wait for me [illumi zoldyck]

58. Time Has Come

Mia

Any grief I previously held dissipates as my feet meet the ground in the mortal realm.

Along with the whistling wind, and the enormous trees, a small cottage greets Cyrus and I, in the far distance. It rests behind a canopy of greenery, concealed by the natural security of the forest. Other than the building, there is no other sign of human life in the vicinity. Anyone could easily think this place to be untouched by humans. 

Beside me, Cyrus is dusting off his pants, completely unfazed at the sight before us. However, despite his lack of reaction, his demeanor is different from how I remember it being when we first met. Back then, in the cave, he seemed to be almost tense. With the knowledge I have now, I assume he was nervous to meet me, but then I assumed he was hostile. Now, I feel oddly comfortable by his side now, despite not know much about him.

Suddenly, a flash of red sails past us, from up above. I startle at the sudden movement, eyes fixating on the scarlet blur. I almost immediately come to realize that it is a bird. Its long flaming feathers beat against the wind, drifting towards the home, in the distance.

I feel a hand tug my own, leading me in the same direction as the bird. I take a fleeting glance towards Cyrus and immediately note the confused panic on his face. Just like I was moments ago, he watches the bird, brows coming together in deep thought.

I wonder if perhaps he has never seen a bird so beautiful during his long life. Or, perhaps it is something else.

By the time I look back, I lose sight of the bird. However, as the cottage comes nearer and nearer, I spot it perched on the railing of the wooden porch. It watches us intently, as though it were human. As though, it can understand everything we do and say.

Only as we near the cottage, I notice a number of plum trees that are in full bloom, painting ‌an‌ ‌impressive‌ ‌scenery‌ ‌of‌ ‌flowing‌ ‌colors ‌amongst‌ ‌a‌ ‌sea‌ ‌of‌ ‌blossoms. I am taken aback by the sheer beauty of the forest that surrounds us.

"The bird, and trees- Everything is so beautiful here. It's like magic," I think out loud, eyes roving over the pink trees. Before us, a beaten path forms on the ground, leading us towards the entrance of the house.

Cyrus does not react to my words, as we traverse over a laid-out path on the ground. Instead, his gaze is fixated on the scarlet bird which rests perched near the entrance to the cottage.

"Everything that you see here is all controlled by my magic," he says, glancing back at me. I rush over to his side, realizing that I've been lagging behind him, distracted. "The forest before you is concealed with from the outside world. I brought Rene here from Kyser's territory to protect her from the Creator."

He continues, "I control everything that comes and goes from here... Which is why it is odd to me that such a creature was able to enter without my knowing about it."

I hold my breath, feeling all of my blood drain from my fingers and rush towards my heart as it beats loudly in my chest.

Having been preoccupied with the beauty of the island, I momentarily forgot the reason why we were even here, to begin with. In fact, I completely disregarded the ethereality and otherworldliness of the red creature which entered the scene moments ago. Cyrus's words bring me back to reality.

The Creator will be looking for me. Unless he has already found me. And that bird is anything but normal. Which can only mean one thing.

"Stand behind me, quickly."

Cyrus orders, holding his ground.

In an instant, the ruby feathered bird near the house begins to distort and break apart. Flesh tears, staining the wooden porch that matches the color of its feathers. Its meter-long wings morph into a pair of arms, and its clawed feet grow into legs. Within a matter of seconds, it has transformed into a tall figure of a man. Beneath his feet, where he stands, is riddled with torn flesh and feathers. Yet there's is no trace of gore on his self, as he stands tall, facing us.

It is the first time I have ever seen this man, yet I don't need to ask to know that this is the almighty Creator.

I move to stand behind Cyrus, who slightly holds out his arm protectively. His face is hard and expressionless, eyes never straying from the empyrean being in the distance.

"How were you able to break through my barrier?" Cyrus seethes. His tone sends shivers down my spine, despite knowing that his anger is not directed towards me.

A low chuckle emanates from the being, just ahead. He does not say anything, taking steps towards us off of the wooden deck. His pristine black shoes step into the middle fleas and bone on the floor, cracking the bones in half. The sound almost seems to echo, as the forest grows quiet.

The Creator trails his finger against the railing as he leisurely makes his way down the steps and onto the grass. Behind him, he leaves a trail of bloodied footprints, each step a dark red print.

Cyrus awaits patiently for his reply, not moving from where he stands, in front of me. I am grateful for his large build, which does well to hide me.

"There was nothing to breakthrough, in the first place, child."

The Creator speaks. His voice is odd, flowing with an accent I've never heard before. The tone he speaks in is neither feminine nor masculine.

He continues, "You deluded yourself, thinking that you had attained enough power to hide your family from me. The truth is that I've been allowing you to play house, on this island, letting you believe that you had fooled me. In reality, your time spent here has been nothing but the product of my neglectfulness"

A low growl emanates from Cyrus, making him seem more animal than human. I wince, but don't move from behind him. My hand reaches out, holding onto the back of his jacket tightly.

I'm afraid.

Where is Rene? Where is Illumi? Has the Creator killed them? I fear that all of our assumptions were false and that we have walked right into a trap. Perhaps this was all orchestrated to finally get rid of us. 

Is this my punishment for trying to escape Hell?

"What pretty thoughts you have," the Creator speaks out once more. Although, this time, I can tell that they are directed towards me.

I slowly peek out from behind Cyrus, risking a look at the being who now stands just a few meters away. He watches me intently, eyes filling with amusement as we lock gazes. The aura around him is utterly sickening. It surrounds everything and everyone, flowing out of him in dangerous waves.

"What have you done with Rene and Illumi?" Cyrus questions, tone controlled. He is angry, I can tell, yet he hides it well. 

My grip on his shirt tightens. I am thankful that he asked the question I was too afraid to muster.

"They are alive and well, but not here. I have taken them elsewhere, for the time being, until I settle things."

The Creator hums, clasping his hands together in a way that almost seems cheerful. He makes me feel sick to my stomach.

I hope they are both alright. There is no place, other than the immortal realm, where I can imagine that he has taken them to. Who knows what realm they must be in. Surely there are more than I am aware of.

"Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" the Creator's gaze snaps to me. "I have come for the girl. We have some important matters to discuss. The fate of your family now rests with her."

++

This story is slowly wrapping up and coming to an end! The big moment is here. Next chapter we'll all finally get to see the long-awaited discussion between Mia and the Creator.

- What do you guys think the Creator did with Rene and Illumi?

- What do you think the Creator will talk to Mia about??

- Any predictions of what's to come?

- Did you all enjoy this chapter? 

Don't forget to comment and share your thoughts. I read each and every one of your comments, even if I do not get to reply to all of them. They motivate me to continue writing, so feel free to let me know what you think!

zacarak