ETHANThere I stood, her words echoing in my ears for a moment. I didn't know why, but I was sure that we would never speak again. There was something about the way she spoke to me the day we met. There was a sort of permanence to her exit, and now I was beyond shocked to hear that she was reaching out.Oh, this was a crazy day already!"Hello," she repeated, her voice still calm. "Do you remember me?"Clearing my throat, I said, "It's a little hard to forget you."She chuckled, her voice fading over the phone for a moment. "I understand. I often have that effect on people."Seeing that I was much calmer, I asked, "Why did you call me?""I can't say much over the phone. We have to meet.""Okay," I let out. "At the shop?""No, no, no," she protested and then paused. "Okay, screw it. We will meet there by six in the evening."She hung up."Are you alright?" Mum asked, while stealing glances at me as she dusted the TV set divider.I sank into the plush cushions of the sofa, the weight of
ADA"Tyler, I'm going out," I said to Tyler who was napping. "Tyler."He just turned and mumbled some inaudible words. "Okay," I let out walking out of the apartment. Look, since that day we heard those knocks, it was as though we were being injected with a dose of fear every single moment. It wasn't as if we didn't know that Acelia and Alex weren't done with us. Of course, we knew. But I guess them coming to the apartment reminded us that they were ever coming for us. And they weren't resting.The mere mention of Acelia and Alex's names sent shivers down our spines, for we knew all too well that they were not ready to relinquish their hold on our lives. We had thought that we could put their menacing presence behind us, lock them away in the recesses of our memories— at least, for a while— but the haunting reality of their relentless pursuit now seemed to echo through the very walls of our apartment, amplifying the fear that coursed through our veins.Their intentions had never tru
TYLEREven as I spoke to Ethan on the phone, I could see that Ada already knew that the call was, well, an important one."What did he say?" she inquired, just as I dropped the phone on my thigh.I drew closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Finally, some good news, or something like it.""Say more!""You see," I started, now giving her some space so that we could look at each other, "Ethan met up with that Clara lady and she told him how we could take down Acelia."Ada's brows were raised as she tried to restrain a smile. "For real? Oh, my fucking goodness! This is... this is good news!"I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it is." I looked down at my hands before continuing. "But, for someone who was so hyped up about everything, he didn't seem so happy."Ada's smile slowly faded as she heard this. "But we don't know... okay, okay. How do we do it?""Do what?" I asked."Take her down.""Oh. Despite asking him to tell me, he claimed it wasn't something he could say on the phone."S
ETHAN"It was one of my favourite as a kid," I said to a little boy who clutched to a book his older sister bought for him. "You will be rereading it, I promise."The boy just smiled, barely paying any attention to me anymore, his gaze now fixed on the book in his hands.When I tell you my life was all sorts of crazy— I meant it. You see, Clara told me that there was only one way to end Acelia, and if we didn’t do it that way, that Acelia would end everyone who she felt was a threat to her. According to Clara, we didn't have much time. In fact, there was no time at all, and if we wanted to act, we had to do it now."The only reason the you and the two Green Eyes are breathing is because she still needs you," Clara said the last time we met.Clara told me that there was another realm called Ranocayia; it was a world much smaller than ours, but large nonetheless. In Ranocayia, there were many, many powerful witches and wizards. Clara believed that Acelia herself wouldn't want to face so
ETHANIt happened in an instant, although I didn't initially notice when it did.Sitting in the lustrous leather seat of the saloon, the engine purring in a calm rhythmic hum, the faint city lights drawing long streaks on the dark canvas of the night sky, my little mind began to drift away. Slowly, I began to get a feeling that I was moving into an uncharted realm. It wasn't easy to express, but it was as though one moment I was chatting with Brent with so much excitement, and the next moment, I was slipping into something I suspected was more than just a slumber.I tried to dismiss it as tiredness. I told myself that the fatigue of the day was seeping into my bones, making a somewhat intoxicating drowsiness weigh heavily upon me. But that was all normal, right? It was normal to get tired. Besides, it's no surprise since I had spent most of the day at the store.But, of course, this was merely my mind making an excuse to make sense of my reality – which, in all honesty, wasn't feeling
TYLERTyler was now sleeping in the living room, after seeing a film for most of the day.We were both feeling a sort of way about everything. And it was because we knew we had to leave here and go to Tyler's grandparents' house— which I had never been to.The truth was, despite the fact that I loved staying here with Tyler, that we were going to leave tomorrow wasn't the issue. The issue was that we knew there wasn't any sure way to take Acelia down.Yes, we were being hopeful, but I couldn't shut that voice that told me Acelia and Alex had something prepared for us and we had no bloody idea.I gazed out of the expansive glass window of my flat, my sight fixated on the vibrant hues of the early evening sky. Layers of cerulean blue melted seamlessly into streaks of fiery orange and soft pink, producing a magnificent canvas that stretched across the horizon. I took in a deep breath as I took in the beautiful sight above me.A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees, their
TYLERLet's be real here; neither Ada nor I wanted to leave. That was just the truth. We wanted to keep what we had enjoyed for days now. We wanted more of each other. But sadly, there wasn't much we could do. A faint "Goodnight" was pretty much the last word I heard from Ada. Since this morning, she maintained an absolute silence, quietly nodding in response to my morning greetings. It was unusual, as Ada was typically a friendly and engaging person. Concerned, I made multiple attempts to strike up a conversation, hoping to break through the barrier she had put up. However, each time, she steadfastly refused to engage, shutting down any attempts at dialogue, without saying a word herself. It was puzzling and left me wondering what I could possibly do to lift up what was weighing on her mind. Having known Ada for quite some time now, I knew she was not one to simply keep quiet for no reason. Of course, I knew there were a lot of things in the depths of her being, troubling her soul.
TYLERSometime today, Tyler and Ada will be coming into town. Tyler's grandfather emailed me informing me that I will be required to be present when "they convene to discuss the safeguarding the future of the supernatural beings."Yep, that was my life now.Of course, I had to be there. While I had told Tyler a little bit of what Clara told me, unfortunately, the rest remained with me.Now on to other things.You see, with the weight of a bustling bookshop resting on my shoulders, coupled with the madness going on in my life, I stood just outside the entrance, contemplating the swarm of customers that had frequented my bookshop in recent times. With two new, big private schools established nearby, it was now as though each day seemed to bring a new wave of customers seeking solace within the bound pages of imagination that adorned my shelves. It had become painfully clear to me that I could no longer manage this endeavour alone—an extra pair of hands would soon become an imperative ne