The Masked - Finale

 

THE TORMENTOR 2

THE MASKED 

The Masked - Episode 27&28

 ( Where•are•you, Ixora? )

Book 2 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy

by Naomi Cindy B.

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All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2025 

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[Cat Eye Brotherhood]

The remaining cult members quickly rushed behind Mr. Smith, bunch of big fat rich men who'd probably die with a punch, and they're all well-known personalities.

"Did you think I was joking when I said I already know who you are? Silver line bullet" Bronx sneered, and Mr. Smith smiled, taking a look at the men behind himself before facing the intruders again.

"I see that's how it is, then welcome to the party, you should take your sit and watch how it's done!" He said.

Ashton smiled bitterly, "You beat mum to death, no one saw you do it but there were signs. Her bones were broken inside, you actually thrashed her with a plank" 

"Cos she was too interested in my life! Tell me why she colluded with a blogger to reveal the secret of this cult?" Mr. Smith replied heartlessly, and Monty swallowed...

"A blogger? You mean my dad?" She said, holding back her tears.

"My wife snitched out the location of the cult to him, and he was on his way to sniff us out when I caught him and... killed him...it was one bullet to his forehead, and he died. He was struggling with flu so it was a piece of cake" Mr. Smith said nonchalantly.

Monty had to let out her tears at this rate.

"You f+ckin animal... animal!!!" She pulled out her gun, crying.

Mr. Smith laughed.

"Are you really gonna shoot that? At me?" He laughed again. You see, this cult has been surviving for years, and the downfall won't come from either of you" he said, then he quickly pressed a button on the table, and a bright halogen light hit their faces, blinding them for one minute.

A double door emerged fast from the walls, wanting to close the cult members into a different room.

Falsus flew from Ashton's hands and went through the lights... Perching on the table and using his beak to press the black button.

The halogen changed direction to the cult members, and the double door stopped closing.

Ashton picked the cult sword from the ground, Monty repositioned her gun in hand, and Bronx got his gun too.

The cult members couldn't contain their shocks, and Mr. Smith began trying to rush back through the bodies of his members, but he wasn't lucky.

Ashton threw the sword at him, and it entered his back, thrusting out of his stomach.

At the same time, Bronx and Monty shot him—thrice each.

Mr. Smith yelped primally like an animal that he is, falling on his knees as his blood bathed him.

Monty immediately sat on the bare ground, crying so much.

Bronx did the same, his tears cascading like hers.

Ashton locked up, calling the cops on the remaining cult members.

--

[Stonia's Mansion]

When Rafael called Ixora, he specified that she should come to Stonia's mansion, so Ixora drove there.

When she arrived, Nadine was waiting with Rafael in front of the mansion, but they're also with Stonia.

She has been released!

Ixora came out of the car, smiling.

"Mum!" 

She began rushing fast to her, but she hasn't gotten there when a shot of blood poured out of her mouth, and she quickly held her stomach as it began bleeding, again.

She lost a lot of blood as a result of Maureen's bullet, and she should have gotten a transfusion.

"Ixxie! Xora!" Rafael and Stonia rushed to her at the same time.

"Xoxo!" Nadine did the same.

The blood is still rushing out of Ixora's mouth, and her shot stomach.

Rafael arrived at her side, she fell in his arms weakly, and when he raised her top to see the bleeding wound, everyone gasped.

"Where did you get this? Huh? Where!!" 

"Dad...can you...buy me a property?... it's an abandoned church at the granite area of this district...buy it in my name...demolish the church, and...and build a Gravesite there instead...it's a gift to homeless people...if they die, they can get buried there..." Ixora managed to talk, then she lost consciousness.

Rafael carried her in his arms, taking her into the car.

It was Stonia who drove them to Strix hospital.

--

[Hello Hospital]

Konstant, Lydia, Mykel and Anfisa came back not long ago, and they were more than relieved to see Warren is back.

Elder Creed is still on his wheelchair, and the old man is crying profusely like some kid, wiping with his hanky every minute.

Warren rolled his hot eyes to Mykel who looks so down, and he smiled slightly.

"Was wondering why I was so comfortable living with you and didn't hate you... you're the twin? Unexpected" he said.

Mykel kept quiet, he just started crying.

Konstantin and Anfisa already shed their share of the tears, so they kept quiet, crying inside.

Capri and Chicago rushed in, and Capri stopped by the door.

Chicago came in fully, looking fine with no note of shock on her face.

"You...knew?" Capri asked breathlessly.

"Sadly, yes" Chicago replied, and Capri immediately grabbed her by the collar, nearly choking her as he slammed her back hard on the wall.

"You knew? And I didn't have the right to know too? Why the hell would you keep it from me!!! It's been a whole fuckin year!! Why!!!!!!!" He yelled, tears welling in his eyes already.

"If I had told you, would it have changed anything? He was already in the last stage before he came out of prison! He has only been surviving with drugs!! He wanted me to keep it a secret!!" Chicago shouted back.

It was Ashton who entered the ward next, with Bronx behind him though.

When he saw Warren in bed, he just dropped by the door, squatting and shaking his head...

"No no....no..." He cried, smiling crazily at the same time.

"No.... someone needs to say this shit is not real!!!!" He cried.

"Someone needs to say it's a prank... please" he muttered... "Please"

Konstantin wiped his own tears that has started falling too, and Bronx's eyes kept widening behind.

Dumbfounded? Nope, he's dumbstruck.

"Release a statement about Mrs. Ortega's death. I did it, not Ixora" Warren spoke with closed eyes.

Elder Creed signalled to Lydia, and she left the ward to do that.

--

[Next Morning, Strix Hospital]

Ixora woke up to a silent ward, but she's not alone in the ward though...she's with her people...her parents and Nadine who stood by her since last night.

Nadine quickly supported her back with a pillow to aid her sitting up position.

"Serena died this morning, her face was milling with maggots" Rafael broke the news.

"Good" Ixora nodded.

"Warren Creed released a statement, saying he's the killer of Mrs. Ortega, so you're free. I also got released last night" Stonia said.

"Good" Ixora nodded again.

"I bought the land you requested, and the church is already getting demolished as we speak" radial spoke again.

"Good...good" Ixora nodded twice.

Stonia sat beside her, taking her hand.

"Now that we're free of this city's perils, we're thinking of relocating to London. Rafael happened to find an eyes donor for you over there, and Nadine also said you both planned to attend Oxford over there, so...what do you say?" She asked.

"Great... perfect" Ixora replied, and Rafael sat beside her too.

"You're not against it?" He blinked.

Ixora looked up at Nadine and smiled.

"So far Nadine can go with us" she said.

"Of course, Nadine is like our second daughter now. Anywhere we go, she follows" Stonia said, and Ixora smiled wider.

Nadine sat with them too, and they did a large family hug.

Stonia and Rafael eventually left to start preparing their relocation documents, and Nadine had to help Ixora out of the ward.

They both strolled the hospital environment, and Ixora held her tummy throughout to guide the wound from bursting again.

"A lot happened" Nadine said.

"A lot... like a whole lot" Ixora replied.

"So...is he dying? Warren?" Nadine asked.

"Seems like it. It's the last stage, nothing much can be done" Ixora replied expressionlessly.

"Are you gonna go see him one more time?" Nadine asked.

"And show him and his friends the face they don't wanna see? No. He saved me twice, I saved him twice, so we're even." Ixora replied.

"Why did you want a gravesite for the homeless to be built on the abandoned church spot?" Nadine asked.

"I only want the helpless and homeless to at least have a place of rest when they die" Ixora replied, and someone walked past them.

"Clover?" They both called at the same time, and Clover looked back, looking so miserable and red.

"Clover" Nadine said, and he managed to smile.

"I collected Romeo's body from the government, and I buried him together with Bethel in this hospital's burial ground... just finishing" he said.

"RIP to Bethel, but I hope someone digs out Romeo's body to burn and pour his ashes into Mississippi. I can actually do it myself" Ixora said.

"Ixora, he's—

"Stop" Ixora cut him off, and he sighed.

"Why do you look like Mr. Thorne?" She asked, and Clover smiled sadly again.

"The mafia man? I get that a lot...but we're not related... maybe I'm his doppelganger? I might come from the orphanage, but I know my parents before they died, so I only look like Mr. Thorne, we're not related" he replied.

Then he said his bye and left.

"Wait!" Nadine suddenly faced her.

"What?" Ixora asked.

"That court day, I saw blood on you" Nadine's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you're thinking I had a miscarriage" Ixora scoffed.

"Then what?" Nadine blinked.

"It was the cèrvical tear" Ixora replied, and Nadine breathed out.

"Thank gawd"

--

[Hello Hospital, Three Days Later]

Every single one of the guys are in the ward, except Konstantin, and they're all trying to make Warren's last days jovial at least.

They've been doing this since three days ago.

"When Konstant's mum visited our highschool back then to wreck havoc,  guess who ran first?" Ashton said, rolling the pop in his mouth.

"It was you" Capri replied, pointing at Ashton with his porn magazine.

"It was Konstant himself you pussycat" Ashton rolled eyes.

"It was you, Ash...your lies never gets old...you hid in the school clinic you pathetic thing" Warren replied weakly from the bed.

"The hell? It was really really Konstant" Ashton stood.

"Dude,it was you" Warren flatly replied.

"I support that, Konstant never runs for mother so it's gotta be Ash" Anfisa said.

"Of course you'd support your dear brother" Ashton rolled eyes, and Warren chuckled.

"Were you expecting me on your side? You're the most softhearted of all the guys" Anfisa rolled eyes back, and Capri joined the laughter.

"That might be true..." Mykel spoke.

"What do you mean?" Ashton faced him with a glare.

"I mean...with the few days I've spent with you guys, it's obvious you have the smallest craziness" Mykel replied, and Ashton curved his arm on Mykel's neck, holding him in a chokehold.

"You've spent just few days with us, more reason for you to keep shut" he said, locking his neck tighter.

Mykel's tongue darted out funnily, and his throat made funny sounds which made Warren chuckle again.

"You're telling me Ashton is crazier than Capri? What a joke" Chicago spoke, eating some chips.

"Don't even talk, Carina" Capri said.

"Peg my lips, and my nose will still do the talking. You were scared of millipedes when we were young" Chicago replied.

"Ohhh!!!" Everyone bursted into laughter including Elder Creed himself.

"Shut up..." Capri glared at Chicago who in turn stuck her tongue at him.

"Warren has a weakness too" Elder Creed said.

"No...no... dad" Warren spoke.

"Elder, please" Ashton said.

"Dad!" Warren snapped from his bed.

"It's the girl..." Elder Creed spoke, and silence happened in the ward.

"Elder is right" Lydia spoke.

"You injected her with the chemicals, and you knew she was gonna start experiencing night blindness too, isn't that why you took her to the church to teach her how to fight in the dark? With a blindfold over her eyes? It's a love-hate relationship" Lydia continued.

"I wish it lasted" Mykel said sadly.

"You love her" Capri spoke.

"Yeah, but she doesn't. I don't think she can love anyone anymore. She's beyond saving, beyond everything. She's just... different" Mykel replied.

Warren folded his fists in bed, and Konstantin came in.

"Chapel Of Silence has been demolished to the ground, and now it's a Gravesite for homeless people, thanks to Ixora Rhodes" he announced.

"Mykel was right, she's gone. That place was the only place with memories for her and War, and she destroyed it" Ashton nodded.

"It's for the best.." Chicago said.

All eyes turned to her.

"Yeah...it was never meant to happen, their relationship was built through lies and deception...poof!" Chicago said again, raising her hands in the air.

And then Beatrice came in, causing them to go silent again.

"Will be returning to Germany by weekend, was thinking if I could... cook? For... Young Lord before my departure?" She said.

--

[Deathday, Creed Family House]

Everyone is already sitting around the table of dinner.

Everyone.

Elder Creed, Lydia, Chicago, Capri, Mykel, Ashton, Anfisa...

Beatrice was still serving the last meal when Konstantin came in holding Warren by the sides.

Warren's skin changed colour, and his eyes looks like they've seen death for real, he's lean and haggard as Konstantin made him sit on a chair in the middle of the table so everyone can look at him.

Beatrice finished the serving and sat with them too, then they began eating with him.

"In case y'all don't know, Beatrice is my aunt" Lydia announced.

"I was wondering why the closeness" Capri replied, and Lydia smiled.

"I have a confession to make too" Ashton said, and all eyes turned to him.

"Ixora's life cameras in the scan room, I was the one who disconnected them when you were in rehab, War" Ashton continued.

The silence continued too.

"Thought it'd help you cool off if you didn't view her room anymore" Ashton continued.

"D+ck" Warren replied in a mutter, and Ashton smiled.

The meal began, and while Warren ate with his right hand, he rubbed the necklace pendant on his neck with the left-hand, and his eyes are not entirely on the food.

He's looking at the meteorite on his wrist... Ixora's.

Strangely, his taste bud seemed to have come back, so he was able to savour the food well.

"You like the food, son?" Elder Creed asked, and he nodded, eating more and more...as much as his mouth can.

He lost appetite easily though, and he dropped his spoon, nodding.

"I hope you'll play the role of a son to dad, Mykel" he said, and everyone looked up, dropping their cutleries too.

"I hope you're able to completely conquer your mother, Konstantin" he continued.

Mykel and Konstantin began crying as the food turned bitter in their mouths.

"I hope you get over the killing of your mother, Capri..."

"And I hope you and Bronx stay for each other for life... Ashton" 

Ashton let tears out of his eyes too.

"Hope you stop taking drugs, Carina, and Anfisa...I hope you marry right" he added.

Everyone is already crying by now, and by the time he faced Lydia and Elder Creed, the two were crying too.

"I hope you don't blame yourself too much, dad, and I hope you continue protecting him like you've always done... Lydia..." He said.

Beatrice was the last person he faced, and the woman wiped her tears.

"I thought you were another version of Matron when I first met you, but I was wrong...can you not go back to Germany? Dad loves your cooking" he said.

Beatrice nodded, and Falsus flew in, tapping his shoulder.

"Seems there's a package" he said, and Lydia quickly went out to get it.

There are two things in the package, and the first one is the ring Mykel proposed with.

The second one is a shirt...the one Warren gave Ixora to wear that night after they had s+x at the abandoned church.

It's obvious she sent the two.

Mykel took the ring, and Warren took the shirt, inhaling her scent from it into his nose.

He smiled painfully.

"Wear this for me during my burial" he said, and that only increased the tears of everybody.

Even Falsus was purring loudly, and the cries rose and rose, climbing up the night ladder till Warren's limp head dropped lifelessly on the table.

He was holding the shirt tight despite the fact that he's already DEAD.

The cries of everyone lifted higher, almost bringing the house down.

It's a bitter, sorrowful, sour, agonizing night.

--

[Next Day, Creed Burial Site]

Everyone is in black.

Everyone is in tears.

Everyone is shaken, and grievous.

The site breeze carried chills which it distributed sorrow into the skins of everyone in wicked quantities.

Everyone's faces are wet, and their hearts and souls seemed to have been sealed along with the coffin.

The black coffin containing Warren's body sat beside the dug earth, and the carriers are already making moves to lower it into the grave.

Monty came for the burial, even Bronx, and they're both bawling out their eyes too.

Falsus is on Chicago's shoulder, calm with grief.

Warren's body was finally lowered into the 6ft hole, and everyone began dropping their roses in the grave.

One by one.

One sad face after the other.

One sorrowful glance after the other.

Elder Creed was the last person to throw in his rose, and he's smiling with his tears.

"It's finally over, isn't it?" He said, dabbing his face with his palm.

It was at this moment Ixora and Nadine entered the site, holding roses .

But Ixora's is black.

They're both wearing black dresses too, and Nadine is wearing shades.

As she threw her rose in, she stepped back and wiped her steak of tears.

Ixora stepped closer and dropped her own black rose, then she stood for a little while beside the sad grave before turning around, walking out of the site as silently as she came.

Mykel took a brief look at her, but their eyes never met, so he sniffled.

Nadine followed her, and when her eyes met with Konstantin's, she looked away almost immediately, then she caught up with Ixora.

As they exited, they never looked back.

The guys began covering Warren's grave with the earth, and the tears multiplied, giving headaches and weakness and catarrh.

They didn't only lose Warren, everyone lost another their hearts too, and for life...the scar would be left untreated.

There are relationships that aren't even meant to start... meetings that aren't meant to happen.

Theirs is a perfect example.

And is there even a thing as meant to be? Crap.

Fate owns the golden pencil.

It writes, and erases.

Everyone will go their different paths—the paths they own.

Love? 

Maybe in another lifetime, Maybe in another universe.

--

[Rafael's Mansion]

It's the relocation day.

When Ixora arrived from the burial, she released Evelyn from the cage, wrapping her head with a bandana before pushing her into the streets.

Evelyn was already unrecognizable and mad as she walked down the road, barefoot.

"Woof!" She barked occasionally, looking so pitiful in her half-burnt—half-naked state.

Even if the government picks her up from the streets for treatment, they'd never be able to find a cure.

Ixora made sure it's beyond medicine or control. 

She'd be that way for life and continue paying for her unforgivable sins.

"Let's go" she told Nadine, and Nadine nodded, then they began walking to the car together.

Rafael and Stonia are already waiting at the airport. 

The flight to London is in thirty minutes, so they're driving fast.

Ixora sighed, opening the car door and entering with Nadine.

As the car moved, 'Love Is Cruel' by Lynn Bowtell began playing.

Love is cruel, so is death.

THE END.

You weren't expecting this bitter turnaround, were you? Well...

What will be will be.

What's your saddest scene in this book? There's a lot.

Funniest scene?

Favorite scene?

Best male character?

Best female character?

The villain you hated most?

Who'll you miss most?

Who's your best among Satan's Heirs?

Say something sweet to me.

Black 🖤

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