TEN

Aha! I groaned, I could feel the pains in my head like a slight headache. I opened my eyes slowly as images began to form immediately.

"Fuck! Where am I?" I asked sitting upright, I was locked in a cage and chained from head to toe, my sword was not with me or anywhere near me

"Zhebel! I know your behind this," I yelled as the chains dangled at my feet "show your face witch!"

"Save your breath amigo, you're gonna need it for the fire" a woman said, she was in a cage next to mine chained too, she was naked, her dark long hair covered her breast and she looks exactly like the woman I saw in my vision

"Thail?" I asked surprised to see her then she turned and face me

"Hello Zack, what's popping?"

...

Jerry was in his room putting some weapons in his briefcase

"Where the hell are you going" Bia asked when she came in

"I'm going to find my son" he replied

"Zack's gone, Zhebel has him" Bia said

"No, he's alive and I'm going to find him whether you like it or not" he said and closed the briefcase after double checking it.

"Explain to me how exactly your gonna go to the realms of shadow" she demanded

"I'll think of something" he said and left

"Mum, where's daddy going" Lolly asked coming in

"To do something crazy" Bia answered and signed then she mutter to herself "what have I done to deserve this Eva..."

...

"Thail? You're... Alive?" I asked surprised to see her but she didn't smile or show any sign of excitement, she just removed her face and signed

"I see, all we went through last year to keep you safe was just a waste of time, now she have you don't she?" She said coldly, her words expressed no emotion at all "you promise you'd come back for me, but how could you, you were already having a good time and me... I was just... Your past"

"What're you talking about" I asked confused

"She's pretty though" she said ignoring me

"Who? Who are you talking about" I asked

"You're girlfriend, what was her name again? Oh... Tesla Vow" she said "I see why you had forgotten about me so quickly, she has everything I don't and is certainly not in captivity"

Surprised, I asked

"How did you know about her?"

"Zhedra made me watch you two anytime you were together, I also watched you two made out" she said then she laughed softly and I noticed the pains in her heart "she was your first? I guess I'm completely out of the picture I see"

"I-I didn't Mean to, my memory was..." I signed "I'm sorry Thail, I thought you were dead, I mean, I saw Zhebel killed you"

"Really, okay then" she said "because I've already given up hope that you'd ever come"

"Thail" I called already feeling her pains "I'm sorry"

"It's okay," she said "you know, hope is pain and sometimes you just let go because in here, time is an illusion, all I'm hoping for now is the sweet relief of death"

"Don't say that Thail, I'll get you out of here, I promise"

"It's unwise to make a promise you can't keep" she said sadly "I should know" then silent swept through, I looked at her, she was so sad, it must have been hard watching I and Tesla together.

"Hey Thail, I'm gonna get us outta here" I assured her but she didn't say anything in reply, she just closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheek. Just then Zhebel entered laughing victoriously

"Finally, the love birds reunite" she chuckled "I'm afraid the reunion won't last long, once the crescent moon is in place, your powers will be mine"

"No, you're not gonna get away with this" I snapped

"Oh Zack, that's what they always say but , I'm not the one chained up like a beast am I?" She said and smiled "but don't worry, after that, I'll make your death a quick and less painful one, You won't even feel a thing" she laughed evilly and left, when she was gone Thail chuckled

"So tell me again Zack, how did you plan on getting out of here?" She asked and it's almost as if she was mocking me.

Two days has past and we were still caged up, no food, no water, not even Zhebel or Zhedra came to visit.

I tried to have a conversation with Thail but she kept shutting me out, I think she's pretty mad at me that she kept humming when I decided to talk

"Thail..." I called but she kept humming "Thail!"

"What!" She yelled

"Look, I'm really sorry about all that has happened but if Zhebel walks through that door, now there's no telling what she'd do, so lets put our brain together and work our way out of this" I said but she didn't reply then I signed "you're the most amazing person I've ever met, the Thail that I Knew can work her self out of any danger and right now, I need that Thail"

"How sweet, I'm guessing you said the exact same words to Tesla, didn't you?" She scoffed

"Well, I and Tesla aren't together anymore okay" I said and she gasped "we broke up right after she found out the truth about me" then she looked at me and smiled

"Some girls" she said and immediately the smile vanished "sorry about that"

"I'm trying to get pass it" I said "so, got any ideas?"

"Why don't you summon your sword" she suggested "you're connected to it anyway"

"What about you" I asked "you can use your powers and burst us out of here"

"Yeah, Zhedra stole it" she said "why did you think I haven't burst myself out"

"Hmm... Touché" I said "I'll try summoning it" then I closed my eyes trying to reach out to my sword but all I could see were the memories of I and Thail at my mums garden playing hide and seek

"Gotcha" I said when I found her then we laid on the green soft grass and looked up to the sky

"I wish this never ends" she said

"Then lets not make it end" I replied and kissed her

I opened my eyes and looked at her, I loved her, she was all that mattered to me

"So, did you find it?" She asked when she noticed me staring

"No, not yet" I said "I'll try again"

I closed my eyes trying not to think about her again but I just keep hearing her sweet voice and seeing her beautiful face, it almost made me cry then I opened my eyes, they were pitch black and my sword was in front of me.

"I'm getting us out of here" I said with a distorted voice as I used my sword to free my self from the chains and broke out of the cage.

When I got out, I freed her and wore her my jacket to cover her naked body and I gave her a big warm hug

"What for?" She asked a bit surprised

"I've missed you... Alot" I said and she stood up

"You can't miss someone you've forgotten" she said coldly wanting to leave

"Hey" I held her back "I've kept my promise haven't I?"

"So what? Am I supposed to thank you for that?" She sounded rude

"I'm sorry..."

"Yeah, I know, you keep saying that since you got here" she snapped

"And..."

"I'm not ready to forgive you Zack" she said and let go "I'm sorry but it was painful watching you with someone else after everything we've been through together" tears rolled down her cheek as I wiped them away with my thumbs, I didn't know what to say to her that'll cheer her up so I just hugged her.

"I'm here now, and I'm not going to leave you behind again" I promised then she moved away

"We should probably go before Zhebel gets back" she said and headed for the door as I came behind her.

We creeped our way through the creepy fortress like rats not saying a word to each other, then we came out to an open space where there was a lot of skeleton.

"Dead end" Zhebel said standing at entrance laughing while Zhedra was at the other end "so you've managed to set yourself and your lover free"

"Let her go Zhebel, I'm the one you want" I said trying to protect Thail who was already at my back.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I'm not the negotiable type" she said and nodded to Zhedra and after a while, I heard Thail screamed.

I turned back immediately, Zhedra shot her an arrow at her chest that pinned her heart and she was bleeding from her mouth.

"No, no, no, no Thail!" I yelled as I held her firm before she could hit the floor "hang in there, you're gonna make it"

"It's no use Zack," she said and placed her hands on mine "I want you to know that, I never stopped loving you"

"Please, don't leave me Thail, I can't loss you again" I said already in tears

"I'm sorry it ended this way, but you can make it up to me by patching things up with Tesla" she said and smiled "you had a great life out there, don't let Zhebel take that away from you"

"I love you... So, so much" I whispered and kissed her one more time

"I love you too" she whispered back to me and passed away.

"Thail! Noooo!" I screamed crying my eyes out

"Well, that drama is over" Zhebel said laughing victoriously.

I stood up and held my sword tight, I felt rage, it was oozing out of me then I pointed my sword at Zhebel

"I'll kill you" I said and came zooming towards her

"Now we're talking" she said and her hands turned into swords then we clashed at each other.

I was forcefully charging at her, all I wanted to do was to slit her throat. We broke out of the fortress clashing our sword at each other, I was not ready to loss this battle so I fought with all my might. The battle was becoming fierce that it shook the world opening a portal to the mortal world and we fought our way to it.

"When I rid you of your powers, I'm gonna cut down everyone you loved right in front of you and kill you with my bare hands" Zhebel said as she used all her might to hit my sword and I flew off landing against a brick wall

"I won't let you take from me ever again" I said and spat out blood.

The hit really damage a lot of bones in my body but I'm not stopping there, I'm not gonna quit not until my last breath.

The area we were fighting on was nearly destroyed, everyone in that area began to run for their lives, some died but our battle only grew more fierce and Zhebel was without a scratch.

"Give up boy, resistance is futile" she said

"Not after I slit your throat" I said and charged at her. I managed to stab her multiple times in different parts of her body before she caught up to me and held my neck tight hitting me against a huge hard rock so hard that my ribs cracked then she raised me up to the sky

"Give up now and I might spare your life" she said and threw me away, I landed on the tile road.

I tried to stand up but the pains kept pushing me down. I wasn't in good shape, I was badly hurt but am not giving up here.

"Son!" I heard Jerry called, I saw him from afar running towards me

"Dad?" I asked in surprise but I did not have time for distractions.

I charged at Zhebel clashing my sword against hers then she manage to use both sword and stab me, she laughed

"I guess you won't be alive to watch me wipe out your loved ones would you" she said and drew her sword out of me "I'll have to take your powers as you're dead then"

"No," I said "if I'm gonna die, you're coming with me" and I stabbed her chest bursting her heart

"Coward" she spat out blood and fell then I smiled and slowly fell to the ground.

I looked up to the sky and smiled, finally, this is all over and I would be joining Thail in the underworld, and slowly, my eyes closed.

"Zack!" Jerry rushed towards me "no, son wake up" he tried his possible best to get me to wake up but it was no use, I was gone.

.

.

.

In the dead of night, at the bank of river styx in the realms of shadow, Jerry laid my body on the ground as the water touched me then an woman appeared, she was holding an old stick with a skull on it

"You know what I want" Jerry said

"Well, I must warn you of your actions young man, because the path you're abouut to take is a dangerous one" she warned "and according to the law of nature, to create a life, a life must be taken same goes to this case, to save his life, someone must go in his place, are you willing to risk it"

"Yes" Jerry answered "I've got nothing to lose"

"Very well then" she said and put my body in the river and started chanting some spells. Few minutes later, I rose up breathing heavily trying to regain my self

"Son!" Jerry ran to hug me "I thought I lost you"

"Take him to the hospital, he'll need medical care" the woman said as Jerry carried me at his back and exited the place, the woman looked at us and shooked her head then she disappeared.

Meanwhile, back at the mortal realm, it was all over the news about the battle between I and Zhebel.

Bia and the girls were in the kitchen preparing dinner, Bia was slicing the veggies, Lolly was chopping the carrots and green peas, Ferda was at a corner watching the news on her phone while Clovet was washing plates

"Finally, the battle is over" Ferda said "I wonder if Zack survived it"

Clovet only signed as the place became quiet, no one said a word to each other, the atmosphere of the kitchen was calm and quiet until Clovet began to pant really fast.

"Clo. Are you okay" Lolly asked catching their attention as Clovet held her neck gasping for air.

Lolly felt a slight breeze across the kitchen and a strange presence nearby.

"Clovet is everything alright?" Bia asked as she rushed to her aid "what's going on?"

"Clovet, talk to us" Ferda yelled then Clovet dropped to the ground with her eyes still opened, she wasn't panting anymore

"Clovet!" Bia called trying to get her to stand up and her pupils disappeared leaving only the white side

"What's happening?" Bia asked already afraid then Ferda held her hand to check her pluse, after a while she dropped it shivering with fear

"What is it Ferda? What is it?" Bia asked

"Clovet is... She's... Clovet is... Dead." She broke out trying to hold back her tears as Bia jaw dropped.