Hellbound With You

Soon, Zeke changed the topic.

"It's time for you to head back home, my wife…" Zeke told her as he kissed her hand again. Though his heart was wishing to spend more time with Alicia, he knew that it would not be good for her to remain here longer. Furthermore, their son would need her home to care for him. "I can't let you stay here any longer. I need to get you out of this world before something starts to happen to you."

"W-what will happen to me if I stay for a bit more?" Alicia asked. Her heart sank. She had not thought that there would be any side effects on her entering the Underworld. And even if there was, it would not occur so quickly after she entered. Could she have a little more time with him? Just a bit more, please?

But Zeke shook his head and then pressed her against his body once again.

"I'm sorry, babe… but it's already dangerous that you've been thrown to this world. I'm afraid that something had already been taken from you without your knowledge when you fell in here as the price of you being here. I believe it was… your magic, Alicia." His voice was so gentle, full of love and care and worry as he showered her face and head with emotional kisses. "But don't worry, it will only be temporary as long as you will not linger in here any longer. I'm certain that with you, you'd definitely one day get your powers back, my queen… so now, I need you to go back before anything worse happens that might not be reversible."

Alicia could only kiss him on the mouth as her quiet tears fell from her eyes. She was shocked that her powers might be gone due to this unplanned visit to the Underworld. But she would not regret it. Never! She would never regret falling into this world and being able to see and hold him like this. She would not  regret it. Power… she would get that back again in time, but the beautiful and meaningful moments that she had spent with him here was something she would cherish forever and ever.

"Ezekiel…" she uttered his name longingly and he whispered her name back. It was breaking her heart that she could not have a bit more time together with him, but she had to accept it and just be thankful that she even had this chance that both of them never thought was possible.

Soon, the two of them finally left Zeke's room.

Before they could leave the dark castle, Alicia met the man named Gavriel.

Though their meeting was brief, Alicia had been struck by his resemblance to Ezekiel. She did not have the time to even ask anything about him, because she started to weaken suddenly, causing Ezekiel to fall into a panic.

He brought her to a certain place in an instant – it was the very place where she had found herself when she just arrived in this world.

She knew that he was in a rush. She could feel his desperate urgency to immediately send her back.

As she watched him create a dark vortex out of nothing within the empty space, Alicia held back her tears.

It was soon time for them to say goodbye again. And it hurts so bad. Just because it was happening the second time did not make it any easier to bear. In fact, it seemed to be harder this time around. But she needed to be strong, for herself and for him. For this man she had come to love more than her life.

When he faced and took her hand into his larger ones, Alicia bit down on her lower lip to stop it from trembling. But she could not help that tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision. She was only barely able to stop them from flowing from her eyes. Taking in deep breaths, she tried to calm her emotions.

"Shh… my beautiful goddess… don't cry…" he whispered as he kissed her face. "This is not goodbye… we're just getting separated for a while again."

Alicia nodded. "Yes, my love. And I'll wait patiently for you as I vowed before. Azy and I will wait for you to come back to us. We will wait for you, Ezekiel…"

Zeke yanked her to him and kissed her mouth desperately, as though wanting to brand his kiss into her until they could meet again next. As Alicia was being pulled by the return force of the vortex, they both ascended towards the sky without breaking their kiss, arms tightly wrapped around each other.

When their lips parted, Alicia's tears finally fell. "I love you, Ezekiel. Don't ever forget that." She told him and Zeke's lips slightly trembled. "No, don't say it… tell me those words once you return to me, to us."

He nodded and he kissed her mouth again. A lone tear fell from the corner of Zeke's eyes and then he pushed her away. That tear had rolled and fell at the edge of Alicia's lips and she licked it, tasting its bitterness.

The vortex of darkness immediately swallowed her when Zeke let go of her shoulders.

Zeke stayed suspended in the air as he watched the vortex disappear. She was gone… his love… his heart was no longer here anymore. But a gentle and emotional smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he clutched at his chest.

"Wait for me, my beloved. Wait for me." He uttered as he stayed there unmoving.

After what seemed like a very long time, Zeke finally moved and returned to the castle. His expression was back to the normal one he usually had when he appeared in front of Gavriel. However, there was a mysterious and dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"I have something to tell you, Gavriel." Zeke did not beat around the bush and Gavriel who looked almost translucent stared at him with the same intent gaze.

"What is it?"

"I'm going over to your world." Zeke declared. "It's time for you to have your real physical body. It's time for us to end this ridiculous war. And for us to do that, you need to regain your body and your rightful powers."

Gavriel's eyes blazed with a newly born determination. His helpless condition had made him lose his willpower lately and Zeke understood it very well. If he was the one in Gavriel's shoes, he was not even sure if he could bear the burden. So, he knew what this news would mean to Gavriel.

"It's time for you to show everyone why you're the destined king of darkness." Zeke told him and Gavriel nodded at him with the eyes of man prepared to do everything and anything to reach his aim.

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Dear Readers,

Alicia and Zeke's story will continue in Hellbound Heart so see you there in HH, Hellbounders. And yes, Zeke will be appearing in Spellbound's future chapters.

See you all in Hellbound Heart and Spellbound.

Love, Kazzen