Zach surveyed the large room. The entire area was engulfed in dense fog and smoke, with ashes drifting from the decaying ceiling. Visibility was limited, making it impossible to see clearly. Despite feeling a bit tense, his determination to rescue Clair remained unwavering. His sole objective was to locate her and get her out of there. With that in mind, he set off toward the faint light shimmering at the far end of the room.
As he moved cautiously across the floor, his eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of her presence. The heat intensified with each step he took. "Clair? Clair, it's Zach. I'm here!" he called out, his voice echoing in the murky atmosphere.
Halfway across, he noticed a dark figure at the center of the platform, surrounded by an eerie blackened expanse. As he moved closer, dread settled over him—slowly, he recognized it as a silhouette of a body. As he drew nearer, shock and torment enveloped him. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was her. With cautious steps, he climbed the platform and descended into the pit of ashes, moving closer to her.
In that moment, as he gazed upon her pitiful state, he felt as though a million thorns pierced his heart. Shame and anger consumed him as he witnessed the consequences of his reckless actions upon her.
Clair sat on her heels, her arms, legs, and wings bound tightly by silver chains engraved with unfamiliar symbols. Bent over in agony, her body bore the weight of unbearable pain. Feathers littered the area, evidence of her once magnificent wings now thin with pointed thorns at their wrist joints while her left arm and leg appeared charred and disfigured, as though peeled and scorched.
Zach's gaze fell upon a dagger clutched in her right hand. Without hesitation, he approached her, his heart aching at her suffering. Tenderly, he lifted her face with his hands, desperate to see her eyes. They were once the bright twin golden orbs that defined one of her beautiful uniqueness, now they'd transformed. Her left eye tainted with shades of red, while the other was dull and lifeless.
Overwhelmed by sorrow, he began to speak softly. "You know what? Even without my memories of you, I feel it deep within me that you're someone very special. I sense it in the sound of your voice and in the warmth of your touch. I can't quite explain it, but I'm certain I'm meant to love you, no matter who you are or where you come from. My body and soul just know you. They recognized you the moment we met again. Now my heart too." A sad chuckle escaped him before he paused to regain composure. "I want to love you again, Clair. Even more this time. Let's be like those adorable couples we see everywhere. Let's explore many beautiful places together. Don't you want that? So please, wake up now. Come back to me." Tears welled in his eyes as he softly pressed his lips to hers, hoping she could sense his presence and the depth of his feelings.
As their lips parted, she remained motionless, her skin undergoing continuous transformation. More than half of her face now bore the mark of the demon within her.
"Clair, please, stay with me," he pleaded desperately, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I've only just found you. Please, don't leave me again." He looked up, his eyes filled with anguish. "Help her! Please, she's suffering because of me! This is my fault! I've done this to her! Punish me instead! Please, I'm begging you!" With a swift motion, he removed his jacket and drew her close once more. "Leave her alone, demon! Come for me! Consume me!" he yelled in fury, then he heard the sound of Clair taking a deep breath.
"Leave," she whispered in a weary voice.
"No, Clair, there are so many things I want us to do together," he said eagerly. "If not here... then I will love you again in my next life," he said softly, refusing to release her.
YOU ARE READING
Divine & Wicked: The Trapped Memories (Book2)
Fantasia(Fantasy•Romance) COMPLETED Zach woke up with an addled mind and empty heart a few days after his surgery. He seemed to feel that his life had begun again. As he continued with what he thought was his normal life, fragments of his lost past slowly b...
