Tristan parked his car outside Pearl's boutique and stepped out. Aria had texted him to meet her here, and he had rushed as soon as he had gotten her message. He had to tell her how he felt.
However, all thoughts vanished from his head as he entered the boutique and saw her.
Aria was sitting on the floor of the boutique. Her eyes were rimmed red. Her hair was open, stuck to her face with sweat and tears. Her clothes were muddy and torn from the side.
"Aria?" Tristan called out, dropping to his knees beside her. He looked around, but there was no sign of the old lady who had been there last time.
"Aria, what happened?" Tristan asked, gently holding her by the shoulders.
Aria looked at him. Her lips were dry and chapped. "Au..," She began in a voice which was barely above a whisper.
"Yes?" Tristan prompted.
She raised her chin. "Aunt pearl is no more!" She said, crying uncontrollably as soon as she got the words out her mouth.
Tristan felt as if he were underwater and was hearing everything at a slow pace. "What? When did..," He broke off.
"She had a heart attack this morning, and by the time they took her to a hospital it was too late!" Aria swallowed hard. "Aunt Lorine and Uncle Mason are at the funeral and....,and I didn't think I could make it. She was..," Aria stopped. She shook her head. "I didn't know what to do, who to call. Knave doesn't know what she meant to me and Aunt Lorine is acting weird ever since she forgot Knave and Uncle Mason is struggling to handle everything and..,"
Tristan noticed she was just rambling. "Aria, breathe!" He ordered.
Aria did not seem to hear him. She continued, "And I felt like I was dying when I heard the news and then your face came into my mind and I realized that the only person I can call is you!" She suddenly looked horrified. "I am sorry if I bothered you!" She said, backing away from him.
Tristan did not let go. "You did the right thing," He hugged her tightly. "It's going to be okay, Aria!"
Aria hung on to him as if she were drowning and he was the only one she could hold on to.
Tristan sat on the floor of the boutique, holding Aria as she rested her head on his shoulder, deep in sleep. She had been crying for hours until exhaustion had finally worn her down. Tristan had held her the whole time, fighting to hold back his own tears that came as he had watched her break down. He let his tears flow now.
"Why me?" Aria suddenly asked in a very quiet voice.
Tristan wiped his tears with a hand. He did not know when she had woken up. His voice was so tight with grief that he could barely speak.
Aria however, was not waiting for an answer. "Why do the people I love get taken away from me?" She asked. "Why am I so cursed?"
Tristan was not sure if she was questioning him or herself, but there was no way he was going to let her think that the fault was in her.
Gently, he drew away from her, only so he could see her. She seemed lifeless. Her eyes had lost all their shine. The same eyes he always lost himself in, were now drowned in sorrow. That tore him apart. He couldn't bear to see her like this.
"Aria, do you know how gold is formed?" He asked.
A little surprise crept into her dull eyes. She slowly nodded. "By melting the ore."
Tristan gave a small smile. "Exactly!" He exclaimed. "The ore has to be melted in high flames, and once the gold is formed, it becomes the most valuable and beautiful thing you will ever find."
Aria did not answer. She was looking at him in wonder. Tristan continued, "Right now, you're like that gold ore Aria, and all this that's happening is to melt you so you can come out stronger than ever!" He looked into her eyes, as if he could burn his words into her mind. "There will come a day when you will be truly happy. So happy, that the flames that are burning you now will only be a distant memory."
Aria's lips parted. She looked speechless. "You sound just like Aunt Pearl!" She finally said.
Tristan chuckled. "Perhaps she left her wisdom in me so I could pass some onto you."
A little light returned to her eyes. She gave a small smile. Tristan felt as if he was revived. "Thank you, Tristan!" She cried out.
Aria gave him a peck on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. Her body relaxed into his, and after some time she fell asleep again.
Tristan had dropped Aria at her house and had literally carried her to her bedroom. She had been so exhausted that she had barely moved the whole time. He had then decided to check on Alice, as well as inform Knave about how his best friend was doing.
When he reached Mendaline's cave, he found Alice standing alone in the middle of the cave, with her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold herself up. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked like she hadn't slept for weeks.
"Tristan?" Alice called out, as Tristan entered the cave.
"Did Knave say something to you?" Tristan asked, suddenly feeling furious.
If the reason behind his friend looking this miserable was Knave, he was going to make the guy pay. Alice had made a mistake, granted, but everyone made mistakes and they all deserved forgiveness.
Alice quickly shook her head. "No!" She assured. "It's just that I was missing you, and was wondering how you've been."
Tristan was unsure of what to say to this. "Um, I am right here." He pointed out.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Do you remember how we first met?" She asked. "I mean, how we really first met?" She corrected.
Tristan nodded. "I think it was the time when we bumped into each other and you ran off as if I was some sort of thug or murderer." He paused. "However, I am not certain if that had really happened, since you know...., Cora!"
"It had indeed been real!" Alice confirmed. "It had all really happened."
Tristan did not answer. He let the silence drag one whole minute, before finally asking what he had been wondering ever since he had arrived. "Where is everyone?"
Alice's smile slipped. "They are a bit..., " She looked thoughtful. "Let's just say, upset with me at the moment."
"Even Knave?" He asked.
Alice shook her head. "Only Mendaline."
Once again, Tristan did not know what to say. He had gathered that the only person who hadn't been concerned that Cora was fully healed was Mendaline. Then again, he did not know the witch. Perhaps she was very good at poker face.
Alice moved closer to him. "Tristan, I have to tell you something."
Tristan had known deep down that something was off, and now he was sure that whatever she was about to say was going to shake him badly. He steeled himself. "Yes?"
"You remember how Mendaline had explained about a witch's power source?" Tristan nodded. Alice continued, "We now know Cora's!"
Tristan almost smiled. The news was not at all devastating, so why did Alice look like she had just swallowed a whole grenade?
"That's good, right?" He asked.
Alice shrugged. "Depends on whom you ask." Tristan wondered if she was sick, because whatever she was saying made no sense to him. She looked him in the eye. "I am saying this because her power source is in you!"
"I'm sorry, what?" He asked, not believing his ears.
"You are Cora's power source." Alice repeated.
Tristan felt as if he were on a wild ride, and was about to puke. Alice looked worried and grabbed his hand. "But that's alright, we found a way to defeat her without the need to destroy her power source."
Tristan felt like he could breathe again. "How?"
"That is something I will tell you tomorrow," She allowed. She held onto his hand tightly. "For now, all I want to say is, thank you so much for being you!" Tears filled her eyes. "I love you!" She said, hugging him.
Tristan felt so surprised that he reeled back. There was definitely something she was not telling him.
She broke the hug. "Will you come back in the evening?"
"Actually, I planned on staying." He informed.
Alice looked horrified. "I think you better head home!" She quickly said. "No one is here at the moment, and I am going out for a walk with Knave. In fact, I should get going now!"
Alice reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, before running away as if worried he might chase her.
For some ridiculous reason, Tristan felt as if this was the last time he got to hug her. He shook aside his thoughts. His mother was most likely at school, no one had texted him from his workplace, which meant he was not needed there, and he was sure as hell that the cave wouldn't feel lonely. Now, he could go back to the place where the person who needed him the most was probably waiting for him.
Just the thought of seeing Aria again made him forget everything else. He turned to leave, when a strong feminine voice called out his name.
"Tristan!"
He turned towards the sound of the voice, to find Luna standing right behind him. "Luna?"
Luna nodded. "Indeed!" She moved closer. "Look, we don't have time for chit-chat, which is why I am going to get straight to it," She paused for a breath. "Alice lied to you!"
"About what?" Tristan demanded.
"There is no way to kill Cora without destroying her power source," Luna explained. "And in order to protect you, Alice has decided to take the fight to Cora, even if it means sacrificing her own life in the process."
Tristan felt as if the ground was tilting beneath his feet. Luna now had tears in her eyes. "Alice is nothing like Cora, and I feel terrible for behaving so coldly with her. I was so wrong about her!" She looked at Tristan. "I could not even say goodbye, because I was ashamed to face her. I watched her go and couldn't stop her!" She held his hand, looking desperate. "Please save my sister!" She begged.
Tristan would do anything to save Alice. "How?" He asked. Luna hesitated. "How can I save Alice?" He asked again.
"You have to sacrifice yourself." Luna replied.
Tristan stumbled back. Alice was sacrificing her own life to save him. He couldn't just stand here and do nothing about it. If sacrificing himself spared her life, then he would do it. Unbidden, Aria's face suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
A memory clung to his mind. It was when Tristan had carried Aria home from the boutique. She had wrapped her tiny arms tightly around his neck. Half awake, she had asked him never to leave her.
It was at that moment he had realized that he was all she had left. He had promised her that he would never leave her alone without a second thought. It had happened just a few hours ago, but now it felt like it had been years.
Tristan felt torn between Alice and Aria. On one hand was Aria, the woman he truly loved, on the other was Alice, his only friend, who had thrown away her life to save his.
Tristan fell on his knees, feeling as if his heart and mind were pulling him from different directions.
Luna did the same, trying to catch his eyes. "There is a chance you might survive!" She informed.
This made him look at her. "How?"
"From what I heard, Cora has put her healing powers in you, which was why she couldn't heal herself." Luna explained.
"Why would she do that?" He asked, wondering why Cora had done such a dumb thing.
"That is not important," Luna said, dismissing his question. She produced a small vial which was filled with a greyish liquid. "This is a venom which is deadly to humans and witches. I want you to sacrifice yourself with this. Once you do, Cora will die and her healing powers may work one last time."
"Is that possible?" Tristan asked, feeling as if he found some light in complete darkness.
"There is a slim chance it might." Luna answered.
"Why didn't you tell the other witch about this?" Tristan asked. "Mendaline, I mean."
Luna looked away. Her voice quivered as she said, "Because it is not certain that this might work."
"So I could die?" He asked.
"Yes." Luna replied honestly. She looked at him again. "But are you willing to take a chance?" She asked, holding out the vial for him.
Tristan kept his eyes on her, but his thoughts were filled with Aria, his mother and Alice. The three most important women in his life. If he did not take the vial, Alice would die, taking a part of him with her forever. Tristan would never be able to live with himself if that happened.
If he took the vial, even if there was no chance of him surviving, he would be saving Alice as well as everyone he loved from Cora. There was no more thinking needed.
Tristan reached out and took the vial. "I will do it!"