Chapter 344: Only the beginning
A man was running for his life while gasping through the narrow passages. He hadn’t expected to see Casaio amd got chased by him. When his lungs gave in, he finally found a spot to keep himself hidden.
But inside this man knew that he wouldn’t be able escape Casaio’s clutches. He had covered his mouth tightly with his palm. With other hand, he quickly tried dialing for help.
Just then, the phone was snatched from him. It was none other than Casaio, who was staring at the screen now.
"Why did you lie to me when I asked you about the hunters, Nate?" He scrolled through the phone to check call details, realizing he had called on a number multiple times.
"Your Highness, I didn’t want to lie to you. Please-please forgive me," Nate pleaded. His heart was pounding against his chest, thinking he might die anytime.
"Sure, I’ll forgive you after you tell me the truth," Casaio stated. Then grabbing his neck, he pressed his thumb firmly against it, almost choking Nate. "You sold yourselves to the hunters, didn’t you?" he questioned.
Nate vigorously shook his head, trying to get free from Casaio’s tight grip.
"Nate, one more lie and you’re dying this instant," Casaio threatened him.
"I-I will tell you everything. Please don’t kill me," Nate said. Casaio let go of his neck. He grasped his arm when a speeding arrow made of silver and laced with wolfsbane came in Nate’s direction. However, before it could hit Nate, Casaio teleported, thus saving an important person to this case.
Nate looked around himself, finding them standing between huge walls. He was unable to understand what this place was when a group of warriors came in their way.
"Throw him in the dungeon!" Casaio ordered one of the warriors.
Nate’s eyes widened in shock. "But Your Highness... You said you wouldn’t harm me if I tell you the truth," he said, his eyes flickering with betrayal.
"You be investigated first. Your phone details will be checked. Being a wolf, you betrayed us and I can’t possibly send you away without knowing the truth. Besides, Hunters want you dead. That’s why that arrow came in your direction," Casaio explained, gesturing to one of the warriors to take away Nate.
After Nate left his sight, Casaio mindlinked with Estelle. ’Are you nearby?’ Casaio asked.
’Yes. I have spotted you,’ Estelle answered through the same link and rushed to Casaio’s side.
"Here’s the phone," Casaio said. "Tomorrow morning get it checked with our technical team. For now, Nate is locked in the dungeon. Also, the area where I caught him lacks the CCTV. I think we need to fill such areas with CCTVs soon," he asserted.
"I understand. You should go home," Estelle told him.
"I can’t. Gabriel was losing his mind in San Ravendale. And the matter is serious now. This beta hunter group is now attacking openly," Casaio stated. "Go home. Let’s see each other tomorrow."
Estelle bowed, gripping the phone tightly in her hands. After she disappeared from his sight, he made his way into the dungeon, where Nate was imprisoned.
~~~~~
Ophelia looked at the crystal balls, realizing for the past few days, she could see nothing about Amelie and Gabriel. She even tried creating some spells to harm both of them, but they would be destroyed on their own.
"Something isn’t right. It feels a repelling spell exists, which is shielding both of them and at the same time, ending the effects of the spells I create to harm them," she mumbled, furrowing her brows together.
After emptying the cave, she got to find that Gabriel kept his relentless search in that area with the intention to catch her.
Ophelia used her another spell to find out who was protecting Amelie and Gabriel. After a few moments, as the intensity of fire grew, she could see the figure, but only a blur image. Her eyes burned and she opened them.
"A powerful witch is protecting them!" Ophelia said, her nails digging into her palms. "But why I couldn’t see her face fully? Seems like she’s being protected well. At this rate, I won’t be able to accomplish my goal. Amelie and Gabriel took away the life of my daughter. This is the only lifetime, where I can take my finally vengeance from them. I have to find a way soon."
Standing up, she walked inside the house, straight to the small library she had. Bringing her hands over the books, she pulled out a few and decided to read them to get rid of such a strong witch.
"Unless this witch dies, I can’t touch Amelie or Gabriel," Ophelia murmured.
~~~~~
Gabriel was sweating intensely in his sleep. His eyeballs were moving in the sleep while his body was stiff.
It was a dream, where he found himself being tied to a pole with the ropes he was unable to escape from. The fire had surrounded the house and he was burning.
"Let me go. I need to save my mate," Gabriel muttered with difficulty as the intense smoke filled his lungs as he coughed.
The wolfsbane seared his skin, its poison sinking into his veins like fire under flesh. Gabriel gritted his teeth, his body trembling as the ropes burned deeper into him. With a growl, he summoned every ounce of strength within him and tore himself free.
Staggering forward, his breath ragged, he pushed through the collapsing doorway. A beam of burning wood crashed down, grazing his arm. The flames clawed at his skin, but he didn’t stop. Pain meant nothing compared to the need that drove him.
"Amelie..." he muttered in his sleep, his lips barely moving as the name trembled out of the mouth.
The forest loomed ahead which in the beginning appeared like a maze. He kept running until he found Amelie’s scent, but it was fading.
Why?
And then, he found her, lying on the floor with a pool of blood, a dagger pierced right through her heart.
"Amelie!" Gabriel screamed, running to her and pulling her up in his arms.
"You shouldn’t have killed my child," Ophelia said, standing right infront of them. "I curse you, Gabriel and Amelie that I’ll haunt you both. You thought her death was the end of my grief? No. It was only the beginning. My revenge is far from over."
Gabriel’s eyes opened and he found himself right in his room. Amelie was in a peaceful sleep, right next to him. He sat up, bringing his hand to his head. The Ophelia he saw was clear and she’s not same as in the picture they retrieved from a CCTV footage.
He tilted his head to look at Amelie. "I won’t let anything happen to you, to us," Gabriel murmured. He decided to talk about it with Carlos in the morning. However, now, he was unable to sleep.
Getting out of the bed, he simply walked out of the room to take some fresh air. The entire mansion was covered in darkness, and he went straight to the garden.
Sitting down on the bench, he clasped his hands together, contemplating.
Finding no answers, he simply sighed as the cool night air brushed his skin.
"Why did you wake up at this hour?"
Gabriel flinched at the familiar voice and lifted his head.
"Karmen? You’re still here? You didn’t go home?"
"I couldn’t." Karmen shook his head, settling down beside him. "I was supposed to work, remember? But since you’re not going to the company, I stayed behind and decided to finish the pending work."
"What time is it?" Gabriel asked.
"Almost two in the morning," Karmen replied.
Gabriel exhaled slowly. "I see."
"You look... troubled again," Karmen noted, studying him.
"I had a dream," Gabriel admitted after a pause. "I think it was a glimpse from my past life. I—" his voice faltered "—I killed Ophelia’s child. That’s why her vengeance isn’t over. She’ll haunt me and Amelie until she’s satisfied."
Karmen’s expression hardened, though his tone stayed calm. "You still don’t know the whole story, Gabriel. The truth of how her child died remains unclear."
Gabriel nodded faintly. "I know. But I can’t let her harm us in this life. The charms are strong. They’re protecting us. I feel it."
"And yet," Karmen said gently, "fear still lingers in your heart. Not for yourself, only for Amelie and her pup."
"Yes," Gabriel admitted.
"That’s not weakness. It’s natural to worry for those we love, especially when she’s your mate." Karmen placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "You’ve survived countless hardships, Gabriel. You and Amelie have endured together. This too will pass. Don’t let the past blind you. Focus on her, on the child she carries. The Moon Goddess watches over you both. Remember, dark magic rarely grants its wielder the outcome they seek."
Gabriel finally met his friend’s gaze, the weight on his chest easing ever so slightly.
"Thanks, Karmen. Your words truly made me feel lighter," Gabriel smiled at him.
"Anytime, my friend," he said.