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Epilogue: An End and a New Beginning
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Shadowsouled 1: ?
He sighed as he glanced at the lit up road sign telling him it was another 30km until he reached his destination. He'd been driving for hours, and he was keen to get this job over and done with. This whole ordeal had been going on for far too long. Soon enough, his car took the turnoff into Violet Cove, a quiet little seaside town at this time of year. He was grateful for that, at least. His work would be much easier without the crowds that flocked here during the summertime, and all of the extra eyes and ears that came with them. He stopped for fuel, then food, at the first place he found open this late, a small retro style diner near the edge of town. The waitress gave him a wary look as she hurriedly took his order, seeming eager to leave his table. That was nothing unusual, he was not someone that most people felt at all comfortable around. Even before he had received the long, jagged scar that ran halfway down the right side of his face, he
Shadowsouled 2: Ashallia
Ashallia sat on a stool in her Dad's old workshop, carefully filing the edges of the intricate metal piece she'd just created. She wiped her tear-stained cheek with the back of her hand. She always missed him more when she was here, in his space, but especially now. She felt so alone. Liam had dumped her, and so had all her 'popular' friends the moment they realised he had. And her closest friends had resented her the moment she began dating him. She missed them too. Alena was always so bright and infectiously upbeat, and Jacinta had always understood her better than almost anyone. Anyone except her Dad. She looked around at all of his old tools and workbenches, and wiped another falling tear. Dating Liam had been the worst mistake of her life, and she hated him for it. She'd fallen hard for him though, or at least for the charming facade he'd put on to get her to date him in the beginning. She hated him for that, too. 'Ugh
Shadowsouled 3: ?
After spending the rest of the early hours driving around, familiarising himself with the layout of the small town, he sat waiting in his car for the rental agency to open. He'd booked a private house off a homeshare website, just a few hours ago, hoping to be discreet. Two days earlier, he'd also booked a cheap motel for several weeks from now. His target, Henrik Leighton, owned the larger hotel, and both of the motels in the town. He knew he'd be checking the bookings for anything unusual, especially at this time of year. With any luck, he'd have a few weeks before Henrik expected him here. The property manager was late, and looked half asleep. He guessed they didn't appreciate the early start this far into the off season. He felt little sympathy for that, given the odd - and long - hours that he usually worked. After finally getting the keys, he headed for the lush-looking holiday house. Having deliberately chosen one close to the w
Shadowsouled 4: Ashallia
Ashallia turned down the alley behind Pete's Place, heading towards the back entrance. She'd managed to walk here without seeing anyone she knew, thankfully, and hoped the night would continue that way. She left her things in her locker, then put on her apron, and tied her curls up into a loose bun. Charlie was the chef on tonight, and he smiled at her as she walked through the kitchen, towards the front of house "Hey Ash, how's things?"She forced a smile, with just a "Hey Charlie" in response. Charlie was a decent guy, and always friendly to her, but she didn't want to face the questions tonight. After a quick hi to the other kitchen staff, she grabbed an order pad and pen, tucked them into her apron pocket, and headed through to the front, where her heart dropped to her stomach. Liam and his friends were seated in one of the booths, along with Kacey, who she'd found him with at Paige's party, on Saturday night. That was when he'd dumped her.
Shadowsouled 5: ?
After leaving the holiday house, he'd meandered through the town, always taking the quieter, darker, back streets and alleys, slowly working his way through the centre and out towards the less affluent area of town.He knew Henrik owned several other businesses in this area, and he'd hoped to get close enough to hear, or see, something useful. And it seemed he was in luck.There was a mighty crash from one of the warehouse loading docks, followed by several smaller ones and some yelling. He melted into the shadows - a peculiar ability of his kind - where his presence was almost completely imperceptible. Silently, he slipped closer until he was in proper earshot, "..needs to be cleaned up and out by tomorrow! Henrik'll be checking back Friday, and if he sees this mess your ass is in it!" Some more loud noise followed, along with some muttering and swearing, before all went calm again.He smiled, seeming satisfied. Friday. Perfect. Slipping away, he se
Shadowsouled 6: Ashallia
Pete's was pretty quiet tonight, so Ashallia worked through her tasks pretty quickly and with few interruptions, albeit with continued stares from the man in the corner.Kacey had come over and tried to order her around once, with a sly smirk on her face, but Josh had stepped in quickly, which had quickly wiped it off her tanned, sulky face.Ash was sure Kacey would have loved to find a way to make her work life horrible, but neither Josh nor Pete were giving her a chance. She was grateful to them both.Pete pulled her side a couple of hours before close, after Liam and Kacey, and their friends had left, "Hey kiddo, I've gotta head off. Charlie's in charge for close, but I'm only a phone call away if you ever need me, okay?"She smiled warmly at him, "Thanks Pete, I appreciate it." He smiled back, then left through the kitchen. Only moments after she'd heard Pete's loud bike pulling away, the front door opened, and she immediately
Shadowsouled 7: Ashallia
Now her panic really set in, but as much as she tried to kick, scream, claw, and bite, she was held firm. The others just laughed more, one of them reaching to open the back of the car.She suddenly remembered something her Dad had told her, and pressed the heel of her workboot against his shin bone, and dragged it down hard, right along where the flesh was thinnest. He yelped and released her, grabbing at his leg. She almost fell, but pushed herself up and ran as hard as she could, while they were caught off guard.They were surprised enough that she managed to get a few metres from them, only to suddenly slam into what felt like a solid brick wall. It knocked the air out of her and she stumbled back, looking up, right into the eyes of the creepy guy from the corner of the bar, who'd spent the night staring at her.And she froze. The expression on his face looked absolutely murderous. The four sleazebags seemed to think so too, she heard them
Shadowsouled 8: ?
The moment he saw her step out from the kitchen, he knew she was responsible for this nightmarish sensation he'd been feeling since he woke up.It was coming from her, and drawing him to her. At this distance, it was taking all too much effort from him to resist its powerful pull, and that kept him constantly on edge.What kind of being was she, that she could cause this strong an effect on one like him? On a human, he could understand, they likely wouldn't even sense what was happening. But he was far from human, and despite her appearing so innocent and unaware, it seemed the same was true of her.Both furious and intrigued, he sat silently, watching her closely all evening. He noticed her face when she saw the people at the other table, noticed the other server making sure they didn't bother her, noticed those sleazebags hitting on her - which only made him angrier, both at them, and that whatever she was doing made him feel somehow protective of her.
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Shadowsouled Epilogue: An End and a New Beginning
One year and six months later:The bunker had provided exactly what they'd sought, though its origins were still shrouded in mystery.They'd been able to set up something of a home here, secure and well defended. Lukas had been able to reverse engineer the phone they'd taken from Craig, and not only been able to use its new technology, but also trace the last few members that posed a significant threat, along with the last of their munitions.He'd also been able to send lengthy transcripts and history to several other news networks not yet taken over by Newscience, who were more than eager to break the story of his other, shadier organisation, and its links to his other businesses and donation recipients. The story had rocked the country, with many politicians' and business' involvement being publicly exposed. Newscience had collapsed, along with many underground smuggling networks, with enough of an impact to make any who might fill the void feel more than a little wary. They heard
Shadowsouled 72: Jason
He felt her rush of emotion as she uttered the word, and he smiled wide, taking her hand and placing the ring on her finger. She blushed brightly, and he could feel his own cheeks flushing a little, and pulled her down beside him, wrapping her in his arms as he kissed her deeply. His own rush of emotion only got stronger, and he let it overwhelm him, knowing she'd feel just how deep his love was for her. And he felt hers too, overwhelming her as she returned his kiss, softly and tenderly, and for a long moment it was as though only the two of them existed, wrapped up in each other's deep feeling of love. When they finally moved apart, she was smiling wide at him, still blushing, but happy. So happy. He felt that too, within himself, despite everything, and he never wanted to be without it again. Or without her. "I love you," she whispered softly, and he touched his nose gently to hers, "I love you," he responded, and her face brightened even more. He kissed her again, and they lost
Shadowsouled 71: Ashallia
Ash returned his kiss with a sense of wonder, feeling that incredible rush of darkness, and now everything from him. Only that everything from him was everything from her, too, and the arousal they both felt was spiralled upwards again, more intense than ever. She suddenly felt an all encompassing need for him, and clamped her muscles tight around him, drawing her hips back slowly. He gasped, breaking their kiss, and she moved her hands, placing them on the tree trunk behind her to support herself as she began moving her hips back and forth, using her muscles in time with them. He swore under his breath and began thrusting in time with her, burying his head in the curve of her neck again as he moaned in intense pleasure. She did the same, feeling her own pleasure being heightened by his, as his was by her own, climbing higher and higher. His thrusts grew harder and rougher, as his gaze turned more intense, and she moved her hands to around his neck, holding herself up and letting hi
Shadowsouled 70: Jason
Jason stared wide-eyed at the large concrete structure. This was a lot more than just a bunker, he realised, and wondered if it was truly abandoned. He squatted low, motioning for Ashallia to do the same, and crept closer slowly, keeping his eyes and ears alert for any kind of activity. Yet it all seemed still, and he wondered who would ever build something like this, and then just leave it. It looked advanced for the time it must have been here, too. Jack looked to have been in his 50s, at least, and he'd said it had been here at least that long. It was incredibly strange, but it could also be incredibly useful, especially with the tunnels he mentioned. He pulled out his phone, lifting it up to snap a picture, and sent it to the others. Even then there was no movement, and he exchanged a look with Ash, who looked as confused as he did. "Who do you think built it?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible, and he shrugged. "I have no idea," he said, feeling absolutely perplexed, "
Shadowsouled 69: Ashallia
Ash froze as she turned and saw the second man with a crossbow, and reached out for Jason. He turned, and she heard him sigh deeply as the stranger stepped closer, keeping his crossbow aimed at them. He seemed unable to decide who to focus it in though, shifting between them two of them, looking tense, and at least a little bit afraid. "Jack," he called out suddenly, with a thick northern accent, "I've got 'em over 'ere," he said, lowering his voice as he spoke to the two of them instead. "How many more o' ye are there?" he asked, and Jason sighed again. "Just the two of us, for now," he said, as he slowly moved in front of Ash, putting her between him and the large tree. "The fuck ye mean, 'for now'?" another voice asked, coming around from behind the tree, where the first shooter had been. Jason shrugged, looking far too casual, though she could sense his tension through their connection, and assumed it was deliberate. "More are coming," he said calmly, "but we mean no harm. Just
Shadowsouled 68: Jason
Jason pulled her into an embrace again, kissing her deeply, letting her feel all of his desire for her. It had been too long, he needed her, and he could feel her need for him too. It only made it even harder to control his own. He sighed deeply as he pulled away from her a moment later, feeling Lukas coming quickly towards them through the shadows. She could feel it too, he knew, though he still felt her mild disappointment as he broke the kiss. They needed to find somewhere alone, and soon. He gave her an affectionate smile, and she returned it, her cheeks looking flushed with arousal. Lukas moved into their shadow a moment later, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the two of them. "Hope I'm not interrupting," he said with a grin, only making her cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. Jason smiled, shaking his head at his brother, amused, "Not yet," he said, making Ash's eyes widen. He took her hand then, and turned to Lukas, "We'll go further on foot, if you'll wait for the others h
Shadowsouled 67: Ashallia
Ash smiled, feeling an enormous sense of relief as each of them stepped out of the shadows in the small dining room of the old house, finally safe. Or safer, at least. "So, where to?" asked Alex, and Mikael sighed, "Almost anywhere but here, but first," he turned and gave Jason a look that made him nod, before taking another one of those tiny devices from the seam of his jeans. "You're going to blow it up?" Ash asked, her eyes wide, and Alex patted her shoulder, "Let's call it, 'helping it collapse'," he said, sounding apathetic. "You don't care? That it'll be gone?" she asked, a touch of sadness in her voice, and Jason shook his head, "It's just a building," he said softly, "Everything that has ever meant something to me, will still live on." He reached over to touch her cheek, and she blushed, knowing he included her as part of that. He kissed her forehead softly, and she smiled up at him, before realising that they were all looking at her, waiting. "What?" she asked, confused, an
Shadowsouled 66: Lukas
Lukas headed back down, unable to contain a small smirk as he stepped out back in the room with the others, "They're fine," he said, "Just.. busy for a moment." Mikael sighed and Cameron rolled his eyes, "Now, of all times?" he asked, and Lukas shrugged. "They'll do what they need to," he said quietly, "and from the sound of that collapse, we may not get to the surface until Alex and Nate get here anyway." Cameron looked at Mikael then, tilting his head, "How long has it been? Maybe that was them starting to dig us out?" he said, sounding hopeful. Mikael frowned in thought for a moment, but shook his head gently, "I doubt the collapse will have reached the surface, given how far down we are, and Ash should have heard them if they tried the stairs." He looked questioningly at Lukas, who shrugged, "She didn't mention hearing them." Cameron sighed, crossing his arms and resting back against some crates, "So, we just wait? Until they're done being 'busy'?" he said, sounding impatient no
Shadowsouled 65: Jason
Jason pulled Ashallia under him more, covering her protectively as the room continued to shake, more dust and chunks of concrete falling around them. "Are you guys alright?" he asked, trying to see through the dust towards them. He heard Cameron coughing, which was certainly an improvement on him being unconscious just a few minutes before, and Mikael and Lukas groaned softly. "We're okay," Lukas said, his voice sounding strained, "Is that all of them?" he asked, and Ashallia coughed again, trying to cover her nose and mouth with her sleeve, "I could only sense him, I transferred what I could from you two.." she said weakly, and Cameron groaned a soft, "Thank you." As the room fell still and silent again, they waited a long moment, then began to slowly get up. Looking around the room, a sense of dismay filled them all. Large chunks of the ceiling had caved, and streams of dust stopped and started in various places, making the whole thing look unstable, and worse, he saw that the sta
