Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 123: Christmas Day~

It was the night before Christmas, and all through the town; not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Aside from one. Jiu ran through the village; squinting against the dark and howling winds that thrashed against him, as he ran through the cobblestoned streets. The streets that he and Leora had once had carefree days, now felt like a sick reminder of what had been. He truly had meant to take Leora away from the danger, to protect her. He thought he had. But in doing so, he'd sent her straight into the guise of a devil. A horrible, hideous demon. He did not doubt Duncan's words, not even for a moment, as it all led to an unbearably, bitter truth. Henry had always been waiting for Leora to die, and Jiu felt a fool for not realising it sooner. From the start, Henry had always been cold and dismissive of his sister, and now Jiu knew exactly why. It reminded him of a things farmers would do. Don't get close to the animal you have to slaughter. Leora was Henry's livestock. He was a murderer and an abuser, and he had no heart. Jiu saw the ominous, gothic structure of the church and ran faster. As he approached it, the bell began to chime; signalling Christmas day in the cold, winter's night. He gritted his teeth down and burst into the church, ramming his arm into the door in case it was locked. It was not. The church was marble, and lit with candles that made the stained glass play funny tricks on the walls; the candles flickering eerily against the walls of the once holy place.

He scanned the many aisles, desperately, only to look to the very end, where the priests would stand for sermon. Nausea roiled within him at the dreadful sight. Perched upon the altar, like some vile sacrifice, soaked and drenched with blood upon the intricate veils and folds of the wedding dress; lay Leora. Her mouth twisted open in an attempt to scream, yet the blood coating her lips had ceased whatever futile effort she'd made. Jabbed viciously into her back, below her right beginning of where an angel's wing might have emerged; was a long, ornate dagger. The same one Jiu had seen in every dream Duncan had foretold to him. A dagger of gold and silver, encrusted with beautiful jewels. Yet now, all these jewels were the colour of rubies; deep and rich in their crimson hue. Clearly, this dagger once had the purpose in holy sermons, now impure and ruined by man. Through his grief, all Jiu could hear was the ring of the church bells, signalling Christmas. Henry stared down at the sight of his sister, twisting and wrenching in a silent agony or plea for her brother to take pity on her. In his right hand, he held an unused pistol; clearly the dagger was to make her suffer, and the pistol was to finish the job. His suit remained spotless and charming, whilst his expression was manic and vile; his hands coated in the blood of Leora. A demon in a church, how bitterly ironic.

Without conscious thought, Jiu let out a scream of pure devastation. To Henry, however, this was a battlecry. A declaration of true, unadulterated loathing. A vile, vulgar smile flickered upon the young lord's lips; relishing the misery that fogged the once sacred room. He turned to face the general, his arms spread wide, as if welcoming him; his face twisted in an insane, pleasured expression. The bells rang horrifically; devastatingly, shuddering the church, the candles flickering with each toll.
"Merry Christmas, Jiu," Henry grinned; dropping one arm to the side, the other pointing the pistol straight at Jiu, as his voice grew low and dark," Like my present?"
Henry went to fire the bullet, but Leora made an effort to stop him; despite being pierced into the altar. She angrily jabbed her arm into his back, making the lord jolt with a gasp and instead fire at the stained glass; shattering it.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" Henry roared, turning around to shoot Leora instead.
Jiu didn't hesitate. The general immediately grabbed Henry and slammed his face into the marble floor; causing his nose to bleed, and his cheek to bruise. With a strength that startled Jiu, Henry got up and jabbed the pistol in his direction.
"NO MORE OR I'LL KILL YOU!"
Jiu wouldn't die, he knew that, but he knew if his physical form 'died', he'd be sent back to the Underworld and Leora would suffer and die. He couldn't let that happen. So, with much resentment, the general stayed perfectly still; glaring at the murderer in front of him.

"Do you know who I am Jiu?" Henry hissed, his hair dishevelled, manically.
Jiu stared at the young lord," Henry Mohan."
"Yes, yes!" Henry snapped," I know that! But do you know who else I am?"
Jiu held his breath; he'd suspected this on his run to the manor.
"Jack the Ripper."
Henry's face twisted with pleasure at this, as if hearing that name was the best part of his entire living. The lord glanced back at his sister, who was clasping at the very threads of life, choking on the blood that coated her mouth; trembling with effort to stay awake much longer. The sight made Jiu want to cry. Henry kept the pistol pointing at Jiu, but his other hand went to caress Leora's hair; pushing back her bloodied veil to do so.
"My darling sister," Henry hummed; cruelly, glancing at Jiu with a horrifying grin," You didn't actually think I'd let tuberculosis do the job; did you? Where's the fun in that? After all, I've waited so long to do this. I considered it, you know... letting Julian's 'medicine', more like poison, do the job. But then I realised how that wouldn't particularly fit Jack the Ripper; would it? I must say, bringing an end to her like this, it's so satisfying."
"You're sick," Jiu whispered out, tears threatening to fall.
Henry hummed, glaring at him, almost angrily," Tell me something I don't know."

The lord suddenly grabbed Leora's face, tugging her mouth open.
"Look, Jiu."
Jiu felt like he was going to die again in that very spot. In her mouth, floating in the blood, was flowers; some petals, some whole, some cut. But they were all flowers.
"Duncan did this, didn't he?" Henry uttered," He tried to heal you, to stop your suffering. Saint Duncan, shall we call him, hm!? That bastard."
Henry suddenly grabbed Jiu, pressing the gun against his head, forcing him to sit down on one of the front aisles.
"Funny thing about blood loss, it takes a while," Henry smirked at the sight of his sister growing more exhausted," It would be a shame, wouldn't it? To not tell you my part I played. We have time. Watch her suffer in agony Jiu, as I tell you everything. Every little bit of me. From past to present."
The candle flickered.