ALL - Book 1

𝟑𝟒 - A Tense Reunion

♉︎ Teva ♉︎
"TEVA!"

Jerking my head to glance over my shoulder, a torrent of memories crashing into my mind, overwhelming me like a tidal wave. My body shifts and twists as it begins the process to turn back into a human. I wanted Shivani to see me as human one last time. To look upon this face that she told so many times that she loved before, which she ultimately, in the end, decided to carve her betrayal into it.  Roaring amidst the excruciating transformation, suppressing the impulse to cry out, and refusing her the gratification of relishing in my anguish once more. Each breath is taken with labor and ragged. Mustering the strength to rise from the ground. No longer concerning myself with appearances, fully aware that I am exposed and vulnerable in front of her and Velia. "You, you have quite the nerve to venture this far just to find me." A faint chuckle slipping past my lips, but it was abruptly stifled before it could fully materialize. The tension in the air was palpable, and any display of levity seemed out of place amidst our confrontation.

My voice dropping to a lower octave. "Can't believe I'm going to ask you this but tell me." Initially, my gaze is focused on the ground. However, a sudden shift occurred, and my eyes were irresistibly drawn upwards, locking onto her presence with an intensity that mirrored my curiosity and annoyance to seeing her again. "Are you truly standing there in front of me? Because there have been countless other times when I thought you were there, but afterward when I had "killed you." I see the bodies I've torn apart, and it turns out they weren't you." A low, primal growl coming from the depths of my being, barely audible but filled with a raw, untamed energy. It was a sound that conveyed a mix of frustration, anger, and defiance, simmering just below the surface, struggling to contain my emotions. "Could you imagine the disappointment after realizing that?" A sinister smile stretching across my face, the corners of my lips curling upward in a display of twisted delight. But within the shadows of that grin, a storm of rage and bitter hatred sparks, being fueled by a deep-seated desire for revenge. The hunger to unleash my fury and inflict pain upon her grew stronger with every passing moment, consuming my thoughts and blurring the line between pleasure and vengeance.

♏︎ Shivani ♏︎
Her burning desire to end my life left me breathless, as a searing agony engulfes my chest. Nibbling on the tender flesh inside my cheek, struggling to find the right words to reply. I knew deep down that her resentment towards me would linger, but hearing her utter those words amplified the stark reality. I had naively hoped to rekindle our bond in some small way, but the tension etched on her face and the rigidness of her body shattered that once-promising notion.

"Does the wolf have your tongue?" She draws closer, making fun of my silence. Though I wanted to express my anger for being spoken to the way she did, the sight of her standing there caused it to instantly dissipate.

"Sister!" In the midst of the unstable tension between Teva and myself, the thief's boisterous and grating voice rudely interrupts the moment. "I missed you so much!" Happily, the thief sprints towards his sibling, unaware of the impending danger. However, as he approaches, Teva's instinctual ferocity took over, and she snarls, baring her sharp teeth. The sudden display of aggression causing the thief to come to a screeching halt, frozen in fear. "Teva?" Her semi-expected and fierce response to seeing him elicits a whimper of surprise from the thief. He takes a step back, his eyes widening as he realizes the intensity of Teva's reaction. The once-happy expression on his face fading, replacing by a mixture of confusion and unease. "Why are you snapping at me?"

Teva scoffs. "I see you have been completely tamed. Did Orenda get sick of you and so..." Her eyes fell back to me. "You found yourself a new mistress?" In an instant, he abruptly recoils as if deeply wounded by that remark. Yet, to my utter surprise, my assumption couldn't have been more off-base, for he promptly erupts into a fit of laughter. Velia, feeling a sense of unease, clumsily maneuvers along the wall, putting distance between herself and the corpse. With utmost caution, she navigates past Teva, who remains engrossed in glaring to her brother. As he continues speaking, his gaze remains locked on Teva, but he gestures towards me by pointing his thumb in my direction over his shoulder. It's as if he wants to draw attention to my presence without diverting his focus from Teva. "You think, Shivani... Shivani, the one who's been treating me like a dog this whole time, is my new master!? BAHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious!"