V A L E R I A
Everybody has gathered. Every witch, wolf, fairy, and any supernatural creature besides vampires as I have made that species extinct. The entire world would be extinct soon enough as people die in wars that are not necessary. But they do it for me. They do it for an afterlife they will not see.
The door is shut, I stand behind it, but it will open in a few minutes. When the clock hits the hour, it is time for his execution. Everybody is here to witness the final death of the demonic species. He will be brought to me and put onto his knees. He will look into my eyes as one of my followers cuts his head off.
"Yes, Luella, we're so close," she says to me. She was in control right now. Not me. She controlled my every movement. "After he dies, the world will crumble soon enough, and we will be all that remains."
My existence was a plague on the Earth taking more and more lives with each passing day. Originally, when she said I was going to become a God, I wanted to lead. Save. Protect the Earth in a way I felt the angels and demons couldn't. But as she became me, as she merged into me, I saw her vision and adapted it. And that was the end of humanity.
The clock is loud and echoes for miles as it hits the hour. On queue, two guards open my doors for me, and I'm able to see the hundreds of people gathered on both sides. I step outside, under the sun, and look at the walkway they will bring him on.
I was not to be crossed. And Adonis had crossed me several times. In the distance, I see it. Two guards hold both of his arms as they force him to walk down the walkway. His wrists are chained together in front of him, but something that reflects off the sun catches my eye, he wears a cross around his neck.
His head hangs as he walks. I assume he does not have the energy to lift his head. He had gone nearly half a year without eating, and while it would not kill him, it weakened him down to nearly a human's strength.
They stop walking as they reach the stairs and release him. He collapses down onto his knees. Slowly, he lifts his head up, I can tell how difficult it is for him. I look into his eyes, into that dark brown color, and for some reason, I see our memories together again.
"Stop," she snaps. She pushes the memories away once again so that I cannot remember them.
I walk down the stairs and stop directly in front of him. I look down at him. His Adam's apple moves as he swallows.
"Did you know that today is our anniversary?" he asks me. "I asked you to marry me on this day 205 years ago."
I remember it. When he asked me. When I said yes. When he gave me the ring he had created himself.
"Stop thinking about that!" she shouts. "I'm taking control now."
And she does. I say loud enough for everybody to hear, "We are here for the execution of Adonis Priest. King of The Underworld."
"I wish for you to end my suffering, darling," he says. "I will not live in a world where I cannot love you."
He says it quietly. So quietly only I can hear it. But she doesn't care - it doesn't make her feel anything. But it makes me feel something.
I turn to look at the man with the sword and gesture for him to come over. He stands beside Adonis, waiting for my cue.
I watch Adonis reach into his pocket and pull out that small flower. He holds it in his hands. His voice sounds weak and dehydrated yet he still speaks with a smile as he says, "My only request is that you make it quick. So my soul and go into the universe and wait for you."
I gesture for him to get his sword ready. But me, deep inside, I feel something. Something she tries to prevent me from feeling. But it's something so strong I can feel it anyway. I say to the man, "Raise your sword."
And he does. The blade reflects off the sun.
"Three," I say. But then I saw all the traveling we had done, all the times we danced in the rain, all the times we had swam in the ocean and all the times he told me he loved me. "Two."
"One," I say as I see him as he told me I was the entire world to him. I saw memories I hadn't seen in months as she stripped me of them. Not having them made everything easier. But as the memories flash and I look down at him, into his eyes, I feel myself take control.
"Wait," I say quickly as the man raises his sword. Everybody looks at me, confused.
"Luella! What are you doing!" she's furious. "Give me control back. Let me end this."
But I keep looking at him. At the man I have so many memories with. At the man I knew I could never stop loving. She may fully take over - but right now, it's me. And I wasn't capable of doing this to him.
"God's are supposed to be forgiving. Right?" I say. Adonis looks confused. "I will grant Adonis Priest freedom. To go somewhere far away and get a chance to live."
Live without me, is what I meant. As I woke up, as I got my consciousness back, I started to think about everything I had been doing. Adonis would never know peace as long as he was near me. His only chance at a happy life would be somewhere without me.
"You're ruining everything!" she shouts. "This why I've been in control, to do what's necessary! Give me control back, Luella, before you ruin it all."
I've never heard her so angry. I knew she'd take over once again. But while I had control right now, I needed to do this one thing for him. Free him of me. Give him a chance at a normal love. At a normal life.
"This concludes the ceremony," I say before quickly turning around. I walk up the steps and close the door behind me, I see his eyes remain on me, but I cannot speak to him. He must leave before it's too late.
She shouts at me until sunset. I sit at my vanity, looking in the mirror while brushing my hair.
"Please, Luella, we're so close."
"Just let me do what is necessary. I will make it all quick."
"Give me control back, Luella! Stop fighting me!"
I'm surprised that I'm able to hear my door open behind me with how loud she was. My eyebrows pulled together as I turned around in my seat. I was not expecting any visitors.
"Adonis?" I say his name, shocked to see him enter the room. "You shouldn't be here. You should've left when you had the chance."
"I'm not leaving without you, Valeria," he says.
While I was in control of my actions right now, I still wasn't myself. I still wasn't fully conscious, I still didn't have my personality or memories back fully, just some in pieces. I stand up and walk over to him with my arms crossed. I say, "I'm not leaving with you. This place is my home - how'd you even get the guards to let you in?"
"I killed them," he replies quickly. That didn't surprise me.
I roll my eyes. I look up at him. Deep down, I could feel everything I had felt for him, but she was still strong enough to prevent me from really feeling it. His hand moves hair behind my ear as his eyes move around my face.
"I remember when I saw you for the first time," he says quietly. "It was the first time I realized I did have a heart."
His knuckles skim my cheek.
"I know something is going on with you. Something I can't understand," he continues. "I just needed to see you one last time before leaving."
My emotions try to return to me, but she blocks them.
"Well, you've seen me," I say. "Now you can go."
He nods. But while he nods, he doesn't move. His eyes move from mine to my lips, his hand tilts my chin up as he inches his lips closer to mine. As he gets closer and closer, she says, "Stop this Luella, god fucking damn it, don't!"
But I ignore her. His lips touch mine, I feel a kiss I had been stripped of for so long, even without all my memories I still knew that's what safety felt like. His lips leave mine, but I can still feel them as he looks down at me.
"I hope you get whatever it is you want in life, Valeria," he whispers.
I continue standing where I am. I watch him as he exits my room and the door shuts. I hear his words over and over again, I feel his lips on mine over and over again, and then it happens.
I fully wake up.
Word Count: 1557