Afterlife Academy

Chapter 13: Serene

She looked full of hate and despair.

"Mother? Why are you like this?" I still looked at her with mixed feelings inside me. I cannot determine if I should me happy, or sad to meet her.

"Hello dear. Pleasure seeing you here. Now, it's time to come with mommy." She said and held out her hand to me. "Don't do it Iesha!" I heard a familiar voice shouting. Mother's face suddenly looked irritated. She reveal a cage made by dark substance. "Lynx!" I shouted but instead he looked away.

"Useless human being. After I had revived you from the dead for another life you have betrayed be and fell in love with this so called princess. Show your true form!" She said and I saw Lynx suddenly transforming into another human being with black clothes. "He is the 13th zodiac sign, Ophiuchus."

"I'm sorry Iesha. I'm really sorry." Lynx said trying to break free. My mom threw her out which made him fall into the ground. I tried to go to him but Pyro stopped me. "Don't, Serene has placed some kind of poison in him. Once you touch him you'll slowly be poisoned." 

Pyro looked at my mom and saw that she was laughing. "Enough of this talking I want the maiden to die already." She tried to attack me but failed because Pyro had successfully blocked it.

She laughed again. I looked at Pyro and saw that his arm that blocked the attack is slowly becoming colorless and dull. "You think only a single block can stop me? I can poison everyone who touches me as well. You cannot attack me because it will only turn to ashes or get poisoned." She said.

Pyro still tried to attack until his whole body was completely damaged the 10 other zodiac signs also attacked after seeing Pyro cannot fight anymore.

"Stop!" I cried when I saw one by one all of them became weak and unable to fight. I cried more when I saw that everyone was suffering and the poison was slowly eating them alive.

"Why are you doing this to me mother?" I cried while looking at her. I couldn't stop myself from crying out loud. She looked at me with a rather cold expression as my legs grew weak. "Do you not love me?" I said with a small voice. I closed my eyes.

"I guess you're just like the others. They don't accept me. They despised me for I am abnormal." I looked at mom again. "I was alone mom where were you when I needed you the most? Where were you when I was crying myself to sleep and needed a mother's love? Is this why you left dad? Is this why you left us? Because you can't accept that your child was abnormal? It hurts so badly that no one ever accepted me. Now, even my own mother despises my exsistence!" I shouted at her while crying.

"I loved you and your father so much you know." Her voice suddenly were full of sadness and sorrow. I looked up at her and saw that she was crying. She suddenly shouted and a gush of wind suddenly blew. I found myself in the past. I saw mom and Pyro. It was the day the portal had opened.

They entered the portal and just like me it was promenade. I saw mom wearing the same dress and the same necklace as mine. She was still young. She and Pyro went to the center of the stage and sealed a spirit. After that, she attended the prom and I saw dad as he asked mom for a dance. They were looking at each other intensely. I can see in their eyes that love was born.

After that I saw mom and dad's love growing more stronger. The time came that the portal was opened and mom needs to get back to purgatory, but she didn't. She stayed and didn't told dad her secret. She avoided all the black souls and all the souls in need. She was madly in love with father that the rules does not mstter to her any longer.

God saw this and was angered. I saw God waited for mom and dad to gave birth to me and after a few months God took mom and sentenced her sinful. She was thrown in hell and was not allowed to get back. I saw her crying. Insaw her hatred of what happened. She made a decision to be Satan's wife. She gained the power and created the 13th zodiac sign which was made to bring mischief and betray others. She ordered him to slowly imbalance the good and evil in the purgatory. The 12 zodiac signs found this abnormal and reported to God. I saw God create and sent me a letter. 

I saw as the letter was placed and was tried to be taken away by Pyro because he thinks that the decision is too sudden. It feels as if I was going to be a sacrifice, a bait to lure the darkness out in the open. God saw this and flew the letter directly at me. I saw mom's good side still trying to communicate with me in my dreams. She warned me to leave this place.

A gush of wind had suddenly hugged my body and I returned back to where I was earlier. I saw mother still crying with eyes full of hatred snd sadness.

I found myself also in tears and ran towards her. She was still resisting. She tried to attacked me but I successfully dodged it all. I went to her and hugged her tightly. I felt the poison spreading through my body but I didn't care. 

"I love you mom. Please turn back to normal. Please stop crying. It hurts me when I see you cry. I missed you so badly." I said as tears were still falling from my eyes.

I felt weak because of the poison. I closed my eyes and got ready to lose my breath but then I didn't. I felt light as if every sorrow just disappeared. I opened my eyes and saw that mom was shining bright. All of the 12 zodiac signs and Lynx gained consiousness and stood up. She smiled at me in a rather sad way.

"I love you too" she said with tears. I was about to hug her again but then she was suddenly dragged by a dark force. "Mom!" I cried and chased after her. "I'm sorry Iesha." She said as I lost sight of her.

I weep and grew weak again as I saw mom gone. I felt someone's hand that patted my shoulder. "She made a bond with Satan. She cannot return no matter what but you made her white again. She will keep on resisiting on creating a sin." He looked at me. "You really are the princess." He said.

I looked at the others and they were smiling. The sky was bright again. Everything was what it should be.

"Love is still prohibited though." Lynx said then looked at me. "I'm still willing to break the rules just for you." He said then suddenly Pyro went between us. "Likewise." I looked at both of them and laughed.

Days passed by and Lynx was considered one of the zodiac signs. 

I looked at the sky and saw that it was clear again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. So this is my fate? I guess it's more beautiful than I thought it will be.