Mystery Hunt (Complete - Under Major Editing)

45. Eternal Love

"Don't Dylan!" James tells him and then turns to Noah, "Walter came back. He was never dead, to begin with!"

Noah looks at him with a shocked expression as James slowly comes in front of him, trying to take the dagger from him.

"You think that you finally got the crown? No king Samuel, you have the wrong idea. The person who was riding the majestic black horse was me, King Walter of Keitheras, Dorona." He was slowly walking towards Noah, signaling Dylan to catch him at the right time.

"I never died in prison. Just like you, I went into hiding." James starts, "I couldn't save my kingdom and had to live on fruits and herbs for the first few years. I trusted Dylan that he will protect his kingdom and wait for me."

"I sliced open your mother's head and her blood splattered on the throne. You were given her life, so when she died, you fainted with her. But her magic worked as you woke up. I remember stabbing you with the same dagger." James had got hold of the dagger now and Dylan held Noah's hands from behind.

"No! Leave me! These are all lies!" he shouts on the top of his voice. Slowly, others around him started to wake. The dagger, being removed from the owner's hands, dismissed the magic spell on them. As they try to regain consciousness, Noah tries to get out of Dylan's hold and jump towards James but he stabs him in the abdomen with the dagger.

William gasps saying, "He is in Noah's body!" and runs to him to save him. On the other hand, James collects some kerosene from the side which Noah already used to burn the portraits and pours it all on the throne.

"Quick, light this up!" he points at the throne. "We all need to get out of here! William, you can carry Noah, right?"

William nods and takes him in his arms. Clive quickly lights up the throne. It started burning in big flames.

"The castle will start burning too! Hurry, we need to get out of the prison's way. There is a secret way out of there." He takes Dylan and Clive's hand and guides them to the prison's way.

"How do you know?" Logan asks, panting from all the running.

"I saw in my dream. When he knocked me out, I saw everything."

"Noah will be okay right?" William asks as he keeps him down in prison.

"Yes. I did not push the dagger in too deep." He looks at everyone, "We should stay here for some time. The fire won't come till here. But we wait till the smoke reaches the entrance. That way, we make sure that the throne is completely destroyed."

"Why the throne? I thought the crown was cursed." David asks.

"When Walter killed Leila, her blood spilled on the throne first. His blood was cursed already so the throne became cursed. The crown was never cursed, to begin with. The dagger is cursed too but only when it is in the rightful owner's hands. Walter held Noah's hands and deliberately made him kill himself."

FLASHBACK

"DIE!" Walter screams as he stabs the dagger in Samuel's abdomen. Blood spills out of his mouth as he falls on the ground. Walter pants looking at the surrounding. Both of them are dead but Rufus? Where is Rufus?

He heard small whimpers from the side of the throne. When Walter's army attacked the castle, he tried to creep at a safer place. Walter rushes to him, seeing him bleed at his heart. He tries to stop the blood by putting pressure on it but he whimpers more.

"Love, love, please stay with me! Please! I'll get you our highest priest!" Water is already on the verge of tears but he still begs him.

(In those days, doctors were called as priests)

Rufus tries to speak but only blood comes out of his mouth. He tries to take something out of his pocket and hands it to Walter, "You... you came back to me...The key.......to....my locker..." *cough* "I have chronicled......our....... pure story....... for generations to remember our....... *cough* sacrifices and tragedies." He eyes towards a small boy who was wailing near the pillar,

"That is Rufus Junior," he tries to hold Walter's hands and chokes as if struggling to say the last words.

"I.... I love you, Walter. Read my.....diary......" and he falls on the ground.

Walter hugs him, crying his heart out. He didn't want to leave him. He didn't want him to suffer anymore. He decides to end his own life after fulfilling his lover's last wishes.

Flashback Ends

"There was something for Walter in the diary? But we did not read it." Dylan confirms.

"Walter tore the page after he read it. But I remember it word by word." James closes his eyes as if preparing for an emotional recital.

"To my dear love, Walter,

I could be anything in this world but I wanted to be yours. You opened up just not my heart, but my soul with your love. I wish.... I just wish we could have lived longer; we could have stayed together longer. My heart still beats faster as I write these words for you. I don't know if you will ever be able to read them, feel them.

When I saw your grave, I asked myself if it would hurt me so much, I wouldn't have laid my eyes on you. I am sorry my love but I don't think that is ever possible. I can never stop loving you. I can never stop imagining your face whenever I see the moon. I can never stop reading your poems again and again as they are the only solace to my painful heart. Those poems are the only thing left with me that is yours. I hope this remains as my last memory for you. Sometimes the thing you're fighting for isn't worth the cost. And not everything you ever lose is bound to be a loss. Maybe our loss of life will begin a new revolution. A revolution of free lovers, unhinged and unshackled from the chain of this society. Our love wins, Walter, our love wins.

If you ever come back and not find me around you, don't cry. I am in your heart. Look after Rufus Junior for me. Promise me you will take care of him. Give the blue emerald key to him. This will be our family heirloom. Promise me you will move on from here. Promise me that you will let your family name go on.

I wish time had better timing for us.

Love is a necessary tragedy but promise me you'll smile of its memory.

From your moon,

Rufus."

When James opens his eyes, he could see everyone around him sniffling. Dylan was close to bawling his eyes out.

"Walter kept his promise to Rufus." James continues, "He took care of Rufus Jr and had his own son too. He prospered with this kingdom and began the revolution the Rufus talked about."

"When he was sent to prison by Leila for killing Samuel, Walter decided to escape from there. He knew about the secret path from the prison which will lead him to the nearby forest. Unfortunately, they had dumped Wesley's body there. Walter had no option than to make Wesley look like him so no one would suspect foul play."

"Walter scratched his face with his knife and clothed him his robe. He ran from there for his life."

Everyone was so engrossed in the story that they didn't notice that James had put down the dagger.

Someone was awake.

And he wasn't happy.