Isolde's eyes widened once more, her astonishment evident as she grappled with the weight of the revelation. Adrith, observing Isolde's reaction, exhaled deeply, her voice laced with a hint of melancholy as she broached the subject further.
"Have you noticed our differences in temperament, Isolde?" Adrith inquired gently, seeking acknowledgment of their contrasting personalities.
Isolde nodded, choosing to remain silent about her prior observations. She was unwilling to confess that she had indeed discerned the disparities between them.
"Your mother possessed abilities far greater than mine," Adrith continued, her tone softening as she reminisced. "She had the remarkable gift of sensing the energy of life and employing it to aid others. Healing, for her, was effortless, her talents remarkably advanced compared to my own."
A fleeting smile graced Adrith's lips as she reminisced. But then, her expression grew somber once more as she confessed, "It was my jealousy that drove a wedge between us, Isolde. My own toxicity became too much for her to endure."
She paused, locking eyes with Isolde, her gaze unwavering. "Now, you have the truth," she concluded, her voice heavy with sorrow.
A heavy silence descended upon them, creating an awkward atmosphere that unsettled Isolde. Her thoughts raced as she grappled with her feelings. 'I can't blindly trust this woman, even if we are related,' Isolde mused, her inner turmoil concealed beneath a passive expression.
Breaking the silence, Adrith cleared her throat and posed a poignant question, one that caught Isolde off guard. She managed to maintain her composure, her countenance revealing little emotion.
"Isn't your power isolating you from others?" Adrith inquired gently, her words carrying a compassionate undertone. "People instinctively distance themselves, fearing that they might meet an untimely end."
Isolde averted her gaze for a brief moment, the weight of the question sinking in, further deepening the silence between them.
"I can assist you in changing that," Adrith proclaimed, her words laden with an air of promise. Isolde's eyes widened as they darted toward Adrith, curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean?" Isolde inquired, her voice laced with intrigue.
Adrith, with a sly smirk playing upon her lips, elaborated, "It's a harmless procedure, one that can relieve you of your powers."
Isolde blinked in surprise, her gaze fixed on Adrith as she tried to decipher the sincerity in her words. After a moment of contemplation, Isolde responded firmly, "Thank you, but I'm not interested in relinquishing this power."
Adrith's eyebrows twitched, and the smile that had briefly wavered returned. She swiftly regained her composure and bid Isolde goodnight. "Do as you wish. Inform me when you change your mind."
Isolde nodded in acknowledgment, and as Adrith departed, a rush of thoughts and emotions swirled within her. She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes in a moment of reflection.
Isolde's head fell backward, a sigh escaping her lips, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself alone on the dining table. Her gaze lingered on the empty chairs before her, her mind contemplating the proposition that had been presented. She had only just begun to understand the potential of her powers and was unwilling to part with them.
'I wonder what she's plotting,' Isolde pondered, a sense of unease settling in her thoughts.
With resolve, Isolde rose from her seat, walking toward the bedroom door. Yet, as she approached it, a subtle pain gnawed at her chest, causing her to pause .
A sudden wave of discomfort washed over Isolde, leaving her bewildered. 'Huh? Why this abrupt heartache? Where is it originating from?' She pondered, perplexed by the unexpected sensation.
The pain intensified with each step toward the door, causing her to halt abruptly. She instinctively placed her hand on her chest and began to take deep, deliberate breaths. Minutes ticked by as she inhaled and exhaled heavily, gradually feeling the oppressive pressure subside. Tentatively, Isolde took a step back, her hand momentarily resting on the wall beside her, although she found herself more stable than she'd anticipated.
Yet, as she stood there, an unexpected dizziness overcame her, causing her vision to blur. She swayed forward, reaching out to the wall for support. Her free hand instinctively clutched her chest, and a sharp pang pierced through her, accompanied by a hoarse voice echoing in her mind.
'Isolde... Can you feel my pain?'
Suddenly, Isolde felt warm tears trickle down her cheeks, and she realized she was crying. Bewildered and disoriented, she gazed downward, only to witness drops of blood falling from her lips. Panic coursed through her as she frantically scanned her surroundings.
'That voice sounds just like...Azrael's... but why am I hearing his voice?' Her thoughts raced with confusion and alarm.
'You can hear me... right? I know you can, no need to reply... I didn't mean to cause you any pain. It's just the mate bond we share now... For as long as I feel pain, you will feel it as well... be it emotional, physical, or mental...'
Once more, her world blurred, but this time it wasn't just a sensation – it was a torrent of vivid images, a deluge of Azrael's presence inundating her mind. Her heart drummed in her chest like a thunderstorm, her trembling hands unable to steady the tempest within.
Dizziness gripped her, causing her legs to waver beneath the weight of her own body. With a resounding thud, she descended to her knees, the world spinning around her.
'Don't worry.... the pain won't last....' his voice enveloped her like a soothing balm.
Then, as swiftly as it had come, Isolde's consciousness surrendered, and Azrael's voice faded into the obscurity of unconsciousness.
***
Isolde's eyelids parted reluctantly, unveiling a world she couldn't quite comprehend. Her vision, initially blurred, slowly sharpened, revealing her surroundings – an enigmatic and unfamiliar place. With a cautious grace, she elevated herself to a seated position, her eyes surveying the surreal panorama that enveloped her.
It was as if she had been transported into the heart of a boundless, ethereal void. No walls confined her, no ceiling loomed above; just an infinite stretch of pristine white, stretching beyond the horizons of perception. In this peculiar realm, silence reigned supreme, broken only by the echo of her own uneven breaths.
A shiver coursed through her, a whisper of uncertainty, yet she refused to yield to this eerie ambiance. Gathering her resolve, she rose to her feet, the sensation of floating in this timeless expanse urging her onward.
" Isolde, you can find your way back home on your own, can't you? We'll be back soon." Isolde heard a familiar reassuring voice say from behind her.
As she turned, her voice and her heart collided with a surreal scene. There, before her, stood her mother, and by her side, her father, engaged in an intimate conversation with her younger self. The sight of this poignant reunion drew a gasp from Isolde, her eyes widening in disbelief.
A compelling force tugged at her, compelling her to bridge the distance that separated her from them. Urgently, she began to move forward, her voice trembling with desperation, "No... Please, don't leave! I don't know the way home, and the black rosary... Forget it, just stay with me!" Her pleas reverberated through the boundless void, echoing in haunting harmony with her silent tears that traced delicate rivers down her cheeks.
But her parents, as ephemeral as ghosts, turned away from her, vanishing into the limitless expanse. They dissolved into nothingness, leaving her bereft, her cries of anguish unheard in this enigmatic realm.
"Please... No..." Isolde's sobs grew uncontrollable, tears of frustration and sorrow threatening to breach the dams of her tightly shut eyelids. The image of her parents faded into obscurity, and the void swallowed all, leaving her alone in the deafening silence.
An all too familiar voice, tinged with youthful concern, reached her ears, "Are you alright?". Isolde startled, her gaze snapping to her right where Kael stood, engaged in conversation with her younger self. He extended a candy bar to the younger Isolde, his features etched with worry. In response, she nodded, accepted the candy bar, and managed a soft, "Thank you."
Isolde's eyes widened as she recognized Kael, ' Kael?' She thought, her heart swelled with a mix of emotions. However, before she could reach out to him, he vanished as well, like a wisp of smoke slipping through her grasp. Isolde pushed forward, her breathless run taking her closer to an abyss of despair. She crumpled to her knees, panic surging through her like a tidal wave.
In her despair, she screamed aloud, her voice raw with desperation, "No! No, no! Please, stop! Don't leave me!!" Her pleas echoed through the boundless void, a symphony of anguish and longing. "Please, come back... Please, come back..."
Tears streamed down Isolde's face, their ceaseless flow drenching her dress. She clutched her knees tightly against her chest, a futile attempt to shield herself from the cruelty of her reality. Yet, her heart shattered with every scream, each cry ripping through her like a jagged blade.
"You know that you possess a beauty so rare it rivals the stars? "
A voice broke the silence, uttering words that wrapped around Isolde like a soft whisper of the wind. She slowly raised her head to meet Azrael's gaze, finding a kind smile gracing his lips. His eyes held a gentle warmth, and he tilted his head slightly in curiosity.
Isolde, in response, stood up swiftly and took a step back, her brows furrowing with a mixture of emotions. Azrael's smile faltered slightly, though his gaze remained steady on her.
"Do you want me to leave? Or do you want me to stay?" His voice held a hint of concern as he posed the question. Isolde remained still, her eyes narrowing as she continued to regard him warily.
Azrael took a measured step closer, prompting Isolde to back away further from him. He closed the distance until there were mere inches between them, his gaze unwavering as he spoke, "Aren't you going to give me an answer? If you say you don't want me here, then I will leave forever. But if you do say you want me here, then I will stay forever."
Isolde, lost in her thoughts, remained silent, her uncertainty hanging in the air between them like a delicate thread.