Crystallized Truth

Chapter 24 - Killer Power

"We'll kill each other before anyone else can." Ava said exasperated.

Ashley raised his head from the screen. Ava sat in dining table, frustration clouding her face.

"Why are you so worked out, Ava?" Ethan asked buttering his toast in leisure.

Ashley turned to Archie who laid on the coach. He had hoped Archie would say something. It was Ava talking, his girlfriend. But Archie showed no reaction much to Ashley confusion.

Amelia too showed no attention and acted to be busy in her photography devices.

Ashley shook his head. These two friends.

"We need to keep aside our differences and check our progress on Azaad. If we don't, anything can happen to anyone." Ava said, solemnly.

No one cared it seemed. Except for Ethan who had slowed on his lunch. Ashley shut his smartphone and sat up straight.

"Ava is right. We can fight all we want but at least it shouldn't hinder us from exchanging information." Ashley said, loud and clear to people who were ignoring Ava.

What was Archie deal?

"C'mon everyone, gather around." Ashley said, jumping down from the coach and kicking Archie down.

Archie glared him but Ashley glared him back with double intensity.

Ashley arranged the chairs and coach in hall. He was getting tired of moving coaches two to three times in a day but no one was going to listen to his complains.

Sighing, Ashley slumped on coach and watched as everyone gathered, sitting down on his arranged seats.

What did they think he is? Ashley grumbled but said nothing. He cared for information than his problems at the moment.

"What did you find in diary?" Ethan asked.

Ava looked down, diary held tightly in her lap.

Ashley narrowed his eyes when she didn't answer. She was the one going hyper.

"Why are you so silent, Ava?" Ashley asked.

Ava looked away with uncertainty.

"This diary..." Ava said keeping it on table.

"What was written in it?" Ethan asked.

"It is... Kinda emotions of Khushi Azaad. Her years of loneliness." Ava paused.

That didn't make sense. Was she confused?

"Just tell us whatever is written in it. We'll go for theories later. Step by step, okay?" Ashley said, hoping she would be more clear.

Ava nodded, visibly relieved.

"It's mostly her pain but among those emotions she wrote a few things that I'll tell in short." Ava said and Ashley gave her encouraging nod.

"It dates many years back. A time when elders were young." Ava gave the preamble. "And just so you guys know Khushi wrote it much like letters to Arnav."

And then Ava started the macabre tale of Azaad fight against Demonio that Khushi described as evil; A mind boggling escape from a crumbling Castle where Arnav left Khushi hand, their escape to Dehradun and their struggle to hide the truth about Arnav, Arav hatred for Arnav and a sudden warning that was heard by Khushi decades later which changed the prospect of Arnav and Demonio's death.

"In the end, Khushi vowed to take revenge on Demonio and save Arnav from his clutches." Ava exhaled, dropped her head in hands.

"There were no entries after that." Ava said, tired of the long narrative despite her attempt to shorten it.