Chapter 10: The Finale

Chris sauntered back and forth, thinking for a better plan. Jamie's condition is getting worse than ever.

"Chris, what now?! Jamie is sleeping for two weeks now!" Kylie told him, hopeless.

Chris and Kylie decided to take care of Jamie at Nathalia's old house. They transferred Jamie because doctors can't help them. "I don't know!" Chris punched the wall out of frustration. There's no way for Jamie to recover.

Kylie looked at her son like it's the last time touching his paled and thin face. He looks different now. He lose too much of weight.

"Hello! Mr. Kurtney?!" Kylie heard someone yelling at the gate. She opened the window and check it.

"Chris, you know that girl?" Kylie told him. Chris nodded and said, "She's Shoe; Jamie's childhood friend." Kylie left the window open and went downstairs.

She opened the gate and she saw Zhoe, exhausted, and worried. "Hi Ms. Kurtney, I'm Zhoe and I can help you with Jamie's condition." She told Kylie, determined, and confident.

"Come in. He's still sleeping." Kylie leads the way upstairs; to Jamie's room. Zhoe followed her quietly, she knows why Jamie fells into a feeling sleep.

Kylie let her come closer at Jamie and seated back. "Jamie, wake up!" Zhoe uttered, caressing his face. "Jamie, please hear me! I've been waiting for you to come back, please, fight for your life. Fight for your love ones even if it's taken my life away." Zhoe sits down and hold Jamie's hand. She must be in grief and sadness, the man she's been waiting for ages came back but in the world of magic. Not in her arms, never again.

Zhoe stiffened and grasp her fists so tight, "You can't take another life, again. Never!" Zhoe stood up and stared at Jamie for the last time. If she will sit back and watch him like this, Death will succeed and continue with his bad and harmful plans.

"Jamie is not in a coma!" She confided.

Kylie, Chris, and Sabrina turned their gaze at Zhoe. Sabrina felt something about her, she's too mysterious and Sabrina knows that she likes Jamie.

"What do you mean?" Sabrina put the tray on the side table and faced Zhoe, confused, and disturbed. Zhoe sighed and answered, "He's in the other dimension, Jamie's spirit is in the world of magic. He's taken by the ruler of the black magic, Kamatayan."

Kylie covered her mouth in shock. "No!" She said, afraid and frightened. "It can't be! Chris, not our son!" Kylie kneeled down and punched the floor, with no mercy. Now, she understands everything. Nathalia has been telling Kylie about the mysterious ritual, the world of magic! She can't believe it! All this time, Kylie never believe in it. She never did.

"You remember Grandma's story about magic rituals, Kylie? It's true!" Chris said, remembering Nathalia's stories.

"We're running out of time. We need to start the ritual, we need to call Jamie's spirit before it's too late." Zhoe looked at them, one by one.

Chris and Kylie shook their head in the chorus. "Jamie! Jamieeeee!" Sabrina screamed when Jamie's body moved unusually. "What happened Sabrina?" Kylie asked. "His body moved!" She said out of her excitement.

"Let's start the ritual, now! It's a bad sign!" Zhoe said.

"Let's do it now, Kylie!" Chris hold her shoulders and looked at her eyes. He gives her assurance that nothing bad will happen. "All right! What do we need?" Kylie asked.

"Basin with water, candles, tarot, rosary, and Jamie's stuff. Anything will do." Zhoe set up everything on the floor. "Here." Sabrina leads the rosary she gave to Jamie. She saw it on the side table, a day ago when she's cleaning the room.

"It's the best thing you can give to the person you love. Thank you!" Zhoe told Sabrina and smiled genuinely. 

Everything was ready. Zhoe let them sit and hold each other hands. She says a Latin oration and used the tarot. "Pick one, Ms. Kylie." Kylie gets the card in the midst of it.

"Don't let go, tighten your grip! Look, you chose the ruler of the black magic, Ms. Kylie." Zhoe showed them the card and it was death. "He took away Jamie's spirit, Am I right Zhoe?"

Zhoe nodded. "Remember the rule, whatever happens, don't let go and hold your rosary. Let's start the ritual."

Zhoe began the ritual. The bright and sunny day turned into darkness. The sun was covered by clouds and mists. The wind blows up and touched their hopeless and scared soul. "Jamie, if you can hear me, please give us a sign," Zhoe uttered. She waited but nothing happened.

"Jamie, I'm calling your spirit. Come back to your body, now!" Zhoe added. "Son, please, hear us! I still love your Mom, and I'm willing to do everything for us! Please, just come back now!" Chris said.

Kylie burst into tears, it's too painful and unbearable. "I'm counting on you, son. Please, come back!" The wind became stronger, and the sky became too dark.

"I love you, Jamie. Please, hear us!" Sabrina cried out.

Kylie looked at Jamie and she saw he opened his eyes. "Jamie!" Kylie didn't realize that she broke the rule. She let go and run out to Jamie. "Noooooo!" Zhoe screamed but it's too late now.

Jamie stood up and stare at her mother, crying in front of him. "Jamie!" She cupped his face gently and Jamie smiled sweetly. But, it's slowly fades and turns into a creepy grin.

"I'm not Jamie! All of you will be dead! How dare you summoned me?" It's too late now. It's because the rule was not followed, death comes into Jamie's body and he will kill all of them.

Zhoe, helped Kylie to get back. They moved backward until they got cornered. "No one can save you! I already killed Nathalia and the little boy." Kamatayan told them in a deafening voice. He opened his mouth, it is his way to get all the energy of a human.

"You will never win against me, Death!" They heard a roaring voice and in a snap everything went black.

**

Grandma for the last time hugs me so tight. I hugged her back and looked at her old and wrinkled face, but she looks great and beautiful, still.

"You need to go back to your world, Jamie. They're all waiting for you, and don't you forget to say to your father that I missed him so much. Please, tell Kylie to take care of you two. All right, Jamie?" Grandma cupped my face and reminds me.

"I will Grandma," I told her.

"Don't forget the rules Jamie, it's too risky and dangerous but your main goal is, to be with your body again. When you succeed, use the mysterious box and book to kill and to stop Kamatayan for manipulating innocents like you." Grandma told me everything, behind the ruler of black magic, Kamatayan.

He was once a good samaritan, a good and decent human. Until one day, his wife, his son, and his daughter was slaughtered. It was so unbearable and brutal.

His real name was, Dylan. A good and faithful husband and a father. He loves his family so much that he's willing to sacrifice himself. Until one day, when he arrived from work, he saw his family, lying on the floor, bleeding and dead.

It wasn't an ordinary type of murder, Dylan believes that it's not a human who did such a ferocious killing. Dylan got furious and he imitated the ritual, alone. He wanted to avenge, he put the law on his own hands. By then, he heard about black magics, ceremonial rituals by the elders of his town. He moved into a far, far village and live alone. 

He studied, he experimented with all kinds of magic until he found out how to possess an unbreakable and indestructible power. Dylan became too aggressive and lost his sanity after one year. As he possessed black magic, he searches the cruel murderer. Without knowing that the killer is no other than himself. He killed his own family, he took the lives of his loved ones because of his greed of power.

It was too late to regret when Dylan realized what he has done. He continued with his study, until Satan, the king of all suffering asked for his body and as an exchange for power, his spirit will be imprisoned in the world of magic, forever. Dylan also, sells his soul to have everything he wants. That's the reason why, he changed his name from Dylan into Death.

Dylan's greed didn't stop there, he manipulated a human's mind to do cruelty, kill innocents people, and to spread his bad motives around the world. He even used smartphones and gadgets, he can be whatever he wants to be, anywhere, and anytime.

"Jamie, if you can hear me. Please, give us a sign!" We heard it. It was Zhoe. Grandma looked at me, surprised and afraid. "You need to go back, now!" Grandma told me.

A sign. I can't give them a sign, I don't know how! I heard Mom's voice, it's full of hope and fear.

"I love you, Jamie! Please, hear us!" I heard Sabrina. All of a sudden, I felt so brave and confident. "Don't forget to use the dagger and stab his heart, Jamie. When you see the green light at the handle of the dagger, you can open the box and let his spirit imprisoned there, forever. Remember, when you failed, Kamatayan will rule your world, eternally." I nodded and I kept those things in my mind.

I'll never fail, I will kill Kamatayan, now or never.

"Til' we met again, Grandma," I told her and began my long journey to be on earth, again.

Grandma waves her hand, and behind her was the smoke. I walked through the invisible door and I only rely on the ancient compass given me by Grandma. I walked through the darkness with courage and hope in my heart. 

I recalled the last reminder, "When you see a luminous light from above, it's a sign that walked through the right way. That's the only way back to earth, but you have to be careful with the gatekeepers. Don't look at their eyes." I thought of a better plan. I walked silently while closing my eyes. They can't smell nor see me, Grandma used a spell to deceive them.

I was in the gate when one of them uttered, "I can sense a human's spirit." I carelessly step onwards and opened the gate.

I was surprised when I fell into a deep cliff and landed in my room.

I saw Death choking Zhoe, his eyes were full of anger and hatred. He was about to take her spirit away when I stab his back and vanished like ashes.

I looked at my thin and paled face, and slowly I get into my body. I felt like I was in heaven, full of fragrant flowers, beautiful and colorful butterflies flying around. It was indeed peaceful, but I opened my eyes and came back to reality.

I saw Zhoe, Mom, father, and Sabrina lying on the floor, unconscious. I rashly look for the mysterious box and the book. I uttered the oration and hold the dagger, bravely.

A strong wind blows up to my face and I heard Kamatayan laughed loudly. "You can't kill me, Jamie Kourtney!" I can't breathe, he chokes me and the dagger fell from my hand. "No one can stop me!" He moaned. I thought it was the end of my life until I saw Zhoe stab him.

"Go to hell!" I thought I succeed, but Kamatayan yanked Zhoe and stab her with his long nails. "Noooo!" I get the dagger and stab him. I saw the light green and opened the box.

I sighed deeply in relief.

In the end, I defeated the darkness.