CXnovel Chapter 243: I Remember for the Both of Us
Chapter 243: I Remember for the Both of Us
And in Alcaeus’s, she saw it clearly.
He wasn’t angry he was dying.
He was angry he had lost her.
The power he thought he owned.
The future he believed was his.
The control he never truly had.
"You... were... mine," He rasped, his voice breaking apart.
"No!" Her words were loud, because they didn’t need to be.
The cracks widened, and light burst outward from his body as it shattered like obsidian that had been struck too many times. Fragments of dark energy burst outward, dissolving into ash before they could even touch the ground.
His roar faded into nothing.
Alcaeus was...gone.
And for the first time in many centuries, the forest didn’t feel haunted again. The prickling sense of being watched while inside the hallow was gone.
Zeke changed back to his human form and dropped to his knees, the flames from his fur dimming around him before it completely retracted back into him.
Zevon stood there for a long time, his chest rising and falling slowly as his wolf slowly disappeared next to him.
Theo didn’t move. She simply stared at the empty space where Alcaeus had been.
The look on everyone’s faces was one of victory.
What she felt...she didn’t know yet.
Maybe if she remembered the complete story, the sense of victory would completely settle in.
Behind her, Liam coughed weakly and reality crashed back in.
Theo spun and rushed to him.
He was now lying in a pool of his own blood, and could barely keep his eyes open.
She held him in her arms, her lips quaking, "Hey... hey. Stay with me. You’ll be fine. You have to be fine,"
His lips curved faintly. He knew better.
Then, she turned to Zeke and Zevon, "You can do something, right?!"
Zevon walked up to them and looked down at Liam’s body. The way his expression stiffened stole the little hope Theo had left in her.
"Your blood is killing you," Zevon said, "You overdid it. What exactly did you do?!"
"Who knows?!" Liam coughed again, more blood spluttering out of his mouth, "But it turned out for the best,"
"Don’t," She said quickly. "Don’t speak. Just... don’t move!"
His hand weakly searched for hers. She didn’t hesitate and laced her fingers with his instinctively, even though she still didn’t understand why her chest felt like it was splitting open.
"I’m sorry," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For everything," He rasped, "For the lies. For the mask. For siding with the devil,"
She stiffened slightly.
The mask. Her mind tried to grasp the word, but it slipped through her like smoke.
"I don’t..." Her voice broke again, "I don’t remember."
"I know," He said gently. There was no accusation in his tone, just acceptance, "That’s probably for the best."
His breathing hitched, and more blood bubbled faintly at the corner of his lips.
Theo shook her head violently, "Stop talking like that. You’re going to be fine,"
He smiled again, but it was more faded than the last.
"You once told me something," He murmured, "You probably don’t remember that either."
Her tears fell faster now, "Then tell me."
"You said," He swallowed painfully, " That no matter what, no matter how far we drift apart... you would always cherish what we had,"
Theo froze.
The words stirred something deep inside her chest. Something warm.
"You said the North and West were like natural enemies," He continued weakly, his eyes glassy but still fixed on her, "Fire and water that never get along." A faint, broken chuckle left him, "But you believed we broke that millennial belief when we became best friends."
Her breath caught.
"You said you had the best times of your life with me..." His voice trembled with emotion, "William Sinclair,"
Everything he said ripped her soul open.
"And you said," He continued, his voice barely audible now, "that you wouldn’t dare ask me for more... no matter how much you wanted to."
Theo’s chest tightened violently, and a sob tore from her throat before she could stop it, "I don’t remember saying that," She cried, "I don’t remember any of it, and I hate that I don’t!"
"It’s okay," he whispered quickly, as if comforting her was still his first instinct "You don’t have to remember. I remember for the both of us."
His fingers weakly tightened around hers, "And you were right," He breathed, "We did break it. North and West. Fire and water. Around each other, we weren’t repelled. We were...just us,"
She sobbed even harder.
"We really did make the best of friends," His gaze softened impossibly.
The tears fell between them, mixing with blood and dirt.
"I’m so sorry," He said again, his voice even less audible than before, "For hurting you. For every single thing that I did. For everything that I made you go through,"
Her head shook frantically, "Stop apologising! I don’t even know what you’re apologising for!"
He didn’t stop, "I’m also grateful, Theo. Eternally grateful that you saved my brother,"
Theo leaned closer, cradling him tighter as if she could physically keep his soul inside his body, "Please," she whispered. "Please don’t leave."
He looked at her the way someone looks at home, "I always wanted you to be safe, but I was scared because Simon...and....I hurt you, and I loved you, and I’m so sorry,"
Her lips trembled.
"I’m glad that the last thing you ever said to me... wasn’t goodbye." His grip on her hand tightened, "You said you would always cherish what we had," He breathed, his thumb brushing weakly against her knuckles, "And I did," He said. "Every day."
His eyes began to lose focus.
Panic shot through her, "Liam!"
His chest rose once more, and she heard him say one last time, "We were never enemies."
And then, his grip on her hand loosened completely till it fell away and his chest didn’t rise again.
Theo stared at him.
Waiting.
Waiting for the next breath.
For the next apology. For the next anything!
But nothing came.
Her hands trembled against his chest, "William?" she whispered.
There was no response.
The only thing she heard was Seraphina’s heartbreaking wail inside of her.