Empire of Eternals (Book 1 of The Eternal Series) ✔️

Chapter 21 | Pain Isn't The Sole Reminder That You're Alive

3 weeks later, Johnson Residence, Hilversum

***Aiden Sullivan POV***

I stirred the thick contents in the pot, turning the white sauce pasta up and down as I occasionally turned around to put in more seasoning. The sounds of the TV coming from the living room down the hall were low, drawing my attention as I listened to the dialogue.

Paige sat on the couch, watching a show whilst Dexter and Adriana were out, getting groceries. Hermione was up in the guest bedroom, where she had been for the past 3 weeks. The NPD had seized Hermione and Jenna's house, claiming it as a major crime scene and that no one was to go near it over the next few months.

I couldn't help but feel miserable for Hermione. She barely ate or came out of the room. The silence was there in her room. It felt like it was empty, not a single noise coming from the area. But there was one distinct sound that I heard; a soft sniffling in the middle of the night, the day Jenna died.

Since then, Adriana, Dexter and I would visit Paige and Hermione once a day, sometimes crashing at their place before leaving once again. Paige was there for Hermione day and night, begging to be let in the room but in vain. Hermione wouldn't let anyone inside, partly because of the spell she had cast around the room, the door jammed shut tight as no magic could open it.

I was worried about Hermione. She hadn't said a word about Jenna. She had gone numb after that night. She wouldn't even let Adriana get anywhere near her, and had turned down the invitation from Adriana's uncle to the masquerade.

"Hi." Adriana enthusiastically greeted, walking into through the front door

I turned around to see Adriana hastily taking off her coat, setting the grocery bags down on the counter as Dexter slammed the door shut behind her. Both of them looked drained, their eyes baggy and red as they barely had any sleep since the incident.

I was tired too from the lack of sleep. I didn't know when Josephine was going to jump out from a bush and rip my neck open, or bash my head, or kill me. I didn't know anything about her, and that's what made her so scary. Without me knowing how powerful she really was and was capable of, my magic was useless.

"Hey, babe." I greeted, muttering quietly as Adriana stood a couple of feet away from me

She looked up at me bewildered, her lips slightly parted as a crease rested on her brows. Without wasting another second, I placed my hand on her lower back, pulling her body towards mine as I gave her a peck on her soft lips.

I slid my hand from her back, shoving it back in my pocket as I went back to stirring the contents in the pot. But, I could feel Dexter's piercing glare on my back, his heavy breathing like music to my ears once he realised his sister and I were together. It was satisfaction at its finest.

I heard a rhythm of heavy footsteps across the floor behind me, my chest rising as I took in a mouth full of air. For a second, I thought Dexter was going to do something, but luckily he left the kitchen for his own girlfriend who was in the living room, leaving me and Ana alone.

"What was that?" Adriana asked, her brows raised in surprise

"What?" I asked, turning to face her, a smile creeping its way onto my face as her gorgeous green orbs looked up at me

"Someone had to tell him."

I shrugged my shoulders, smiling as I saw a smirk crawl its way onto Adriana's lips. I fought back the urge to kiss her once again, and not just give her a peck, but one where I kissed her lips, her entire body, touching her soul as she moaned out my name.