An Ember That Burns Out

Chapter 17: Alone

Liliana sitting in the rain, her tears mixed with it. Victor was no where to be found, not a trace of him left behind. He wouldn't answer her calls or her texts. She wasn't going to stop looking for Victor no matter what it took. She knew she still had to keep up with her work on her company but, finding Victor was more important to her than even her own business. Ever since Victor came into her life he made everything better for her, even his scolding or name calling didn't faze her. "Liliana?" She slowly stood up, tired, and hungry she slowly began to walk falling into the mud. She heard someone running up to her.
"Liliana!" Liliana picked herself up and looked behind her.
"Lucien..?" Lucien ran up to her and knelt down beside her and picked her up.
"What are you doing out here so late? Especially in this rain, we should get you home.." Lucien was slowly picking her up.
Liliana was shaking her head, her heart racing in her chest. "No, I have to find Victor.."
Lucien looked into Liliana's face and seen she had been crying, some splotches of mud on her face and had a sad look in his eyes. "Don't you think Victor would want you to be at home, safe, and sound. Waiting for him?"
Liliana nodded her head. "I understand but, I need to find him Lucien!" Liliana began to cry again.
Lucien still looking at Liliana with sadness in his eyes he picked her up in his arms. "Come on, let's take you back to my place and get you cleaned up."
Liliana began to cry more. "No, Lucien! I need to find him!"
Lucien held her in his arms, the sweet girl that always had a smile on her face was crying again. Why was she crying over him. Why would he make this sweet precious girl cry. Lucien held her head against his chest, walking back to the city.

Lucien opened the door to his apartment, walking inside with Liliana in his arms. He placed her gently down on his couch, not caring at all that she was wet and had mud on her. "I'll go run you a hot bath, okay?" Liliana was staring off into the distance. It wasn't the fact that she was in shock, it was more of the fact Victor was gone and she had no idea what to do.
She nodded her head at Lucien, still lost in her thoughts of what to do. She looked down at her wrist and looked at the charm Victor gave her. Holding the necklace Victor gave her she began to cry again. "Take off your jacket and shoes, I got you a change of clothes sitting on the counter in the bathroom. I'll wash your clothes afterwards, okay?"
Liliana nodded her head, taking off her jacket and shoes. She stood up and walked to Lucien's bathroom closing the door behind her. She got undressed and sat in the bathtub bringing her knees up to her chest. 'Where are you, Victor?' She started to cry again deep in her thoughts. She touched her neck wishing to feel Victor's kisses on the back of her neck, his voice and soft whispers tickling her ear. 'I could see it as him going on some kind of business trip but.. He's gone, just vanished...'

Liliana came out of the bathroom wearing one of Lucien's large t-shirts, her eyes puffy from crying. Lucien grabbed Liliana's clothes off of the floor and took them to the washing machine along with her jacket. After he was done loading her clothes in the washing machine he decided he would make a cup of hot tea for the both of them. Regardless of what time it was she needed someone. She wouldn't tell anyone she needed anything but she couldn't always do everything alone. "So, tell me why were you out in the rain?"
Liliana sitting in Lucien's couch she looked down towards the floor. "I was looking for Victor.."
Lucien started the boiling process of the water for the tea. "Why? Did you two break up?"
Liliana shook her head. "No, he went to the office earlier today. Just to do a little bit of work, and that was at 1:30pm.. We were suppose to go see my Memaw but... He's just gone.."
Lucien walked back to the living and sat down next to Liliana. He could see fresh tears sitting on the bottom of Liliana's eyelid. He brought his finger up and wiped away her tears, pulling Liliana into his arms he held her tightly. "Lucien, where is he?" Liliana began to cry again.
Liliana felt lost, alone without Victor. "We may have only started dating a few months ago.. But, I waited so long for Victor... Lucien, what should I do?"
Lucien sighed holding her tightly in his arms. "Well, we can't do anything about it tonight. Why don't we go get some sleep and we can look for him tomorrow morning."
Liliana jerked her head up, her eyes red, tears still streaming down her face. "Shh, come on. Lets get you to bed."
Lucien picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, placing her gently down on the bed. "It's okay, I'll be sleeping in the living room. If there is anything you need, ask. Okay?"
Liliana nodded her head tucking herself in. "Good night, Liliana."
Liliana halfheartedly smiled and rolled to her side, Lucien shutting the door behind him as tears filled Liliana's eyes and began to stream down her face. Tears dropping to the pillow.

Lucien sat down on his couch resting his head on his hands. A figure in a black cloak appeared out of a black hole. "Ares, why are you helping this girl? You are letting your feelings get to you again."
Ares stood up and walked to the window looking outside as the rain still coming down. "Everything is going according to plan. Her body guard has disappeared. Things will be coming ahead tomorrow."
The dark figure in a black cloak nodded his head. "Don't keep him waiting, he doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Ares cold, violet eyes glistening in the night sky. "I know."

Victor stepped out of the black hole that appeared in the middle of a town square. The future of Loveland City. LFG still stood in the middle of Loveland City, he walked onto the side walk bumping into people walking down the side walk. 'How do I get out of here?' Victor thought to himself. Still walking down the side walk, he noticed a billboard in the middle of the city with Liliana's face plastered on it. 'Well, I see her business boomed..' Victor came across a hotel got a room under a different name. As he got on the elevator he sighed, lost in a new world of Loveland City. When he arrived to his room he sat on the bed looking out the window, pulling out his pocket watch it was still ticking. As he was looking at the watch the face of it began to glow and dark yellow, he could hear crying. "Where is he?" Victor knew who's voice that was.
"Liliana. Hey Liliana, can you hear me?" Victor talked to the watch still holding it in his hands. He wasn't sure how this was possible but he was able to hear her in the past.
""We may have only started dating a few months ago.. But, I waited so long for Victor... Lucien, what should I do?" Victor furrowed his eyebrows. 'Lucien? What is she doing with him?' Victor thought to himself.
The conversation cutting in and out, finally picking back up. ""It's okay, I'll be sleeping in the living room. If there is anything you need, ask. Okay?"
'At least they aren't going to sleep in the same bed.' Victor thought to himself.
"Good night, Liliana." Victor heard a door closed, then silence but he could now hear Liliana crying. Pulling at his heart, wishing he shouldn't walked through the black hole but now there was no going back. He had to figure out a way to get home, to get back to her. "Victor, where are you?"
"Liliana! I'm right here!" Victor shouted into the watch.
Nothing, her crying still heard from the watch as it began to die. "Victor, where ever you are.. I'll find you." Silence fell throughout the room. Victor now crying silent tears, alone in a future without Liliana by his side.