Hellbound Heart

Back in the shelter, Lio looked like he had aged ten years as he wiped off the sweat on his brows. He was glad that the animals were not dead yet and they had arrived exactly on time!

If they were even a minute later, the dogs would have already... good grief... he was certain he would be doing clean up for the human's dead bodies while the prince would be somewhere else, giving the animals a more than decent funeral.

"Now shall we go, Your Highness? We've wasted too much time already!" Lio was desperate. If he could, he would have already dragged the man out of the place long ago!

Elijah walked towards a window and stood there, sticking his hand out as if to feel the movement of the air. His eyes focused on the hills that were at a distance where they should have been right now! If not for that unexpected detour they had to make, they would be standing where he was looking at right now.

"We don't need to go anymore." The prince quietly replied, causing Lio to blink, not quite understanding what his lord meant.

"H-huh? What do you â€""

"They've found him." Elijah's neutral tone sounded as he continued staring off at that far off spot.

"What? Ze-zeres? Who is that 'they' â€" wait... Alexander and the witches are there right now?!!!" Lio's eyes were wide as saucers as his head darted from Lio to the hills from afar.

"I don't know about the others... but I'm quite certain that Alexander's there right now as we speak. So, this would only mean that Zeres has failed." Elijah nonchalantly squatted down and petted the dogs he had just saved from sure doom.

"And that means...?" Lio tilted his head, wanting to understand clearly what his lord wanted to say.

"That means I can now stay here and spend the rest of the time we have left here with these little lovelies. I'll have to buy this shelter and turn it into their house and have that girl take care of them all... of course, I'll pay her a big salary. Mmm..." Elijah nodded to himself. "That sounds like a really good plan."

"Wait a moment, My Prince!" Lio burst out after hearing what Elijah had said. "Are you really serious about this?! We're not going to do anything anymore? At all?!"

"What... you want to step up and go fight against Alexander head on?" Elijah raised a brow at him. "Go on if that is what you wish. I'm not going to stop you. Unlike you, I have 120 babies at home, waiting for me and I didn't even have the time to bid them goodbye when I left earlier."

Utterly speechless, Lio's jaw literally dropped to the floor once again as he looked at the prince who was now on the floor, literally letting the puppies and some bigger dogs surround and clamber over him as he gave them treats. 'Good grief...' Lio rolled his eyes. 'Could you stop calling your animals' 'babies'?!' he grumbled in his mind. 'But seriously?! Why is this prince so laidback, right now?! Why is he not even surprised, as if nothing had even happened? Wasn't his plan just ruined and failed again with Alexander already appearing in the picture? Did he have another plan under his sleeve already and that was why this is nothing to him?'

Lio could only shake his head because no matter what he did, he knew he could never understand this weirdo Prince that he was serving.

...

At the small house in the midst of the forest, Zeres was standing several steps away from the door.

He was about to leave and chase after Izabelle, but was stopped by the sudden arrival of Alexander.

The two stared at each other as the tension rose between them. Well, the tension was mostly from Zeres since Alexander still pretty much chilled as he stood there, observing his friend and then searching the house behind him.

"Is Iryz inside? She should be, right?" Alexander asked. "Is Izabelle still with her? I am wondering if Izabelle's not here anymore, maybe you just downplayed her presence with your spell â€"" He mentioned Elle as though he was just asking for her, who was having a sleepover at Zeres' place.

"I had already made up my mind the very moment I decided to betray you and everyone to kidnap Izabelle." Zeres replied. His voice was emotionless, like a robot who was speaking without any agenda or alternative motives. "So, if you just came here planning to talk to me about her... don't waste your voice and precious time, Alex."

Silence reigned between the two men until Alex let out a heavy sigh. The words 'man... here we again' could almost be seen plastered all over his face. But just as he was about to say his piece, the door behind Zeres swung open. His eyes were automatically drawn to the small and frail figure that appeared in the doorway.

Alex's eyes widened at the sight of Iryz standing there. She looked as pale as paper and seemed to be very sick. One look at her condition reminded him of those times when... when his beloved Abigail was fighting with her illness back when she was still a human. And even now that he knew she was totally fine and healthy, he could not help but feel the tight squeeze of his heart just remembering how weak and frail she had been back then.

"Iryz!" Zeres rushed towards her and caught her stumbling figure in his arms. "How did you... how come you're still awake?" His worried eyes scanned her from head to toe, brows furrowing when he saw how even her lips were paler than usual and there was a light sheen of sweat beading her brows.

"Alexander..." she called out, looking at Alex with pleading eyes. "Zeres is just trying to save me."

"Stop it, Iryz..." Zeres begged, worried to death. And then Iryz gripped her fist over her heart. She began to gasp as though out of breath. It was as if she were having a cardiac arrest!