Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Sofya

Elysium, Underworld

Sofya

I shivered still not completely recovered from my stupid cold and yawned not ready to get up. Yesterday we had gone to Marco's place to stay the night. He was so helpful and even gave us some maps. We were going to leave today. I was so scared but ready for it all to be over. I cracked my eyes open and the air from my lungs disappeared. I blinked repeatedly, willing for this to be a dream.

The walls were solid metal only not a single window or opening beside the door that was bolted shut. I also bet it was shielded from magic. I was in a freaking cell. I pounded on the door, crying out. What had happened? How had this happened? Where the heck was I? I leaned against the wall, tears threatening to come pouring down. But no, I would not cry. I would be strong and I would get out of this. I wondered if the others were here too. Wherever "here" was. I stayed silent, trying to listen to anything but all that met my ears was silence. I shivered the cold metal taking away all my body heat.

Hours or days later, I couldn't tell someone opened the door. I looked over at them. They had curly blond hair and the most familiar eyes. Like the clearest sky and bluest ocean, a perfect blend just like Ash's. This must be his brother, but what was he doing? Why was he here? He came into the cell and stood before me, his face expressionless.

"Can you walk?" he asked, his voice the same eerie melodic tone as his brothers but a tad deeper. Tears threatened again as I thought of Ash. What if he was being tortured? We were clearly back to wherever Alek was and Ash had run away. What would Alek do to him?

I shook my head, feigning weakness. I needed to outsmart them. I didn't know if he was still controlled by Alek. He scooped me up with ease and carried me out into the dimly lit corridor.

We passed many other cells along the way and I wondered if any of them held my friends. We went into a dark cave looking at an enormous hallway and then up a flight of stairs. Once at the top the floor turned into black marble with silver designs. It was quite pretty. Silver flame torches lit up the corridors as we walked through them.

Finally, we arrived in a big throne room and I gasped at the horrific sight. All sorts of soldiers surrounded the walls of the room, angels and demons alike looking ready to kill. There was a huge black and silver marble throne at the head of the room. A handsome young man with soft brown hair, sickly pale skin, and brown eyes sat atop the throne. His eyes, so cold and soulless, flickered between a warm brown and deep black as if they were fighting for control. Alek. This man was Alek, the same man from my memory.

In front of him on the floor without a shirt, in chains was Ash. Whose back was slick with bright red blood. My bottom lip trembled. On his right was Marco standing silently. To Alek's left was Nico chained to a stake in the ground, his back covered in blood, like Ash. In the far corner in a steel cage were Lucy, Maxon, and the neria, all unharmed. Where was Enzo? Tears pricked at my eyes and red filled my vision. How dare he.

"Welcome to Elysium dear child. How are you enjoying your stay?" He asked, his voice cold and sinister. "Be a dear Raphael and put the child down." He said. I glanced up at Ash's brother, Raphael.

"How could you do this?" I whispered hoarsely, did he really agree with Alek or was it a show? I couldn't tell. An emotion flickered through his eyes, pain maybe, regret?

"Only the strongest survive." He said so quietly I almost didn't hear, before setting me down. I blinked. What did that mean? I wobbled a bit on my feet for effect and then stood balanced. I still had my boots on with my lovely hidden daggers. I took a deep breath. This was still possible. I could do this. I didn't know if Alek knew I had the stone but assuming he didn't, well, he was going down in about three seconds.

"Now Sofya, how about you give me what I want before more of your friends have to suffer." He said, snapping his fingers. Fear churned in my gut and I froze. "Raphael." Alek snapped. Raphael disappeared and came back a few minutes later holding Enzo with a dagger to his throat. I gasped and turned back to Alek.

"Don't." I pleaded. Before Alek got to talk Marco interrupted.

"Alek, we had a deal. Give her, her memories back." I bit my lip, hard. I tasted blood. Marco was the one who sold us out? How could he? Alek smiled a wicked smile.

"Ah yes, I suppose a deal's a deal. You bring me the girl and you get your love back." He raised his arm and a black beam of power shot through the space hitting me and knocking me back to the floor. Memories of a thousand lifetimes resurfaced, crashing through and burning my head. I clutched my head as it throbbed. I screamed out in agony, my eyes burning as tears silently streamed down my cheeks.

Once it was over I opened my eyes and saw the world in a whole new light. So much information. So much I had forgotten. Marco had been right. I had loved him at some point. I looked upon Alek in realization, he was just a poor betrayed soul who needed to find the light in the darkness that had consumed him but something had happened, he had gotten possessed. He made a deal with the creator of destruction and death.

With Abaddon, who now was controlling him. That's why his eyes flickered from brown to black, he was trying to fight back. I looked to Marco, he had made a very poor decision but it was out of the loss from the one he loved. I wasn't that girl anymore though. In that lifetime I had died too early to realize who I truly was meant to be with. Flynn. Abaddon flashed a wicked grin my way.

"You remember now, child." Marco's eyes flickered to mine, filled with hope.

"Do you remember Lisi?" He asked a small smile gracing his face. I nodded and he grinned, his eyes filling with light. A small tear of joy trickled down his face. Abaddon casually rose from his throne a steel dagger held behind his back. My eyes widened in horror and I started to run forward. I was too late. Abaddon swirled around and stabbed Marco in the chest, straight through his heart.

"No!" I screamed and ran to his dying body. I held him in my arms as his eyes slipped closed, never to open again. My heart fractured. I turned to Abaddon. "How could you?" I yelled, but I knew this creature had no soul, no love, no heart. He was a demon after all.

"He was no use to me now, he served his purpose," Abaddon stated, before sitting back down on his throne. His eyes turned as cold as steel and his smug grin flattened. "Now give me what I want or mermaid boy dies." He snarled. I couldn't let him kill Enzo and I couldn't give him the stone. I knew exactly what I needed to do, I had no choice. My lips tugged upward. Abbadon noticed and sighed.

"Well the deal was to give your memories back but it never specified that I couldn't take them away again." Abbadon chuckled. He raised his hands and I froze before being knocked back again. The pain and the darkness pulled me in for a brief moment and when I opened my eyes everything was fuzzy. What the hell had happened?

I blinked and my head cleared. I looked over at Ash who looked confused as well but then saw Marco's dead body. Pain tore at my heart. He had betrayed us but he wasn't an evil person, he hadn't deserved to die. He still could've been saved. My eyes flicked to Alek who was smirking, then over to Enzo who was being held at dagger point.

"Child give me the stone," Alek said, beckoning me forward. No way in hell. I had reached the last straw. I clutched the stone tight in my hands and marched up to Alek who had his hand outstretched. "Oh, but before I forget. I must mention one tiny tidbit that you haven't realized." I froze. What was he talking about?

"What?" I hissed, losing my patience. Alek tisked me with a wide twisted smile plastered on his face.

"The prophecy is fake." He said with a simple shrug. I blinked as the air escaped my lungs. What? How is that possible? That It couldn't be true. This couldn't all be for nothing.

"You're lying!" I yelled, shaking my head. He had to be. Alek gave me a smug look.

"You know deep down, I'm not." A sinking feeling swirled around my stomach. Why?

"Prove it," I demanded.

"Simple. I made it up. It was quite easy really. Slipping into the council's archives all those years ago. I knew that Anna would have children eventually and this was a nice way of gathering the most powerful beings and threats to my rule. I created the prophecy so I could eliminate you all. After I kill all of you, there is no one that can stop me. It also doesn't hurt that I can get back at Anna one last time. By killing her last living relative." Alek said. "It's a pity. My dear, you've come so far for nothing."

He was wrong. The prophecy might not be real but I still had the most powerful object in the world. We hadn't come for nothing. My fate was mine and mine alone to control, nothing nor anyone ever again will control my life but myself. I thought so many times that I hadn't had a choice. That there wasn't another option. But that wasn't true. You always have a choice and it's up to you and only you to make the right one.

I reached my hand out but instead of dropping the stone. I let the magic slide down my veins and into my palm. It pooled and swirled, all the colors blending together to create the purest white I had ever seen. Then I blasted the nefarious shit pig with all the power I had inside me and he went flying backward, slamming into the cavern wall with a loud thud. I smiled at the huge crater now engraved in the rock.

All hell broke out in the next five seconds. I blasted the cage open and blasted off everyone's handcuffs. Then I grabbed my dagger dove into the battle. I stabbed one of the demons, its glowing green hair floating above his head. It fell to the ground, blue blood seeping from the wound. I stomped on its head, knocking it out cold.

I turned around and groaned. There were so many. I didn't know how we were ever going to get out of this situation. I brought my leg up and roundhouse kicked another demon, then I turned and slashed their arms. She winced in pain and growled. I smirked and stabbed her in the chest, sweat dripped down my face as I stood up. Blood had sprayed across my once beautiful sundress which was also soaked with Marco's blood. Blood for blood.

I spotted Alek rising behind his throne gripping onto the sides for balance. I had injured him, but the blast hadn't killed him. How unfortunate. He picked up two silver swords and started to match towards me, a furious expression on his face. I picked up a dead angel's katana and met Alek halfway. Bring it on asshole, I was ready to play.

I slashed at him furiously. I was so mad. No, beyond mad, beyond anger. Uggg, I didn't even know what to call it. I wanted him dead. I let the darkness rise further, my inner voice was relishing the dark power flooding my veins. Out of nowhere blasts of magic started flying across the room. I ducked and ran forward. Alek ran in the other direction, creating a dark shield around himself.

"You think that you can defeat me, child?" Alek's voice boomed across the room. I tripped over one of the dead bodies and went flying to the ground, twisting my ankle in the process. I cried out in pain. I hoped it wasn't broken. Oh, that was the dumbest thing to say I had more important things to worry about. I looked up to see a ball of light streaming towards me. I attempted to scramble to my feet but I knew I wouldn't be quick enough.

As my life flashed before my eyes I hoped the others would end Alek. I knew they could, even without me. All could go to hell for all I cared, as long as they lived. I never was meant to be the hero and I guess I never was.

I closed my eyes and prepared for my inevitable death, but it never came. I opened my eyes, the darkness crawling back inside me as quickly as it had come out, just in time to see Enzo jump right in front of me. His stormy grey eyes met mine without a single ounce of fear and he mouthed "I love you."

He fell right before me, disintegrating before my eyes. I froze and collapsed to my knees. My heart stopped and my bottom lip trembled. I crawled over to his ashes and scooped up the black dust, holding it to my heart. No, no, no, no, no, this couldn't be real. I couldn't lose him, my best friend, no, no, no. Tears streamed down my face, blurring the world. The sound of battle echoing in my ears.

I opened my mouth and screamed in agony, rage, sadness, and grief. Screamed as loud as I could for all the lives lost, all the lives taken, all the lives imprisoned. I picked up the rest of Enzo's ashes and put them into the sundress's pocket and buttoned it up.

I slowly rose to my feet and looked for Alek. When I spotted him I would show no mercy. I allowed myself to succumb to the monstrous power I swore I'd never touch. As I released the darkness again, magic surged through my veins, flowing outward through my hands. Murderous rage and hatred filled my head. I let out a blood-curdling scream.

I thought of everything this person had done to me. Done to the people I care about. Done to innocents. I hurled all the power I had within myself, just burning energy waiting to be released at the one person in all the worlds I wanted dead the most. Everything went white in just a few seconds but soon darkness crept into my vision and slowly took over. I started falling, but I never felt myself hit the ground and then all went numb.

My eyes cracked open and I found Ash leaning over me, his eyes filled with worry and another emotion I couldn't place. I was lying on the ground. Ash leaned back and pulled me up. My hand darted to my pocket and the ashes were still there. My lip quivered and I looked into Ash's beautiful eyes. "He's gone, Ash. He's gone." I said, shaking with sobs.

"I know Sof. I know." He said, rubbing my hair. I looked behind Ash's head to see a portal. We were below ground in a dark cave-looking area. What had happened? Ash pulled me up and steady me. Then turned around to where a metal gate was starting to close.

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Ash grabbed my chin, and looked into my eyes, a fierce look on his face but contorted in pain. "Go, Sofya. You have to go. You are the only one I have left. I can't lose you too." More tears fell down my face, and onto the ground. Realizing what he was about to do. He was going back for his brother.

"I can't," I whispered hoarsely. I couldn't lose him. Not now.

"You have to, go. I'll find you again. I promise" Ash said, pushing me away, and dashing through the entrance and away from me. The gate swiftly closed, and he vanished from view. I ran to the gate and collapsed to the ground, pounding the iron with my fists.

"No!" I screamed. No, he, why did he do that? That idiot! "Ash!" I wailed. Pain flared through me as if suddenly remembering all the injuries I had previously gotten, darkness danced across my vision, before pulling me in. But before I relented to the darkness I realized one thing.

That I had finally found my family. Ash was a part of that family and I would never let him go. Family stuck together no matter what. I would go to the bottom of the Underworld to get him back. What was once taken from me, would never be taken again.