10 minutes after Richard's death.
The Reaper's building sets ablaze when Hope and Ryder escaped for their life. Ryder who still feels dizzy is assisted by Hope when a gunshot was suddenly heard. When they looked behind, Meditrina was standing there with her eyes wide open. A bang was heard once again, another bullet let out, then Ina suddenly fell into her knees while blood gushed out of her mouth.
"Hope! I am sorry for what happened to your father..." she breathed hard, "and to... Mom! I'm so-sorry, Sis! I...was...pro..." her eyes are about to close. "I was protecting you!" She took a deep breath and nothing followed.
Ryder took an envelope in Meditrina's hand while Hope cried in sorrow and disbelief. Hope looked at Meditrina's pocket to find a bottle of the "Miracle" which she uses to heal people. She immediately let Ryder took a sip when she found it then also poured some into Meditrina's mouth.
"Why isn't it working?! Wake-up! Are you really... my half-sister?! MEDITRINA!" said Hope.
The potion took effect, but only to Ryder. Meditrina never breathed again.
Ryder looked at the envelope and remembered what Meditrina once said, "Not only is there a snake in your group, but a two-face. Disguising as an ally but actually a foe!"
He opened the envelope and it is what he thought it would be for. Written in the letter was:
You are invited to the ninth circle of hell...
Ryder saw the name of the person that he was expecting, then he looked at the back of the envelope, written was "Treachery". Ryder thought that Meditrina's letters are based from Dante' Alighiere's Inferno.
"Who did it?! Is it Gavin who did not go? Is it either Darwin or Maya who disappeared? Tell me Ryder!" Hope asked both out of anger and sorrow.
Ryder then heard Logan, Lazaro, and Rico coming out so he told them to gather the others to escape, while he went in to the palace where all of the cult members are assembled. He went away, then Logan, Lazaro, and Rico came next, pulling Hope away from Meditrina.
"Leave her already. Hope! You'll die if you stay here, let's go!" said Logan.
They escaped, leaving members of the Reaper inside the building.
The people who lived their own heaven now faces hell on earth, an inferno. The blazing fire devours the building and those inside it. It is certain that those who are left in that lair will never survive.
Hope and the other member who was just able to escape Reaper's lair before it gets fully devoured looked at the palace in front of them.
Hope wiped her tears and stood up.
***
Many years ago, when Hope was five years old.
"Mom, do I have a sister? I saw this picture of you carrying a baby but it does not look like me," Hope asked.
"YOU NAUGHTY CHILD! Who told you to touch my things?!" Miranda replied before she started beating Hope.
Arthuro who just came home witnesses what Miranda had been doing and finds out about the picture. From that day on, Miranda started to treat Hope worse than she already did.
***
Present time, outside Reaper's lair.
"Let's end this! We'll fight fire with fire!" Hope said before running towards the palace.
YOU ARE READING
SEVEN: Cursed Souls
Mystery / ThrillerCOMPLETE Sins are like curses that leeches on its host until all life remaining becomes a rotten vessel. Ryder knew these sins well and have seen how it ended lives. His clairvoyance never led him successful on saving the lives of people he dreams o...
