The Ring

0025

It had been dusk now, as the day time had bled into the night beautifully, and exposed the dark blue sky. It was unlike the Vampiriclands, where the days were gray and the nights had been in complete darkness and fog. The sealands felt tropical, and warm. The type of warmth that reminded Chrissa of her home.

The forest had been in the distance far behind them, as they approached the cave. There were silver gates that had been opened ever so slightly, as darkness greeted them ahead.

"I say we stay together. Nobody splits up. We don't know what's in there."

Kandor laughed dryly at MIchael's order, "nonsense. We most certainly are splitting," he narrowed his eyes. "Chrissa with me, you with the other one."

Chrissa suddenly felt different. It was a surreal experience to see Michael not being hushed away with death. He'd been walking beside her. Suddenly, she took his hand and squeezed it. He looked over at her with a slightly confused expression but squeezed her hand back with a hidden smile. She wanted to kiss him. To tell him how much she was terrified when he was gone. But she didn't. She wasn't going to admit to him that she'd used the ring to reverse time just to save his life.
How desperate and hollow she felt when he had no longer been in her life. The emptiness and forlorn feeling that love had kissed her with when it left. It was Michael. It was always going to him, no matter what. She loved him.

"He's right," Chrissa cut him off. "We all stay together. No splitting up." Michael looked back at him smugly, and then back at Chrissa in hidden adoration.

***

When they approached the gates of the cavern, Chrissa took it upon herself to walk through them. "Where are you going?" Asked Mars from behind her.

The gate had been opened slightly, and Chrissa knew if they were quick now, the Seadroids wouldn't have caught up with them.
"Just follow me," she said. "We must all be quiet." There was determination in her voice. The type of certainty that came to you after studying for a test. She'd seen life leave Michael's eyes, and she wasn't going to risk messing up her second chance.

There was the stillness of reluctance that stained the air, but eventually they'd followed Chrissa as she entered the gate swiftly. She walked with quiet footsteps, and ordered the rest of them to do the same as they approached a dark hall with a mossy scent. It was thick, sweet, and smelt of salt water.

"Leadership looks cute on you," Michael said to her in a low tone, a smile resting on his lips. He laced their fingers, and kissed their hands.

Chrissa looked up at him through her eyelashes, "don't go anywhere, okay?" She muttered, with passion in her eyes. "I...I don't wish for a break anymore."

He had a hidden smile against his lips. "Your wish is granted."

***

As they'd gotten deeper into the cave, Michael and Mars had been whispering about something which awakened the silence between her and Kandor. A slight twitch of jealousy ran over her mind as she glanced back at him, and saw the two of them share silent laughter. She found it annoying how she saved his life, yet he'd never know. In another timeline, he'd been dead.

"You'd make for a marvelous Vampire queen," Kandor commented, and broke her from her thoughts. His voice had been slightly comforting, she thought to herself. Just seconds ago, she'd said the worst things imaginable to him, and had lost him forever. And there she was, walking next to him as if things were fine. But were they? Would they ever be?

She rolled her eyes, and looked at him. "I never wanted this. Any of it."

"I'd prefer if you did," he said, as he turned ever so quickly, and gazed into the dark of her eyes. "You know I'll take care of you," he said with a low voice.

Her mind flashed to the reality before, and how she told him to take his own life out of anger. Guilt washed over her. She wanted to apologize, but this version of him would never know the wrath of such words from her. Chrissa remembered the brokenness on his face when she yelled at him. How it felt to lose him. How his abstenue stung her, and how she told him to take his own life out of anger.

"Perhaps I'm flattered at your offer, but I imagine you have women throwing themselves at you. Why me?" She muttered. Kandor looked as if he wanted to say something more, but held his tongue. So he turned away. "And I'm no queen. Why me?" Chrissa joked.

"I think you're the most beautiful woman in all of the Mystic World," he said in a low voice. Chrissa looked away from him, as her heart fluttered.
Kandor smirked to himself slightly, as he looked at her with a mix of passion and intensity.  "And you know why, princess."

She suppressed her sudden emotions. "I-i'm ready for no such thing," she said sheepishly. "You should want someone who knows what they're doing."

"Sometimes we must face the music," he murmured. His hands rested on the top of his silver belt, with his dagger secured safely by his thigh. His back was straight, ready for chaos. He walked like a true King. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Chrissa shook her head, and smiled again so quickly that it disappeared in the same second. Her mind suddenly went to the night of the manor house party, when she met him for the third time.  "What do you know about music? You can't even dance."

"There's nothing I can't do."

He didn't say anything else.

Chrissa was about to tell him something, when her eyes caught notice of a wall. They'd reached the end of the cave.

"This doesn't make sense," Mars commented. "Why have fancy silver gates that lead to...well, nothing?"

The dark haired boy narrowed his eyes as he walked past the group, and up to the wall. He pressed his hands against it, and then his ear.
"Woah," he said to himself in a low tone. He heard muffled screams. Suddenly, he felt the presence of Chrissa close to him, as she grasped the back of his arm lightly.  "Michael, what is it?"

But as soon as he could respond, the stones of the wall began to separate. An unseen force had pried the bricks apart, as the ground began to tremble. Michael had stepped protectively in front of Chrissa, and Kandor in front of Mars as they saw they were met with the unthinkable.

The princess unraveled herself from Michael, as she saw a tall light haired man with a devious smile greet her. Only, he looked so different compared to her. His skin was healthy, fleshy, full of life. There was a soul in the light of his eyes. Chrissa's skin tone had been washed out, her eyes the darkest shade, the curls of her hair lifeless—Vampirism had completely taken over. She was almost embarrassed to see him again. Part of her liked to think he never existed, but there he stood, in front of all of them.

More importantly, Kandor's eyes gazed at him dark with malice as he curled his lip.

Stephen smirked. "Hello, brother."