Return Ticket from the Death

What kind of predator demanded such a swift and deadly end for its prey? Theo had been too slow, a fatal lapse in judgement.

"Elena! Can you hear me?" His voice carried a desperate plea.

Her faint, wavering voice barely confirmed his worst fear. Her lips were tinged a sickly blue. "Yes, I hear you." she rasped, struggling to stay conscious.

Panic gnawed at him as he realised the terrifying speed at which the poison was spreading.

"Elena, tell me. How can we get out of here? You are in danger," he urged, his voice filled with urgency.

She tried to respond, but her body betrayed her. Her limbs were now lifeless weights. "My feet... numb, Theo..." she replied, her voice fading into a mere breath. A shiver wracked her body. "And now it’s getting colder... so cold..." Her voice trailed off into silence, her breath coming in shallow, laboured gasps.

With every passing second, her pulse, once a steady rhythm, was now a feeble stutter, a countdown to an inevitable silence.

There is no way to save her at all.

Despair clawed at his resolve.

He was an immortal, a being beyond the constraints of mortality. Yet, in this moment, he felt a profound sense of helplessness. To interfere with the affairs of mortals was to invite chaos, to disrupt the balance of the universe.

The guardian of the land between immortal and the mortal realm, Blood Moon Land, had warned him countless times of the consequences of such actions.

Yet this very forest held the portal he'd crossed millennia ago, here he was, cradling a mortal woman in his arms, his heart heavy with grief.

Elena Silas.

In his arms, her body grew limp, exhaling her last breath.

She was dead. The realisation settled like a cold, unforgiving truth in the pit of his stomach.

"Elena...," he whispered, the name a fragile echo in the silent forest.

She was a vibrant, courageous, invincible spirit, a life cut short before it had fully bloomed. The thought of her parents, their world shattered by the loss of their beloved daughter, was a pain too sharp to bear.

In the event that their paths had not crossed today, she would have lived on.

Instead, she was a victim of circumstance

A sharp pang struck his heart.

A flicker of hesitation, a whisper of doubt, crept into his mind

He was a healer, bound by the laws of nature. Death was the ultimate boundary. There is no special brew to bring the dead to life again.

Laying her cold body gently, flat on the ground, his gaze falls on her calm face, holding a haunting beauty that pulls at his heartstrings. The venom, swift and merciless, had claimed her life without inflicting the agony of suffering. Yet his heartache, combined with the overwhelming urge to restore warmth and life to her cold form, drove him to rewrite her fate—an act of mercy.

With a trembling hand, he tilted her head back, revealing the porcelain perfection of her features. He paused, hesitating for a moment as he took a closer look at her. Then, with a deep breath, he pressed his lips to hers, his warmth a fleeting embrace against the encroaching cold.

A blinding light erupted within her, reigniting life where death had claimed its place.. Her skin, once pale and lifeless, began to regain its colour, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

Theo watched in fascination as the miracle he had initiated began to unfold.

A pulse, faint at first, began to throb beneath his fingertips, a rhythmic counterpoint to the erratic pounding of his own heart.

The exertion of his cultivation power drained him, a heavy weight settling in his limbs. Dizziness tugged at his consciousness, but he held her tight.

Her breath was shallow and sporadic at first, with quick and desperate inhales, and then, it returned to a quiet, wispy gasp, like someone who had forgotten how to breathe...

A cough racked her body, regaining strength at a slow pace, the force of it jarring her senses awake. The world swum into focus, and there he was again, eyes fixating on her.

Too close, he is typically breathing on her face.

"Elena," he murmured her name. His fingers, lightly, brushed against her cheek, a comforting touch that pulled her back from the brink of disorientation.

"What… what happened?" she rasped, her voice rough, and came out raspy.

Their awkward position sent a jolt through her. Her body protested the strain, a wave of dizziness threatening to overwhelm her. She made a feeble attempt to sit upright, but her head swam, and the world tilted precariously.

"Careful, you might get lightheaded," Theo warned, his voice laced with concern. Gently, he helped her into a sitting position, his hands offering a steady support. "The spear was poisoned, but you're alright now."

Elena shifted away from him, giving space between them, "That's serious, poisoned? But I'm… alright?" she questioned, her voice still weak.

He met her gaze with a steady, unwavering stare. "Yes," he lied, his voice firm. "It is only lethal to animals, don't worry."

Being close to Theo had her unwillingly become nervous, making her flustered. She dared not meet his gaze, "That's a relief then, I'm no beast," she attempted a joke, a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. But her humour fell flat, the awkwardness hung heavy in the air. "You had come to my rescue, thank you," she added, her voice sincere.

"I was just doing what anyone would do in that situation," he replied, his tone dismissive.

"Still I'm grateful to you," she insisted.

"My pleasure, Elena," he replied. "It is getting late. We need to get you out of here. You need real medical attention."

His sudden shift in demeanour confused her. Where had the captivating stranger gone, replaced by this guarded and distant figure? Maintaining her composure, she pressed on, determined to unravel the mystery surrounding him. "I'm still waiting for an answer, which planet are you from?" she insisted, her voice laced with a playful challenge.

Elena’s persistence was a trait honed through years of journalism. Theo couldn’t help but be amused by her unwavering curiosity, ever the tenacious journalist. "You’re indeed someone persistent, aren't you?" he replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "We share the same earth, Elena. I originated from the infinite land that exists on the other side of the dimension," he explained, his voice taking on a serious tone. Pausing for dramatic effect, he emphasised,"… a parallel dimension, shall we say?"

Elena was dumbfounded. His answer was as absurd as it was fascinating. The lines between reality and fiction had blurred, and she was caught in the whirlwind of it all.

A surge of disbelief washed over her, but she couldn't deny the thrill of the unknown. Was it possible to fall head over heels for a man in the span of a few hours? Theo was everything she had ever wanted in a partner - intelligent, captivating, and with a touch of mystery that was undeniably alluring.

"I..." she stammered, her mind racing to catch up with her heart. "Well, I'm sure there must be an explanation of your mysterious existence." she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"I wish I had an explanation for myself." He admitted, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. His eyes scanned the surrounding area, as if searching for an unseen threat. "You have to go, Elena. I can hear someone coming for you."

As if on cue, Edward, her overprotective brother, called out, his voice echoing through the trees. He must be getting worried about her since she didn't turn out after the sunset.

Captivated by the extraordinary, Elena found herself blurting out the first thought that came to mind. "Impressive. Telepathy too, huh?" Her voice was filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Theo's expression hardened. "You have to go, Elena. I can't expose myself to others." he said firmly.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Elena nodded. "Sure, don't worry I won't let anyone know about you," she promised, her voice filled with a determination to protect his secret. "This I promise you, Theo."

A sardonic smirk curled his lips as he met her determined gaze. "Even if you did, no one would believe you."

Ignoring his cynically incensed, Elena gathered her strength, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and exhilaration. With trembling hands, she rummaged through her bag, extracting her camera before pulling out a business card. Scribbling a hastily written note on the back, she extended it to him, her voice firm despite the internal chaos. "Here," she said. "Find me at this address. I have work in the next two days, but I want to see you again. Call me if you can."

Before he could respond, the familiar sound of her brother’s voice pierced the tranquillity of the forest.

Edward.

Elena turned to the sources of the voice. "Edward, I'm here!" She replied quickly.

With a hasty nod to Theo, she turned and stumbled towards the source of the sound, her heart pounding in her chest.

Theo remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the spot where she had stood. The lingering warmth of her touch, the spark of connection they had shared, was a stark contrast to the cold, calculated exterior he usually presented. He clutched the business card in his hand, the weight of it heavy with significance. A normal man would have been intimidated by her boldness, her directness. But for Theo, it was a spark, an invitation to a world he had long abandoned.

With a deep breath, Theo vanished into the thin air, leaving only the rustle of leaves.

Elena emerged from among the trees, her face flushed with exertion and relief. Edward was there, his arms open wide, his expression a mixture of concern and exasperation.

"Elena! There you are! We were worried sick!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The warmth of his embrace grounding her. Yet, as she clung to him, a part of her mind was already drifting back to the mysterious man she had left behind.