ARC 1 - BETRAYAL

In a gloomy room filled with the rustic stench of blood, a horrid scream filled the air.

"You vile hag!"

Rhaia choked out in a harsh voice.

She was at the moment of her final breath and could feel the cold hands of death over her body as she writhed in pain.

Thaia sat lazily in an overbearing posture as she looked at Rhaia with her beautiful eyes full of hatred and a sneer upon her red lips, then she swung the whip in her hands.

Rhaia let out another moan of pain as the flaming whip smote her already battered and bloodied body. At first, she was screaming out loudly, pleading for mercy. However right now, she was numb to the physical pain and the only pain she felt was heartache.

Her heart had been hurt, broken and trampled on the ground over and over again.

Thaia was her twin sister, her best friend but she betrayed her, plotted against her together with her husband, the man who she thought loved her, stealing her identity, inheritance, ripping out her unborn child from her womb and throwing him into the flames.

She could still hear the weak, fearful cries from her baby like he knew what was to befall him.

At the remembrance of the child's cries, the scene playing in her head over and over again, sorrowful tears fell from Rhaia's eyes.

Her baby had yet to experience the life outside her womb, she had been awaiting his arrival for nine months and could finally hold him in her arms in just three days, yet he was brutally murdered.

Rhaia clenched her only intact hand in agony.

"Why?"

She croaked out. She wanted to know the reason for all this pain and hatred. She wanted to know where it came from.

"Why? Why?! You ask me why? Rhaia! You are such a fool!

Yes You are a fool. You had it all, status, beauty, spotlight. I was always in your shadows, no one noticed me, but I endured, anyway you were my sister, what was yours was mine in the end. Then fortunately for me or unfortunately for you, I found out!

Ha...ha ha I found out I wasn't part of your family. I wasn't the Curiel I've always been so proud I was, I was just the daughter of a maid and a guard who didn't even want my mother. I was..cha...charity?!

Why? Why do you have it all and all I had was nothing? A family who loves you, wealth to throw around, beauty, status. You even seduced the man I loved, all that I had.

Hmph... but know what? now he is back to me, your husband belonged to me, and now he's back so I'm just taking back what is mine!"

She screamed as her eyes reddened from the anger and jealousy swelling in her. Even if Rhaia had been reduced to nothing, she can't seem to let go of the hatred eating up her innards.

Her whole life had been a fake! And she had been so proud of that fake. Her fists balled up in anger as she tried to regulate her breathing.

No need for anger anymore, she is the winner, only she laughed last. A smile gracing her lips.

Rhaia let out a bitter sigh. So it was for this? Her unborn child died for this? For this, her family wrongfully convicted and slaughtered?

At this moment, Gaston Ballestrem walked into the room, his eyes cold and irritated. How did she ever confuse that alienated look as his love for her?

What had made her think he loved her? How could she not see the obvious lies? Was she really a fool?

At least one would think that their own husband would uphold some justice for his wife, but not Gaston. He look at the mess with an indifferent look before embracing Thaia gently.

" Gaston Ballestrem!"

Rhaia gritted her teeth as she spat out his name with hatred and blood. The loathe in her eyes enough to drown him.

"So this is how it is right? After being married for five years, this was it, my loyalty, obedience, this was it? I was minding my business when you approached me and told me you loved me, I didn't know it was nothing but plots, a cruel plot for my family's name and status. Now you've thrown me out, eliminated my clan and killed my unborn child. Ha ha ha"

Rhaia laughed painfully, looking like a broken doll. She felt stupid wasting her time trying to love this man and reciprocating his fake feelings, the guilt eating her all through the years of their marriage because she couldn't seem to be able to.

"Thaia, I knew you weren't my sister but I loved you as mine. The sisterhood and love for many years is nothing in the green eyes of jealousy and greed. You said he was your man, did you ever tell me that? When I rejected his advances, didn't you encourage me to accept him? My parents loved you, no one isolated you, what I got, you got. Why?!!!"

"Stop! I didn't want your charity or that of your family, Rhaia" Thaia screeched.

"Well you could have said so when your father came and we would have given you to him. Instead you were just greedy for the inheritance of the Curiel and what wasn't yours.

Hope you enjoy your life with Gaston and reap what you sow!".

"Shut up!" Gaston bellowed.

"I have never loved you. You were just a stepping stone, not the woman to be my wife or to carry my child. Now you have lost your worth and no longer needed. You are just a fool for you to end up in this situation with your life hanging by a thread". He said while comforting Thaia.

"A fool? a fool! yes I am a fool, a fool for feeling guilty for your sham of a love" Rhaia repeated all over again with a self- mocking smile on her disfigured face.

Rhaia finally looked at him. After all these years, how could she not notice the disdain in his eyes? The impatience when he speaks to her? The disgust on his face whenever he sees her? How did she ever think this monster loved her? She spent her entire life, time, resources and affection for the guilt she had all for this man to ruthlessly destroy her .

Confusion flitted across Gaston's eyes at her words but he disregarded them. She was at her end anyway and no longer needed. Her words weren't important.

Finally she let out a bone - chilling laugh. It was hair - raising and ear - piercing, tearing the silent fabric of space in the gloomy darkness.

She was tired, she was exhausted.

Who said immortals don't die?

She wants her revenge but all she could feel is her soul weakening, it had been damaged. When the soul is lost, Was there a chance for revenge? ...sadly no.

Her body was picked up and thrown into the mass grave where criminals were rudely buried.

Well at least she could rest and finally be together with her family.

While she was waiting for the final breath and the damaged soul to dissipate, and after what felt like forever, a shadow flitted over Rhaia.

She raised her head, looking towards the shadow and saw the handsome face staring down at her, his eyes full of sadness.

Rhaia stared at him for a long time unable to believe he was there as tears welled up in her eyes and she gave a bitter smile to him, her hand raised weakly to embrace him.

He came, Alaric Alastair Von Wasegg, the only man who entered the walled space of her heart.

Rhaia watched as he picked up her mutilated body and kissed her battered lips. The blood staining his handsome face and the white robe he wore.

"I'm sorry I'm late" He said as he hugged her tight.

"I should have fought for you instead of running away, I should have chained you to me instead of letting you go, I should not have chased you away because of my fears, because I was scared my unstable soul would go out of control and destroy you. I should not have pushed you to another man, I thought he loved you and you loved him too. I didn't know it would end this way. I'm sorry Adela, I'm sorry my love. If there is a second life, I promise I won't let you go, my love".

She looked at him with tears in her eyes unable to believe he was here. Alaric, the man she loved and hated.

Hated for chasing her away, hated for pushing her into the embrace of another man. Hated, that she tried so hard to love another man so hard but no matter how she tried, she couldn't.

Gaston, she couldn't love no matter how hard she tried and the guilt for it made her to compensate the monster not knowing she was just a chess piece in a big plot.

The pride in her wouldn't let her go back to Alaric and he didn't come for her too then she thought they were done, but now he's here, he came for her. He came.

The tears slipped off her face as her lips trembled.

Alaric kissed the tears off her face as he hugged her tighter to himself. He kissed her forehead and looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you."