Chapter 46 After Shock

A year had gone by ever since that eventful night. It was true what Sara had said about the damage being irreversible. The boarding school was never the same again. The area was closed off after the nightforce made Eron transport all the children out of there. He was the only one who could enter the place.

The night force put Kendra under supervision, despite the objections from the principal. He lost his biological daughter to the tragedy of the realms. Kendra was the only remaining guardian. The only difference was that she had yet to tap into her full powers. When that day would come, the night force would be ready for it to avoid history from repeating itself.

Meanwhile, Iris searched for Ricky and Meryl, every chance she got even though I'd asked her to stop. She was determined, partially blaming herself for not being able to save them in the past. The town wasn't the same without them. It was the greatest blow we suffered. The only assurance I had was that they were alive somewhere. It was only a matter of time before I would find them.

Most days Cheryl would come over to stay with me, refusing to go back to an empty house. We hadn't yet broken the news to her parents. She started anew at the night force that agreed upon my request to take her back. It was like the old times, sitting at the same third floor staircase together. Although an emptiness resided in both of us, having not yet accepted the loss we suffered.

"Weren't you on the higher shift today?" I said, staring ahead at the street below, illuminated by night lights.

"I asked Jonathan to switch with me. He didn't seem to mind," Cheryl told me, clearly another lie. She walked over to settle down beside me on the steps.

"Jonathan's… not on duty today," I informed her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as I pulled her close. She rested her head on my arm, closing her eyes comfortably.

"Who cares…" she whispered.

Although things would never be the same again, some things remained unchanged. Little did we know, things were about to escalate drastically for both of us.

.

Somewhere in another realm, a twenty-one year old girl with light brown hair and a hat walked out of a small shop. It was a busy street. She wore a white dress with roses printed at the bottom. Hordes of people surrounded her as they passed by. Her light brown eyes searched the street for someone.

"Meryl," a man called from behind, taking hold of her hand. She turned and smiled.

"Ricky, where did you go? Did you find what you were looking for?"

Ricky nodded, pulling her over to an empty corner by a stall. He bent down to pull out a ring from his pocket. Meryl gasped, hands going up to cover her mouth.

"Meryl, I know it's been a tough year. Losing our way, then finding ourselves in an unfamiliar land. I don't know what might happen in the near future. I just know I want you by my side, always. Will you marry me?"

Tears started streaming down Meryl's face. Mid way between Ricky's speech she'd already begun to nod yes. She held out her hand as he placed the ring on her finger. It was a simple, hand crafted object, silver in color, with a tiny red stone etched in the middle.

"It's… perfect. Where did you get this?" she asked, blushing like a teenage girl, looking at her hand from different angles.

Ricky wiped the tears from her face.

"The guy at the shop owed me a favor," he told her with a gentle smile, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears. She closed in for a hug, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

All of a sudden, warning bells went off from the tower.

"Everyone, run to safety. We're being raided!" Someone shouted out as he ran past.

Ricky and Meryl exchanged worried glances.

To be continued…