Aria's pov;
It's said that the first fool is not a fool but the second fool is the real fool.
Then, I'd be a fool to think Celeste was going to welcome me with open arms as I knocked on the familiar door of the one place that had once been my home and my nightmare at the same time.
I exhaled a nervous breath, sweat coating my palms and rethinking my decision on the choice of clothes I was putting on.
Not only that, but now, I was regretting bringing back the gown Celeste had lended me for the ceremony, in hopes that she was going to be the one in it but every plan had come crashing down on us like a dream; all happening in a flash.
"For goodness' sake, which idiot did you dump last night again, Celeste?" Yelled my mother right as the door opened and we now stood face to face.
I watched carefully as the emotions in her eyes slowly morphed from her previous frustration, to nonchalance and then, as if registering the recognition, anger and irritation resurfaced on her face.
"Look who the dog dragged in this morning. I didn't think you'd have the guts to come here…" she laughed in mockery, her lips stretching into a wide smile that I once hoped would be genuine for once but after years of hoping, I stopped.
Just yesterday, I believed after safely and going according to the plan, I'd finally get to see her smile at me and then get my happily ever after, but things had gone the opposite direction.
"I…I have come here to return Celeste's gown!"
Right as I said this in a hurry, I realized how foolish those choice of words had been.
"...to return my clothes?" The sudden arrival of Celeste, now standing beside my mother, in the doorway, with a small smile on her face and an all too suspicious cheerfulness had me recoiling back in fear as a result of years of built-in fear.
From the way she stood, her small smile and the way her eyes were lit with happiness, I was all too familiar with this look since years of getting this look had caused a number of marks on my body that were sure not to fade away.
"Are you not going to invite me in?"
Again, another wrong choice of words and now, I was regretting leaving the old castle without informing Kael or anyone of my whereabouts.
If I were to die now, no one would come looking for me and Kael Draven could very well pick another lady to be his mate.
Maybe finally, Celeste would get what she wanted; to be Luna and to be with Kael Draven.
The temperature seemed to have dropped down to a few more degrees and my body went high in alertness, with goosebumps immediately lining my skin.
Glancing around me I realized we were alone….just like always and there was no one coming to my aid if anything went wrong.
I wasn't expecting either my mother or my twin to speak but when one of them finally did, their words immediately left me with the scarring mental image of the times they had been screaming for help while tears had streamed down my face and my clothes had been covered in snot and a bit of blood from the wound they had inflicted on me. "Sure. Why don't you come in?"
Immediately, alarm bells rang in my head and this was the only warning I needed to know that this was no longer a safe place. The one place I knew was my home had never been safe and now, it was as if the monsters I had been living with were finally ready to show their faces.
I remained standing where I was, even as they both moved away from the door in sync, before darting their hands inside, signalling for me to walk in with them.
I couldn't stop myself. Despite the warning and alarm bells ringing in my head and asking for me not to go, I couldn't stop myself.
Perhaps, they were being genuine about their smiles. Maybe there was finally a change in them and they were genuinely ready to accept me.
Wasn't this all I ever wanted in the first place? To be welcomed by them with open arms and now, was my dream finally coming through?
As much as it had been hurting swallowing the pain and torment, even as I had pretended to be fine, I hadn't been fine with it since all I wanted was for someone to save me.
"Mother, Celeste….thank you," I whispered, holding the bag I had been carrying more tightly to myself.
With one last look at the two people I used to seek love from, I slowly made my way into the house, sweating nervously and trying not to show it.
My back was turned to them as I took in the chaos of the living room, broken glass shattered on the floor and all types of things were scattered on the floor.
Glass shards were the least of my worries now. Was this place under attack?
Right as I had this thought, the lid sound of the door banging close had me almost jumping in fright.
Turning behind, I swallowed nervously, my heart in my throat as the reality of things finally set in.
I shouldn't have come in. I should have just stayed out and been content with the way they were going to welcome me but instead, I became greedy and hoped for too much.
It was like biting more than I could chew.
"So, any last words?" With a small joyful clap, Celeste cheered while my mother stood leaning on the cold door, her arms folded in front of her and not having to keep up the pretense again.
"Er…Hehe…What are you talking about? Sister, I came to return your gown to you. It must be very precious to you, isn't it?" I nervously laughed, trying not to seem like everything she was doing was affecting me.
Meanwhile, there was the animalistic instinct screaming for me to run as fast as my legs were going to carry me. To run from preys.
All of a sudden, my world spinned, as Celeste now stood before me in a flash and without thinking twice, raised her hand before slapping me.
By the time I realised that was what she wanted to do, it was too late and the deed had already been done.
"You have the nerve coming here and thinking anyone was going to welcome you with open arms! How dare you?" She screamed, the veins on her neck protruding as she shook in anger.
I held my cheek in my hand, tears burning my vision and finding it difficult to speak properly.
"Believe me, I wanted to come but the Alpha suspects something is wrong. You know how it is: If I push it too much, he might finally realise the truth and we will all be in danger," I rushed to say before things could escalate further.
Although, it was obvious Celeste wasn't just going to stop there.
"You liar! To think you were going to rebel like this! How foolish I must have looked in your eyes to think you were going to be a good dog and do according to your owners wills!" Celeste further screamed, before letting out a loud laugh as she paced around me.
And this time, the fear kicked in. I looked around me, staring at the chaos as I swallowed in utter despair. Was this how I was going to die?
Celeste wouldn't go as far as killing me right?
Even to me, my thoughts were beginning to sound unbelievable and too funny.
"No, Celeste. Please, it's not like that. Believe me, Kael already had his suspicion right before he marked me. I never-"
Another slap to my cheek which I hadn't seen coming had me involuntarily shutting my mouth as I tried to deal with the pain.
"Today, you're going to die, Aria. And no one is coming to save you," with a crazed smile, she pranced towards me and I nervously stared around, at least, to get a bit of hope again.
Was this it for me? I didn't want to die like this and from the way Celeste looked, it was safe to say she was beyond saving.
"She can still do it. It's very easy. The other plan failed right? Then, why don't we try a new one?"
Finally, after what seemed like a near death experience, our mother butted in. I would have believed she was scared to see me die but every action she had made today was the total opposite of that.
Hearing her say this, hope filled my heart and I immediately lit up with joy, happy about her input even if it wasn't exactly because of me.
Celeste stopped, a breath away from me while turning to look at our mother.
Her eyes which were a deep shape of blue, very different from mine, had this crazed look in them, as if she was high on drugs.
"Mother, you should just say what it is and not keep me waiting…What exactly are you talking about?" in a detached voice, Celeste asked and in that fleeting moment, I didn't fail to notice how the light in her eyes shriveled and her face flashed with disappointment written all over it.
I would have been fooled by the way she tipped her chin at me in mockery, but her reaction would forever be in my head because she didn't fail to show me once again who was the favourite child between us.
"All I'm saying is, we can work with another plan. After all, he hasn't touched you, has he? I wouldn't be surprised if he can't bear to touch you even. Your purging scent must have gotten to him too, isn't it?" With a short and loud laugh, my mother snorted and anyone else would have believed she was talking to everyone except her daughter; me.
I cast my head down, before beginning to hold the elms of my clothes in my hand, wrinkling and squeezing it like my life depended on it.
Silence swallowed us, each of us engulfed in our thoughts.
Meanwhile, my mother's words kept ringing in my head like a broken record, "I wouldn't be surprised if he can't bear to touch you even…"
Everytime these words ran through my head, it was like having your heart getting gripped and then squeezed tightly to the point of choking for breath.
Tears stung in my nose as its uprising was like a bitterness in my mouth. Kael's words which had left me deprived of breath and panting now seemed like a joke.
Of course, he had only been avoiding me. How could I have affected him that much? It was laughable and just as I thought of this, I remembered Seraphina's fleeting words. "...they don't last."
"I'll do it. Whatever the plan is, I'll do it," I managed to say after an internal battle with myself.
All of a sudden, Celeste squatted right in front of me , gripping my chin tightly, possibly to make me aware of everything she'd be doing "Of course. You don't have a choice sweetheart," came her words with a small smile, right before her fingers wrapped around my neck tightly and soon, I was gasping for breath, fighting against her hold while my mother only watched on with a smile.
Everything around me blurred and it didn't look like anyone was coming to save me as Celeste's hold never loosened.
Finally, after every futile struggle and the trashing of my legs while fighting against her old, I spread my arms open for the darkness, allowing it to consume me but this time, I realized exactly how little I meant to them both.
Now, I was going to do me and there was no going back! Not even the devil would blame me!