SWNOVELS Chapter 30 - Hatred With The wind
Aurelia had no energy left in her, but fighting was the most she was good at. Scrambling to her feet, she lit her palms with the fire of her rage. "You thought you did something, didn't you?" A smirk made its way to her face, pride surging within her very being as her gaze shifted to Jayden.
Aqua allowed her powers to unleash, her magic creating a blue aura encircling Jayden, protective over him. "Don't even think of it," she sneered, his safety her one top priority.
"Oh..." Aurelia broke off the flame in her palm. "But it isn't me who's gonna hurt him." Her tone was sickly sweet, dripping with mock innocence.
Before anyone could react, Jayden let out a groan, stumbling to the ground onto his knees, barely holding himself up as the dagger in his hand slipped. The ongoing fire behind Aurelia, previously the hotel, increased the stronger the wind blew, the air becoming a thick blanket of smoke.
Aqua frantically looked between her coughing mother and Jayden. Clutching his head, his face contorted with pain. She ran to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, her hand on his chest in hopes of healing his torment.
His struggling ceased, and she thought she'd aided him, sighing in relief. But as he slowly looked up, the blue of his irises was no longer existent, replaced with a deep black that had her stomach twist in knots.
This wasn't Jayden.
Igujin released a bolt of lightning towards Aurelia's chest, aiming for her heart, but with one snap of her fingers, the lightning bounced off her magical shield and headed straight towards Igujin's. As she was an immortal being, it hardly affected her, though it struck through her, she only stumbled back a few steps.
Aurelia gathered a whirlwind of fire, floating amidst her palms. She hurled it towards Hedjun, who stood behind, calculating her movements. He expected her motive to be cruel, but he didn't expect her to stand so tall and mighty, even after everything related to her has been burned to ashes.
Hedjun dodged it efficiently, but its ends slashed through his shoulder, catching onto his cloak. Igujin aided him, putting the embers out, and Aurelia picked up the chance to spend the last of her magic, unleashing a wave of black fog to swallow her daughter whole.
Enraged at the sight, Hedjun joined forces with Igujin, their powers unified into one. With a strong grip onto his cane, light emerged from its tip, fixated around Aurelia. Her powers had began to wither, damaging her heart and causing her to lose her balance, clawing at her chest.
They'd planned to trap her at her weakest, and it could have never been done without Hedjun's reaping abilities. With both of their powers, they were able to reap her tainted soul, and bring it with them to the underworld.
As they'd captured her in her weakened state, the two disappeared, taking her behind the flaming gates of the underworld, where her soul shall diminish and never be met with reincarnation.
Aqua was left alone, amidst the smoke and raging wind, with none but the man she loved, and the soul she despised.
Jayden got to his feet, and Aqua took a step back.
"Jayden..." Her voice cracked, her eyes stinging with tears. She never planned this far. The part where Aurelia would be taken away, that she knew. But to stand one on one, in front of him of all people...
"Oh please," he chuckled, "You and I both know I'm not Jayden."
Aqua scowled. She began losing control over her emotions; livid. Anger streamed within her blood, and she became blinded by the hatred she'd carried with her all her life. Jayden's image faded; no longer noticed, and suddenly, Ruth was all she could see.