Delilah walked to her locker after her classes ended for the day to pack up and go home as soon as she opened her locker. What she saw astounded her; her locker was filled with black and red roses and a wrapped gift box. She wondered if it was Kim Dae-Jung who had left it; after their conversation this morning, she assumed he was done with her. Delilah felt even worse thinking about Kim being so romantic and warm when all she gave him was coldness and confusion.
Felicia was correct; Kim was too good to push away; she needed to get her act together. As she lifted the gift box, she discovered a card. "You are as beautiful as you were the moment you were forged at the pillars of creation," it said when she opened it.
Delilah picked up the flowers, placed the gift and card in her bag, and returned to her apartment.
****Nether Realm***
"Let me out!!!! What more do you want from me? Mori! Show yourself!!"
"Do not waste your breath no one can hear your pathetic cries, you are dead" said Mori as the door opened and he walked into Ciaran's chamber with a smirk on his lips.
"It has been several centuries since you imprisoned my soul here. I have been unable to reincarnate because of your jealousy. I have missed all those lifetimes with my love. Let me go, you have gotten your revenge. I have suffered endlessly to satisfy your vengeful spirit, set me free."
"Never! I haven't even begun to make you pay for taking Mortala away from me."
"You speak as though Mortala is yours. She was never yours; she was created at the pillars of creation with me, destined to live through several lifetimes together. I never stole her from you."
"Well too bad because you will never be with her again. She has reincarnated and now lives as a human on Earth. She has forgotten you; you mean nothing to her. Perhaps it is you who needs to let her go."
"That's not true, our love is eternal and enduring, she will remember me and once she finds out what you have done to keep us apart, she will never forgive you."
Mori appeared in front of Ciaran and slapped him, sending him flying across the room.
"You are lucky I do not wish to end you permanently. You mean nothing to her, you forget once a spirit takes on mortal form, it forgets everything and all its previous lives. So, she will not remember you until she dies again, and when she does die, I will be there to help her just like I always have."
"We'll see about that," said Ciaran defiantly.
Mori frowned and disappeared.
*That night as Delilah slept, her astral form traveled to the dream realm.*
She was alone in a dark forest when she heard a wild animal snarl and realized it was stalking her. In the bushes, she noticed yellow eyes, the eyes of a predator fixated on its prey. She ran, her mind clouded by fear, until she arrived at what appeared to be a cottage near a small pond. She dashed into the cottage and shut the door behind her. Outside, the wild beast growled in frustration, her heart pounding as if it would explode in her chest. She looked around the cottage, driven by her fear; there were dimly lit candles and a fireplace that kept the room warm.
She sat on the floor, close to the fire, clutching a sharp piece of wood in case the animal broke in.
"Mortala?"
Startled, she jumped at the mention of that name.
She jumped, startled, at the mention of that name.
She turned around to see a man standing behind her. He was dressed in a dark shirt and dark pants. His waist-length curly hair was the color of the midnight sky. His skin was a rich mahogany brown color. She looked him in the eyes, deep coffee-brown color eyes staring straight through her.
"Who are you?" Delilah sprung to her feet pointing the wood at him ensuring he kept his distance.
"It is me Ciaran"
"You say that as though I should know who you are."
His expression was one of sadness and confusion.
He approached her, and she took a step back.
"Don't tell me Mori has won, don't tell me he has succeeded in erasing me from your heart."
He came to a halt when he noticed she was afraid of him.
"I'm not going to harm you, you are safe with me."
"And I am supposed to believe you?"
"Mortala, I promise I will never hurt you."
"Why do you call me that?"
"It is your name."