Mathias (#1 The Chronicles of the Demon Wolf)

“What would you do if I let you take over?” Chelsea asked her demon wolf.

She already opened the door and her heart almost leaped out of her chest. Inside the ancient looking box was an imprisoned demon wolf. It still chained inside the box. The lock was located on its neck and Chelsea had the key to it. A silver of her soul and Mira’s. But Chelsea hesitated.

“I think you already know the answer to that,” the demon wolf replied without moving its lips.

Looking at Mathias right now, her blood boils. So much hatred. So much pain. She wanted to end it all. Mathias was the reason why she became like this. A curse that she must carry to the end of her life.

Her claws dig into the soil. Goddess, she wanted to rip him apart just like how he ripped her life. One bite from his canines led them to this very moment. Then, Chelsea’s eyes caught something else. Ryker is fighting against Arthur who seemed already hurt pretty bad. Despite Mathias’ spell already removed from Arthur, the daemon mastermind was already too late. Arthur was required to recuperate to allow his immortality in full effect but he insisted on going with what he had planned.

“You should rest like they insisted,” Chelsea told him as he chugged a glass of healing potion.

Arthur laughed. “And what? Letting Mathias have the time to gather his army?”

“Your age is still catching up. The spell is broken but it will take time for your body to get adjusted.”

Arthur cupped her chin. “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. Everything is under control.”

“I’ve lost everyone else. I can’t lose you too.” a drop of her tear fell.

Arthur wiped the tear and took something from his pocket. A necklace with the symbol of the sun. He wore it around her neck. The pendant felt cold against her chest.

“This necklace is the only thing I have that belonged to my mother. I never had the chance to know her.” his cold hand touched the pendant. “Keep it safe for me. I’m a little bit forgetful sometimes.”

“Arthur…”

“I’ll come back for the necklace.” he walked to the door and spun to her. “It’s not yours...yet.”

Mathias startles when Chelsea is no longer standing before him. Her movement is way far greater than his. He spins around, hoping to spot her before it’s too late. Then, he sees Chelsea is fighting Ryker while she tries to protect Arthur. With one kick from her, Ryker is sent flying yards away into the battlefield. Tanto caught his body before he could hit one of the spiky monsters. Chelsea wraps her arms around the weakened daemon and jumps to the sky.

Mathias knows exactly where Chelsea would be heading with Arthur. He runs into the forest towards the direction of Arthur’s castle. He could be walking straight to trap but he doesn’t care. He couldn’t let Arthur stay alive.

“Careful, Mathias,” Ryker coughed out his words. “She’s far stronger than before. I sensed the Goddess of Death’s power emitting from Chelsea but not the Goddess itself.”

“Are you saying the Goddess isn’t inside her anymore?” Mathias questions.

“But the Goddess’ power remained in her.”

Chelsea lands on the roof of Arthur’s castle, crashing down along with him. Despite her profound hatred because he used her as the Goddess of Death’s vessel, she still cares for him. He was the reason why she didn’t fall completely into the darkness after what Mathias did. Arthur stopped her life from spiralling downward. He gave her another shot in life. That was by far the greatest someone ever did for her.

She carries him to his chamber and carefully places him down on the bed. The large wound on his abdomen still hasn’t healed and she wondered why.

“Don’t bother pampering me here,” Arthur says softly. “You have a war to lead.”

She shifts right before his eyes without a care that she ends up naked. “I told you, I can’t lose you.”

“I’ll always be with you.”

“Then why did you let her take over me?”

Arthur coughed out blood. “When I released her from the Pandora Box, I cast another spell on her that she never knew.”

“What spell?”

“To make sure she never cast your soul out of your body.” his hand rested upon her cheek. “I knew from the moment I let her take your body, she would do anything to cast your soul out so that the body would be hers alone. So I created a new spell secretly. And this…” his hand moves to the mark on her neck. “...is the lock of that spell.”

“So you mated with me to put this lock?”

“Yes and for another reason. The spell...it was a painful process. It’s like putting a chain around your soul and binding it within the body. It sounded easy but it’s not. I didn’t want to cause you unnecessary pain. So I did what I had to do.”

Black liquid starts to come out of his wound indicating the poison is now in full effect.

“Do you remember about the little cabin in the meadow that I told you?”

Arthur used to tell her about a cabin located in the middle of a meadow with a creek nearby. He often said he spent his time there whenever he felt the entire world was against him when he was a little. That was his secret hideout but he never mentioned the actual location.

Chelsea nodded twice.

“Find that place. Stay a low profile. It has everything you need in there.”

“Where?”

“Your heart will tell you where it is.”

“But you won’t be there.” Tears fell from her eyes. “I can’t lose you. Please, tell me what to do.”

“I told you…” his breathing is getting heavier. “I’m always with you. Find that place, sweetheart. You’ll find your peace there just like I did.”

Arthur’s hand falls beside his body.