Timeless - Mark Tuan

Chapter 2

She's shriveling right between my fingers as I squeeze them around her neck. Her mumbling getting cut off as I curl my fingers harder, my burning nails digging deeper into her desiccating skin. 

"Die now and free me from your curse." I hiss. 

"N...e...v...e...r...."

The fire on my hands intensify, turning my whole body into a blazing figure. "Burn with your hexes. Burn with your spell." 

A glow appears on her hand, but it dwindles as I put more pressure on her weakening frame. She starts to whisper some words again. An image of a dying Luke blocks all my senses and I feel myself beginning to burn from my own blaze. 

I draw away from her as the heat starts to scorch me from my fingertips up to my arms. I quickly expel the fire and try to focus my thoughts on something else aside from the man fighting for his life. 

"Come back here." I shout at the figure who's slowly disappearing behind the trees. I get to my feet, getting up from the ground I didn't know I was thrown onto. I try to run after her but my feet are glued to the ground. "I'll get you, Gillian. One of these days I will."

As her form vanishes into the night, the image of Luke on my mind disappears. And I start to move again. 

I should've killed her back then. That was more than a hundred years ago. I've tried looking for her again after that, but, I wasn't very successful. I've only seen traces of her in the countries I've been to, I haven't seen her however. 

I have met some others like me though. I've made friends with some and fought with the others. There are only a few of us left, I'm sure of it. After people have learned about our existence, they started raiding covens, burning everyone in it. Luckily, some of us were able to run away. 

That was actually the first time I knew Gillian was still alive. 

"Are you sure it was her?" Cecilia asks me, serving me a cup of hot brew she's learned to concoct herself. 

The first sip instantly calms me down as I sit across the table from her. "I didn't see her face. Just a burning shadow." I tell her, recalling the image I saw earlier outside the club. 

"I didn't see anything though." The girl interrupts. 

I roll my eyes at her as I grit my teeth. "What were you doing there anyway? I told you not to come, didn't I?"

"I just had the urge to go." She sasses. "Besides, you should be thanking me. You could've gotten caught again if it weren't for me."

Cecilia pushes the cup gently back in my mouth. "Drink it all." She insists. She shakes her head at me, silently asking me to let the girl go this time. "Go to your room, Mae. I'll deal with you later."

"But..." The girl pouts. 

"Go. Now."

Mae stomps her way out of the kitchen. I can hear her muttering some words even when her heavy feet try to cover them. 

"So," Cecilia turns back to me. "how'd you know it's her?"

"I don't." I admit. "But, the color of the flame is the same as the one she uses."

"Why would she be here if she knew you were here? She knows you're after her."

I shake my head. I'm not sure, too. 

"Could her presence be the one that triggered you inside? Mae told me she saw your hair changing color."

"It could be." I massage my temple. "Just, try to know if there are others like me around. I'll be going out tomorrow, too."