"He was a friend to everyone... even the ones who didn't treat him well. He gave laughs, smiles, and hope to each one of us. He's the light we never thought we'd lose. Without him, we feel hopeless... I really can't imagine a world without him, without Delvin." El said in her eulogy. She tried to hold her tears but she can't control her pain. She left the podium without finishing her speech as her friends followed her from the crowd.
The Cage family attended the funeral, filled with loss and pain for they lost him. Rain poured as the ceremony began. Black clothes and foggy weather circulated the cemetery. The silver lining in their eyes turned grey dusk as they felt the departure of Delvin. The Barrington family paid their respects at the funeral without Rion. The ceremony came to an end and it was time to lower the coffin down the grave.
They threw white roses at his coffin as it lowers down to the ground. Letting go of the flower felt like letting go of his hand, accepting his passing. The crowd was filled with tears as the coffin was doused in soil.
Logan Cage his father pinched his eyes as he walks out of the place and says his last farewell to his son. He bumped into John Ashford on his way out. He smiled and cried submissively at the same time as he saw his old friend.
John walked to him and rested his head on his shoulder.
"How did this happen..." He cried.
John hugged his old friend tightly as he was left speechless by everything that has happened. He can't believe that a lot of lives were lost for a blood of revenge. He tapped his back as he felt what Logan is feeling. He knows very well what he's going through. Losing a son felt like losing a fragment of your soul.
"He's still not coming out?" Ivan asked Rion's friend.
Rion locked himself in his room alone as he was devasted by what happened to his friend.
He felt loss, anger, and guilt all at the same time. He's crying but there are no tears falling anymore. The tight feeling in his heart lingered throughout his body as he dealt with pain for he can't accept that his friend died for him. He blames himself for not doing anything and freezes at the moment as Delvin did the action to save his life. His reality felt like a dream for he can't deal with everything that was happening in his life.
"It should be me..." He whispered slowly to the wind, crying as he regrets what happened.
He leaned down on the bathroom floor in pain. All he felt was the void Delvin left. The subtle teardrop fell from his eye as he reminisce the voice of his friend. He felt extreme rage for his friend's death. Due to this ceaseless emotion, he broke the mirror in his bathroom causing a loud shatter of glass leaving his friends and family worried.
He looked at himself in the shattered pieces of the mirror and saw himself seeking justice and vengeance for his friends. Until now they can't find Diana since Jane took her away. He gulped the air as he decides on his next course of action. His eyes turned red as he came to conclusion about what he will do. He jumped from his window and left the house.
His family opened his door with worry and saw that Rion left his room.
"Where is he?" Rona asked with worry.
Ivan tapped her shoulder, "Let him be..."
"This is too much for him. We need to find him." Rona said.
"He's just clearing his mind. You said it yourself, this is too much for him. He just needs air to process everything. We still have 0 leads for Diana, his professor died. and he lost his best friend. Give him time..." He explained.
Jane kept Diana in a cellar underground where magic can't penetrate because of the spelled walls. She's extremely suffering from exhaustion and fatigue. She hasn't eaten in days and burned out from all the fighting. She sat on the ground leaning on a concrete wall as she embrace her knees and sobbed in pain.
"Giving up so soon?" Jane asked outside her cellar.
She slowly looked at her with her tired eyes, "What happened to you?... The Jane I knew isn't like this. She loved people, she cares for them. Even without your memories, I hoped you'd still remember yourself."
"What a pity... The Jane you knew is weak, helpless, and a no one. You have no idea to live in the shadows of everyone else around you without a single purpose. But now... I know my purpose."
"And what is that?"
"To kill Rion Ashford. You see you're just collateral in my mission. I'm not with the Crimsons or Theo, I have my own plan and I'm here to finish it. I don't care what happened to all of you. What matters to me is to bring him to my taskmaster. But apparently, the Crimsons are doing the hard work. I'll just snatch him away after they had their fun."
"Jane, don't do this..."
"Oh, I will. Your magic won't help down here. The walls are covered in Runes, only the witch who enchanted it will be able to use their magic."
Diana looked around the place and saw ancient writing engraved on the concrete. She looked closer and saw a familiar symbol on the walls. She realized that it's their coven's symbol and her ancestors did the spell back then.
"Kaunaz... Uruz... Raidho... Nautiz...Sowula...Raidho" She said.
Jane was confused by what Diana said, "What are you saying?"
"Those runes spell the name of my family. This place is built by my ancestors. And only the witch who casted the spell can use their magic inside. Well, lucky for me... I'm one of them."
She stood up from the ground with her head up high. Jane was shocked by what she did and realized that she messed up. Jane stepped back as Diana stood up. Diana looked in her eyes with fury and harnessed her full power through her body. She slowly lifted her arms aiming at the metal rails and released her magic.
She didn't hesitate to use her magic even with the consequences of hurting someone. She blasted her magic causing the cellar to break open. Jane tried to come at her but with a flick of her hand, she blew away to the wall causing her to hit her head giving Diana time to escape. She walked away from the cellar as the place burns to the ground.
Diana saw a car parked and ran towards it. She searched for the key but it was missing. She has no choice but to hotwire the car. As she tries to connect the wires the car started. She closed the doors and drove away from the place.
Jane woke up in the middle of the fire. Debris falls to her head as the fire intensifies. She tried to escape with her heightened speed but the fire is lethal for vampires. She ran to a safer spot and used broken wood scraps to budge her way out of the place. She escaped the fire with her clothes burning. The fire left burns on her skin and face. Her vampirism can't heal burns caused by the fire leaving her scarred.
Ivan visited the hidden blue water lily pond of their family with the thought of Rion would be there. The pond is an enchanted place filled with lots of blue water lilies that swim freely in crystal blue water. He saw Rion sitting in front of the pond looking at his reflection in the water.
"Do we really get what we deserve, Ivan?" He asked his cousin while weeping quietly, snuffling a little.
Ivan sat beside him and looked at him sincerely.
"You know I used to go here every time I feel helpless and no one could understand me. I'm not someone who usually shows what I feel. I like to keep it to myself because for me, what's the point of telling if they just won't understand. I'll be honest, I'm not alone but I feel lonely. In my 112 years, I've pretended to be a normal 21-year-old for a very long time and I just wonder... When will I stop pretending."
"Theo Crimson said that we planted a curse on their family... Maybe they were right. Look at all these innocent lives that got caught up in this pointless war for revenge. I wanted to live a normal teenage life but being a Barrington says otherwise. What if we're the villain in their story and all they're fighting is justice for their family?"
"We can't speak for the Crimsons, Rion. But I will ask you, do they deserve to die, all those innocent lives, for the justice they don't fight for? Yes, the Crimsons are hurt but they don't have the right to kill someone for their own rectitude."
"I think it's time for me to end this. They want me, the reason for Eleanor Crimson's death. That antidote was for her not for me. I wasn't even supposed to live, why fight for it?"
"We can still find her, don't lose hope."
"Trust me, hope was already lost for quite a while."
Rion stood up from the ground and walked out of the place. Ivan was left in the pond as he tries to understand Rion's side.
The Barrington family discussed the plan with Rion's pack, to rescue Diana and deal with Fala Crimson.
"Fala? She died a long time ago. I was there, we saw that right?" Rufus, Rion's grandfather implied.
"Is it possible that they've preserved her body until they've found a cure?" Sheila asked.
"Well, that's possible but knowing the Crimsons they don't have that knowledge and magic to do that."
"I think they have..." Amara said as she remembers the moment when Fala died.
Rufus looked at his wife with a curious face, "What do you mean they have?"
"Before she died I gave her my ring... It's a very powerful relic that has been passed down in my family for a very long time. It can absorb magic and use that exact same magic at the same time. The more magic the ring absorbs the more powerful it becomes. The ring can also heal and slow aging. Back in the day, Fala always complimented my ring. For her, it reminded her of a crow's eyes... I gave it to her before she died. I think that ring might have saved her from her disease."
"What if that ring is the only thing that's keeping her alive?" Sheila suddenly said catching the attention of everyone.
"I like this one..." Sebastian softly whispered to Rufus.
"That makes sense... If that ring can is the one keeping her alive. Then let's just take it away from her." Cheryl replied.
"Even if what you're saying is true, we still have to go through several obstacles before we even lay a finger on Fala... The werewolf pack you've encountered is not the official Crimson pack. The real Crimson pack are built and trained harder making them the perfect soldiers for the Crimsons. My estimate? There would be a hundred trained werewolves prepared, and that's only at the front gate. Inside the Crimson Mansion, is where they keep their Zetas. I figured Theo Crimson is one of their Zeta. They are the captain or someone who leads a fight of the pack. They can lead certain groups inside the pack and are often the strongest fighters of the pack." Rufus said.
"We need Rion..." Amara suggested.
"Where is he anyway?" Rufus asked.
Ivan entered the room, "He left... Whatever fight you're planning, it needs to be moved. Look, he just lost a friend and the other is still missing. We can't ask him to fight without giving him a chance to mourn and swallow everything. These kids... haven't they've been through enough? This fight is a war between our family and the Crimsons but innocent people are dying because of it. I think it's time that we finish this all at once. We can't wait for another person to die because of our own doing."
The room was left silent to what Ivan said. Rion's pack look at each other as they realized how messed up their lives are. Ivan grabbed his coat and left the room speechless.
John and Logan went to take a walk near the cemetery. Logan was left frustrated by his son's passing.
"I just don't get it... You know, he sent me a message the night before I received the news." Logan said with a stuffy nose from all the crying.
"Really? What did he say?" John asked as he looks at him while walking down the street.
"He said, Dad, go visit your old flat as soon as you get this. You'll find your answers."
"That's strange... Is that the flat you used to live in Rochdale?"
"Yeah, I gave it to him when he got in."
"Why don't we go there to see if we could find something he's referring to?"
"No, I don't want to bother you... I'll go visit myself."
"C'mon man, I'll drive don't worry."
Logan smiled a bit and nodded while following John back.
The funeral ended and a lot of people left the Hillford Cemetery. The visitors paid their respects for the last time and left the place. As the people left, Rion discreetly walked toward his grave with a white rose in his hand and a box of croissants. He slowly placed the things he bought on his fresh grave.
Atticus walked beside him and stood by him.
"He doesn't deserve this."
Atticus sighed, "We'll avenge him... Whatever it takes."
He chuckled softly, " The last time I heard that line I lost someone, so, please... I can't go through this over again. I don't want to fight anymore, I just want all of this to end. Do me a favor... tell my family that I will end this war once and for all. I'll go to the Crimsons and surrender myself, in return for Diana. Everywhere I go turns into misery. The Crimsons want me... I'll give them what they want."
Atticus clicks his tongue and points his finger at Delvin's grave, "Do you think he would want that? The Rion I knew won't surrender to his enemies, he would fight for what's right."
"When will all the fighting stop, Atticus? We can't live like this forever."
"Think this through first. Don't think with your heart, think with your mind."
"He was like a brother to me and I lost him."
"Then let me come with you."
"Then what? You'll die on my watch too? No... Stay here, take care of them, our friends, our pack." He said as he touched his grave before he left.
Rion starts the car as he looks at the rear mirror glancing at the reflection in his eyes. He drove the car away from Hillford and headed to the Crimsons. He wasn't sure of what he was doing but he chose it anyway. He drives faster as he gets past the gate of Hillford. He thought that sacrificing himself would bring Diana back. He still has no idea that Diana has already escaped.
The Crimsons settled in the Crimson Mansion for their safety. Fala told her Zetas and Theo to prepare for who's ever coming. Jane arrived at the place with burnt clothes and skin. She knelt in pain as she got there. Theo saw her and quickly helped her get up.
"The hell happened?" He asked.
"You told me that place is safe for her magic... It made her stronger." She replied.
"I have no idea... Where is she now?"
"Do I look like I have all the answers? I don't know."
Theo held his head and with his hand in frustration, "No! You had one job... We now lost our only resistance."
Fala approached Theo slowly and stood in front of him, "Chin up boy, with or without the witch we'll still win. Do you know why? Because we have them..."
A group of Zeta stood strong and tall guarding the Crimsons. The Zetas are powerful werewolves who are trained to fight in battles and taught how to use their transformation at full will.