Ian's face contorted in displeasure, hearing Rom's words, and he assumed that the puppets that she sent were the ones that had set fire to it
" That filthy witch!" he growled through gritted teeth feeling his anger simmer and bubble like a volcano. He couldn't believe that his humble but beloved home was gone with everything in it.
Rom wryly chuckled and took a deep breath of relief, thanking all the gods in existence that, for now, he was safe from his ire.
" I'll give you the names of the herbs that I need; take Athan and Tyla with you; they will help you with it!" he stated while turning around and going back to his chamber to write down the list.
" Wait here!" he ordered when he saw Rom follow him from the corner of his eye, making Rom halt his steps.
Ian couldn't believe that his home was gone and the witch was responsible for it; every happy moment he had spent with Iris was in that hut, and he hoped to return there with her once they had dealt with the witch.
Ian walked inside the chamber; his eyes fell on the bed where Iris lay, looking as if she was asleep, but he knew she wasn't; something had happened to her when Azra fed on her, and he'd only hoped that he hadn't taken everything out of her and she would recover.
He stared at her for a while, and the image in front of him looked eerily familiar. His parents looked precisely the same as she did when he woke up one morning to find them lifeless, and he was next to them.
He wondered if he was the reason for his parent's death, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He sincerely hoped that his instincts were wrong and he hadn't unknowingly taken the life of his parents like Azra almost did before he would stop him.
Ian sat at the desk and began writing the list of herbs that he needed to make to set his plan in motion. He knew the reason why Iris was still breathing was that Bastos was no longer with her, and that meant that Seth wasn't with him either.
He didn't know what his plan was, but he didn't want to sit around and wait for him to come back. There was no time for that; the witch irked him to no end, and now he wanted to get rid of her more than ever.
He got up from his chair and made his way to the bed, placing a tender kiss on her lukewarm lips " Come back to me, please!" he whispered in her ear, hoping that she could hear him in her deep sleep.
While everyone was waiting for her to wake up, Iris wandered somewhere that looked familiar; the scorched earth, screams and deafening shrieks echoed everywhere.
Smog filled her lungs with each breath she took, and the breeze carried with it scalding grains of sand that burned her skin wherever they touched.
Iris walked through the land for the longest time, observing and trying to understand where she was, was she dreaming, or was this another realm she had unknowingly travelled to?
The last she remembered was the soft glow from Azra's hand, and she hoped that he wasn't the one to put her in a different realm by mistake.
Only the ruler of a realm could control the gates, and now she was in a realm where it didn't seem like anything could live in there, let alone have a guardian to rule over it.
The ground shook beneath her feet, and she looked around to see what was causing the tremor; her eyes widened when a creature appeared with black skin, and its veins glowed purple, and she could see the purple blood in his black heart pumping in the creature's chest.
The creature halted its steps in front of her, with eyes made of burning fire, with no lips, no nose and jagged teeth and stared at her as if it looked at her.
The creature raised its hand, which had spikes instead of fingers, and waved it as if trying to hurt her, but it went through her as if she had no physical form.
Iris shivered at the hand that went through her and now understood that her spirit had travelled in another realm.
Why was she here? If she had travelled to Ellora, she would understand but why in this realm? It made no sense.
Seeing the creature growl and move further, she decided to follow the beast, seeing that she was safe and they couldn't hurt or see her. She assumed that they could only sense her presence.
" Iris, come back to me!" a whisper carried by the wind made Iris halt her steps and look around the deserted place to see who said that.
Iris could hear more whispers, but she was finding it hard to decipher what they were saying; she looked at the retreating creature, trying to decide if she should follow it or find a way out of that hellish realm because of the deafening screams that echoed all around her.
No matter how much she had tried to reason with herself, she still couldn't understand why this realm; it could have been any other realm, but why this one? There was nothing in there for her!
The ground shook violently, and soon, more creatures that looked like the one she had just met came her way; these ignored her entirely and walked past her. Iris could only look at their sheer size, wondering what they were; she had never heard of a realm with such creatures.
Iris raised her hand to touch one of them, only to see her hand slowly fading away as if she was disappearing.
Iris frowned and looked at her other hand. It was in the same state " Oh, no!" she whispered while looking at her feet, sighing in relief when she saw that they were still intact.
Iris watched the hoard passing in front of her. She knew that her time in this realm was limited, and if she didn't return to her body soon, she would die, and Bastos along with her.
Iris closed her eyes and focused every sense on the whispers hoping they would lead the way out of the realm.
" Mother, please!" Azra's fading voice echoed in her ear through the screaming, making her open her eyes " Azra!" she softly breathed out his name.
While Iris was trying to find her way out of the realm, Ian and Azra were posted next to her bed, either of them refusing to move from their spot.
" Why are you even here? You're the reason she is in this state!" Ian huffed in anger at his son " Why did you have to take even the last drop of life that she had left in her!" he scolded while scowling at Azra, who held his head down, disheartened.
" It wasn't supposed to happen; she is strong enough to handle something so simple!" he explained while lifting his head to look at his father's displeased expression.
" Yes, she is strong enough! Bastos is no longer with her, so what you did is unforgivable!" he stated while caressing Iris's facial features, hoping to see her sweet smile again.
Azra frowned " I didn't realise she had separated from Bastos!" he exclaimed in a worried tone while rubbing the palm of his hand over his face, a little nervous now that he was the reason why his mother was in that state.
" If Bastos is no longer with her, she won't die!" Azra pointed out while getting up from his chair to look out the window, unable to bear the look on his father's face.
" No, her body won't die, but her soul will die if she doesn't wake up!" Ian retorted while kissing her hand, that now was cold and made him wonder what had changed.
" She will be just an empty shell! I've spent enough time in the castle's library to know that much!" he explained while getting up from his chair and pouring himself a glass of water.
Azra let out a shaky sigh " Then that means her soul is wandering somewhere in one of the realms, and we will need to guide her back to this one so that she can return to her body!" Azra retorted while moving from where he was and sat in Ian's chair, taking her hand in his and squeezing it hard.
Ian watched his son take Iris's hand. The image he saw when he walked out of the castle flashed in front of his eyes" Take your hands off her!" he thundered while throwing the glass on the floor and running to her side before Azra had a chance to say anything. Ian grabbed the scruff of his neck and threw him to the side.
" Do not touch her, ever again!" his voice boomed in the chamber, he was ready to end the life of the child he had so much wished for, and now he was, wanting to make him disappear as he had never existed.
Azra fell on his knees " I'm sorry, father! Please forgive me, I didn't want to hurt mother!" he begged for forgiveness, looking up at his father with a tear-stained face, hoping to win his father's trust that he had broken when he hurt Iris.
" No! Get out!" he thundered again while Azra pushed himself off the floor, wiping his tears with the back of his hand and stepped outside the chamber, feeling his father's hatred was unbearable.