Heart Of Stone - Episode 52&53&54

 

HEART OF STONE

Heart Of Stone - Episode 52&53&54

 (..Sold•To•The•Pit•Of•Hell..)

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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.

By: Naomi Cindy B.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

#Unedited 

A golden hue from the fire hit the walls, and the subsequent destruction was so intense that it broke the walls, causing them to crash down. It brought down the living room completely, sending dust to the now open air, but Rumi's wound was minimal since they're still inside Shayla's memories anyways.

She was able to maneuver her way out. She dashed out of the memory through a thin door.

Shayla wanted to slump back afterwards, but shockingly, she swayed. There's no arm holding her anymore.

Ryker is gone, and she has no idea where or how. Wasn't he beside her just now?

"Your Lordship?" She whipped around, stepping on the broken bricks of the walls and glasses.

"Your Lordship!!" She yelled again, getting really really scared.

Was Sage really right? Did he get lost in her memories?

Or...did he fall into a deep sleep already?

She put her fire into use, but the moment she sent a flame to the open sky, it came back as a crash, ruining that memory completely.

Crap. 

She can't even control the fire yet. It's so destructive that it's giving her backlash too.

"Ryker?" She called his name, shifting helplessly on her sweaty feet as the memory kept crashing, pushing her out forcefully.

"Ry?" She shortened it, fighting against the destruction. It's like using poison to fight poison.

The more fire she used, the harder the destruction, till everything crashed completely, and she was thrown out of the memory.

--

[Luminaria, Rumi's House]

The small house sat on the downside of a hill, so it's covered, not easily found out just like Rumi wanted.

Inside the house, Rumi is on a camp bed in her small bedroom.

She looks deeply asleep, but there are scanty signs of burns on her skin—arms, legs, neck and back.

She jerked awake with a loud gasp, shooting up, her eyes flew open.

The burns started stinging immediately, and she lost her mind within that one minute.

She jumped down from the bed, rushing to a stool in the room corner where the painkiller pack from last night sat.

She was shaking as she unpacked it and began drinking the bottles one by one. She even poured some of the herb on the burns, but nothing is curing it. Nothing is working.

She entered the bathroom, opening cold water on herself, but it's all useless, again.

She ran out of the bathroom, falling by the door and rolling on the ground, crying out properly.

"F+kkk!!!!! Argh!!!!"

"Darn it I can't breathe!!!"

"I can't...geez!!!!"

She cried in successions, crawling back to the bed where she got her phone, dialling the number again.

"What now, Rumi?" The low voice hit the phone speakers.

"My soul entered her memories to kill her like I said, but Ryker interrupted. She merged with her younger self., so she got her mark. She used her f+kin fire on me! By the time I woke, my body has burns from her fire! I'm dying!" Rumi shouted.

"What!! Are you daft? Why would you let her fire even touch you? You don't know how dangerous that thing is? Her flame might even be more dangerous than Ryker's ice are you stupid?" The voice scolded.

"Remove the maybe, it's really more dangerous I said I'm dying here! And don't you dare blame me! I said Ryker appeared in her memories and ruined things!" Rumi yelled, going back to the bathroom to stand under the sprinkling shower.

It barely did anything, but it's better than the bedroom heat.

"Wait...it was in her memories, you weren't supposed to get hurt no matter what." The voice said in wonderment.

"This fire is gold. Not yellow, it's gold! I think she has started growing a kind of affection for Ryker, and that's why her fire is crazy like that." Rumi said.

"Oh..." The voice croaked.

"That's not the reply I hoped for, give me a solution to these burns on my skin! I can't s+duce Soren with a skin like this, and there's no way I'm dying. I'm not dying without making Ryker pay for killing mother!" Rumi spat, venom oozing from her deliberate choice of words.

"I know nothing about the millennial fire burn remedy, for real." 

"What did you just say? Am I gonna suffer till death?" Rumi gasped, looking at her arm. "Oh my gawd the burn is spreading!" 

"Really? That's bad. I'm not sure about this, but...try applying his ice?" The voice suggested.

"His ice?" Rumi frowned, remembering that when they were in the memories, Ryker actually rained ice on the roof.

"Wait...ice fell at Liza's mansion when we were inside the past memory, is it possible that ice would still be there in the future?" She asked.

"Be fast, Rumi. Maybe you can still find a chunk of it, I can't lose you when things are just getting important." The voice dropped.

Rumi ended the call, running out of the house with madness.

The burns on her skin kept stinging mercilessly and spreading speedily.

They're starting to reach her face.

--

[Liza Kings Mansion]

Liza had plans to visit a beauty forum today, but she had to cancel all plans after what Rumi said in the morning.

Now she's making a new plan.

If Shayla gets her mark back for real, then she becomes powerful.

She becomes destructive, and Ryker's ice would be the only thing that can calm her.

Without him, she'd run wild.

And that's why Ryker has to disappear during the feast.

When that happens, she'd have time to enter Shayla and stand with her through difficult times.

She'd just gaslight her into thinking all the beatings she gave her back then was because she was training her for her difficult future.

After all, Shayla is a gullible naive thing who'd believe the sweetest words.

As she plans aligned in her head, she smiled at her one brilliance.

"A champagne should pop for this" she sighed, standing up.

But she fell back on her seat when she felt a straight pain in her head, like her brain is melting.

It was sharp, but painful and continuous.

"Ahhh!!!" She slipped from her couch to the ground, holding her head with her two hands.

"What the... heck!!!"

She bled from the nose before she knew it—black blood.

"What's happening to...no no...ackk!!!"

The door bursted open, and Rumi barged in, looking half burnt.

Liza's eyes widened, but she wasn't able to express her shock cos of the pains she's going through too.

Rumi ignored her wails, she focused on searching for any chunk of ice in the house.

She scouted that living room almost ten times, crossing over to the kitchen and study.

When she sensed nothing around, she climbed the roof using two metal ladders.

She was almost at the point of giving up on that roof when she sighted one small cube at a hidden corner of the roof sill.

She crawled there.

By now her life is hanging on a thin thread. She fell flat on her belly, stretched her arm forward to take it.

Death was already pulling at her remaining lifeline as she shoved the ice cube into her mouth.

She chewed and swallowed fast, laying low for calm minutes.

The burns on her body disappeared with the minutes, and by the time she stood, her body is back to smooth.

There are still some lingering redness though, but she's at peace with herself at least.

She went down the roof, and her heels clicked crisply with the marbles till she was inside.

Liza is still on the ground, writhing in pains and bleeding from the nose.

Rumi adjusted her tiny jacket, sitting on the backrest of the closest couch.

"Calm down, and listen." She said.

Liza managed to look up, calming herself with slow breaths. Her back hit the table behind her, and she rested there.

"Why are you here? Where did your burns go? What did you go up the roof to get?" She asked, growling.

"So many questions, but I'll be kind enough to answer the one you didn't ask. You should be asking why you're in pains and bleeding black blood" Rumi went closer to her, squatting.

"The past was changed. You never saw Shayla's mark in the past, so the memory of seeing her mark is going to wipe off your head. You better let the memory go, or you'll die with insane headache." 

"Why...why do I have to let go of the memory I've been treasuring all my life? Without Shayla, I can't get my powers back. Without her, I can't take over the palace. Without her, Kade will never go beyond his low power status. I can't lose memory of the mark!!" Liza grunted painfully.

"Eh... Liza you can't control this. Don't look at me like that...you really have no choice here. I'm gonna leave you to your own fate though, it was nice working with you." Rumi smiled, waving tauntingly at her before exiting the house.

Liza dragged her phone from the table, dialling Kade's line.

He didn't pick, so she texted him with trembling digits.

Liza: Kade, you have to come home now. I have to tell you some things before I lose memories of them. It involves you gaining more power, so take it serious.

She dropped the phone and held her head again, crying out loudly.

Her bloody nose got worse, and her head felt like the noise from the globe is entering.

Kade teleported from school, appearing in the middle of the living room. He sat without empathy for her in his eyes.

He even tabled his legs.

"Get a jotter, and write everything I have to say." Liza said.

"This better be as beneficial as you promised" he gave her a sour look before getting a jotter and pen.

--

[Heartless Tower, Shayla's Room]

Sage stood with Shayla in the room, hands clasped together as he watched her in bed.

It's been an hour since her soul travelled into her memories. Yet, she's not waking up.

Ryker himself even went inside her memories to get her despite his opposition, and he's not back too.

They both didn't perish in the memory of that rainy day, did they?

"No no no...I'm thinking too dark. His lordship isn't that defeatable, he'd get her out safely even if it'd cost half of his orb energy." Sage consoled himself, breathing out.

He sat on a chair beside the bed, rubbing his palms together.

"Please... please just... open your—"

Shayla's eyes opened, and his eyes widened. 

He spranged up. "Goddess!"

When he noticed her gold-rimmed eyes, his joy was boundless.

"Yes! Yes!! You got it!"

Shayla sat up, rolling her eyes around for any sight of the person she wants to see, but he's not here.

"Where's he? Where Ryker?" She faced Sage, and Sage's happiness disappeared immediately.

"He entered the memories with you. I tried to stop him, but you know his personality. He's stubborn." He mumbled.

"He really came, he saved me from Rumi, but the moment I got my fire back, he left me. Couldn't get him before the memory of that day got destroyed and I was thrown out." Shayla explained, looking shaken and impatient.

"He'll be out, it's been just an hour. Only an hour." Sage said.

"No. I said the memory was destroyed. What if it was destroyed with him? Huh? What if he fell asleep somewhere in there?" She shook her head in refutation.

"What exactly do you take him for? A chicken? I'm telling you to calm down, goddess. He'll be back soon" Sage replied.

"Don't tell me to do that!! Why is he not back by now? Huh?" She sniffled, sweat rolling down her face in rivulets.

"Goddess, your fire is messing with your head presently. You're getting angry unnecessarily, and you're raising your voice in case you dunno." Sage said gently.

Shayla's face went down, and another sniffle happened.

"Am I really raising my voice?" She muttered.

"Calm down, I beg you." Sage increased the airflow in the room to reduce her sweating.

"Are you sure he'll be back?" She asked him, voice back to the normal gentle.

"You know it, he'll be back, you're just anxious." Sage replied, sitting in front of her.

"Can't help it, I need him right now. The heat is killing me." She replied, fanning herself with her fingers.

Sage increased the airflow in the room again.

"Will you go shower in his spring pool? I'll run extra cold water for you." Sage offered.

"No. I'll wait till he's back for me." Shayla replied softly.

"Well then..." Sage smiled.

--

[Lumi Train Station]

Rumi has a handbag hanging on her shoulder as she came out of from the train. She brushed her curly hair back and pulled out her phone from the bag, dialling the line.

"I'm in the capital of Luminaria right now, gonna be meeting an eye alchemist for my eye treatment. The Blaise boy from the West Palace messed with my eyes yesterday too, everything's blurry." She spoke.

"The West Palace people really did a number on you yesterday." The voice laughed.

"I'll be back tomorrow, need to visit the ballet school and see Soren." Rumi said, standing under a shed.

"Why are you so inclined on the boy? Are you actually interested in him?" The voice asked.

"Why not? He's hot, and he's gonna turn out to be a powerful one in the near future. He's my plan B, and I'll start chasing him for now on. Oh... I'll have to straighten my hair and dye it black too. Get me Xena's wardrobe for copying." Rumi smiled.

"You have no money here, Rumi. But i'll loan you some, and you must pay back in due time." The voice said.

"Get me everything I need. I'll have to rob the ballerinas in school to pay you, especially Shayla herself. She literally walks around with gold hairpins and shoes, crystal, sapphire jewelries. Ryker is spoiling that bî+ch, and I'm jealous." Rumi scoffed, sitting down under that tree on a bench.

"Fine, just be careful. And oh...I got information about the West Palace snake, I'll email you right now."

"Look into one more person for me...Pearl Millions. I'm curious about her status, she's a strangely powerful one." Rumi sighed.

"Sure, will do."

The call ended, and Rumi's phone buzzed with info about Faye's origin

"Ou... interesting. This is...hot. Faye, you're a smart, two-faced snake." she laughed as she read.

"Your eye alchemist is here..." A young guy came to get her.

She followed, her arse moving with her catwalks.

--

[Black Swan Ballet School]

The second practice session is about to start, and everyone is preparing to move back into the elite hall.

Faye and Blaise are trying to munch their wafers quickly before entering. They sat side-by-side behind the hall, eating like they're in some sorta competition.

"I haven't seen Kade around after the first session." Faye said.

"I saw him vanishing down the hall earlier. He probably went home for an emergency." Blaise shrugged.

Faye went silent.

"Are you really sure about what you said? That he's Shayla's... half-brother?" Blaise asked.

"You're so slow-witted it's painful to witness. Did I look like I was joking? I risked my life to get the info..." Faye rolled eyes.

"You have a sharp tongue" Blaise scoffed.

"Thanks for the compliment, let's just hope that demigod bends to our side this time." Faye sighed.

"Hope so too. Hey I know we're eating fast, but look at your lips. You're a girl, act like one." Blaise faced her with a tissue.

He wiped her wafer crumbs away from her lips.

Faye hiccuped, her body went still. She hiccupped again when he lowered the tissue.

"I've seen the extent of your powers, and I respect them, now let's try our best to get along, baby sis." He said.

"Blaise..." She gritted, and he laughed as he got up, getting away from her.

"I'm a year older, boo!" He laughed again, rushing into the elite hall.

"Wait for me, f+ckwit!" Faye went after him, but Xena suddenly blocked her.

"Hey, What's up?" She screeched.

"I need your help" Xena replied.

--

[Diamond 3 Changing Room]

Soren isn't here 

It's just Sadie and Mercury, and the two have stayed salty to each other since Sadie poured Mercury's food away.

They didn't speak to each other as they wore their second ballet outfit for today.

This one is color black. 

The room stayed heavy with unsaid words till they were done.

Sadie was adjusting her hair when she felt a sudden sting in her head, and she held that part with a wince.

The sting came again immediately, and she whimpered.

Three faces appeared in her head.

Her own face, Soren's, and Mercury's.

The three of them are in a mansion, and there's a fourth person—Xena.

Sadie let go of her head when the sting stopped, and a big frown etched on her face.

"Are you ok?" Mercury drew closer.

"We didn't go breaking into that mansion last month, right?" Sadie asked her.

"No, we didn't." Mercury blinked.

"Then why am I seeing our faces? Is it stress?" Sadie muttered.

"Well...since you're ok...." Mercury glared, walking away.

"Seriously?" Sadie said.

Mercury turned back. "What?"

"Fine, it was wrong of me to push your food away, but you know I've always been overprotective of him. I know you have no feelings for him, but I'm just... overcautious." Sadie said, drawing near.

Mercury swallowed a lump before smiling a bit.

"I won't cook for him again, and I won't even smile at him again, so chill." She said.

"Yeah, but he's still mad at me for hitting the potpourri pot on his head." Sadie sighed.

"Beg him. Say sorry, it won't break your back. Get him what he likes." Mercury said.

"Ren likes nothing, he likes no one. He's just like me." Sadie shrugged.

"He likes rabbits" Mercury said, and Sadie gasped.

"How did you still remember that?"

"When his rabbit Sensei died at 8, that was the first time I saw his tears. He even refused to bury it, isn't the rabbit body still in his room? Locked in ice?" Mercury said.

"Yeah, he's quite obsessed with it. I'll get him a new one, exactly like Sensei. Thanks for the suggestion." Sadie smiled.

--

Soren got himself changed to black in the general changing room only because he didn't want to see Sadie.

He made his way to the elite hall alone, but he could feel his energy draining cos of the snake venom.

It's crawling up his wrist already, and it'd soon reach his heart.

No idea what's going to happen after that, but he's curious too.

Xena and Faye came out of a restroom opposite him, and he immediately changed routes.

They changed routes too, crossing him outside.

"Xena begged me for a favor cos of you, so keep calm and don't think we came here to beg for your d+k." Faye said bluntly, and Soren's empty eyes moved to Xena.

"What favor?" He asked, voice void.

"You got bitten by the snake cos of me, and Faye is a serpent. She can suck out poison no matter the nature." Xena explained.

"And what gave you the assertion that I'd allow her lips on my body?" Soren replied, expressionless.

"His ego..." Faye muttered.

"But you look drained, especially on your lips. I just want to help cos if you hadn't hit the snake away, I'd be the one with the bite right now. I'm not half as powerful as you, so I'd surely be dead already." Xena said.

Soren bypassed them like he didn't hear what she just said, but she quickly grabbed his hand.

"Please. After this, I'll get off your neck." She begged.

Soren's eyes caught up with hers, and she kept it steady without blinking.

His eyes darted to Faye, and Faye took her body away from the wall she rested it on.

"Finally swallowed your pride?" She scoffed.

Soren looked away, leaving his hand on Xena's palm.

"Quick!" Xena called Faye, and Faye moved closer.

She took the hand from Xena, bringing Soren's swollen wrist to her mouth.

Just one second, she already sucked out the venom. 

Instead of spitting it out, she swallowed it all.

"Will you be ok?" Xena asked worriedly.

"Of course, I'm not that feeble." Faye replied, wiping her lips.

"Thank you. I'll pay you back." Xena smiled.

"Don't pay me back. You and Shayla are literally my friends, and friends help each other." Faye smiled back then faced Soren.

"Your blood is bitter by the way, but it matches your stony face anyways." She rolled eyes and left.

Soren looked at his fine wrist, then at Xena who's still standing in front of him.

"Thanks for letting me help. Like I said, I'll get off your neck now." She said, stepping back.

The moment she started walking away, he spoke up surprisingly.

"Your animal communicator ability, can it call dead animals back to life?"

Xena turned back.

"If the animal has a strong connection with it's owner, then I think I can." She replied.

"Sensei and I shared a strong bond." Soren said.

"Great, I should be able to." She smiled.

"I'll bring it to the palace attic at 10 tonight." He said.

"Sure, I'll be there." She smiled wider.

Soren left without another word, and she smiled again.

"Guard your heart well, Miss Xena. You can like everyone else in this city, but not him. He's a Millions, and his lordship would kill him if that happens." Cheyenne said, suddenly appearing from a corner.

"You scared me!" Xena held her chest, facing the iron faced lady.

"And who said I like him? I'm just trying to reason with him, ok?" She continued and rushed off.

Cheyenne followed with a smirk.

--

[Millions Family Store, Ground Floor]

Lilith stepped out of the fitting room, her expensive wedding dress dragging after her till she halted in front of the full mirror.

She smiled at what she's seeing, loving how very pretty she looks in the dress.

Height is vanity, she's pretty at least.

Tommorow is finally the secret wedding, and she doesn't care about Pearl's own.

According to the tidbits she got, it seems Pearl is in cahoots with the Grand Supreme, so she's just going to lay low and go through her own wedding in peace.

Who says a demigod can't have more than one secret wife?

She checked herself out in the mirror again, grinning.

--

At the top floor of the store, Pearl is checking out her dress too.

Hers hugged her curves and the tail started from her knees, spreading out from there.

She's holding a bouquet too, and as she checked herself out in the mirror, her smile bloomed.

"I still don't know why y'all are obsessed with that god. He doesn't give a fûck about anyone." Jude's voice rang behind her.

Pearl turned away from the mirror, facing him.

He had followed her when she invited him.

"Initially, I thought it was obsession, but now I know why I'm so deeply into him." She sat beside him.

"What do you mean?" Jude frowned, and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"When I regained my sight, I regained memories of my first life." She whispered.

"You mean this is your second life?" Jude frowned deeper.

"Exactly, and in my first life, you were there, Ryker was there, Shayla was there, even Winona from the West Palace was there too." Pearl continued.

"There as what?" Jude adjusted.

"Ryker was the god of millennial ice, and I was his wife. You and Shayla were his gardeners who watered his roses, and you both were in love. Winona was my personal maid." Pearl explained.

Jude pushed her arm away from his shoulder. He shifted away from her.

"You're overdoing these lies."

"You think I'm tripping? Fine, don't believe. Wait till I have this secret wedding done tomorrow and sign the matrimonial pact with my blood, then he'd start regaining his past life memories too." Pearl stood.

She walked far away from him.

"The Feast is a week from now, isn't it?" She smiled.

--

[City, A Rusty Gate House]

Three people appeared in front of the gate, and they all gave the rusty gate studying stares.

Kasia, Astor and Winona.

"Are you sure this is really the house of vipers that was shut down centuries ago?" Winona asked.

"I read about this overnight, don't doubt." Kasia rolled eyes.

"Fine, so what are we going to do in an abandoned house?" Winona asked again, taking off her glasses.

"We might find clues, who knows?" Astor said.

"Faye is a snake, meaning her dead mother was one too, why not take us to your wife's grave for clues?" Winona faced Astor.

"Faye is not directly my daughter, I picked her up somewhere. And Faye isn't part of the snake family we're investigating. That snake woman was a cobra, and Faye is a viper." Astor clarified.

"Right, sorry for my assumptions." Winona nodded.

She kicked the rusty gate open, leading the way inside.

"Let's go" Kasia told Astor and followed Winona inside.

Astor looked around, his expression falling flat for a second before he followed.

--

[A Dinner Grill, 7PM]

Esme only waited for few minutes before Zeke appeared with Granny Tara by the door.

The grill is an exclusive spot for royalties, and Zeke specially booked the whole place.

Esme stood on her tall heels when he came in with the old woman, and Tara smiled immediately she saw her.

"See? A face to actually smile at, not the baked one back home." 

"Thanks for the compliments, mother. It's good to see you. Zeke told me a lot about you and I've been anticipating." Esme smiled.

She didn't sit till Tara had her seat in front of her. Zeke sat beside her.

"I've been longing to see you too, and I definitely can't wait for you to take your place as the real Palace Madame." Tara nodded.

"Me too, everything will come back to it's place a week from now after the feast." Esme said.

"What family are you from again?" Tara asked interestedly.

"Soul shifters, but I've dropped my ability for my daughter. I'm cultivating a new ability now." Esme replied proudly.

"And it's?" Tara leaned in.

"I'll become a god slayer soon. I'm cultivating the ability to kill gods." Esme replied.

"I see why Zeke is so blown away" Tara smiled, and Zeke grinned, lifting his glass to toast.

"To love?" 

Tara and Esme raised theirs too.

"To power" They chorused, clinking glasses.

On the ceiling tile of the grill, a small spider stood there, watching from it's hidden web.

--

[Shayla's Memories, Age 3]

It's a stormy night, heavy and relentless.

Liza came out of the house, holding little Shayla's hand in a drag.

The little girl was crying, but no one is ready to listen or help, not even her one mother who's pulling her.

"You shouldn't have been born at all, but do you know why I gave birth to you despite the perils? It's because I needed you to take out my anger on, and here you are! Do you think you deserve to even live in a house? You have no right to even cry!" Liza complained, steps widening as she dragged her towards the road.

"Ma...Ma I'm sorry for being born! I'm so sorry!" Shayla cried, not even struggling with the merciless woman.

Liza pushed her to the middle of the road when she saw a truck coming.

Shayla was hit by the truck, and her body flew to land brutally on the pavement.

Her head bled into the granite, and the truck driver drove off in fear.

"You deserve every bad thing!" Liza laughed cruelly beside the road, staring down at Shayla's limp body.

From a ominously dark side on the road, Ryker appeared, looking still as ocean water as he watched the scene.

He only got transported out of that rainy day memory. He landed in her full memories, and since then, he has been going from one day to another, watching the memories she experienced as a little kid.

And each day, comes with a new hostility from Liza.

Liza is crueller than the devil, and she never blinks whenever she's melting out those tortures.

There's no single happy day.

And now she willingly took her to the road to get hit by a truck?

Trash.

Liza took unconscious little Shayla from the road to the alchemists shop for treatment.

She only spent one day there, and Liza took her back home.

Her wounds still hasn't healed, but the alchemists adviced to feed her well cos malnutrition is part of her problem.

Liza boiled ten eggs and peeled them in a plate, then she brought the plate out to Shayla.

One after the other, she started forcing the eggs into her mouth.

She's not allowed to bite, she must swallow everything whole.

Shayla was crying as she forced the whole big eggs down her small throat.

She's begging too.

Saying sorry for being born, for being alive, for breathing, for living.

After the third egg, she couldn't swallow anymore. Her throat clogged totally, and she started gasping.

Taking that as rebellion, Liza took Shayla's little arm and pulled it back, breaking it totally.

"Ma!!!!!" Shayla cried out again, hot tears springing out of her eyes as her eyes closed. She collapsed again.

Ryker's fists folded, so hard that his short nails even entered his palm.

Anger, rage, fury... everything assembled, driving him mad.

That was the last day he watched before he left the memories.

--

[Luminaria, Heartless Tower 7:30]

After a cold shower, Shayla is alone in the middle balcony.

Though, Sage is in this tower too, but he has been in the practice room for hours now, and she's just here, alone and lonely and thinking.

Wishing he'd come back sooner.

By 8, the third practice session will end in school, and Xena will be back.

She's hoping Ryker comes back before then, and she's eating candies one by one, watching the time.

The candy is eight in the pack. She ate six already, and the seventh one went into her mouth just now.

Before she'd finish the eighth, he'd surely be back.

She was taking steady breaths as she rolled the seventh on her tongue, and at the same time she's putting fire on the candles in front of her.

There are three rows of candles. She only has to use her mind, and they'd light up with fire.

Maybe she'd be doing this regularly to learn control and not border Ryker with practices.

She looked back at the orchard, palming her own face as the seventh candy melted in her mouth.

She threw the eighth one in her mouth.

Maybe she'd tell Ryker to get her flowers to grow in the orchard. She'd have to buy pots for them though.

She sighed, bringing her mind back to the present.

Pearl's words.

The more she tries not to reason it, the harder it is, but who cares anyways.

Pearl is cunning, and she'd be a fool to believe her for the second time.

She sighed again, opening the candy pack to take another one, but it's finished.

She swallowed, the sweet taste of the candy suddenly turning sour in her mouth.

He's not back.

Maybe she was foolish to believe Sage's words after all.

She stood from the chair she's sitting on, and the moment she turned to leave the balcony, she saw him.

He stood there on the balcony path, looking as dark as ever in his robe.

His face isn't calm, it's bedecked with something she can't put a name on, but still... she tried to play hard.

"I told you I was going to go in there myself. Why would you come in and risk your entire inner energy for me? And after you came, you had to disappear like that and make me come here alone? You're bad." She said, stalking towards him.

He stood there, unmoved, and her steps finally stopped in front of him.

"I ate eight candies, hoping you'd arrive after I ate each one, but you kept me waiting, and I was very very...mmmh!"

That last sound was as a result of him. He was at her face before she could finish the words.

He kissed her, and all her complaints and rants died there.

She didn't wait a second.

She kissed back, eyes going shut as Ryker's hand held her chin before sliding down to her neck to hold her very gently.

His arms went around her, and her legs started moving backwards as he he moved her.

They kissed and walked at the same time, lips devouring addictively and breaths ragging off.

Their kissing sounds filled the air, the pop and tongue diving which tickled her throat.

She couldn't take in even a breath of air, but she took all of his kiss, returning his gentle but deep sensual energy.

She was touching the walls as they moved, and expensive treasures kept falling off their wall hangers which Ryker didn't give a damn about.

He just kissed her harder, and her tiny m+ans kept him rock-hard till he pushed his bedroom door open.

He broke the kiss and pulled off his robe shirt, throwing it off.

Shayla swallowed, seeing his aligned packs, perfect skin and his flexing biceps.

She took one step back again, but his hand hauled her back.

She knocked into him again...

"Ryshenka!" She gasped.

"Say that again, firefly." He whispered, pulling down her robe shirt too, together with the br@.

Her br@ straps went flying across the bedroom.

One on the bed and one on the floor.

Her creamy br+@sts stabbed his chest, and her heart skipped so hard.

Her burning sword mark glittered in the middle of her back.

Ryker's mark did the same, his forehead rested on hers, his nose caressed hers.

"Ryshenka." She whispered again, sweet and unintentionally seductive.

He pulled down her robe skirt, and it pooled at her feet before he whispered...

"Kiss me, Shayla. Kiss me till I can taste your innocence on my tongue..."

"Kiss me..."

TBC.

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