Dear Journal

{The Wedding is no more, but at what cost? What really happened to Valerie?}

_

'I speculate that she was about to enter, when the bomb went off, therefore causing her head concussion. That's why she doesn't have any burnt marks. Unfortunately, though, the driver wasn't so lucky.'

Sebastian's words sounded repeatedly in her head. Sebastian hadn't said it, but she knew in her heart, that she had been the target. To top it all off, the police had adamantly ruled it out as an accident.

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that someone powerful wanted her dead.

So she had been right to blame herself all along...

Lily leaned her back against the tree, exhaling in the only place she felt sane and safe at the moment, Lirana. Her mysterious unknown paradise.

She'd wanted to get away from everyone and everything for some time, and her friends were considerate enough to understand.

Her eyes shut for a moment, and when they opened, she caught sight of something.

Hidden under a few twigs and leaves, was a book, embroidered in golden patterns of flowery lines. The flowers resembled lilies.

Immediately after she touched the book, Deja Vu hit again her like never before. She gently ran her fingers over the hardcover of the book, and strangely enough, Darien's image flashed in her head.

To her utter surprise, she spotted her name written in the bottom right corner.

Discomfiture overtook her for a second, before she languidly opened it.

[Dear journal, today was my first day training as a Terus, in other words, a timekeeper. My incredibly handsome mentor—who also gifted me this book— informed me that every hundred years, a Terus is chosen among humans. The human has to have led an unsatisfied life on Earth, therefore willing to leave, and must also have a particularly strong soul, or something along those lines. The new Terus is given a chance to save at least one human life from a Vexä. It's a little like an initiation—]

Lily abruptly stopped, taking her widened eyes off of the book.

Her eyes gradually welled up with tears.

Every word she'd read had exemplified itself as familiar images in her head. She could see herself writing each word, and feel every emotion, but most of all, she saw him. Darien.

She had seen him handing her the book she was now holding with her trembling hands. She recalled how mesmerized and delighted she'd been.

The information form was just too overwhelming for her, on top of everything else going on. Lily carefully laid the book on the soft grass beside her, as her breath quickened, and she could feel herself about to hyperventilate.

Suddenly, someone's hands held her shaky ones. She looked beside her to find Darien, who had a somewhat guilty look on his face. She wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been there, but she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't glad to see him.

Lily said nothing, as slowly she rested her now tear-stained face on his chest.

Darien securely wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him, his other hand holding on to her still trembling hands.

"Breathe, Mina. Breath." Came his low soothing voice, as he gently caressed her back.

Her breathing slowly but eventually became even, as her body relaxed in his embrace.

His hold on her tightened, as his teeth clenched regretfully upon hearing her silent sobs. He knew she had yet to get all her memories back, and everything must've felt very confusing to her at the moment.

_

Outside Lirana, Sebastian sat in a somewhat empty restaurant, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. His gaze was inattentively fixed on the file before him.

He'd only been waiting for about five minutes but was already getting impatient. He couldn't afford to waste a single second. Especially when it had to do with Lily and her safety.

"Sebastian? Here's your water. Is there anything else I can get you?" A kind female voice inquired.

"Thank you, Zelda. That will be all." He replied, not taking his eyes off the file.

Zelda looked at him with concern for a few seconds, before briskly walking away.

"Sebastian, it's good to see you again." A familiar male voice halted his train of thought.

Sebastian looked to see the person he'd been so 'patiently' waiting for, Detective Killian Walker.

"I think it's time you repaid that favor Detective. I need you to investigate this incident." Said Sebastian as he handed Killian the file he'd prepared himself, containing all the details—even photos— he would need to begin the investigation.

"I'm doing fine as well, thanks for asking." Came Killian's sarcastic filled reply.

"There's no time Killian. I need to know who's responsible for this." Sebastian said gravely.

"That serious huh..." Killian remarked as he began scheming through the documents. "Can it wait though? I have a score to settle with the new Mafia Queen in town..." Killian deciphered, only to receive a look from Sebastian that told him he'd have to redirect his vigilance to the matter at hand.

"Fine fine... What about the local police though?" Asked Killian.

"They've been completely cut out from this," Sebastian replied.

"Powerful people are always a problem..." Killian muttered under his breath. "Someone special?" He inquired raising a querying brow, upon seeing a red-haired young woman's photo.

Killian was well aware that Sebastian was not the type to invest so much of his time on just anyone. Plus, the dead serious look on his face told the whole story.

"Not the point," Sebastian said adamantly.

"Point is, she was obviously the target. If they wanted her dead, she would be."

"Are you saying this was just a warning?" Killian implored already knowing the answer.

"Exactly. And I have to at least know who they are before they decided to send any more 'warnings'." Sebastian surmised, air quoting the word 'warnings'.

"Alright. Give me a day or two. I'll call you when I have news." Said Killian as he stood up to leave.

Sebastian just nodded wordlessly as he took a sip of water, letting his thoughts once again carry him off to another world.

❤️⏲️