Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(81)
I got out slowly and began to walk across the damp grass. The butterflies were everywhere, clinging to the long blades of grass, all glowing. Everything around me was a light blue and so beautiful. The closer I walked to the park, the more calm I felt…this emotion was becoming a drug to me, completely addicting.
“It’s over,” I whispered into the night.
“It has yet to begin,” I heard Silas say.
I turned to see him standing behind me. I found myself captivated by his image. It was powerful, yet calm; he was beautiful in the glow of the night.
“Britain isn’t coming after me – he has someone else…Draven is remaining true to who he is.”
“If he remains true to who he is, then it most definitely is not over,” Silas said calmly as he stepped closer to me.
“You don’t know Draven; I do.” I said, losing my confidence in his presence.
“That’s my point – you don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“People change, even the damned. I’ve seen it.”
“The damned change; what we are – what he is – can never change. Our eternity has been charged with a purpose…an endless battle.”
“It ends now. I’ll prove it to you.”
He slowly stepped closer, letting his honey hazel eyes fall into mine. “You’ve said that before, and now look where we are: at the brink of war – you’ve engaged this darkness – something that never should have been done…we could have saved the souls peacefully.”
I stood speechless, frozen by a forgotten past. He leaned his head down so that his eyes were only inches from mine. “It’s unfair for you to enter into battle blindly…when that world pulls him back, all of his sins will be displayed before him, and he will feel the same addicting power he did when he committed those acts. He’ll crave more, and you will be his instant source.” As Silas leaned closer, his lips touched mine, but I didn’t kiss him back; even if I wanted to, I couldn’t move. Instantly, my mind was flooded with memories. I saw myself in his arms, I felt his love. I watched as we saved millions upon millions of lost souls...I watched as we relished in the victories. Then what I saw turned darker: I saw myself struggling with the endless cycle we were in. I wanted to stop it. I wanted everyone to be at peace - including my soul; I knew it couldn’t rest if the damned suffered anywhere.
The pleas I had with Britain to change his ways, to stop pulling the darkness to him, echoed around me. As I pleaded, he tried to seduce me in the way that all Escorts did: he tried to blind me. I was strong, though, and refused to give in. Silas appeared out of nowhere and pulled me from Britain. I watched as they fought, as light and darkness collided, causing a sound no less fierce than thunder. Just before Silas reached to pull Britain’s soul from the vessel he was in, I threw myself between them and pleaded that Silas would show mercy…I told him it was my fault that I’d tempted him. As he looked at me, Silas’ eyes changed from anger to devotion. He then pulled me to him, and we walked away…years, decades passed before I laid eyes on Draven’s soul.
He was a ruler of some distant land in a distant time. I watched as the souls of his kingdom perished in darkness. I’d saved more than could be counted: women, children, innocent children. I decided to go to him, to make it stop, to set his kingdom free – to help him find the power he craved in my world. The moment my eyes found his, the memories stopped. I focused my eyes and found myself standing alone in the dark field. Silas was gone, along with the butterflies and calm energy.
In a vacant state of mind, I walked back to my car. As I drove to my house, I refused to think about the horrid images Silas had shown me, refused to think that the soul that I loved could be so dark, so damning – could hurt innocents; instead, I thought about all of the souls I’d witnessed him redeem, the very same souls I knew he’d redeem today if he were only given a chance. That thought was the only thing keeping me sane – giving me hope.
When I pulled in my driveway, I saw Draven’s Hummer – and my heart might as well have melted into my stomach. I instantly felt sick. I couldn’t understand how he was done rehearsing so soon. Then I looked at the clock on my dash: it was four AM. The massive gap in time only made me feel sicker to my stomach.
With shaky hands, I opened my car door, then slowly walked in my house. It was dark – silent. I couldn’t feel my father’s energy there, and the absence of it made the house seem larger – colder. Nervously, I climbed the stairs.
When I reached my room, I saw the couch turned to face the window and Draven sitting there. I walked around the couch, unsure if he was awake or not. When I felt his eyes on me in the dark room, I knew he was wide awake.
“I lost track of time,” I said timidly.
He stood, holding my gaze. “How was it possible for you to stand in one place for so long – without moving?” he asked as he titled his head to the window.
I could only hope he hadn’t seen Silas there with me.
“Not sure...lost a lot of time today.”
“Show me,” he whispered as he stepped closer.
I shook my head no.
“Why?” he asked in a firm, yet tender tone.
“Because I saw our past, and it’s nothing like our future.”
He reached his hand for my face and gently pulled me closer. I didn’t wait for him to kiss me; I stood on my tiptoes and pulled his lips to mine. Between our breathless kisses, he said, “Promise.”