SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 104- The Reaper's Embrace

I feel like I'm choking as I start to awaken on the ground inside Gaia's mind, and all I can see is thick black smoke and the dimmest lavender light above. This place feels as though it could sap the life out of you, and my body is trembling as I try to breathe. As I try to get my bearings, I suddenly hear their voices nearby.

"I still don't see why he was so infatuated with my daughter after all of that bullshit," I hear my mother's voice.

"Same reasons Gael was obsessed with you," Mahina states bluntly.

"Luci was always complicated with his feelings, if you're asking for a clear explanation, you aren't going to get one from me. All I'm saying is that if it weren't for him wanting to keep her alive, this entire attempt probably would have succeeded. I'm telling you, it's not a coincidence that she of all people just so happened to be in the right place at the right time." I hear someone explain, and I quickly realize it must be Gaia's original voice "The premonition I had about her came true,"

"See, that's the one thing I still don't understand; if you knew from the start that her merging with Shade could be your downfall, why didn't you take her out yourself while you had the chance?" Mahina asks curiously.

"What the fuck?" my mother asks offendedly.

"Don't get mad at her, it's an honest question." Gaia states "Lucius had already taken a liking to her blood and who was I to stand in the way of him when it came to his tastes? I honestly thought he would have gone overboard and killed her within a few days, so my problem would have solved itself. I never expected him to develop feelings after going cold for eight hundred years. But, here we are." she explains exhaustedly.

"At least he got to finally remember what it felt like to be happy," I sigh as I start to approach them, and then turn to me in shock.

"Breeze, what the hell are you doing here?" my mother asks frantically as she rushes over.

"Look, don't get mad at me, but it's been two days and your bodies aren't going to be able to keep this up very much longer." I state bluntly "How much did you cover anyway?" I ask curiously, looking at Gaia as she takes a deep breath.

"Everything." Mahina sighs.

"I'm sorry this has taken so long, but we had a lot to talk about," Gaia explains apologetically.

"We were actually finishing up, so if you want to go, we can-" my mother tries to suggest, but I cut her off.

"Nope, not going anywhere." I object, crossing my arms "Everyone agreed that I'm not coming back without you guys, so this is happening." I explain confidently.

"Your father won't be-"

"He agreed." I state, raising my eyebrows as I turn my attention back to Gaia "Look, I haven't been here for two days hearing your whole story, so I'm obviously not on the same page as them when it comes to how I feel about you."

"You don't need to explain yourself, I understand what I've done," she sighs in defeat.

"No, I do." I say bluntly "Nixi, Phoenix, Pearl, Jewel; those are just the people I knew personally that you've killed since we've met. But you corrupted this place, corrupted both of my fathers, and made these people, our people, live in fear for centuries. Lucius showed me the person you used to be, and I saw you change from someone desperate to save others into someone who had to convince themself that sinful their actions were justified. I may be a child of tragedy, but I found a way to rise above it. You were the daughter of a priestess, and you became one of the demons we were taught to fear." I explain, watching her fall to her knees before me.

"Breeze, she knows what she's done," Mahina sighs.

"No," Gaia pleads "Let her speak, I need to hear it."

"Over the past two days, you got to relive every important moment, for better or for worse, that made you into the person that you are today. I can't imagine a more effective method of torture, and for that, I think that it's finally time that we show you mercy from this world and the dark embrace that it's held you in for the past millennium." I explain, looking down on her with both judgment and sympathy.

"I fought it for years, but I always thought that my destiny was to join the lost ones. Now, I think that becoming nothing is what I deserve." she sighs as she clutches the ground.

"Those spirits were trapped on the other side for a reason, they weren't there to help you," Mahina says sympathetically.

"Exactly," Gaia starts to cry "I was just as misguided, I deserved to be there with them after everything I had done."

"It makes me wonder; if Kina had been able to teach you what she knew before she passed away, were they the ones she was speaking to too?" Mahina asks curiously.

"They told me so, but honestly, now I'm not sure if it was the truth." Gaia sighs in defeat "This is why people need to be careful who they put their faith in."

"That's one truth I'll agree with." my mother rolls her eyes.

"That reminds me," Gaia begins, looking up at us "Don't condemn Calista for being one of us, she was always against what we did to survive. Please, take care of her," she begs desperately, and I see my mom and Mahina start to nod.

"She's more than proven herself, you have my word." my mother promises, and I feel a twinge of guilt as I debate whether or not to say anything.

"Actually," I sigh longingly "I spoke with her yesterday afternoon. She's made her peace and has decided not to stay once the smoke clears, she wants me to bring her soul to an end so she can finally rest." I explain solemnly, and I see the color drain from Gaia's face.

"No," she gasps at the realization.

"Are you serious?" Mahina asks in shock.

"This has been her only goal for a long time, and she wants to leave things in our hands." I explain thoughtfully, bowing my head "It's her choice, and I told her I would respect it."

"I understand." Gaia says understandingly "I wish I hadn't ruined her chance at happiness. I wish... I hadn't ruined a lot of things." she explains as she bows her head "We may have been the ones who built this place from nothing, but I see now that we didn't deserve it. We were overthrown for a reason, the insurrection we tried with Gael failed for a reason; we weren't meant to be on the throne. This place belongs to a family that's worthy of being worshipped because they've proven time and time again that they can't be broken. " she explains.

"Do you want to know why that is?" I ask, kneeling in front of her as she locks eyes with me "We've never lost our ability to love, it's as simple as that."

"Calista has had an impact on you, hasn't she?" Gaia chuckles, tears running down her cheeks.

"She makes a good point," Mahina begins "It's why we saved Valentina, it's why we created reincarnation."

"For Dante and I, one lifetime wasn't enough," my mother adds confidently.

"Love is the guiding force, and so long as we have that, I'll do my best to keep my promise to the only man you've ever loved." I start to smile, resting my hand on her shoulder "What we do in life is our choice, but we need to stay true to ourselves and do better than the ones that came before us. Otherwise, history is bound to repeat itself." I can see her lips quivering as she starts to smile, and I know that it's time. She's relived her sins, she's seen the truth, and now she knows that the future is in good hands.

"Thank you," she whispers, and I gently squeeze her shoulder.

"So, are you ready?"

Infections of a Different Kind- AURORA

Part 3: The Sin of Immortality

End