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I couldn't make sense of anything.

I couldn't even remember my name as I stared at Laira smiling at me. Her reddish-brunette hair was braided beautifully and swung over her right shoulder—the way she always kept them. Her blue eyes were on me filled with warmth.

She. . .she looks so real. As if she's really here.

"Laira." Her name rolled off my lips before I could stop myself.

I think a movement followed by the blue-haired siren with me but then I couldn't focus on anything other than my wife.

My late wife. . .

"Laira?" I called out again and her smile only grew.

My feet moved on their own accord and before I know it, I am walking past Marilla towards Laira. My heart was thundering in my chest from a mixture of fear, pain, confusion and hope.

Hope. . .somehow it hurt the most.

But I couldn't stop it from festering inside of me. My eyes stung as I grew nearer and she spread open her arms as if inviting me for an embrace.

The way she always did after I returned from court with my mother.

"L-laira. You l-look so real. So...alive." I stuttered halfway through it feeling my legs quiver as well.

"I could be if you stayed, Zan. I could be." Her eyes watered.

My steps faltered and it felt like someone threw cold water on me. Wasn't she right though? If only I stayed back that day, maybe Charlotte wouldn't have been able to kill Laira. Maybe mother would've never been taken.

"I. . ." My throat clogs up.

Laira shakes her head in return, "We waited for you, Zan. Me and. . ." Her hand flattens over her stomach, "Our baby."

My heart stops beating. No. Laira wasn't. . .

This is not true.

If it were, I would've never been able to forgive myself. Not that I'm still able to but it would've been much much worse. Although having our own baby was both of our dream when we got married.

'The illusions will show you things you either fear or desire the most. Just remember, they aren't true whatever they show you.'

Anthony's words reverberated in my head and despite the strong clenching of my heart at her words, I looked up at Laira.

It's just an illusion.

She's not real. She's not real. She's not fucking real, Zander. No matter how much you want her to be.

"You're not rea-" My words pause as Laira's form suddenly disappears.

I blink in shock at where she went to. Did the illusion end already? But then I hear a low whisper,

"Zan. . ." My head turns so fast towards the frightened voice, it's a wonder I don't wring it in the process.

What I see then is the most terrifying horror of my life. Laira stands stone still in Charlotte's clutches as she held a dagger to Laira's neck.

"No!" I flash in front of them in an instant but before I could reach them, they both disappear.

I blink in shock feeling my heart thunder way too fast in my chest and my head feels spinny. I look around the deserted cave. The grey stone semi-circular walls seemed as if closing in on me.

My eyes prick involuntarily as I search for any sign of my wife and the wretched woman who killed her. I don't spot them but I spot Marilla.

The siren was standing completely still with her hand awkwardly circled mid-air as if hugging someone.

My eyes narrow the slightest bit when the realization hits me. She's being shown an illusion as well. By the shock and conflict on her face, I could tell it wasn't something she expected neither something she was okay with. But somewhere, there was a semblance of warmth in her expression as if she was brisking in the moment even if it weren't true.

I feel my gaze soften as I see the first trickle of tears slide down her stubborn blue eyes to her cheeks. She wipes the tear away from her palm before again hugging the invisible figure she's seemingly with.

Who's the person she's seeing though? Her parents? Her sister? Some past lover?

Does Marilla even have a past lover? Well, I've known she's had flings but I've never heard about her having a serious relationship. But then it's not like I know her for more than just a few months.

The thought of her having a lover made something bitter coat my heart but I ignored it. Because I know again the mate bond is to blame for it.

I was so occupied by staring at Marilla, thinking who she's witnessing and whether I should go and try to make her snap out of the illusion that I don't sense the figure appear behind me until a loud scream reaches my ears.

I turn around in alarm but then my whole body freezes. I feel every inch of me crumble at what I see ahead.

The prickling of the eyes earlier was nothing compared to the sudden rush of blurriness of tears filling my vision.

"NO!" A scream leaves my mouth as I rush to Laira's form laying on the cold ground. Her throat was slit open, blood trickled from the gash while Charlotte stood holding the dagger from earlier in her hand with a maniacal smile on her face.

I ignore the witch. I ignore everything and just fall on my knees in front of Laira's motionless form.

My trembling hands wrap around her as I gently pull her to my chest. The tears ran down like rivers as I clung to her numb body.

She felt so small in my arms. Just like the way she always felt.

That day when I'd returned home to the castle, I hadn't seen Laira's. . . .death.

But today when I held her void of any breathing body close to me, I felt everything in me sink. The dark and painful truth that this might actually be how she died by Charlotte's hands, that I could do nothing to save her from the brutal death was worse than coming home to find the most important people to me gone.

"Laira, I love you." I say the words I never got to tell her one last time before she left me forever because of my carelessness.

My hand weaves through her hair, caressing them softly as I kiss the top of her head.

"I love you so much. I'm sorry I couldn't save you." I taste the saltiness of the tears on my lips.

I don't know how long I hold her there despite knowing she isn't even real but when I see the first signs of her body disappearing, I feel my heart sink.

"No! You can't take her now after showing me this illusion!" I yell into nothingness knowing the creatures hiding here are doing this purposely.

"You have to stay here then. Forever. You can live with her and enjoy your life the way you wanted, Hellion. Imagine how good it would be." A mocking voice speaks.

I look up at Charlotte through my blurry vision. Her caked face is scrunched into a menacingly cunning look as she remains standing with her hands folded across her chest, the dagger from earlier is no longer in her hands.

That look on her face though. The look of pure content on my misery is what snaps me out of it.

As much as it hurts to let go, I slowly and carefully lower Laira's body down on the ground. Kissing her forehead, I get up to stand.

My eyes flicker towards her form again and I almost give up the fight to not hold her but then one look back at the illusion of the witch who ruined my life and I solidify my heart again.

Gulping the lump in my throat, my eyes meet Charlotte's with a strong determination, "No, I'd rather go. You can't keep me here, Swarovski."

Charlotte's whole form shudders at the name and I couldn't stop the seed of content from growing as I see her face pale considerably.

"You...y-you..." The shock doesn't let her form coherent words but the voice, oh her feminine voice does change to a masculine one revealing the true voice of the creature who's behind the illusions.

"I know your name. Why so shocked, Swarovski? You think I came here without anything? I did my fair share of research, dude. Aren't I amazing?" I passed him my most sardonic smile.

While Marilla thought I'd been wasting my time reading baseless articles on names and meanings yesterday night when she was going through the shadow creature's books, this is what I've been doing. Going through the books to find the shadow creature's name residing in Moonriff Mountain.

Shadow creatures are very pricky about revealing their true names and they would do anything to keep it a secret. While I didn't know why exactly they hated revealing, it was still some advantage I had to take if I wanted information from them.

Also, manier times the creatures lurked inside the form of the illusions they create. When I called Charlotte as Swaroski, I hadn't expected it to actually be the creature himself and not the illusion created by him. But now, I was more than thankful I atleast threw the rock and tested the waters.

Swarovski's face in Charlotte's disguise twisted ruefully, "What do you want in return for keeping my name a secret?" His voice was now completely manly and chilly, anything but earthly.

My smile widens, "Straight on point, aren't you, Swarovski? Let's make a fair deal. You tell me how to capture Thanatos and your name will remain a mystery."

"I tell you the way to capture him and I shall become history, demon. Thanatos is not someone who many of us wish to cross. None of us shadow creatures are competent enough to defeat him if he comes for us."

My brows scrunch at his words but I shrug nonchalantly, "Fine then. Everyone will know about your name by tomorrow's sunrise. Good day!" I wave at him before holding up my index finger, "Also, a bit of wise advice. Shadow creatures should learn to name themselves better."

With that threat and advice given, I turn around pretending to walk away.

Stop me. Stop me. Stop me, stupid creature.

I need information.

One minute passes and I'm almost two to three snail steps away from the shadow creature when,

"Wait." The chilly unearthly voice stops me, "I can't tell the exact way as it shall risk my existence. But I'll give you a hint to who can tell you without any consequences from Thanatos."

I'm almost tempted to do a happy dance at my victory but refrain myself from doing so and turn to the man in the woman I hate the most's attire with a no-care-in-the-world look.

"Yes?" I ask with a victorious smile.

Swarovski's jaw clenches through Charlotte's face, "Only the one who had been keeping captive the trickiest creature knows how to capture Thanatos. And you're closer to the person than anyone else. That's all I can say. Now you will have to keep your part of the deal intact."

My eyes narrow at his riddle of a reply, "That's not enough. Tell me more clearly or I'm revealing your name."

"I've told more than enough. You should keep your part of the deal." His voice is filled with no-nonsense.

When I try to object one more time, Swaroski as Charlotte raises her hand gesturing me to stop.

"I think it's better you keep your part of the deal if you want to return sane. Or should I say if you want your companion to? I don't see the siren queen anywhere, demon. Where is she?" The sides of her lips tug into a sly smirk and at that very moment, I knew something was very very wrong here.

My eyes widen and I whip my head around frantically looking for any sign of the blue-haired girl.

When I'm met with all but the empty cave walls, my heart rate spikes up in panic. I turn back to Charlotte's form only to find her nowhere in sight.

My heart stills the next second when I hear a scream. My footsteps thud against the ground as I rush after the source of the sound like a maniac.

Oh, shit shit shit. Just be okay, fish.

much