Under My Skin

Chapter Thirty Two

Third Persons POV ~
"Man in the darkness"

With no sleep, no preparation, and no time Kieran had to finish the last challenge of the triwizard tournament in one hour. He was sat in the Slytherins common room.

Twisting his wand in his fingers as he stared into the raging fire. The door of the common room opened and shut. Revealing Ember standing there.

In slow strides she sat beside Kieran on the leather sofa. "I have a bad feeling about this challenge Kieran." She muttered to him. His attention immediately set on her.

Eyes glistening with love and admiration.
Hers filled with fear and uncertainty.

"You've been reading the papers too much. What happened to Cedric Diggory won't happen again." He tried to ease the girls worries. His hand taking hers as they interlaced their fingers. She didn't speak again. Ember was too occupied in her thoughts and prayers.

"I love you Ember." He spoke in a low but audible voice. Her heart skipped a beat. And her brain rushed. They stared into eachothers eyes yet again. "Do you love me?" He wondered.

"I think...I can love you." She admitted. "You think you can?" Kierans jaw locked. "It's either you do or you don't Ember." He mumbled in an annoyed tone. "You broke our trust. I cant love a man who's broken my trust." Kierans heart shattered to pieces.

"How many times am I going to have to apologize for that?" It came out in an unamused chuckle. It infuriated the girl sitting beside him. "Everyone I've ever loved is dead Kieran. It's better this way." It's better this way? It's better this way.

It's all that repeated in his mind. "I'm gonna go. They'll be looking for me soon." He stood not even looking back at Ember as he began to walk towards the exit. "Don't leave things like this Kieran." She called out to him.

He stopped.
He looked down at the ground.
He walked out of the common room.

She stood there.
She felt the fear spread through her.
She gave up.

Ember knew what their love would be. She only wished he would see how she did. Their love was a petal that would never turn into a flower. "You aren't going to chase after him?" The sudden voice making her jump. This wasn't a girl she recognized. A complete stranger that appeared from the darkness now looking down at the girl in confusion.

"No, it would only make matters worse." Ember quizzically replied. "Interesting..." The stranger rounded the sofa and took a seat across from the Ember. Crossing her legs as she leaned forward. "Who are you?" Ember questioned the girl.

"Alya." She simply responded. "Do you attend Hogwarts?" It was the obvious question. "No, but I will." Why was she here then?

"He has his mothers eyes." She continued. "Who?" Ember wondered, lips pursed. "Kieran, he has his mothers eyes." With that she stood and walked away. Leaving Ember stunned and confused. So very confused.

She didn't have to time to contemplate what had just happened before her friends were rushing into the common room to find her. The last trial was about to start. So she was grabbed and forced to stand in the bleachers.

Kieran knew she was there.
Ember knew he saw her.

He didn't look.
But she stared.

The horns blew and the contestants ran into the maze. The same maze that killed Cedric Diggory. The same maze that would also kill Kieran Riddle. No so much the maze itself, but the man who waited there. In vengeance. Minutes went by.

"Why do they insist to use a maze as the last trial. We can't see them!" Scorpius complained. "Shush!" Astoria Malfoy silenced her son. Scorpius was right of course.

But they could now see the lights erupting from the maze. The faint smell of smoke hitting Embers nose. "Athalia..." Ember said in a fearful tone.

The they saw the fire from far back in the maze. "Athalia." She repeated as she gripped her friends wrist. "Holy shit...it's okay he'll be fine." She reassured.

Screams.
She heard screams erupt from the forest.
Male screams.
Kieran's screams.

"Athalia!" Ember repeated. In seconds everyone went into panic mode. The fire spreading quickly and only coming closer. "Students stay back!" Headmistress McGonagall instructed them.

Screams for help.

Olivia Dumont and Baron Barboza falling to their knees as they got out of the maze. "My sons still in there!" Mattheo Riddle hollered as teachers held the grown man back. "You must stay out Mattheo!" McGonagall pleaded with the man.

"Ember no." Lilah told her when she saw the look on her face. With that Ember broke out in a sprint. "EMBER NO!" Lilah repeated in desperate pleas.

Ember ran into the maze as multiple people screamed for her to stop. She ignored them. The smoke surrounding the maze. "KIERAN!" She yelled out to find him. No response. She ran further into the maze.

Dead ends and smoke was all she was met with. She began to cough from the fire and smoke now surrounding her. "KIERAN!" She screamed out again.

"EMBER!" She heard not far away. She jogged towards the voice. Finally finding Kieran. He was lying on the ground on his back.

Coughing.
Coughing and bleeding.

He had a stab wound on his side. His hand applying pressure to the deep gash. Ember dropped to her knees beside him. Trying to help him stand. But she wasn't strong enough and they were too busy trying to breath.

"Ember you have to get out of here!" Kieran advised her as he looked at their surrounding. Fire was everywhere. "No I'm not leaving you!" She argued in defiance. "Ember I'm gonna die. You know it—Ah!—I know it." The wound was too deep. He was bleeding out.

"This is why I couldn't say it..." Tears dripped from her eyes and onto her cheeks. "Everything has an end Kieran..." It was the truth. "Even love?" His eyes closing as he laid his head back.

"Especially love." Her hands rested on his wound to keep pressure on it. "Kieran?" She muttered. No response. "Kieran!" She yelled louder. Coughing and inhaling more smoke.

"Please....PLEASE!" She begged him to not go. She sobbed for him not to leave her. She couldn't take it anymore. The smoke had possessed her fully now.

She weakly fell on top of Kieran's chest. Palms pressed to his chest. Her eyes closing as she grew weak. Muscles relaxing knowing she was in the arms of the man she loved. This was the end.

"EMBER!" The faint yells drowned out as she fell unconscious. She was right.