by Amanda Churi
No! No, it wasn’t ok! I couldn’t become a demon! I couldn’t! I could deal with knowing that they were inside of me and had influence—but not with them taking over my life! Was that what my friends didn’t tell me? Why Flye was so mesmerized during our first encounter? Had they already seen what was happening?! Did they keep quiet because they didn’t have the guts to tell me that I was becoming a monster right before their very eyes?!
I wanted to shove Mabel away—scream in rage and hurl in fear. But… I couldn’t feel anything; my body wouldn’t let me.
“You are strong, Eero,” Seek told me, my eyes hollow and hiding nothing. “A demon choosing to fight those who he should really stand with… And battle for good. You are just as much a part of this prophecy as Mabel is. You may have only been born to destroy the world—”
“Yes,” I rasped painfully, “and die afterward, living a purposeless life.”
Seek smiled, Kaitlyn grinning as well. Even from the corner of my eye, I saw Mabel smirk, picking up on what I could not.
“No… Living a life full of purpose,” Seek corrected, “but a purpose Calla wouldn’t stand for. A worthless life you were to her, for standing in the way of her path to power, but you are invaluable to those on your side.”
I raised my eyes, stumped. I didn’t want riddles; I wanted to know upfront what she was talking about!
“You’re right,” Seek pressed. “You were born to destroy the world… A world full of pain, suffering, and death…
“You were born to destroy this world…”
Nineteen
Masters of Fate
They stood in the woods that night, together yet alone. Eyes of confusion shifted to one another as the mass of humans wandered through the spellbound woodland. The trees were shriveled, all brush absent. An eerie mist encircled the trunks and rose into the dark indigo sky, shielding the moon and stars from view. They were cold and lost—hundreds treading through unfamiliar territory in a relentless effort to find Phantome. They did not even know how they had gotten here in the first place; the last thing that each person remembered was going to sleep.
“H-how much farther?” a young girl asked her mother as the group of humans pushed on through the frigid night.
“I don’t know, honey,” she admitted sheepishly. The girl moaned obnoxiously in reply, and the mother quickly decided to reword her statement in order to spare herself the tantrum. “But it shouldn’t be long! And when we get home, how about we have a nice piece of bread and a cup of tea to warm us, hm?”
The little girl grinned, the idea of heat leaving her hungry for home.
“She’s beautiful,” a soft voice came as their march dragged on. The little girl looked to her side, curious as to who had given her a compliment.
A tall, curvy woman loomed over the child, glaring down at her with inviting, small blue eyes. Her attire certainly wasn’t apropos; her torn nightshirt was so revealing that no eyes besides that of her husband should have ever seen it.
The mother shifted her attention to the newcomer, suspicious. “Thank you, Sam,” the mother acknowledged tensely, pulling her daughter close.
Sam giggled innocently, trying to cover up what everyone in Phantome already knew about her personality. “You’re welcome,” she purred lightly. “A lot of girls remind me of my daughter, you know?”
The woman did not buy into Sam’s acting. “Maybe if you had used better judgment,” she ridiculed, “she would have wanted to come back. You were no mother; you just showed her off like a doll and dumped her with Cecil.”
With that, the mother melted away into the crowd of peasants, dragging her daughter along and never letting her hand stray.
Sam scoffed indignantly, rolling her eyes. Why did so few see her side? She made a mistake—everyone does. Maybe she lusted for him, but she did not love Cecil. He tried to force her to do things that she did not want to do in an effort to change her lifestyle, and she resented him for that.
…It wasn’t only that… The real bile in her throat for Cecil would always overpower his good deeds.
She remembered rising from the earth, her lungs expanding and brain reforming as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. Not knowing what to think or do, she ventured back to where she had perished by instinct… That was her real mistake. Cecil had been waiting for her, and before she could run, he sucked her into his plan that she now had no escape from. She caused him to hurt, and in return, he wanted her to suffer.
She sighed, trying to dismiss the terrible deal that she made with him. Right now, her focus had to be on where she was and where they were headed. Everyone, including her, seemed to be pulled in the same direction by their heart, but they did not know why. For all they knew, they could have been venturing farther away from Phantome.
A large oak suddenly came into view, the civilians stopping in its presence. It was one of the largest trees that Sam had ever seen, and, furthermore, it was beyond death. The bark was black and dry, the twisted trunk splitting at the base and forming a gap wide enough for several people to fit through.
With intense whispers of speculation, they drew closer to the tree—but not too close. Sam cocked her head to the side, crossing her arms and staring at the gaping hole in the trunk. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to stop here—why any of them did for that matter.
An intense burning sensation flooded Sam’s arm, a sharp squeal shooting from her lips as she quickly grabbed her forearm to reduce the pain. She bit her tongue, looking down in dumbfoundment at the source of the mild sting. A small scratch was carved into her skin slightly above the wrist—one that was only a hair thick but felt like a large gash. Her face twisted in puzzlement as she observed the minor wound. When had that been placed on her beautiful skin?
“Wait a minute…” someone spoke up, surprise beaming in their eyes. “Is… Everyone here a Returned?”
Almost all heads turned as one, baffled. Confused, Sam looked up, closely evaluating those around her. At first, she didn’t see it, but once she looked deeper, she realized that they were right. Only a handful bore the plagued veins, but the golden jewel in the center of their marks were shining as one.
“That’s… Strange,” another input. “Surely there can’t only be Returned.”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“I see basically every Returned I know here.”
“Same.”
“But wait!” a little voice yelped above the rising commotion. “If all of the Returned should be here, then where is Queen de Vaux?”
A petrifying hush fell over the crowd as, one by one, they realized that their queen was in fact not among their ranks.
“T-this is probably a trap!” a crazed woman screamed. “I bet the Devil is rounding us up so that He can drag us back into the Underworld!”
“That’s why the queen isn’t here!” a man agreed frantically. “She would stand up for us, and He knows it! We aren’t safe without her!”
Sam, along with everyone else, began to freak out as soon as the thought of death was in her head. She was enjoying her new life, and she needed to find a way to cut into Cecil’s plan before it was too late! She could not die again without making him pay…
Lucy de Vaux is not here because she is the enemy…
The chaos silenced immediately, the overactive nerves of the Returned slightly condensed and cooed into submission upon hearing the low, ominous voice portrayed to them.
The wind howling through the bare branches was the only sound in the tense atmosphere. A glimmer of blue light caught Sam’s eye, her head instinctively turning in the direction of the soft, delicate blue that appeared in the hollowed center of the tree.
Two piercing, levitating blue eyes with irises of snow opened in the dark, many shrieks slicing the frigid air as parents protectively shielded their children. The floating eyes narrowed mischievously; a veiled figure slowly walked forth from the shadows, presenting herself to those who trespassed on her territory.
Her pale lips folded into a smirk as she came to a halt several feet from the Returned. As murmurs of fear and wishes of mercy swelled from the distraught crowd, the woman of ice calmly raised her hand for silence.
“I am no witch,” she corrected briskly, her voice enchanting all who heard it. “I am a spirit; the spirit of ice.”
“W-we’re sorry to have bothered you,” a quiet voice within the crowd apologized.
“No, no, you are no bother,” she assured them with a sincere chuckle. “My name is Reeve, and children, I have brought you here, through your dreams, to give you an urgent message.”
“Children?” someone speculated.
Reeve smiled, fluttering her eyes. “Why, of course! I am the one who brought you back after all.”
Gasps of surprise surged the crowd like a wave. Instinctively, many drew closer to their savior, pressing their hands together and bowing as thanks escaped their lips so quickly that their words smashed together. Reeve just smiled, silently accepting their gratitude. “Please, I am happy that all of you are enjoying your new lives, but that is not why I called you here.”
Silence descended once more, all subjects of the spirit anxiously waiting to hear what she had to say.
“As you know, when you were brought back, although your memories were retained, new souls had to be given to each of you since most had already reached their world beyond Earth. I struck down the evil queen who oppressed your town to give you another chance, and in doing so, revived you. I could not control the lost souls who claimed your now beating hearts, however.” A saddened frown took her lips captive. She sighed in devastation, slowly shaking her head. “There is much more good in this world than there is evil,” she went on to say, “but alas, two corrupted souls were brought back to this village.”
“There has been no harm caused?” one spoke up unsurely.
“Not yet,” Reeve corrected. “But they are already enacting a plan to turn this world upside down.”
“Well, who are they?!” a large man demanded. “I’ll tear them apart!”
Reeve turned to him briefly before letting her eyes wander across those who loyally stood around her. “They are those who now rule you…”
If words could kill, half of the Returned would have dropped where they stood. The fire in their eyes and souls that burned to protect themselves faltered, the humans growing stiff and casting skeptical glances at one other. Sam’s brows knitted in confusion as well. King and Queen de Vaux had been amazingly understanding and helpful within the small frame of time that they had been in rule. They protected each and every person, working endlessly to resurrect the town, not destroy it.
“King de Vaux is a Returned…?” someone questioned.
Reeve nodded curtly.
“I don’t see why it matters, even if he is,” a man argued. “They clearly are not evil. They even refused a coronation so that they could save the wealth and use it towards the kingdom instead.”
“They’ve been supplying us with food!” a mother piped up defensively.
“They’ve been training us!”
“Protecting us!”
One by one, the Returned began to argue with Reeve, fracturing the scenario that she and Desmond had spent days concocting. I told Desmond that this story was a long shot… she thought to herself. I need to cover myself up… Fast.
“And they’re preparing to kill us!” Reeve announced, her soft timbre going hostile.
“How can they do that?” a man objected. “How could they possibly wipe us out? If they tried, we would just rise against them! We make up almost half of the town!”
Reeve’s eyes widened, a cynical glint sparkling in her pupils. “That… Is exactly what I was going to ask of you.”
“Not if they’ve done nothing wrong!”
“Why rise, even if by some absurd chance they attempted what you said? Two people could not destroy hundreds.”
Reeve scoffed, tisking her lips as she accepted the challenge. It was risky on her part, but they were more stubborn than she expected. She needed to play her wild card; it was the only viable explanation to their pressing, and very reasonable, questions.
“Don’t act like you haven’t noticed how fast their daughter is growing,” she reasoned through a deceptive growl, the wind around them intensifying. “She is their tool! The princess is a supernatural! A witch from the depths of Hell! They plan to destroy your loved ones—to make the Returned the only race! They believe mortals are inferior, and they will not stand to have such weaklings under their rule! They will kill your families—destroy your new lives! Believe me! I have already sensed her evil magic spreading throughout the castle, and we need to act before it is too late and there is no turning back!”
There was silence for a moment, the Returned contemplating what their master told them with ample thought. How could they really know for sure if all she said was true? Could they really turn against those who had done nothing but try and help?
“I don’t know…” some said.
“But it is reasonable,” another input. “You’ve seen how fast the child has grown. It’s too fast to be a growth spurt.”
“That is true; I have never seen anything like it.”
As their suspicions and debates increased in volume, wondering if such a brutal accusation was actually true, Reeve raised her hand once more for silence. She had swayed them, and now they were unsure of themselves; that was all she needed.
“No action has to be taken at the moment,” she told them sternly, all eyes warily falling upon her once more. “But I would advise you to watch them closely and remain on guard… This predicament will only cause your unrested souls more agony, and if you continue to stress…” She paused. “Well, you will find that out for yourselves. I suggest you not take too long in choosing your side.”
She turned her back on her people, approaching her sanctity within the tree. “If you wish to return to hear more, think of me when you fall asleep. The scratch from my rats below your wrist keeps you safe from their evil.”
She walked under the archway of wood, the shadows beginning to consume her. A bit rough… she noted. I just hope I did enough.
“…Suppose we want to join with you!” Sam blurted out, taking a step forward as Reeve looked over her shoulder, surprised when she saw the dark passion rimming Sam’s eyes. “If we are in nothing more than a dream, how will we find you when we wake?”
They are so gullible… It’s beautiful.
“You will just know,” she answered softly, looking back ahead into her home as the abyss encased her skin, leaving the distressed Returned to ponder the decision by themselves.
***
“Honey, come on, it will be alright… Just lift your arms. Yes, like that. We have to hurry up before anyone sees.”
The moon was setting in the precious blue sky, new rays of morning light streaming through the windows and twirling across the surface of the ocean, creating the illusion that everything was alright, when in reality, not only were the Returned crumbling, but so were those within the fortress.
Kevin sat on the blood-drenched sheets, his eyes hanging with fatigue. Lucy kneeled behind him on the bed, dabbing the wound on his upper spine with a cloth. The symbol of the Returned did not rise up from his skin like most, though the surface was, in fact, visible, clearly showing what neither Lucy nor himself knew until late last night.
“I’m so sorry, Kevin…” she apologized, wiping her eyes with her wrist as she was forced to stare at what she had done. “I-I don’t know what happened…”
“It’s ok,” he groaned painfully. “You didn’t mean to.”
“No, it’s not ok!” she snapped feebly. “Something isn’t right; there is no way I should have been able to tear your skin like that—or that you are a Returned! We would have known earlier if that was really the case!”
Kevin didn�
��t answer her for a minute, staring down at his feet. He was no idiot… And while he never considered it at first, he knew how easy it was to explain that he was a Returned.
“When I saved Eero,” he rasped, straining himself to speak, “I gave up my life to get Mabel to him. Satan ripped my Eyla away; thus, I could be mortally injured, and I was. I…” He paused. “I do remember letting go… A weightless presence encasing me. The next time that I opened my eyes, I was awake in the castle as a mortal.”
Lucy froze, momentarily pausing her tender aid. “You think the same thing that brought me back revived you as well?”
“Considering that I landed on the very machinery, it would be highly probable…”
Lucy pursed her lips in discomfort, sighing and closing her eyes as she rested a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get through it,” she whispered softly, forcing herself to refrain from crying. The Returned were still a big mystery to many, but most understood just how lucky they were to be back… As well as how quickly they could be taken away if one of the ultimate supernaturals sought fit.
Kevin raised his head, feeling Lucy shudder against him. He looked over his shoulder, his heart breaking when he saw her broken face. Grimacing, he gently took her hand in his and stood up on shaky legs, facing her. “Don’t cry…” he cooed, stroking the side of her face with the back of his hand. “I know that you think otherwise, but it really wasn’t your fault; the symbol would have shown itself sooner or later.”
Lucy could sense the love and truth behind his eyes that beamed towards her. She sighed airily, tilting her head and grabbing his hand. She couldn’t have chosen anyone better.
A light knock at the door sent Kevin and Lucy’s eyes straight to the source of the sound.
“Daddy? Mommy?” Daisy’s voice echoed through the door. “I… I need to talk to you guys…”
“Crap!” Lucy exclaimed under her breath, scrambling to her feet. She immediately grabbed the soiled blankets, yanking them off of the bed in an attempt to mask the crime scene. “What could she want at this early hour?”