SPELLBOUND

Evie narrowed her eyes at the stranger. That was a name she had never heard before. However, she noticed that this Ezekiel's eyes and hair color, even to his dark magic - all of these characteristics were just like Gav. A half vampire. That dark hair and grey eyes were supposed to only be possessed by only three individuals in the entire land of Lirea - her son, Gav and Queen Beatrice. So, who was this man then? How was he related to Gav? Where did he come from and how is it that he too possesses the power of darkness?

"What do you want?" Evie asked calmly, despite the burning questions that were raging to burst out from within her. This man was suspicious and... powerful. Very powerful, in fact. Whoever he was, he was definitely someone extremely dangerous.

Approaching closer with a relaxed and regal stance, the man glanced behind Evie and his eyes settled for a moment on Queen Beatrice who was currently the one who looked the most shocked among them all.

He halted when Evie made a slight but defensive movement and returned his gaze to her.

"I already said I'm not your enemy â€"" Ezekiel reiterated, speaking slowly and in a low tone.

"Are you really expecting us to believe you, just because you say so?" Evie cut him off as she preferred to err on the side of caution instead of having something to regret later on. The man's face was expressionless. So mysterious. It might be impossible for anyone to even tell whatever emotion he must be having. And that was all the more reason why such a man could not be trusted.

"I am here because of your husband, Gavriel." He responded. The way he mentioned Gavriel's name seemed casual and natural, as though he truly knew Gav and was really close to him. However, that alone was the reason for Evie to consider raising the red flag. When was it that Ezekiel had the chance to get to know and befriend Gav?

Evie could not stop herself from frowning hard at him. But he did not let her speak and he continued. "I'm talking about his soul. Gavriel's soul is in the Underworld. And it was there that I got acquainted with him. I am here to take his body because his soul needs to reunite with his real body at all cost and as soon as possible." Though there was no change in his facial expression nor his tone, Evie somehow felt that he was more serious as he was briefly explaining Gav's situation.

His words made everyone speechless. Doubt and disbelief flashed severely across their eyes as they stared at the man, each of them having their own thoughts running a mile a minute in their minds.

"What... what in the world are you... saying?" Evie broke the silence.

He glanced at someone behind them and everyone followed his line of sight, wondering who it was that he could be searching for. Only for them to find that he was looking at Gideon.

"I don't like to waste my breath on explaining things when there are chances you will still refuse to believe me. So, I'll be asking him... Gideon, Gavriel's brother to reveal the truth. Gavriel said you will be the one to prove I am not deceiving anyone." Ezekiel's voice was as flat and emotionless as it was. However, everyone who heard his words were completely taken aback. Now he even knew Gideon?! And apparently, Gideon knew something about this?

Gideon slowly let go of Vera's hand and after glancing reassuringly at her, he stepped closer to where Evie and Ezekiel were.

"I believe this man is telling the truth." Gideon started. "Back then... during the explosion of the abyss, I believe I saw Gavrael." He faced Evie and looked at her a little apologetically. "Forgive me for hiding this matter from you for such a long time up till now. I was in that state... and even though I truly felt that it was him who had showed up in front of me at that time, I don't have any proof. And I thought there was also the chance that what I saw might not be real. I had asked myself what if the things that I saw were something created by the darkness to confuse everyone through me. So, I... I decided not to say a thing about it."

"What... what exactly did you see over there?" Evie asked Gideon. Her voice was now starting to waver a little.

"I saw him standing there all by himself while I was still fighting against the darkness. And then afterwards, I saw him left. He jumped into the abyss right before it was sealed up again. I also believed that he had also done something in forcing me to overcome my darkness at that time. No one is supposed to know that, aside from me. The fact that this man knew about all these is... he must really be telling the truth."

For a short stretch of time, no one could make a single sound. Even Evie was being reduced to speechlessness. Everyone was trying to consolidate the information revealed by both Ezekiel and Gideon about the situation Gav was in while he was in the darkness.

"Gavriel told me that he had managed to leave his body before the entrapment completely sealed his body down." Ezekiel broke the silence once more, causing everyone's attention to return to him.

Evie parted her lips that felt as though they weighed a thousand pounds, and spoke softly. "So, my husband is... his soul has been moving around on the other side of the abyss all these times?"

"That's correct." Ezekiel confirmed.

"And... now..." Evie swallowed that large lump that had seemed to grow and had gotten stuck in her throat. When suddenly, a sword made of light appeared in her hand. "Now you are here to take his body to the Underworld too?" Evie added in a chilling voice before she pointed her light sword at Ezekiel.