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Destrõy Me - Episode 85 & 86
(Her•Heartless•Monster)
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He turned his back to the mirror, looking at the tattoo sitting there.
Big "K"
With a grunt, he put the shirt back on, his eyes suddenly regretful.
He was buttoning the shirt when Timothy rushed in breathlessly.
"Stella! The guards just called to say they're currently chasing after Stella!" He announced.
"Stella? Stella left the house? How?" Grandpa Cedric gasped.
"She suddenly became ok and said things about how she gave birth to four kids! She mentioned Rihannon and whatnot" Timothy replied impatiently.
"What!" Grandpa Cedric gasped again.
"I'm going to find her with them, you stay with Aimee's body with Elijah" Timothy said, rushing away.
Grandpa Cedric staggered lifelessly.
If Stella is suddenly ok, that only means Greg is gone.
If Greg is gone, then it's the end for him too.
He can't stay here then. He can't.
He rushed out of the washroom, running his way to the park where he jumped in his car and drove out of the castle.
*
WESLEY TOWER*
Imogen didn't meet Lord Vann when she came in twenty minutes ago, so she had to wait with Ren.
"Calm down, don't tell me you're gonna kill your father" Ren said, and she faced him swiftly.
"He killed my mother! The mother that birthed I and Tamlin! He killed her to marry Lorraine? I'm sure it was Lorraine who inserted that drive in the middle of the diary, and now that I luckily found it, you expect me to sit still like a fool and do nada? Come of it Renny!" She spat.
Ren blew air out of his mouth, and that same moment, Lord Vann came in.
Imogen pointed the gun directly at him, and the man paused in shock.
"Imogen!"
"Call my name again, and I'll make your death faster. Now why would you kill my mother!" She demanded, going closer with the gun aim still intact on Vann's head.
Lord Vann's arms dropped, and he gulped, making Imogen gasp.
"Wait...it's not fake? The video is not edited? It's true? Dad?"
"I'm...I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking back then, I was under Lorraine's spell and...
"Shut the fûck! Lorraine's spell? All you can do right now is blame Lorraine? You killed mother!!" Imogen screamed.
"And I regret it!" Lord Vann shouted, tears escaping his sunken eyes
"There's no passing day without me regretting what I did that day! If I could turn back the hands of the clock, you think I'd still do that? It's all my insanity over Lorraine!" He said guiltily.
"And you think you deserve to be alive?" Imogen said.
"I know I don't deserve forgiveness from both you and Tamlin, and I won't ask for it. I just want to say...
The sound of gunshot followed, cutting him off as the bullet rammed into his forehead.
Imogen killed him flatly, and he fell with a loud thud as Imogen lowered the gun.
Tears came out of her eyes too, and Ren hugged her to keep her calm.
"It's ok, he's gone now"
"Even Tamlin will thank me for this when he gets back. We'll be ok with his wealth for life, he should rot in hell" she replied, hugging him back.
*
HELLHOLE*
"Pretty sure everyone you kept under your spell is out of your control by now. Your core is the anchor, isn't it?" Slade voiced.
"And how would you feel if you find out that Rihannon, the girl you hate most is your sister after all. She grew up in the orphanage too like you. I've planted her there to keep an eye on you since long ago" Greg replied with heavy dragged breaths.
"I remember everything from my birth, Greg. A Monster's brains starts work immediately he gets born to the surface of the earth, but you locked everything away as the smart doe you are. Now that they're back, I remember everything that happened that day in the cottage. I wasn't the last child to come out, it was a baby girl, and you named her Rihannon" Slade replied.
Despite Greg's state, his eyes widened in shock.
"How did... you...
"You know nothing about Monsters, which is why you're so daft to use a Monster's lifeline." Slade said, his voice menacing.
"Enjoy your long life here, but too bad you'll cry throughout, to the point that tears will dry up in your eyes, and you'll start shedding blood" Slade continued, turning his back and walking away from the zone.
"No... Slade! Slade we can make a deal! We can make a deal! Don't leave me here! Slade!" Greg yelled with his remaining energy.
A wild animal from one of the angles plucked away one of his fingers suddenly, and his stomach hollowed as he cried out, his agonizing scream reaching the depths of hell.
It's only just the start of his abyssal experience.
Death will be scared to go near him cos he's not gonna die. He's only gonna suffer, for life.
*
GRANDPA CEDRIC'S ESTATE*
On getting back, Cedric had his bath, almost scrubbing himself to death in the bathroom.
He put on his white robe, coming out of the bathroom to the bedroom.
Shockingly, Slade is already there, backing the wall with his head thrown back, his eyes watching him through the lids.
"Grandson" he fretted, the small towel falling from his hand.
"You've probably felt Greg's death since you both are connected by the ritual" Slade said, lifting his body from the wall.
Grandpa Cedric shifted back immediately he saw the furious purple eyes.
"When I woke up some hours ago after my powers and memories got restored, my brain work sped up too, and while navigating the whole of Glennville in search of Light, I got several brainstorms which led me to conclude on you. Greg loves using the closest people to his target, but he already kept Stella under his spell. My father Timothy might be obsessed with money, but corruption is the one thing he'd never indulge in. He has a pure heart despite the fact that he says foolish things most of the time. Elijah only wants attention, Aimee is overprotective, and Uriel is fuçking loyal to me just like Onyx. That left me with just you" Slade said, walking to him.
His black cloak was dragging on the ground at each step, and Cedric shifted back again.
"Greg probably promised you long life and connected you to the longevity ritual, and Greg himself would need money to use with the long lifespan he stole from me, so you introduced him to the Kontrol production too as your right-hand man" Slade analyzed, scaring Cedric more.
Cedric shook with sudden flu, and he got sick with unplanned fever.
"You knew Light wasn't my cure but rather a facade to deceive everyone, and that's why you were overly kind to her. You knew you were gonna take my life, which is why you've been paying me weekly since I was a kid. You payed me from the Kontrol money, same money you made from killing the students of my university for experiments! Cedric!!!" He thundered, his rage stemming.
Cedric fell on the bed, shifting back on his butt.
"You knew all of Greg's plans, but you played along, deceiving everyone. You even sent guards to the school" Slade grinned, the tone chilling and scary.
Grandpa Cedric started crying slowly.
"I only wanted to live long. Greg told me we'd only take a little from your lifespan since you're a Monster. I didn't know he had plans to kill you. I was picking people from the streets for the Kontrol production before, but after I introduced him to it, he was the one who suggested using students for the experiment, and when I turned him down, he threatened me so I had no choice"
"Shut up!!!" Slade yelled, making Cedric almost enter the bed.
He cried harder, his robe dragging down his body.
"Now that I didn't die, and the ritual failed, what do you plan on doing?" Slade asked with a grave undertone.
"I...if you could forgive me, I promise to leave Glennville and never come back" Cedric shivered.
Slade smiled without any hint of humor, and Cedric screamed out in horror, the smile traumatizing him more than anything.
"I've got three black cards. The first one is for my personal hard-earned money from the real estate businesses I started with mother's savings back then. Second one is from father, and don't be surprised cos you're not the only one who payed me back then, father payed me monthly too. The third card is yours, containing the money you've been paying me since I was young are all stacked there, untouched." Slade said.
Grandpa Cedric gasped wordlessly.
"Every money I've been spending since young age either belonged to father, mother, or me myself. I never spent your money cos I never trusted your source, why did you think I stopped my Light from taking your bank card? I knew you had a secret, just wasn't expecting it to be this shit" Slade said.
Grandpa Cedric slipped from the bed to the ground, crying in surrender.
"And forgiveness? I'm allergic to that. You'll get what you dish out" Slade said, raising him up.
"You won't die. You'll live the life of all the students you've ever killed for your experiments, and everyday will be spent in sickness. You'll never be normal again. Your sickness will be mysterious without cure, and your tongue is frozen. You'll breath in hotness and pain! Your downfall will be collosal, Cedric Luther" Slade said, throwing him back down.
He walked out of the estate, leaving destruction and damnation in it's wake.
Grandpa Cedric could only cry without a word cos of his frozen tongue, and his mysterious sickness started immediately.
*
Slade took flight to the sky, flying his way to where he had kept Twilight.
He was already close to the Catholic when Greg cast the breeze spell earlier, so he saw Twilight getting carried.
He had taken her with his mind and transported her to a safe place in her Dreamland.
He landed in the Dreamland and found her under a peach tree, laying down peacefully with his fireflies surrounding her, protecting her.
He knelt beside her, bringing an hand to her hair as guilt nearly strangled him on the spot.
He couldn't protect the first one, and now the second one got defiled by another man.
Is he even competent?
Isn't he a curse to women at this point?
Why are they always getting destroyed whenever he gets close?
Why is he always too selfish to let go of them?
As he stroked her hair,, his eyes casted a purple glow on her.
Her eyes opened slowly, and his face hovered above her, a small smile beautifying it.
"Kils" she whispered.
"Light" he replied in a deeper whisper, and the speed at which she spranged up was insane.
She slid her arms around him quickly, hugging him like her airbag, her own.
"Sorry I came late. I'm sorry for letting you down" he muttered, wrapping her arms on her too while she cried on his neck.
"No. It's not your fault. It was destined to be like this" she muttered, tightening the hug with an head shake.
"I missed you, and it was hell without you" she sobbed.
"You know I'm nothing without you too. Nothing" he replied, and she broke the hug slowly.
"Tamlin, he...
"Don't say it. I know, and he's paying for it already" he cut her off.
"And you still see me the same way? I don't look ugly to you?" She muttered, her tears pouring again.
Slade brought his two hands to her face, cupping it delicately like an egg.
"Nothing has ever been as beautiful. You'll forever remain my Light, my life, too" he said, and she smiled so bright, hugging him again.
Slade carried her in his arms, walking out of the Dreamland with her.
"Let's go back to the attic. Let's go back home" he said, and she pushed her face to his chest, her real home.
*
Stella was breathless as the taxi went around in circles in Greg's street, searching for the cottage, but they can't find it.
"It was right here! Right here a cottage!" She argued with the driver.
"There was never a cottage in this area, I know what I'm talking about ma'am!" The driver argued back.
"Greg's cottage was here what are you saying! I need to find my fourth child please search again! I'm very sure" she pulled the driver from the back, and the man nearly lost control of the wheel.
"Ma'am calm down!" He shouted.
Timothy's car suddenly crossed the taxi in the front, plus several other cars containing the guards who's were chasing her.
Timothy took Stella out of the car and payed the taxi driver who immediately left.
"Timo I know what I'm talking about! Our fourth child is with evil Greg and his cottage was here!" She said, locking his shirt.
"There was never a cottage" Timothy replied calmly.
"What!" Her arms dropped.
"It's all an illusion" he went on.
"Then...then what about Rihannon?" She mumbled.
Timothy sighed, pulling her to a hug.
"Let's hope she'll survive"
*
SECRET HOUSE*
It's the same one White brought Owen to.
Owen suggested they came here, and Damien obliged.
Rihannon passed out before they could arrive, so she's currently asleep in bed.
Damien and Owen are beside her, and Damien is holding a shell which came out of Rihannon's chest during their journey here.
It's similar to the one Greg planted in Owen's chest, but the colour is brown this time.
"This one is probably a memory-storing shell. Greg had many of the shells for his dirty works" Owen said.
"Had?" Damien faced her.
"I feel it, Greg is gone. Purple Monster probably got to him" she replied.
"Purple Monster?" He blinked.
"You won't understand" she smiled, looking back at Rihannon.
"And don't blame her. She has been getting brainwashed since she was born. Everything she did isn't her fault" she said.
"I know" Damien replied.
The opening of Rihannon's eyes followed his words, and before any of them could talk again, the shell flew out of Damien's hand, staying midair where it released smokes.
In the middle of the smokes, a revelation came to view.
It's the birth of the four children, and how Greg was taking them out of Stella, one after the other.
Rihannon sat up in bed to have a better view.
Aimee was brought out first, then Elijah, then Slade.
He separated the three before bringing out the last female child whom he laughed at.
"You're my plan B, Rihannon Silver. Since I'm not destined to have a child, you'll be my child " he said, cleaning her up before hiding her
The revelation stopped there, and the shell vanished with the smokes
Damien and Owen turned their gazes to Rihannon who's already holding her head.
"No...it's unreal" she laughed crazily.
"It's not true. How could I be siblings with Slade and the rest? How am I a Luther? It's a prank, right? It's a joke!!" She got down from the bed, feeling so ordinary.
Every of her demonic powers are gone with Greg's core, and she feels weaker than normal.
"It's a lie!!! How could I possibly be? How could I!!! How!!!" She cried, going on her knees.
She supported her head with her two hands, screaming out...
"How!!!!"
Owen and Damien sighed out, watching her wallow in self-hate.
*
UOG, MORGUE*
Timothy held Stella securely, and they both met Elijah waiting by the door.
Elijah led them inside, taking them to where Aimee's body is laying lifelessly.
"Aimee" Stella sobbed, lifting the white clothe from Aimee's face.
"Aim..ee" Stella cried again, cradling her face.
"My sweet, sweet Aimee" she sniffled.
"You might be cold and heartless to others, but you've always taken care of me. Why did you leave me now when I came back to normal? Why?"
Timothy was crying behind her as she watched her sorrowing, and though Elijah's face is free of tears, he's obviously dying inside.
Slade came into the morgue, and when Stella saw him, she ran fast to him, hugging him damn tight.
"I'm sorry for going out that night. I'm sorry for craving for ice cream. I'm sorry for ruining your lives" she said regretfully.
"It's not your fault, mother. We were all under his spell" Slade replied, and she broke the hug to look up at him.
"Mother? You called me..
"Mother" he replied, and she hugged him again, her tears doubling.
"I love you so much, son. I love you. Even if you're a Monster who's older than me, at least I birthed you and carried you in my tummy. You're my son" she said.
Slade hugged her back, consoling her to the best of his ability.
"He can wake her, right?" Timothy asked Elijah concerning Aimee.
"Monsters don't have the ability to wake people. Monsters can only revenge or destroy. Waking people up with the rings is a trick Greg trapped us in, and now the rings are gone" Elijah explained.
Timothy nodded.
Slade broke the hug with Stella, and they both turned to look at Aimee's body.
"Rest in peace, troublemaker" Slade said, a sad smile on his face.
"What about Rihannon?" Stella asked.
"She's fine" Elijah and Slade chorused.
Timothy and Stella gave them confused look.
"We're connected by birth, and I think her demonic powers are gone, so we can feel her now" Elijah explained.
*
MIDDAY, REFECTORY*
Students are only just starting to come out since the chaos ended, though the school is not like it used to be.
Students are just waiting for the exams so they'd go home for the long break.
This semester has been a lot to take in.
Onyx is in the refectory, drowning herself in the intoxication of beer.
She's on the second can, but she's already so drunk.
Ruslan settled in front of her, resting back on his chair as he stared at her messy self.
"Hey... chicken nugget" she smiled drunkenly.
"Never seen you drinking before" he replied, and she sighed.
"It happens"
"Are you ok?" He shifted closer.
"I'm just...sad" she made red faces.
"I'm... drinking my fill now since we might not get to live long, and there's no beer in the afterlife. We might all die soon" she babbled.
"We? Who's we?" Ruslan asked curiously.
Onyx squinted with a drawl.
"Me, Twillie and Sladie." She sniffled.
"I can sniff death all-over. My speciality is to sniff evil, but this is the first time I sniff death, on the three of us" she muttered.
Ruslan's eyes widened.
"What!"
*
ATTIC*
The stabilized sounds of Twilight's breathings collided with Slade's heartbeats as they both lay in his bed, eyes wide open.
He's wearing one of his shirts that she has worn before, and she's wearing his hoodie, laying on his chest and listening to his heartbeats.
She has been laying there for more than two hours, and they've been in this position since they jointly had their bath.
"Is it that addictive?" He asked, kissing her hair repeatedly.
"Of course, it's the first time I heard your heartbeats. The Ice is finally broken completely" she replied, and he smiled, kissing her forehead this time.
"You broke it, baby" he said.
"Yeah. Aren't I a legend? What's my reward?" She replied.
"A good f+ck after all of these is over. I'm gonna knock out every memory of that bastard" he replied.
"There was never a memory of him, and I can't wait" she snuggled closer to him, threatening to enter his body.
"What's the next step about Rihannon?" She asked.
"I don't wanna talk about anything else but you tonight. I told you to write your future plans, where's the note?" He asked, and she lifted herself a bit, his arms still around her though.
"It's on your laptop. I sneaked it inside without your knowledge since I know your password. Who uses Tragedy as their password? Your phone password too is Sorrow, what the hell?" She grinned.
"They're both interesting" he replied with another smile.
"Duhh" she made faces, kissing his lips twice before getting down the bed.
"I'll go get the laptop, don't change position or I'll punish you" she glared.
"Yes ma'am" he smiled again, watching her do a little penguin run to get the laptop.
Immediately she took the laptop, her eyes widened, and a sudden memory stuck her.
MOONCLAN (The Day Twilight Was Sold)*
After The Emperor declared Twilight as SOLD, she was taken to the tattooist where she got the moonslave tattoo on her left shoulder.
While she got tattooed, The Emperor returned to his palace where he met Greg waiting.
"You're the one who came for the slave?" The Emperor asked, taking his seat on a skull chair.
The black flames are still roaming his face, concealing his identity.
"Yes, Your Grace. The slave is for Slade Luther, but not really for him" Greg explained.
"Elaborate" The Emperor said.
"I once heard about monster twins who were born to the Monster clan thousands of years ago, and judging by the fact that you're faceless, I'm suspecting that you're the faceless one among the twins" Greg said tactfully.
"You're right, I was banished from the Monster clan cos of it. My twin is dead though, he died in the hands of a Curse-Weaver, but instead of coming to me and merging his soul with mine so I'll gain full power, he's busy roaming the earth, looking for chances of rebirth" The Emperor said, his voice heavy with hate.
"What if I say I'm the Curse-Weaver who killed him, and what if I say he has currently been reborn, and the moonslave I came to buy is for him?" Greg smiled.
"Interesting" The Emperor sounded.
"I heard a monster's weakness is his heart, which is why their hearts are always frozen since birth. If a loved one melts the heart and stabs him directly in the heart, he'll die forever without any hope of rebirth" Greg said.
"And you think that twin brother of mine will fall in love again after what happened with Owen in his first life?" The Emperor snickered.
"He will, he's not with the first life memories presently" Greg said, and The Emperor spranged up.
The tattooists brought Twilight inside that same moment.
"Tattoo done, she's ready to leave for the human realm" they reported.
The Emperor climbed down his throne, waving an hand over Twilight's blind eyes.
Her eyes opened, and she gasped when she saw The Emperor.
She fell on her knees straight.
"You're not going to die like the others. You're going on a mission for me. Make your master fall in love with you, and stab him in the heart afterwards." He said.
Twilight looked up with another gasp.
"He's my twin, and we share our power in halves. He needs to die permanently for me to gain full power, and when he dies, you can continue living in the human realm with fine eyes, I won't drag you back here" The Emperor said.
Her eyes widened.
"Yes! Yes I'll do it! I will!" She desperately said.
The Emperor spread his palm, and a round token fell on it, red in colour.
"Drop your blood on it" he told her.
Twilight bit her finger, dropping her blood on it.
The token vanished, and she swallowed.
"You've just signed a blood pact. Three days after you get your full memories back, if you still fail to kill him, you'll die without symptoms, and your soul will come back here for eternal torture." He said.
Twilight bowed. "I understand"
"Leave!" The Emperor ordered, and Greg took her away from the clan.
BACK TO THE PRESENT*
The laptop fell from Twilight, and she staggered weakly.
Slade is already with her to catch her though, and he could feel the vehement shaking of her body against his own as he held her with mad worry in his eyes.
"Light!" He called her name, and she slowly looked up at his curious eyes.
"Light! Fuçking talk to me!" He demanded again, shaking her as he held her face.
Twilight couldn't talk.
So this is what Greg was talking about, the memory he told her he'd recover.
This is it, but it doesn't change anything though.
It's just sad that her days are numbered right now, cos there's no way she's killing the love of her life.
No damn way.
She'll just die after three days and go back to the moonclan to serve The Emperor's punishment.
Within her three last days, she'd do the things she has always wanted to do with him, and she'd spoil him with mad affection like never before.
She'd show him too much love before saying her goodbye on the third day.
He deserves to be alive with his remaining family members.
She's the one who needs to go back to where she came from. The moonclan.
This love story is bound to fail after all.
"Light!! I'm going insane here stop staring at me and say something!" Slade's impatient voice rippled through her thoughts again, and she smiled.
She has just three more days to see this handsome face.
After that, it'd be over.
She stood on her toes and kissed him with a big smile to conceal her sadness, then she hugged him.
"I'm fine, I just love you so much... Kils" she whispered, his addictive heartbeats echoing in her ears.
"My big baby" she muttered, hugging him tighter and hiding the tears brimming in her eyes corner.
TBC
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