Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Chapter 24

RUBIN

I whimpered, blinking as I tried to make out my new surroundings – precious white flowers looms over my face as though they were little fingers. I sat up, gasping at the sight before me. I’m at the snowdrop field again. Does it mean that -

“I never thought you would miss me that quick to make such an effort of visiting me in just a day,” Hades’ baritone voice confirmed my assumptions as he walked out of the forest and stands in front of me, his hands on his cheeks as he gave me a rueful smile, “You’re making me flustered with such an act. Never would I have thought something like this from you. In just a day – sweet soul!” Hades’ face remains impassive with only a little hint of surprise. I snortef.

I put a hand on my forehead, wondering out loud, “How did I ended up here? Last time I remembered – Caelum-”

Hades shrugged his shoulders and answered in a sombre voice, “I don’t know. I am audibly surprised when you turnedup in the field since I have assured you that you won’t have to die soon,” Hades glared at me, “Tell me what exactly happened to make you end up here? Have Eros finally resulted into killing you when you tried to pierce him, with the arrow I gave you?”

“No,” I scowled at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “I didn’t do that. We talked about our feelings and I told him about the arrow and its purpose. Afterwards, he went off to fetch me something but the moment he vanishes, some sort of pain erupted in me and it breaks my insides…before I could even grasp what is happening, I ended up here,” I raised my eyes to him, confused. “And now, I am talking to you, why exactly am I here? Have you possibly done something to make me go back?” Hades chose not to answer my question. Instead, he began pacing, tapping his cheek with his bony white fingers.

“I see, the bond that has existed ever since you made contact with each other has strengthened with what you’ve done. I think, the great distance between the two of you has snapped, making one of you break, you know – when a rubber band was pulled too far out, the other end snaps back – fascinating!” Hades mused but I just glared at him.

“The bond is prohibiting you to go your separate ways, it was some sort of assurance for your heart and I suggest, considering how feeble you are now, it is best to stick with the plan and get over with by piercing Eros' heart.”

“But we do not know that. Caelum doesn't know that. Why did you not tell me?” I snapped.

“It totally slipped my mind,” Hades shrugs his shoulders which made me scowl at him.

“Yet, you have the decency to not look guilty at all.”

Hades rolled his eyes, muttering, “You sound so much like Aphrodite – she would’ve been proud of you if you have not failed your petty mission.”

“It’s not petty!” I huffed, scowling at Hades as he crouched and sat across me. We both stared at each other, both trying to win – in the end, I huffed in frustration and looked down, noticing the gold that is glinting beneath the bushes. “The arrow, I think I brought it with me,” I muttered, plunging my hand to retrieve the arrow from the tangle of snowdrops before offering it to Hades who gave me a weary look.

“I think there is no need for this arrow anymore, Hades. Me and Caelum have discussed our options and we dawned into a decision not to proceed with the plan.”

Hades’ eyes were trained down on the arrow as he receives it, his lips pursed, “You don’t believe me with what I said? You are making a mistake, Rubin. This arrow should be used to break the curse that has started when Eros pierced his heart.”

“I can’t do it. I can’t hurt him!”

“He won’t be hurt, Rubin. You are saving him, not killing him, Rubin, listen,” Hades adjusted on his seat, making his hood pull away from his head, revealing his luminous blue hair, alight and glowing, enthralling than before, “Eros, or should I say, Caelum, is undergoing certain changes now because something inside of him has awakened when you were turned into a human. The curse is the one that is causing all of the odd occurrences that has happened and will happen. I believe that if we did not proceed with this plan, both of you will suffer a great deal and I am afraid, I cannot help you anymore. Put your trust in me Rubin, this isn’t how you thought it is.”

I look at him and sigh, “There must be some way we can do besides this. Caelum-”

“doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” I opened my mouth, trying to reason out but Hades continued, “Are you aware that once you walked out of the plan – your soul is mine?”

A very tense silence followed after he mentioned the worst of the outcome while every fiber of my existence is refusing this fact. Surely, there can be another way if we really pushed through it.

“But I didn’t sign anything, there is nothing that is binding me to you,” I stubbornly said trying to appear as tough as I could and stop myself from succumbing to my impending doom.

I won’t back down.

“I did not agree to you about this so don’t-” I stopped as I remember his hand holding out as an offer and I putting it on his, watchin as he pulled me up from the field yesterday. My eyes widened at the realization and the smirk Hades had, widened. “You cheated! No, I am not bound to you.”

“Yes, you are.” His bored tone snaps me out of my rage as I lunge at him, trying to make him see a piece of my mind by hitting him in certain places, meanwhile gritting my teeth. Hades lazily waves his hand and I collapsed back on the field, rubbing my stinging back side, still trying to prove my point, “I refuse Hades. I refuse to acknowledge the agreement!” I hit at the invisible barrier he has set between us and scream, “Please, let me go back to Caelum. Let us be, let us live.”

“Then do as you’re told and stick to the plan.” He held out the arrow, his gray eyes trained on me but I shake my head, furiously hitting the barrier with my fist, “Hades, no! I can’t hurt him, Hades. You are holding something from me, I just know it – why do you keep on asking me to pierce his heart when you can do it with a snap of your finger? Why do you want a mere human like me to perform the act? You can get this over with by not relying on me, so why don’t you proceed? Why not act it out with your own hands?” I gritted my teeth, my heart beating fast in my chest as Hades’ eyes glinted dangerously. “What is the secret you are keeping from me, Hades? Please, tell me.”

Hades shakes his head and waves his hand, removing the barrier between us.

He raised from where he was sitting and drew closer, tucking a hair behind my ear, “You are quite intelligent for your own good, I have to give you some credit for that.” He waves his hand on his hair and I sat, amazed at how the strands temporarily floated and graze his forehead. He raised the arrow and began to speak, “This arrow is meant to end not only his eternal life but his suffering – but to have me do it – it will end him entirely – with no memories of him left nor any trace of his existence. In short, he’ll cease to exist, having no chance to another life.”

He raised his long fingers and tentatively raised my chin, making me look at him. I shivered as his fingers made contact with my skin, freezing me momentarily. “But if you are the one to do it, this will assure that he will take form of a cupid instead and everything will return to its original order. The old curse will be back and I will end his life officially by reaping his soul from his body with my sword – this will give Eros the chance to start anew, with no memories of what had happened in the past and also you.”

I sat there trying to process his words. I will be forgotten by Caelum – in exchange for a life, a peaceful life with no bounds to the fate that is destined for us.

I squared up my shoulder and turned my head, making Hades’ hands fall. “You didn’t say that the first time – if I had known, I would not have given any considerations to your offer and return to him without the blasted arrow.”

“Oh! But you are forgetting something here, my sweet Rubin. You won’t even have the chance to go back if I did not offer that mission to you. It was your purpose now and if you did try to walk away from it and return to him now, I assure you that I will have no problem from reaping your soul – as though you are just a piece of paper I can crumple.” I shivered at how cold the surroundings have become as Hades stands ominously close, his steel gray eyes losing their mischief as it darkens into a dangerous one. “Now, what do you s Any suggestions? ”

I bit my lip. If I proceed with the plan, Caelum’s memories will disappear as Hades replaces him with someone who doesn’t know me and it will seem as though nothing happened in the past. It hurts me to think that that is the final outcome of everything that I will do. Yet, if I did not proceed, I will die but Caelum will be safe and even if we did not end up together again in this life, he will have a lifetime worth of memories as I spend my last days with him.

I bit my lip and braced myself of my decision, focusing my gaze back at Hades, “I still don’t agree with your way. I don’t want Caelum to forget – to start anew. I want him to be with me so please, let me walk away from this plan and grant me at least two months to find my parents and say goodbye to them, to him.”

Hades’ mouth opens with a pop. It took him a while to recover from his shock and I sat there, contemplating if I have said all my terms alright and left Hades with no chance to turn my words on me. He let out a chuckle and shakes his head at me, “You are one brave human to make a deal with Death.” I gritted my teeth; My eyes hurt from glaring at Hades so much but I raised them at him, resolute of my decision.

“So, you are willing to die?”

“Yes.”

“As you did in the past?”

“Yes.”

“But you are aware that, that is how Eros ends up killing himself when he saw you died?”

“I will make sure that he won’t do it this time.”

“And how sure would you be to make that happen knowing Eros and his mischief. I believe that he will do it without blinking an eye.”

“He won’t - end of discussion.” I hastily stand up and brushed my skirt of the non existent dust, “If you must, let me do this for once and I will let you claim my soul. Just don’t let him die – that is the only request I ask of you.” I held out my hand, willing to shake on it. Hades trained his eyes on them, his face void of emotions.

“So, you are willing to sacrifice yourself for a god? A human for a god, how touching, really.” He takes my hand and pulled himself up shaking my hand as he snorted, “Very well. I believe that this bargain doesn’t benefit me more than what I originally plan but I think that the weight of your love will sustain me more than a millennia's worth of hopeless souls.” I smiled wistfully and said, “It is settled then?”

Hades tilted his head to the side, “Not two months though, that’# just too long for my supplement. Let’s say…a month.” I frowned.

Four weeks, will I be able to do that?

“I don’t have a choice but to agree, am I right? A month it is, then.”

Hades curtly nods and pulls his hand away. He stared at me studying me with a curious gaze that much resembled Aeon. The both of them could be mistaken as brothers.

“A month.”

“A month,” I repeated, trying not to sound forlorn of the very limited time I have been given to find my parents and say goodbye to Caelum, before I leave this earth.

*

The resounding crack startled me as I opened my eye; the night sky is transitioning into softest blue with a little dusting of the early stars and the horizon tinted orange of the rising sun. I took a deep breath and relished the smell of cold morning intermingled with the scent of different flowers.

I am still at the field.

Sitting up, I tried to rub the sleep off my eyes and frowned at the figure who is hunched over the tangle of wild bush of roses. “Caelum?” I called out with a hopeful voice but he did not stir. Pushing myself up, I crawled to where he is currently hiding, my hand reaching out to him, “Caelum?”

He did not answer me, instead he is whispering words as though he were prayinh. Is he chanting a spell that makes the flower glow ever so slightly, and the field shiver, breathing as though it were living?

“She’s gone. She’s gone. She is not coming back. Gone, gone forever.”

“No, I’m not. I am here.” He stopped chanting, a gasp escaping from his mouth.

“It’s my fault that you have suffered.”

“No, it’s not, Caelum,” I made my way to him and settled close, draping my hands over his shoulders. He takes a deep breath, his mouth wide open as he launches himself at me, his hands roaming over my body as he pressed me against his neck, trying to hold me closer than possible.

“I almost lost you again, oh Zeus,” Caelum pulls away, tears on the sides of his face as he checked my face and my arms, looking for any sign of injuries. After he was satisfied, he captured me once again, his arms securing me on his lap as he pressed his lips to my forehead. “I shouldn’t have left you like that. I didn’t know that this will happen.”

I tightened my arms on his neck as I snuggled, whispering in his ear, “Caelum, it doesn't matter now, I am alright. We are fine, we are great. You don’t have to worry about anything because I’ll be here.” I tried to keep my emotion at bay as I chose not to look at his face, afraid that my composure will break. I am hoping that my voice won’t reflect the sadness I am feeling.

We both sat in silence, a tangle of limbs; my head leaning on his shoulder, his arms secured on the sides of my waist. The flower field still emits the same ethereal glow that has taken my breath away from a while ago. The flower blooms, moving like it was dancing with the gentle breeze that caresses the valley. Slowly, the sun crept up the hill and bathed us with its delicate glow, casting a comfortable warmth. Caelum tightens his arms as though he is afraid to let me go. I smiled as I pulled ever so slightly to gaze at his furrowed brows meet in the middle, gazing at the sun, caught deep in his thoughts.

“What are you thinking?” I ask him but he did not answer me, instead, he leaned in to kiss my forehead, “You,” His lips skimed down to my nose and kissed it tenderly, “Me,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled away and tucedk my hair, kissing my lips, “Our future.”

“Our future?” He nodded at me, before he focused his gaze back on the sun, “I don’t want to leave you alone – in any life time, in any circumstance.” His face hardens as he gulped, “I don’t want to let you go.”

“I won’t go anywhere.”

He smirks; bowing his head as to not look at me, muttering, “But why does it feel like you would?”

My mouth was dry as I stared at his eyes, his piercing gaze appearing like they could scrutinize my soul and see the fault in my words. I transferred my e down on my hands as I whispered, afraid that I might show my sadness in my eyes that he’ll be able to guess the truth. “Well, I would have to go somewhere if I wanted to find my parents.”

“I will go with you anywhere. You can’t leave me just because you have to go find them. You’d have to take me with you or won’t go anywhere at all because I am afraid that you will leave me.” I frowned. I pulled away and look at his face, “I am not really leaving.”

“It sounds like it when you mention the words.”

I sighed, putting my hands on his cheeks and making him look at me, “Caelum, I am not restricting you to go with me. I will be glad of your company. Don’t think about me leaving you for I cannot survive a day without you by my side. I won’t ever leave you.” His lips trembled ever so slightly as he draws in, kissing me. He pulls away to give me a shaky smile before leaning in close to kiss my lips again. “Promise me just like how mortals do,” He held out his pinky finger and I take it with mine, smiling at how silly his idea of promises are and how I have previously asked him to do it with me.

“Happy?”

“Very.” He assured ne, tackling me on the field as he attacks me with his fingers that slithered on my skin, making me laugh and shriek.

“You like that don’t you.” glaring at him , I flayed my fingers and attacked him, earning a girly shriek from him, “Oh my, cupid! You are ticklish.”

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