[FINALE PART 1]
Aphmau's P.O.V
I waited that night. I waited and waited but he didn't show up online.
I went to Dally and Lazzie at his hotel room the next week but he wasn't there.
I've tried asking Lilly about him but she hasn't spoken to him for a month.
Summer vacation rolled in and Aaron is gone.
I should have asked him at least his university but each day dragged in a longing regret.
Of course I tried to readjust my life, be happy again.
When he was around, he made it seem so simple. Even a stupid joke can actually get me to laugh but it feels like a lot of effort now.
Eventually I forgot about him. He became a memory in the past... a friend.
In college we met again but we remained friends. Maybe because I spent too much time in my own head or maybe because we never had the chance to sit down and talk, I never felt what I felt with Aaron in high school.
He became my best friend.
After college, we parted ways and finally I made it to my first officially rented house.
We moved in, Me, Katelyn and KC.
"That's all. I'd like you to sign here ma'am." One of the movers said.
"Oh, thank you." I took the pen and quickly signed the clipboard.
I turned around and faced, with pride, my first official home away from original home.
"Come on in! We have a lot of work to do Aphmau-Senpai." KC called from inside.
I blinked and sprinted to the house. The living room and stairs were all filled with boxes. KC's voice must be coming from the kitchen so I took to the left and found her, her tail wiggling as she searched in one of the boxes.
"I think we should unpack our bedrooms first." I suggested.
She rose to her feet with whipped cream on the tip of her nose.
"Yeah yeah," she waved her hand in dismissal, "Kawaii-Chan was talking about you. Aphmau-Senpai should start unpacking cause even Katelyn-Sama finished unpacking already. Later, Kawaii-Chan needs your help in putting a poster up she likes."
"Okay." I walked out of the kitchen and sharp left to the stairs on the bedrooms.
Katelyn was in her room, her doors wide open, as she put on the floor carpet.
I opened mine and everything was bland white.
I sighed and looked at the wooden planks held together waiting for a mattress in order to be a bed.
"I have a lot of work to do."
Closing my door behind me, I spent the whole day in my room.
I did my bed, put the purple kitten wallpapers I bought, moved my study desk and night stand, put a small purple circular carpet in the middle of the room.
I did a lot that by the end of the day, I simply collapsed on my bed.
The next day however, I was woken up by a loud, and by loud I mean abnormally obnoxious truck sound, yelling out of the window.
For a moment, I tried to ignore it. I brought my blanket over my head and curled into a ball to reduce the sound but it didn't work.
Grumply, I woke up in a foul mood.
"What the heck?!" I heard Katelyn yell from outside.
"Kawaii-Chan thought we're the only people in the street!"
True! Who the heck thought it was a good idea to move in at-
I glanced at the clock-
6AM in the morning?!
I threw my blanket aside and stormed out. Katelyn and KC both followed behind as I pulled the door open ready to shout.
However, my words died short and instant anger boiled in me.
Laurence and Garroth were both instructing some men as they pointed at the house facing ours.
Garroth was the first one to notice my approach, when he did however, it was too late. I grabbed his collar and pushed him against the truck.
"What's the big idea?" I hissed.
"H-hey Aph. What big idea?" He acted dumb and I know it.
"I told Dante my adress and the next day I see you both moving in."
"Are you implying that we're following you?" Laurence suggested from a side, a smug look on his face.
My face heated up a bit as I felt my cheeks burning.
"No, what I'm implying is what are you doing in this neighborhood? Last time I checked you guys couldn't afford for a rent here." I released Garroth's collar and he stood up properly, coughing and patting his shirt of any dirt.
"Well..."
On the cue, distant voices of two people chattering rang from the house.
I glanced and found Dante talking to white haired guy walking together.
"Dante!" I snapped.
He diverted his attention and quickly bit back a fear.
"That's my trust to you?!" I questioned.
"They bribed me! They blackmailed and bribed me into it! I swear it was their idea!" He pointed accusingly at the two.
I averted my eyes to find them across the street.
"Later Aph!" Laurence winked and they turned down the street.
I huffed and turned my attention back to Dante.
"Who's your friend?" I questioned.
"Oh my lady, allow me to introduce myself as Travis."
He kissed the back of my hand and held my gaze from under his lashes.
"You never told him of me right?" I asked, raising a brow.
Dante smiled sheepishly, and yanked him back.
"This is Travis, friend since high school. Travis, this is Aphmau... the one I told you about."
Travis' eyes twinkled as he opened his mouth to speak,
"If I went to heaven, I know you'll be the only Angel I'd need." And he winked.
In instinct, I rode my fist and he took a step back.
"Tell your friend here that I don't take too lightly on flirting."
After the hell I lived through in college I'm not planning on any relationships ever soon.
"I'll keep that on mind." He purred.
I rolled my eyes and tried to control my urges to pounce at him but Dante spoke, realising the growing tension.
"He's a Casanova. Excuse him."
I nodded and rubbed my hands together, the cold just sinking in my skin.
"It's cold..." I murmured.
"I can warm you on-" Dante clampsed his mouth before he can speak further and smiled nervously.
"Better get back inside then right?"
I nodded and walked back, not before shooting that Travis guy one last glare.
It's getting colder and colder as the temperature dropped.
"What was the whole hassle about?" Katelyn asked.
"New guy with Dante, Garroth and Laurence."
"That fast?!" KC exclaimed.
I sighed and headed to my room. Since my sleep has been disturbed, I became widely woken and could not possibly get back to sleep with the noise outside.
I raised my sheets and did them...
There we go again.
This time I finished just right before dinner.
We decided to distribute the chores around the house so KC is in charge of the kitchen, Katelyn is in charge of the garage with the porch and backyard, and I was in charge of cleaning the whole house.
I put up wolf down on the side of my bed and went to the bathroom to wash my hands.
I received wolf in my graduation day. I don't know who sent it but it arrived in a package, resting at the doorstep of home with no sender.
I took it in and when I saw the plush I was pleasantly surprised. It really helped during college when I would get really stressed and want a buddy by my side.
I walked out and as a cue, the sweet aroma of food came flooding on my nose.
How long has it been since I ate a home cooked meal?
... probably before college.
I wiped my hands against my thighs and sprinted downstairs.
KC hummed happily as she poured down the orangish red curry next to rice.
"What's this?" I questioned as my mouth watered.
"It's a dish mama-Sama used to make for us when we were kids." She answered.
"Did she teach you how to do it?"
Her eyes flashed for a second too short for me to notice before she smiled again.
"You could say that. Aphmau-Senpai, can you call Katelyn-Sama for dinner?"
I nodded and got on my feet. Leading me upstairs, I knocked on Katelyn's door.
"Katelyn?" I called and knocked again.
I knocked again but when I got no response, I turned the knob and allowed myself in.
I found Katelyn staring out the window.
"Hey Katelyn." I touched her shoulder.
I've forgotten that Katelyn had the flight and fight reflexes and in the moment, she caught my wrist and twisted it.
She knocked me over the wall in an instant and pressed me against the cold wall.
"Katelyn!" I shrieked.
Realising what she's doing, she released me immediately again apologizing.
"I'm so sorry Aphmau. Are you okay?"
"I've forgotten about your fight and flight responses." I chuckled as I rubbed my wrist, "I'm fine." I said, "KC is calling for dinner."
She nodded and followed me behind.
We sat in the table and ate. Listening and chatting to each other as we ate the curry KC made. She wouldn't tell us the name of the dish but it was darn delicious!
When we were done eating, I felt a bit sleepy, so we helped KC with the dishes and I went upstairs to hit the bed.
My new room had a dresser but no changing room, the little room had my essence all over it with the purple and pinkish themed walls. Remembering that I don't have a changing room, I took my PJ's and kept them on the side of my bed.
Nothing is more relaxing than a hot shower before sleep
20 minutes later, I walked out of the steaming bathroom to be met by a stinging cold air.
Apparently I forgot to close my window.
I went over it and was about to close them but the moment I stood over the window's frame, a pain stabbed through my heart.
I placed my hand over my heart as it throbbed painfully and my head started spinning, my breathing heaved and consciousness slipped away... what the hell is happening?!
My vision blurred as my stance lost its balance.
I managed to open my eyes and after blinking several times, I saw something frigtening staring at me across the street.
Dark eyes.
Eyes as dark as the moonless night that showed no remorse.
My head started throbbing and the pain in my heart became unbearable. I tried looking for any clues as to who that person is but his body was blurred. No facial or physical features, just simple dark eyes.
Then the moment was over. I blinked and my everything was back to normal. My breathing, my head, my heart...
Clamping my hand to my heart, I frowned.
Did what happen just happen?
Panick surged in me then I noticed Garroth staring at me wide eyes from across the street.
Not feeling bothered, I closed the windows and followed by the curtain. I jumped in my PJ and grabbed all the books I had on my shelf.
I've never heard of anything like this happening. It happened so often in college that I thought it was just because if college stress but I was wrong.
Each time it happened, it became stronger. I spent most of my college free time in abstract books about magic, trying to figure out what it was but nothing.
The presence of the person I felt was stronger than anything I've felt before. It was like the being was... seeing my soul and torturing it. The mere thought sent shivers my spine and I threw the last book hopelessly.
I've skimmed these over and over and there is nothing!
I screamed in my pillow in frustration.
Who's that being?! Could it a shadow knight?
No way, shadow knights aren't smart enough to conjure a nether portal... or are they?
The thought hunted my mind. No normal person has this eyes...
I picked up my phone from the night stand and video called Lilly.
Irene moved with Shad after her first year of college and moved to Scaleswind, all the way on the other side of the world.
The phone rang for awhile until Amelia picked it up.
"Hey Aphmau!" She greeted cheerfully.
"Oh hi Amelia... Is Irene there? I want to talk to her."
"Of course!" Moving the camera aside, Irene rocked her daughter in her bed as she sang.
Amelia approached her and quickly gave her the phone. She signalled me to wait and I waited.
After a while, she stood up and went to a different room.
"Hey Aph." She breathed.
"You look tired." I commented, "Is everything alright?"
She laughed lightly at this, "No, Lilith is just a lot to handle. I literally have no idea how I'm going to do this."
I noted down the dark bags under her eyes and the tiredness in her voice.
"Isn't Shad helping?" I questioned.
"That isn't his job. I'm the one to take care of her." She sighed.
"You do know that you're living in the 21th century right? You can let Shad help you in your chores. It's quite okay." I told her.
I knew Irene and she probably had the mentality that she had to take care of Lilith by herself as it was her only job in the house. But Lilith belongs to both of them, they both have to take care of her together.
"I highly doubt you called me to check upon my life." She smirked at me to Which I smiled.
"Half way. It would have been nice to check up on you but I have something important to talk to you about." I made sure to drop my smile and hint her the seriousness in my voice.
She nodded, encouraging me to go on.
"Irene, someone's chasing me."
Her eyes widened but she still remained silent.
"And I don't mean anyone... whenever they're around, I always feel like... I'm dying."
My heart clenched at the words but it's almost true.
"When did it start?" She asked.
"In college. At first it used to be simple headaches but overtime their presence grew stronger... I feel scared Irene that I don't know what to do..." I admitted.
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Heyo Nethy here!
I'll feel really bad ending it that way but Finale 2 is coming up.
I guess you noticed and wondered who's Amelia? Well Amelia is Shad's sister from Lilly_Uys book. I really enjoyed reading her book "Her village" so check it out when you got the time!
Years passed and Aphmau grew and so did her magic. With underlying shadows on the rise, Aphmau's security is fading and overtime crumbling. Can Irene help her through this?
I wonder if that's a story material...
Anyhow, how was the chapter? :3
I hope you enjoyed reading and till next time my friends
Mattane~