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Riya kept on walking through the forest, unaware of the intruder. She walked for a while and didn't find anything except for witches going about their day. After walking for a while, she saw Meridith sitting alone beside a stream and plucking the little flowers that grew beside the stream.
"How pretty." The young Meridith said as she examined the flowers.
She gathered the ones she had picked and started plucking them petals by petals as she began to sing. Riya was touched by the witch's voice and the emotions it carried. She then remembered, that Meridith was rumoured to have had such an extraordinary voice that even opened the gates to the underworld.
"Who are you sending away again this time?." Her grandmother asked, coming from behind her to sit with her.
"Someone peaceful and nice I met last night." She replied, smiling.
"Are you finally done?." The old woman asked smiling.
"Yes." She replied.
"The keepers are gathering to nominate you as the next Royal Counsel." Her grandmother said and sighed.
"Try to make some friends child." She added chuckling as Meridith made a silly face.
The scene in front of Riya immediately faded away with Meridith still making silly faces while her grandmother laughed uncontrollably. Riya smiled at the sight before it totally disappeared.
She turned to continue when she heard rustling of bushes not too far from her, she turned immediately to the source of the sound but didn't see anything, she then continued walking like nothing just happened.
Still sitting down and watching Riya while Rick went out to get lunch, Voleth Meir sensed something off and started to chant something quietly.
"What's wrong?." Elijah asked
"Something's not quite right, I just can't place my hands on what exactly." She said, still checking Riya.
"Put me in there." Elijah suddenly said.
"Wait." Voleth Meir said
"Not yet." She added.
Back in the forest, Riya continued to walk till she got to another house, Riya immediately realized it was the house she had seen the teenage Meridith sit with Nephele the other time. Riya walked towards the house but stopped in her tracks when several memories from the house with Meridith and Elijah started to appear one after the other but faded quickly. One with Elijah chasing her as a child, another with Elijah dancing weirdly as she sang, another when he carried her as a teenager on his shoulders. Riya kept on looking at the memories one by one till they all faded away.
"Elijah." She whispered with tears rolling down her cheeks.
In the living room, Elijah hearing her mention his name, quickly ran to her side and held her hands. He wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks and smiled knowingly.
"She finally remembers." He whispered, looking at Voleth Meir.
Voleth Meir smiled as she watched every type of emotion flood his being, she had missed this part of him that wasn't empty or cold. She continued to watch as he held Riya's hands.
What's going on?." Rick who just walked in, whispered to Voleth Meir.
"A family reunion." Voleth answered smiling.
"I don't understand." Rick said.
" You'll get a grab of it along the way." Voleth Meir said.
Back in the Astral world, all the memories had faded completely. Riya walked slowly towards the front door of the house as she wiped tears from her eyes. She opened the door and went into the house. Entering the house, she closed the door and went to sit down on the wooden bench in the corner.
Outside the house, the strange woman continued to watch the house until she finally whispered a spell and disappeared.
Riya sat for a while to rest before getting up to leave. Just as she was about to leave, she heard approaching footsteps outside the house, she thought for one second that they couldn't see her and that won't be a problem, but something told her to hide.
Riya looked around the house and saw a door that definitely led to a bedroom of some sought, she opened it quietly and went inside. She hid under the frail bed, awaiting the people outside quietly.
Few seconds later, the door to the living room opened, Riya heard light footsteps on the wooden floor and creak sounds from the weight of the people. After listening to their quiet footsteps for a while, they started to talk, Riya immediately tuned into their conversation.
"I thought you said she'll be here?." A familiar voice asked.
"I saw her enter this house, before I left, even though she has left, she wouldn't have gone far." A female voice answered.
"Saw me here?." Riya muttered in shock.
They could see her?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who are these people??? She pondered in silence as she continued to hide under the bed.
Some seconds passed and Riya didn't hear any sound again until someone pushed open the door to the bedroom where she was hiding and walked in slowly, searching the room. Riya looked at the person's shoe and realized it must be the man that had spoken earlier because it was a men's wear.
"We should leave Adonis, I don't think she's still here." The female voice spoke up.
Adonis?????!!!!!!!!!!. Riya screamed in her mind.
Riya laid very still so the wood wouldn't make a sound, she continued to pray silently that they leave soon before she was caught. It seemed like God answered her prayers because they finally turned and left the house. Riya waited for a while after the front door closed and heard nothing.
She came out from under the bed and sat down on the bed with her head bowed.
"That was freaking close." She muttered.
She came out from the room and walked towards the window slowly to take a peek before going outside. Suddenly, someone held her from behind and covered her mouth. She paused in fear, as cold sweat started to gather on her forehead, she then began to thrash about.
"Be quiet." Elijah said in a harsh whisper.
Riya relaxed and stopped thrashing. Elijah let go of her mouth and stepped back so she could turn around. When she turned around, she saw Elijah and hugged him immediately as relief flowed through her veins. Elijah stood stiff from the sudden action and didn't even move or return the hug. After a while, he smiled and started to pat her back slowly.
"I'm so glad you're here, I think I'm being followed by Adonis." She said, still taking a peek outside.
"I know, I can't be here for long though, I need you to be more careful now that you know." He said as he whispered a spell.
"When you eventually think you can't hold any longer, just say the words and draw an imaginary circle in front of you ." He added.
"What spell is that?." She asked in a harsh whisper as he started to fade slowly.
"Parakaló me párte spíti." He said and smiled.
Riya thought that the phrase sounded very familiar but just couldn't remember where she heard it last.
"What does it mean?." She asked him quickly before he completely dissipated.
"Take me home." He said and completely faded away.
"Elijah." She whispered.
After standing there for a while, she opened the door and walked out of the house, she went the opposite way of where she was headed before she finally stopped at the house.
"That'll be the first place they'll walk to find me." She muttered to herself.
Riya continued to walk until she was back at the river again. She sat down for a while before she started to scoop water to wash her face and feet. After sitting for a while, she decided to continue on her way when she saw Elijah in his original form, wounded and looked like he was close to death walking slowly towards her and sat close to the river. Riya immediately went to check his body and saw that he had fatal injuries that a normal person wouldn't even survive this long without treatment.
He picked two flowers from the river side and whispered a spell with difficulty before he laid down. As always, Meridith came running to meet him but stopped in her tracks when she saw his state.
"Uncle Elijah." She whispered and ran to him, as she cradled his head on her laps.
"What happened?." She asked crying .
"I stepped into a trap, the spell was already carved on the floor and hidden." He said with tears rolling down his cheeks.
" The ancient spell." Meridith whispered, still crying.
"Stay with me please." She added and started calling for help but no one came.
"It's okay." He said, trying to smile.
"Who did this?." She asked, drawing him closer.
"Adriana." He whispered and started to cough up blood.
"No no no no no no no, stay with me Uncle Elijah, I'll heal you please." She said sobbing silently.
"What happened?." Her grandmother suddenly asked, coming from behind her.
"Elijah, my child." The old woman whispered, holding his hands as tears immediately began to gather in her eyes.
"Adriana did this to him." Meridith whispered, still sobbing.
"Let me heal you my child." The old woman said still sobbing.
"I'm so sorry." She added.
"It's fine, you can't heal me." He said, smiling at his mother.
Riya watched on with tears as they continued to stay by his side and comfort him. After a while he looked up to the sky and kept on humming the song Meridith was singing the other time when she was sending away a soul here at the river. Meridith screamed hearing this because she knew he was already close to death.
"Parakaló me párte spíti." He whispered and died.