Sydney’s POV:
“I... I...” I stammered. Iam not sure of that answer. I got no time to think about him, but I miss Jacen. If I think too much about him, I will suffer from not seeing him. I know he will be trying to bring me back from hell, which is not going to happen. Now all my thoughts need to stay on Lydia. That’s the only way to get her back. If I succeeded in it, everything will return to normal.
I missed one important thing. Dorothy, Pamela, and Cassie escaped. How can they escape after killing my aunt? I can’t return to a normal lifestyle until I search for them and kill Pamela. She’s my main target. I don’t care about going to jail after murdering her.
“What’s wrong, Sapphire? Don’t stop at the beginning. You want to get back to your ex-boyfriend or not,” Mason muttered next to my ear, waking me up from my non-stop thoughts.
“That’s none of your business. Shut up and lead the way,” I snapped without looking at how he responses to my words.
“If you act like this. I won’t take you to the Queen of hell,” he stopped walking for a silly thing.
“Are you serious? I told you I will bring you back alive. You can’t expect me to talk all the way until we reach the Queen of hell. Come on,”
“Iam serious. I need some distraction because....” He shouted and sat down at the end of the road.
“I can’t walk. Just give me a break,” he muttered and got hold of his left leg like he has a serious injury.
“What’s happening? Tell me,” I softly said, sitting next to him without minding we are on the road. My gown is already spoiled enough to the core. The dark blue is looking like brown.
“Nothing’s happening. I will lead you to the Hell Queen,” he avoided my question and tried to stand up. With more struggle, he stood up, but I don’t know what’s bothering him.
“You are good all the time. Tell me what’s going on now, Mason,” I demanded the answer from him. He answered me, gave up on keeping whatever going on to himself.
“This is the reason,” he harshly answered and pulled his pants a little up to his knees, showing his leg with red bruises all over his skin. It’s like a disease started spreading all over his body.
“How? What happened?” I nervously said. The red colour is so bright. I can’t imagine he’s bearing all the time. He’s dead. How he is getting affected like this when he’s not alive anymore.
“Are you alive?” I questioned him, shockingly.
“Hell no, Iam dead,” he instantly answered.
“Iam dead. Don’t you dare doubt it? This started spreading half an hour ago and I know the reason. But I choose to help you,” he replied, sitting back again on the road with hands over his head.
“I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
“I should not leave the place where I died. If I did, I will be affected like this. I will be burned if I let it continue to spread. I died in your house and now I left the house to help you and myself too,” he said, regretting his decision. I never asked where he died. I can’t believe he died at my house.
“Why didn’t you say that earlier? I have no idea about the rules of hell. You need to go back. Now,” I urged him. Mason is an idiot to help me. It may take more hours to convince the queen to bring two people back alive with a bearable consequence. He can’t survive that long.
“I told you I want my life back. So, I thought of risking it. But the effect is much faster than I thought. We aren’t even halfway to the castle. Now I can’t return just like that,” he said helplessly said.
“Iam sorry. It’s all because of me. You need to go back. I will help you get your life back even without you in this journey, please,” I pleaded, hoping I would convince myself. I didn’t care about him a minute ago, but he’s the one who got me out of my house. This is the least I can do.
“Iam not going back. I can manage it. Let’s go,” Mason confirmed.
“No. We don’t know what will happen when we entered the Castle. It’s better if you...”
“You are discouraging me, Sapphire. I said I will do it. I want to be alive again,” he interrupted me.
“If you want to live, then go back. Iam not discouraging you,” he didn’t reply to me. Instead, he looked at the damaged Slateville buildings.
“Can we stay here for some minutes?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. Every time Iam staying here is a danger to his life and delays me from my goal. But I should understand the fact that nothing can be done at this moment. I had patience all my life. I didn’t find who is my parents are in a flash of seconds. It took me over ten years. One day, this day in hell will be my past life.
“Sure,”
“So, you want to get back to your ex-boyfriend or not?” he directed his question to me again.
“Don’t call him as my ex-boyfriend,”
“I take this as a yes. You want to forgive him, right?”
“Maybe... yeah... I don’t know.” I was confused by three answers.
“Admit it, you want him back. Iam not going to tell him. I don’t even know him,” he smiled.
“Fine. I want him back. I want to kiss him and be close to me again. I didn’t want to be distant from him ever again,” I spoke much more than Mason asked.
“Actually, I didn’t ask you what you want. Just yes or no,” he giggled.
“You are the one who started it. My turn. Now tell me about your girlfriend,”
“Of course. I will start from my high school time,”