Sometimes It's Even Darker

Chapter 17 - Breathe And Sleep Tight

It's so hard to abstain from screaming when Aethrnia takes the first sip of her beloved hyperitum brew. Tobi clenches his teeth as hard as he can but it doesn't help him at all.
„What the fuck” he thinks with anger „Be a man and face the situation!”
It wasn't hard to steal this little bottle from the drawer. Tobi did it simply, without problems. It took him two days to find the perfect opportunity to do what he had planned. Just three drops when she wasn't watching.
- Tobi? What is wrong with you recently? - sha asks a bit confused, piercing him with her blue glance.
He doesn't answer. He observes as her muscles tense suddenly and her eyes become more faraway with every single second. She catches breath furiously and her hands clench desperately on a tabletop.
- You motherfucker – she whispers almost without sound – I trusted you...
A few seconds later she falls on a floor with a thud. She looks so innocent and defenseless that Tobi is about to cry. He picks her body up and puts it gently on their bed. He enshrouds her with black blanket under which they were cuddling so often.
He kisses her forehead for the last time.
It's impossible to say anything in this moment because only silence still holds tears in Tobi's eyes. But he knows he can't leave without saying goodbye so he goes to her room. After having done this to her he totally broke down and he has to use the full power of his will to prevent his hands from shaking.
He finds paints and brushes. They lie on a chair, as always. The canvas stand on easel and it isn't touched with a brush yet.
„She wanted to paint something today” he thinks „Another chapter for her dark story...”
While trying to confine his emotions inside of him he takes the black paint and the smallest brush.
He starts to write the letter on her canvas.
„Dear Aethie,
I am the worst bastard on Earth, I know. But I have no good choice this time. I want you to know – no matter what happens and no matter where I am – you are very special to me. And you will remain forever. Don't worry, noone will know about you and I promise to take all your secrets with me to my grave. I hope you will be sound. I wouldn't stand it if anything bad happened to you. Calm down, Aethie, I won't return anymore. You can feel safe from now on because noone will hurt you here.”
Tobi stops for a while to subdue the strong wave of despair and  remorse.
„But the ghostlights have gone. This is the only light in the darkness” he thinks.
Then he writes the last words:
„I will hold you in my heart forevermore, my angel.”
This is the moment in which emotions become too strong. Tobi flounces out from Aethernia's house without looking at her sleeping body. He only shuts the door with a loud crash. He knows he must run fast, otherwise he would change his mind.

***

Aethernia wakes up. Even when she slept she KNEW what was going on around her. When she opens her eyes she darts rapidly. She falls on the floor but manages to stand on her own feet, not caring about strong headache.
„He did it. He did it to me” - these are her only thoughts.
Ghostlights appear suddenly. They rampage around her with an erratic rage but this time they don't attack her.
They are hungry. And they want him.
Aethernia doesn't wonder. She opens front door and runs through the forest, leaving her house behind.
Ghostlights follow her as her faithful servants.