The Pure One -✔- Book Two of the Phoenix Trilogy

Chapter 28 🔥 The Cave

"How about the Pearl?" Venus added through grind teeth.

"Simple. One mistake on the questions means no Pearl. All clear?" The woman answered uncaring, detached.

They all silently agreed. Nodding their heads up and down. All lost in their own set of thoughts and uncertainty.

"What you see is what you get. You cannot compare me with the rest. I'm neither your worst nor your best. But I am you and you are me."

"Persona." Aldrik said after a few minutes of thinking.

"Is that a statement? A comment?" The voice taunted.

"The answer is persona." Aldrik repeated through clenched teeth.

"Yay! That's great." Venus clapped her hands in joy. "I don't know what the answer was and it's good to have you both as support. We could. . ."

"Vee. . ." Both Marcus and Aldrik cut her babbling.

"Yeah. Okay, continue." Venus sat down and fixed her eyes on the cold stone floor from embarrassment.

"I am who I am. I killed a woman named Natasha."

"What the. . . Is that even a riddle?" Venus asked in disbelief.

"Now I see what is this all about. The riddles were just an appetizer, right. This game is all about this." Aldrik said in a very disgusted tone.

"W-hat is it, Aldrik?" Venus asked, clueless.

"T-the answer is me." Marcus said in a quiet voice. His head bowed down in shame. It was a distant memory that he never wanted to remember again, at least not in front of his inamorata.

"M-Marcus?" Venus was scared. "Whatever it is, it doesn't matter now. We all make mistakes in the past."

"Natasha was his first human friend. Back on time when vampires were free to roam other realms and hunt on the Human Realm to balance the food chain. But young prince Marcus refused to feed instead befriended his intended meal. But soon enough being a vampire that he is, he snapped and bled her dry. Vampires are not supposed to kill any human meal but because of the suppressed hunger, the stubborn prince did the inevitable thinking he was different from the rest. More powerful. Such arrogance. As a royal, the crime was covered up and never justified." The voice narrated the story like she enjoyed every second of it. One could taste the gloat laced in the timbre of the voice.

"Enough! On to the next question!" Aldrik shouted angrily while Marcus and Venus remained very silent. The vampire prince looking very guilty and couldn't look at Venus straight. While Vee, on the other hand, looking at Marcus with longing and sadness in her eyes.

"I am not who you think I am. The first woman I loved was not in the wrong. I wronged that woman but everyone knows otherwise. I'm lost in my own deception." The voice said the words with contempt.

"The answer is me! Go on. Don't you have more better story to tell?" Aldrik shouted in rage. He punched his tank hard that it shook uncontrollably. His hand broke but the pain was not as unbearable as the memories that flooded his mind.

"She was his beloved but he once hated demons. It was them who killed his bestfriend on the battlefield. So the young prince did the unthinkable. He paid someone to woo his beloved and prove that demons don't have loyalty. Once she gave in to the temptation, he set her up for shame in front of everyone to see. Thus, making him the victim and cut the ties to the demons as planned." The voice talked very hateful.

"Stop it! A-ldrik, don't let him get into you. What happened in the past have a reason and we will have chance to repair it in the future." Venus said in a solemn voice as she made eye contact with Adrik, who in return gave her a thankful nod. Then she turned to look at Marcus, who gave her a sad smile.

"I am who wanted it both. I love two princes and I cannot choose. But then again, when I did, it cannot be. One will die if I follow my heart's desire." The voice said in a goading manner.

"I--it's me. The answer is m-me." Venus said in a very quiet voice. She was twisting her hands on her lap.

"What does that mean, Vee?" Marcus asked while Aldrik was silently following Vee's every move.

When Venus didn't answer Aldrik spoke sadly, "it means that she could never be happy as long as I live."

"No. Don't say that, Aldrik. It was never meant that way." Venus answered him in a sad voice.

"She's right, Aldrik. There's always another way." Marcus agreed.

Aldrik remained silent and seemed to be in deep thought so they left him be.

"Which one is more heavier, heart or mind? Venus?"

"Now specific questions? You just ask whatever you want. It's not fair at all. None of this since the start." Vee whined yet again.

"You can choose not to answer." The voice replied.

"And I don't? What's the consequence?" Venus replied.

"Haven't you been listening to the rules? Ask help from your companions, that's what your good at." The voice told her in a very insulting manner.

Venus was about to lash out on her but Aldrik called on to her softly.

"Vee. . ." His eyes were misty and he looked like he held turmoil inside, ". . . I'm so sorry. I think I know what to do now. Goodbye Vee. I will always love you."

Then he set himself on fire. The inside of the tank was enveloped in a blazing red inferno.

"NOOOOOO! !!!!!" Venus' horrified shout mixed with the voice's laughter. It filled the whole space with a defeaning sounds.

One that would set goosebumps on your skin. . .

And the other one was full of agony, pain and regret.