With the music blaring, Josh, Rebekah, and Elijah were speeding towards the outskirts of London. Elijah was full of excitement and restlessness, eager to get there as quickly as possible to uncover all the details. His father stopped to ask for directions, and after receiving them from another driver, they continued on until they arrived at their destination. As they looked out the car window, they spotted a sign that was still intact: "FALLEN."
It was the only structure left standing in the midst of rubble. As they got out of the car and approached what used to be a cemetery, two officers on duty informed them that they were not allowed to enter. Elijah's hopes were crushed, much like the entrance to the mythical world of Jumanji. His father took notice, and Josh stepped in to take charge.
"Officer Ed, just a moment," he said to the officer in front of him. "My son," he pointed to Elijah, "just needs to do a little research for his history homework."
"Everyone here wants to dig a little, but unfortunately it's not safe," the officer replied.
Elijah persisted, "I'll only be a moment, it's for an assignment. I can't afford to miss this opportunity. Please, have you ever had to study?"
The two officers exchanged a look and Officer Hanks finally spoke up, "Alright, but you only have ten minutes. Follow me."
He led them to a large rusted gate at the back and opened it to allow them passage. Elijah rushed inside, eager to conduct his research. His father and Rebekah watched as he took notes and photographs like a seasoned researcher. But time was running out and the agents warned them that it was becoming dangerous.
"Son," his father called out to him. "You might want to see this."
Elijah rushed over to where his father was standing and couldn't contain his excitement when he saw what lay before him. He dropped to his knees and brushed the sand off the gravestone he had been searching for.
"Melia Conkinova," he exclaimed with a chuckle, taking some pictures.
Rebekah noticed that the headstone had no beginning or end date to Melia's life and asked Elijah about it.
"This girl," he explained, "is the one whose secrets everyone wants to uncover. It's impossible to know when she was born or died; neither the books nor the writers know, nor those who seek her. But I found her gravestone," he smiled, infecting his audience.
As the agents reminded them of the time, Elijah's father excused himself briefly. Rebekah urged Elijah to leave, but he was determined to find Melia's journal.
"I need that diary," he said, trying to move a large piece of rubble that was obstructing the entrance to the grave.
Rebekah tried to dissuade him, "You can't take it, it's not yours."
Ignoring her, Elijah persisted, trying to open the grave, which seemed oddly shallow. When he finally succeeded, his smile quickly faded. The tomb was empty except for some rats scurrying around.
"It wasn't supposed to be empty," he muttered, looking around for another grave or perhaps the earth had shifted. But it was getting late and they had to leave.
Rebekah tried to comfort him, but Elijah was frustrated that he couldn't find anything. "If the tombstone's there, where's the damn journal?" he shouted, kicking at the debris.
A voice interrupted his tirade, "Not everything is in the rubble."
They turned to see who was speaking.
They were frozen watching what they saw….We are at the mercy of life, unsure of what lies beyond it. Perhaps it continues, or maybe it's just our minds playing tricks on us. That's what Orleans thought, lost in thought. "Everything isn't lost in the rubble," a voice said from behind them. They turned around to see who it was. "Is this what you were looking for?" the stranger asked, holding up the object Elijah had been searching for. She grinned lopsidedly, not showing her teeth. "Yes," Elijah replied hesitantly, disturbed by the dark aura emanating from the woman. "It's funny how the dead are never left in peace, even in death," the stranger said. "What gives anyone the right to disturb them?" "What?" Elijah's heart raced and his brow furrowed. The woman's grin grew wider, showing her teeth mischievously. "Are you joking? I don't know who you are, but I need that diary." He tried to grab it from her hand, but before he could, she did something that left him stunned for several seconds. Rebekah was equally stunned. It
Her eyes, as dark as the deepest night, bore into him, filling him with the worst sense of dread. They seemed to pierce him through his own eyes, as if she could see every thought in his head. The woman's hoarse, hostile voice matched her dark, cold aura perfectly. It was as if his body was frozen in place, paralyzed by fear. The woman's words repeated in his brain like a broken record, as he tried to process what had just happened and avoid panicking. He didn't understand why Rebekah didn't scream or react, just stood there motionless. He heard his father's call, signaling that it was time to leave. His footsteps echoed as he approached, and the sound of debris clattering served as a warning. "No one will have my diary," she stressed every word before disappearing quickly. Elijah stared at a fixed spot in the cemetery, feeling someone in front of him patting his cheeks and hearing his father's voice calling out to him, but it was as if the voice was a mere whisper. "Elijah, son,"
"You're in a bad way, my friend," he said, unable to stop himself from laughing as he entered the social studies classroom. "It's true, Fox," he said to his best friend. "I saw her. I swear I saw her." "Yeah, and I saw Pamela Anderson," said the boy with the light complexion and brown eyes that looked like a touch of sapphire, sarcastically, sitting down at his desk. "Don't you think you're a little off track with this subject?" "No," he replied, sitting next to Fox in the second row. "I'm not out of line. I'm telling you I saw her." "From what you told me, she told you that no one will take her diary," Elijah nodded. "Well, do you think, sir, she could have been a crazy-minded woman posing as the more-than-destroyed Melia?" The other way around, he denied. "I don't think so, Fox. She had a quickness... I can't explain. From one moment to the next, I was up against the wall." "It's Flash," he scoffed and laughed. He didn't take what his more-than-smart friend was saying seriousl
As the days passed by, Elijah spent his free time reading the diary. However, most of the pages of the next diary were blank, leaving him puzzled. He read one page, but when he turned to the next, he found that the author had not continued writing. This intrigued him. "Where are you going?" Elijah asked his parents, peeking his head out of his room as he saw them walking down the hallway. "We're going to your brothers' meeting," his mother replied. His other two teenage sons, Sam and Robert, were twins, and they had a meeting of notes to attend. "We'll come back later, and there's some food in the fridge..." "I know," Elijah interrupted her. "I know how to be alone, mother." "I left you alone once, and you said the fab four wanted to mow you down," Josh couldn't help but laugh. "I was ten!" Elijah exclaimed with a laugh. "It doesn't count." "Yes, it does," they said in unison, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, dear," said his mother as she headed downstai
When reality hit, it hit Elijah so hard it was like being slammed against a brick wall. He felt every part of his body go numb, and it wasn't just a metaphorical expression. He was more than just scared - his breathing was rapid, his heart pounding in his ears, and he wanted to scream, but his vocal cords seemed to be working against him. In front of him stood a woman whose face seemed to radiate the horrors of a thousand hells. Her hand was tightly wrapped around his neck, choking him, making it hard for him to breathe. He tried to plead, to ask for mercy, but everything seemed to be against him. Then he raised his right hand to show her the diary-book, and the woman's gaze shifted towards it, as if she hadn't seen it for centuries. "I'll call the police," Elijah said, his voice shaking. The woman turned to him, her expression warning him not to say such a thing. "Go ahead," she said with a cold smile. "Let's see who gets there first." Elijah felt a cold shiver run down his spine a
He descended from Elijah's room with the parents of the aforementioned. Upon receiving a call from Rebekah, Fox promptly contacted his good friend's parents, and they all returned home with their siblings. Josh contacted one of his doctor friends, who arrived within minutes and examined their son. The doctor informed them that their son had experienced an alteration, causing him to lose consciousness. Karla and the twins were all concerned, but the 18-year-olds tried to soothe their mother. Josh couldn't comprehend how his son had suffered such an episode in the short time they had been gone. "He'll be fine," Steban, the doctor and friend of everyone, reassured Josh. "His blood pressure has dropped, and he'll sleep for a few hours." "But..." Sam interjected. "What caused it?" "I don't know," Steban replied truthfully. "But whatever he saw, it wasn't good," he sighed, pulling on his black jacket. "I'll come back later," he told Josh as they exited the room. Meanwhile, Karla was so
His gaze travelled to the side of the bed. "What the heck happened to the nightstand?" she asked as she entered the room and carefully picked up what he had said. The lamp had broken, along with one of the science prizes on top of it. "It fell," he answered with a chuckle, and his mother gave him a dirty look. He walked over to her and helped her with the broken glass, carrying them to a small trash can in the corner by the window. He leaned out of the window while his mother arranged the garbage can. Looking down, he saw Melia, their gazes colliding, but she quickly turned on her heels and disappeared. "Why are you smiling so much?" his mother asked, placing the tray of food on the chest. Elijah looked at her. "I'm not smiling."He looked back to the street, and when he did, his brow furrowed as he noticed Melia was no longer there. But at what point...? He only stopped looking for a fleeting second. He closed the curtains and looked back at his mother."I was just admiring the vie
"At the age of twelve, she had won the affection of everyone around her. Not a single soul could bring themselves to hate her, let alone harbor any negative feelings towards her," Professor Collins recited to the class, pacing back and forth with his eyes glued to the book in front of him. He seldom looked up to see if his students were paying attention."Her mother, Karina, had instilled in her daughter the invaluable lesson of loving and appreciating others unconditionally. Every afternoon, Karina would take Melia on a walk around the palace, holding her hand as they explored. Melia was a curious child; anything and everything caught her attention. "'Mother, why does everyone love me?' she would ask Karina at random intervals. Karina would look down at her daughter, her own gaze meeting Melia's bright brown eyes, and reply with a smile: "Because every angel is loved." Melia would beam with joy and Karina would plant a gentle kiss on her daughter's head. Professor Collins pushed hi
The headmaster called out for the missing one, Elijah. He stepped forward to the stage amidst applause, and the headmaster handed him his diploma, saying,"The woman who is destined to change the lives of many, to dispel the lies of all, and to prove that the impossible is possible, left behind an essay - one that Elijah, of course, did not write." There was a brief chuckle from the audience. "But it was she, Melia, who gave it to me and told me something I only understood recently... I was moved by what I read in that essay. It touched my heart and made me understand many things, including the importance of devotion to the same love of God..." He sighed. "Orleans." He glanced at someone in the audience briefly, then continued. "he will read what she wrote, and thus, my dear students, everything that has been for you will conclude, marking the beginning of your own journeys. I can only say this in closing, never give up on your goals, your dreams... Believe in yourselves, in each of y
The dim sunlight peeked through her window, announcing its presence. The cool breeze entered as well, rustling the vibrant green leaves that had regained their color after the winter. The lush trees were covered in leaves, with the few yellow ones scattered at their feet. Summer had made its presence known.She stood in her room, gazing out the window in a particular direction, toward that place that brought back memories. To that direction where, when she fixed her gaze, her mind played tricks on her, vividly reconstructing something that wasn't quite as it seemed.A pang in her heart, truly, a pang that felt like a bullet piercing it, stealing several heartbeats and the air from her lungs. The trick her mind played caused such a feeling, that memory that appeared so clear of her, standing there, looking at him, just like that time when she thought someone would discover her true self, setting in motion the change in her life.And she had let her go.It hurt to remember that day, let
He turned on his heels, looking back. His heart pounded as fiercely as the tears welling up on his face, a smile forming there.Her voice, that voice he could recognize... There, before him, bathed in a beautiful, radiant white light, was his mother. His father, his siblings... They all gazed at him with smiles reflected on their lips, in their eyes, proof that what he believed to be dead still lived in his heart.The return from death by the act of another being's soul, one who loved him, who loved Elijah.Elijah was about to embrace his mother, siblings, and father, but Melia's voice stopped him. He turned to her, looking into her eyes."You must embrace them, you must feel them when you finish the prayer," she said, trying to keep her words, so different from Skalliet's, from confusing his mind. "Jahjah, look at me," she asked when she noticed he was looking at Skalliet because of what he was saying. She couldn't let him be convinced. "You are the perfect carnation that, despite ev
Skalliet was on the verge of attacking his brother, but Fox wouldn't allow it. A struggle ensued between them.The screams of others could be heard everywhere. Rebekah was locked in battle with the creatures chasing Skalliet, while Melia still held the frostnive by the wrist, dragging him to the center of the arena before releasing him."Don't do it," her mother's voice cut through the chaos. She stood beside Za, just a few steps away from Melia. "Please.""The decision has already been made," Melia replied without emotion. "Your punishment will be this, Jahjah." The frostnive looked at her in confusion, while despair surrounded them, and the sounds of the ongoing fights echoed in the background. "My lies, in exchange for your difference, are worth much more," she continued. "And soon, you will know."The clear image of Skalliet approaching became visible to everyone. He was after Olliet, intent on taking him, on killing him. He had nothing left to give except what he held for Elijah.
I see your soul, I want to paint it black. No more pure colors, if you choose to take my hand. I can see the beauty in your being, the benevolence in your heart. I can see how little I care about that. The cause and effect of all this is that I want to paint you black. People don't understand, they don't understand you. The world around you is too little for what you truly deserve. Love is scarce, mine is abundant. Life is short, eternity is not. Take my hand, let our eternities merge. I look within me, and my heart is black. I see through you, yours is not. I want to paint it black. I want to paint it black. Join your hand with mine in this dance. Our eternity will unite. The sway of our bodies, our locked gazes, is the little understanding for those around us. I don't care about the fall; I want you with me. Do you want me with you? If so, take my hand. I can't stare at the setting moon. If you join your hand with mine, our love will laugh at us before dawn. I'll
"They love each other so much," Elijah said. "It's visible wherever you look.""With all their hearts," Karina added. "They are meant for each other, they are...""The same soul," Za concluded. "Their love... it's as vast as the thread that allowed them to find each other.""The thread of life given to them by Melia," Elijah said. "The thread given to them by the woman who now hates me." He laughed bitterly. "The woman I love with all my soul." His feline eyes closed as he spoke those words with depth.Za and Karina looked at him without saying anything. What was the need to say anything? Both of them saw the pelinieve as a son, as the boy who, despite everything that happened, remained there, following Melia. Oh, after a being considered impossible...Elijah opened his eyes and released a sigh. Karina's hand covered his over the table."Despite everything, dear, things will be okay, right?" She said, trying to keep her eyes from tearing up. "There's no need to cry; it doesn't fix thi
The faint glow of the lampposts was just on the edge of the darkened sky. The breeze was cold yet strangely warm. The music was in tune with the celebration, and everywhere you looked, it was elegant, more so than anyone had ever imagined. The vast majority of those who usually settled for the first thing they found in their closets were now more than perfect; they caught everyone's attention, the epitome of beauty in their tailor-made dresses, illuminating the campus even more, which served as the backdrop for the dance.The tuxedos fit each of the guys more than perfectly. Their stances and the way they held their partners were in perfect harmony. Tonight was the dawn of a new day when, for once, the majority behaved themselves.In the hallway, Pelinieve struggled with his tie. His white hair was perfectly combed back, his tuxedo fitting him impeccably, but his expression... it was one of displeasure. He didn't want to be here, didn't want to come to this dance. He had no desire to
" Certain things happened around the vicinity of Rome centuries ago," Rebekah replied. "In that place, she stayed with Skalliet for many years... Consequently, when writers heard stories from there, and the name of a certain Melia Conkinova echoed even more... They decided to base everything that happened in her life, with her family, in that city. " And her father? They say he was the owner and practically the king of that place. " Rome, so to speak, would be the creator's domain," Fox spoke. "Elijah, everything you've read, every distorted aspect of places, names... it all happened in the realm above. Never on Earth. " It can't be..." Elijah murmured almost inaudibly. "Are you telling me that Melia was never a terrestrial being? " That's right." In response to the answer, his mouth hung open in shock. Such a thought had never crossed his mind. He found it more credible that, being a terrestrial being, she simply did something very different to survive for so many years. But never
There was no explanation; no one could provide one, and they all swore by everything. Who could have organized the ancient party in such a short time? Most people wondered, including the entire leadership group. Several days had passed, and they thought that there wasn't enough time to organize the party so quickly. Helena had been tasked with distributing the flyers at the director's request. Unlike the others, she had an approximate idea of who could have organized the party, her own party. The classrooms were filled with students in a brief commotion; there would be no classes today as everyone was at the school to help with various tasks. The purpose of the ancient party, celebrating a fictional character, would come sooner than expected.Tonight, it would begin in the early hours.The director entered the classroom where student Chantai was. He greeted the language teacher and stood before the students."I don't know who to thank for organizing such a perfect party that will take