Chapter 278: The Promise Kept
[Music recommendation: Fragile Dreams · Anathema]
.
.
They say defying fate is a cruel illusion. It lets you bleed for your freedom before reclaiming what was always its own.
Aliana’s piercing scream echoed through the dreadful chamber, but the world had already gone still.
When Vorra manifested in her apparition form, Gavriel felt that something terrible was about to happen.
Under his terror, the humans did not dare move as Cedric staggered towards Aliana.
Gavriel could feel the overwhelming love Cedric held for his wife, yet he did not stop him, believing it was best for Cedric to get out of this place as soon as possible with Aliana so that he could pass judgment upon the corrupt humans for all their sins.
But he did not expect that, even with the ritual being hindered, the demoness herself would still make an appearance.
When the strike came, Gavriel had moved with terrifying speed. He didn’t care about concealing his powers in front of Aliana, driven entirely by the fierce need to shield her from harm.
Yet in that single, cruel split second, he could not stop Cedric from being struck down directly before her eyes.
It was truly a tragedy, but when it came to protecting someone, he would always choose his wife first and foremost above everyone else. And he had no regrets about doing so.
However, what he never anticipated was the chain reaction that would follow.
As soon as Cedric’s lifeless body hit the floor, Vorra’s cruel laughter echoed throughout the chamber as her translucent, glowing form glided towards his corpse.
Her long, emerald spider-like legs hovered over the hollow cavity in his chest before one slowly drew out a warm, radiant orb... Cedric’s soul.
"Finally... the soul promised to me," Vorra mused, her gaze fixed entirely on the sacred offering the cult had pledged to her.
A twisted smile curled across her lips as she slowly parted them, preparing to devour it.
Aliana, who had gone completely still in Gavriel’s arms, watched the nightmare unfold through tear-stained eyes.
Then Gavriel felt it... the shift within her.
A powerful surge of energy coursed through Aliana’s veins. Her grief-stricken gaze hardened into a murderous glare as her irises bled into a brilliant red. White energy erupted around her body in rhythmic pulses, growing brighter with every passing second.
As she watched the demoness raise Cedric’s soul towards her mouth, Aliana’s voice emerged in a low, chilling growl.
"I’ll kill you."
Gavriel’s eyes widened the instant her powers erupted. She had revealed herself in front of the demoness.
The devastating grief of watching her friend die before her very eyes had driven Aliana to this point. And Gavriel knew there was no stopping her now.
On hearing the threat, demoness Vorra lifted her gaze to the woman standing before her. For the briefest moment, even she fell silent as her eyes landed on Aliana, whose body pulsed with blinding white power.
"Oh? And who are yo-"
She never got to finish.
A colossal burst of white light exploded from Aliana’s body with such overwhelming force that it blasted the demoness’s apparition across the chamber.
Not only that, but the shockwave also sent Gavriel skidding several steps backwards despite his grip on Aliana, forcing him to let go.
The remaining humans were hurled violently into the surrounding walls. Many lost consciousness on impact, while those who remained awake were forced to shield their eyes, unable to withstand the blinding radiance engulfing the chamber.
"Ana..." Gavriel whispered, his eyes widening as he stared at her back.
Her golden hair billowed wildly around her, bathed in an otherworldly white aura that felt hauntingly familiar to him. Yet even as every instinct urged him to step forward and pull her close, he remained rooted to the spot.
Deep within him, Bellarios, who had remained dormant throughout the chaos, suddenly stirred to life. A familiar surge rippled through Gavriel’s veins, causing his own eyes to bleed into a dark, fiery red as both of them stared at their wife.
Aliana could neither hear nor see anything through the blinding haze of her grief and fury.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on Vorra, whose body had been slammed against her own statue with enough force to splinter the ancient stone.
Slowly, Aliana shifted her gaze back to Cedric’s motionless body before finally settling on the warm white orb floating gently above his chest, which was now freed from the demoness’s grasp.
Her expression softened, the raw fury in her gaze melting into profound heartbreak as she stared at Cedric’s soul.
Step by step, she moved toward him until she stood mere inches away.
Slowly, she raised her hands, and the glowing orb drifted naturally into her open palms.
The moment her skin touched the light, fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as the glowing mist materialised into Cedric’s true form. An unseen breeze ruffled his blond hair just as it always had, and his warm amber eyes locked onto hers with unbearable tenderness.
A soft, sorrowful smile graced his lips.
Reaching out, he brushed the pad of his thumb against her cheek, wanting to wipe away the tears falling for him. "Don’t cry, Ali."
"Cedric..." Aliana whispered, her voice fracturing on his name.
"Just keep me in your heart," his soul spoke, his own tears glistening as his smile lingered. "And I will live on... just as you have always lived in mine."
Aliana shook her head in helpless protest, but Cedric only offered a faint, melancholy smile. "I have always loved you, Aliana. I just needed you to know."
He stepped closer, gathering her into a warm, gentle embrace. Pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head, he whispered against her hair, "Thank you for finally letting me keep our promise."
Aliana’s eyes widened as the phantom warmth of his embrace seeped into her very skin.
Before she could hold onto him, his form shattered into a thousand soft, golden specks of light that began to drift upward.
His final words echoed softly through the silence, "Don’t be sad, Ali... because you saved me."
And then the light dissolved into nothingness, leaving a heartbroken Aliana standing alone, under the crush of his final goodbye.
Her eyes slowly drifted back to Cedric’s body. His lifeless eyes remained open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
A painful lump rose in her throat.
Taking a staggering step forward, she sank to her knees beside him. Her vision blurred through a thick haze of tears as she stared at the gaping wound in his chest before her eyes rose to meet his hollow, staring gaze.
"I promise... I’ll tell you next time, Ali." The memory of a younger Cedric echoed softly in her mind.
Lifting a trembling hand, she gently brushed her fingertips over his eyelids, closing them for the last time. The moment she did, her head bowed, and a heart-wrenching sob escaped her lips.
"Forgive me... Ced. I’ll never forget you..." she whispered, her shoulders shook as tears spilled onto her cheeks, lost to another wave of wracking sobs.
Behind her, Gavriel stood with his heart hammering against his ribs, a sudden, overwhelming rush of familiarity washing over him.
Though he had watched the human’s soul embrace her, her grief was so raw that he had remained rooted to the spot, giving her space to mourn.
Yet seeing her tremble on the cold stone made his chest ache with a painful tightness.
Every instinct urged him to pull her into his arms.
Slowly, he took a step towards her.
As he did, darkness seeped from his body, as though Bellarios himself could no longer bear to watch her suffer. Soft, dark wisps of tendrils crept across the floor, gently enveloping her shivering form as she continued to weep.