NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24: Arandel
The rain had stopped, the winds died down, an eerie silence had covered the Holden estate, like dreamless sleep. Tara saw the light of Declan's eyes go out as he died, yet the angel's beautiful face was expressionless. Her magnificent white feathered wings had retracted at her back, making her look once again like a normal girl with gold eyes. She approached the black haired girl who was kneeling beside the dead angel's body and knelt beside her. Tara gently patted her head, trying to comfort the still crying Lyn.
"It's okay sweetheart, it's over now." She spoke with such tenderness as she lifted Lyn's face, looking directly at her eyes, assuring her that she is safe now.
"That was some impressive spell that you casted… a water blade so dense that it rivaled the strength and pressure of the deepest abyss of the ocean." Tara complimented Lyn, hoping to somehow calm the girl and put her at ease.
"But my dad…" Lyn replied, her voice was coarse and had an occasional hiccup due to crying so much.
Chitose who was standing a little far away from her friend also started to walk closer to Lyn. She then hugged Lyn from her back, also offering her support to her dearest friend. She then moved her lips close to Lyn' ear and whispered.
"It's okay now Lyn, I am here with you… now and always… I love you…"
Lyn's eyes widened, her face flushed red, blushing furiously. Her heart skipped a beat and was pounding so hard. She has waited a long time to hear such words. She quickly turned around to face Chitose, her eyes sparkling, a wide smile has taken over her despaired face as tears of joy erupted from her eyes. Grabbing Chitose closer to her, she kissed her, pouring all of her love in that kiss. Chitose kissed her back with the same passion and intensity, happy that she was so loved by this wonderful person.
"Silma, they are kissing!" Tara shouted unexpectedly, clearly wanting a kiss too, she won't be upstaged in this scene. The elf, fully healed, ran towards her lover, enveloping her in a tight hug and planting a kiss so passionate that it took Tara by surprise.
"I am very glad that you are okay." Tara said while holding the elf's shoulders with both hands. Her happiness and relief was clearly mirrored on her angelic face. Silma was smiling too, she was very pleasantly surprised that her lover turned out to be an angel all along.
"I love you Tara, please be always by my side." Silma said, her face blushing from embarrassment.
"Of course I will, silly!" Tara replied, then kissed Silma once again, reassuring the elf that she meant those words.
Nobody noticed that from the dead body of Declan, a golden wisp of smoke has emerged. His angelic essence has finally left its corporeal body. Slowly it rises, then all of a sudden shoots towards an oblivious Lyn, entering her body.
"ACK!" Lyn gasped in pain, her body writhing and trashing. Her eyes wild and teary, her mouth screaming a soundless scream. Then everything around the black haired girl turned dark, like someone just snuffed out the candle in a very closed room.
From the darkness, a faint golden light started to grow. It was tiny at first, slowly and steadily growing, illuminating the area with a soft golden glow. Lyn felt a very comfortable warmth coming from the source of the light.
"Where am I? What is this place? Am I dead?!" Lyn frantically asked herself.
"Strange, I don't feel worried at all… I don't feel any fear."
The golden light slowly took the form of a handsome man with a kind face, his long black hair, glowing with a golden aura, his golden bat wings fully stretched out at his back. Lyn recognized the face, but somehow he was different, she can feel an overwhelming kindness from him. Kindness and a deep sorrow.
"You…" Lyn said in surprise.
"Yes, it is I..." Declan replied, his face smiling that Lyn could not look away from his handsome face.
"My name is Arandel, but I was called Declan when I was a thrall, under a powerful man who summoned me… corrupted me, and made me do terrible things against my will." Declan explained to the still awestruck Lyn.
"I thank you for freeing me from that evil man, I can now find true peace." Declan then moved closer to Lyn, enveloping her in a warm embrace, grateful for being once and for all free from bondage.
Declan then held the black haired girl at arms length, looking directly at her eyes. His face now is sad with sorrow.
"I know that I caused you a great and terrible evil… I am very sorry for what I did to your father…" Declan paused as his own tears started to form around his golden eyes.
"I am ashamed of my actions… I cannot fault you if you cannot find it in your heart to forgive me… yet, I am sorry…" Declan's words were full of sincerity, that Lyn felt a sting from her own heart.
"I know that it would be hard for you to accept my apology… but please accept my essence and power to use as you please, it is the least I can do to atone for the terrible deed I have done unto you… and may it protect you from whatever danger that you will cross from this day on… and perhaps one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me."
Declan once again slowly formed into a golden mist, and started to swirl around Lyn's whole body, enveloping her in a warm golden glow, little by little, fusing with the girl, until all the light was inside Lyn's body.
"Lyn… Lyn!!! Wake up!!!"
Lyn slowly opened her eyes, the gentle light from the morning sun made her squint her eyes as it was daytime now. She saw Chitose looking down at her, frantically shaking her. She also saw two other people also looking down at her. One is clearly an elf with black hair, similar to hers and the other is the beautiful girl with pink locks and gold eyes that she and Chitose met earlier inside the mansion.
"Was it all a dream?" Lyn thought to herself, still confused about everything that suddenly happened. She felt utterly refreshed like she had just had the most comfortable sleep she had taken in a long long time.
With a light spring on her feet, she stood up with a smile and embraced Chitose.
"Chi, don't fret, I am fine." She assured her friend- or is it girlfriend now. It was then that she noticed that Chitose was looking at her with mouth agape. Lyn also noticed the two other girls have a similar expression while looking at her.
"What? Is there something wrong with my face?" Lyn asked aloud, completely confused by the reaction of the people around her.
"Lyn… you… you have gold eyes?!" Said Chitose, her face in utter disbelief.
"Just great… another one!" Tara exclaimed with a facepalm.