peck on my lips and his smug face was there, of course, Adam is the king of smugness. I rolled my eyes at him and he raises his brow. "You keep rolling your eyes on me."

He put his hands on the side of my waist and I can't help but grin and get flustered. "You keep doing it too!" I argued jokingly. He chuckled then he leaned so that he could kiss me again when someone barges in the room.

"Babe, how are—"

"You!" Zach stared at Adam like a depressed old man and I tried hard not to laugh at him. Why does he have to be such a comic? Adam smirked at him and just laid a kiss on my head before letting go. Zach clicked his tongue and raised his forefinger to tell us to wait a minute before he closes the door. Adam disappeared out of thin air as Zach turned to look at us again.

He sighed and unlocked the door, "Well, of course, that shit can teleport." I shrug and get back to the chair beside my desk and Zach followed sitting in front of my desk.

"I bet you're not telling me anything." He rests his back on the chair and spoke without looking at me. I just stared at him as I grin. Zach looks ever so innocent that sometimes I would wonder if there's something more to him, like some sides he's been keeping. Cause I've seen him mad before, and it ain't good.

"I love you, Eva..."

A voice popped into my mind and I backed away from the desk slightly, I stared into my desk, just keeping my chill as I try to grasp when that even happened, because I am pretty sure that's Zach's voice. I sensed Zach looking at me and I did the same, his eyes were filled with worry, so I wave my hands at him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yea, I'm okay." Adam having a brother entered my mind, what does he look like? I should really gather some thoughts about it, but it was so weird in the dream I've had. It's possible that Adam and his brother are twins, that's why there is one Adam with green eyes, and he is Mr. Magician. Where is he?

"Looks like things are getting serious for you and Adam, huh."

He sighs and I purse my lips in, not knowing what to say to Zach. Why do I feel so restrained with Zach? "Zach, uhm— "Damn, I was shaking, and it was suddenly just cold and hot at the same time. He was just staring at me with his emerald green eyes, making me more nervous and familiar with something in my heart.

"Come on, Eva. I'm your best friend. I have nothing against it." He suddenly beamed at me and I was so relieved, Am I?. It's still a mystery as to why I feel something between Zach and Adam. I forced a smile on my face and he stood up to stand beside me as I ponder in my thoughts. Once he is near, I leaned my head on his tummy and he loops his arm on my shoulder.

"Why are you so strange, Eva...?" He whispered and I just shrug. I don't know why I am like this either.

"You know I love you, right Zach?" My words spurt out of my mouth and I think I just really wanted to say that to him. I love him, yes. He's my family. We kissed, there was a small attraction, but that was just it. When it comes down to one, it's really just Adam. This whole event that occurred just after the big death thing, bombarded me with the thoughts of Adam, and it somehow made an imbalance for how I see Zach versus what I really feel about Adam. Maybe deep inside of me, I never believed I could fall in love with someone that easily, but now I understood why—Adam was my one and only love. Zach was just silent there, but his hand patted my head gently and I looked up to him.

"I love you too." Zach was staring outside and he was serious, so I just embraced him and that's just when he smiled.

****

"I am so done for today!"

It was nearly 5 pm, so I get my things ready so I could meet up Thompson downstairs for later. But I still got 30 minutes left so I just sat down on the sofa until Natalie comes in.

"Eva." She smiled, cheerful as ever.

"Hello, Natalie. How are the others?"

"They're fine, working properly." She giggled and I scooted at the side so she could sit beside me. The thought about Natalie being the woman in the lineage of Adam's so-called family went back in my mind, and I realized that I was just staring at her.

"Adam is a demon type of creature." Her eyes widened and for a second I thought she didn't actually know.

"Do you remember everything now, Eva?" She seemed mature all of a sudden and it surprised me.

"Adam told me some things, some important ones, but no one still knows that I remember him from before." I fiddle with my hands together and then Natalie's hand places on top of mine.

"I won't tell anyone." I had the urge to hug her so I did, and she embraced me back. Things are getting clearer when you are knowing the truth. It's better than living in a lie and I am grateful.

"Uhm, Natalie. Can you give me some information about Adam's brother?"

She nodded and she began telling me who Adam's brother is.

"Adam's original name was—"

"Ace Zernifur." My mouth moved on its own and as much as it astounded me, it also creeped me out. It's like another being lives within me and now it's taking control. I kind of laughed at the thought. Huh... Lore.

"You remember." Natalie giggled and I still feel high like damn. "His brother was Axel Zernifur."

"Axel... I feel like I've heard that before."

"I've never seen Adam's brother too, Eva. But a lot of the other demons I've spoken told me that he was a freak."

What? A freak? "What do you mean, freak?" Now, it doesn't make any sense, if he is Mr, Magician, he is so far away from being a freak.

"I don't know too." Natalie just shrugged so we stray off from the thought. A freak huh... Why?

"Do you know how they differ from, uhm, power?"

"For all I know, they are the same, I haven't really encountered those sides, so I really have no idea, Eva." She looked at me apologetically so I just tapped her head gently. She is really so cute. We tried to take off the heavy conversation and just went on with some girl talks about this and that until 5 pm hit the clock.

I wonder where Zach is, before he left later, he said he have some kind of urgent meeting but he didn't come back. I walk the steps down the hall, thinking of all the random things, making my head fuzzy. I should stop thinking about things, for now, at least I'll see Adam tonight.

"Tonight!" I gasp. What if there'll be hot moments tonight and I didn't even change my undergarments! I stood at the front of our building like a stupid crazy woman thinking about what lingerie to wear for a night. It was so embarrassing but I made my choice, I'm gonna head home first before going straight to Adam's place. Since Mr. Thompson hasn't appeared just yet, I fumble on my phone and search for his number from the received calls. After telling him to pick me up by 6 pm by the house, I went on and rode a taxi to get to my home.

"What am I going to wear?"

I opened my key door and locked the door behind me so I could rush through my room. I opened my wardrobe and choose the undergarments that I have stored in my drawer. I snorted when my mind generated Adam's reaction to whatever I'll wear. But all of my thought suddenly disappeared when something hard hit the back of my head, and I laid on my floor, groaning in pain.