Arise: Chapter 10 Part 1: Last Hope

Chapter 10 Part 1: Last Hope

(Sylvia's POV)

"Help. Please. Spare me something, anything."

Her eyes burned in the back of my mind. She looked so desperate, so lonely.

So afraid. 

We've been walking for ages. The night never ends. The moon sails in the sky, smiling down at us and the struggle. 

"Here, all I have is this apple." 

I'm nervous. 

Is there any cure left? 

Searching is our last hope, according to Gazini. 

"You guys are pathetic. Looking for hope. Ugh...Wait, what the hell did I just say?" 

Kriss was slowly turning onto the dark side. She was becoming cruel.

"It's fine, Kriss. We totally understand the situation you're in." 

"No, Sylvia, I've had it with you! Get away from me!" 

"So that's what the darkness wants. You to hate me." 

"No! I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry." 

"We're not getting anywhere fighting. We need to look for a green building." 

"Like Gazini said." 

We had a talk with him earlier. He told us the bare details he remembers.

"Kriss, you'll be fine. I promise." 

I wish it was that simple. 

"Let's go track down this wizard!" 

"Now that's the Kriss I'm used to!" 

At times, it's a stress to worry if she'll make it. 

I just have to hold onto hope. 

We were all there for her. 

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that's green, right?"

"Yep, that's green alright." 

"But it is the right one?" 

"We'll just have to find out. Keep in the hope."

I'll need it.







































(Talutah's POV)

"What do you mean 'the girl is near a cure'? She can't be! I destroyed the remaining cure years ago, you worthless mirror." 

I destroyed any cure, any hope of escaping the blood-red curse. 

There's no way.

"Dear, calm down. Mirrors are pointless." 

Oh boy. 

"Father, what did I say about creeping up on people. You could make them want to murder you even more." 

"Talutah, what did I tell you about holding your tongue!" 

"Master, is everything alright?" 

"I'm fine. But my father is leaving." My voice rattled as I spoke. 

The mirror was frightening me. 

What happens if it's right?

"Father, I'm through with your assistance. Goodbye." 

"I never helped you. I'm glad I gave away my help to those children."

"What children, father?" 

"The ones you've been lurking around."

"So you tipped them off about the cure. You monster." 

"I'm not the monster. You tried to sell the girl off as a slave for crying out loud!" 

"And I'd sell you off if I could." 

I raised my palm, slapping his cold skin, the blood pumping through my veins. 

"Master, can I assist you in anything." 

I had always held great pride in her. 

She was like a daughter to me.

"Kill him. Never let him see daylight again." 

It needed to be done.

No-one can betray me. 

No-one. 

I sat down, slumping in my chair. 

Oh, this brings back memories. 

"Sweetie, I'm glad you didn't kill him in front of me. I'm cooling off now." 

"Master, I would never hurt a fly. The guards can kill him." 

"Darling, have I ever told you how much I loved this. Sitting in my chair, cosy and warm, chatting to the only person who understands me. It's so...homely." 

"You never thought my house was good enough. What makes this place any better?"

"This place..makes me feel at home. The red, the black, the good company, it reminds me of before you went evil, father. Now, please leave. The stench of peasant is swarming off you." 

"I never experienced a life with a father for long enough. I lost the only parents I had. But seeing your trouble, makes me wonder why I ever wanted a father." 

"See dear? Look where having a father gets you. Miserable and depressed." 

Miserable and depressed.

Look at me.

"Master, I'll find them all. And I will bring them to you." 

"Oh no, I don't need to see them." 

"What shall I do then? Hide them in a pit?" 

I frown, shaking my head. 

"No dear." 

"I must kill them. I shall, master." 

"Thank you. Kill them painfully." 

And like that, she went off. 

And I was alone. 

Alone and easy to attack. 

Footsteps. 

Footsteps. 

More. 

"Nice decor. Quite suiting for the queen, if I say." 

More footsteps. 

Someone's coming. 

"Excuse me, sir. But the queen wishes to be alone. Do you have official business?" 

"Yes, I wish to speak with your majesty this instant." 

Here it comes.

I'm gone.

"Queen Talutah, your highness, the boss wishes to have a word with you. In his office." 

Oh brother. 

Here I go. 

Say goodbye to the world, Talutah. 

(Dan's POV) 

"Are you certain this is the place, Sylv?" My voice was weak and shaky. All of our voices were. We were desperate to find a cure. We couldn't leave Kriss to become the slave to the dark lord. 

No one could. 

"I'm sure. There's no way I'm losing hope now. It's here or we're continuing on." 

"Sylv, I agree. We can't sit around hoping the queen herself will drop in unannounced with the cure." 

"Totally. She wouldn't care about cures." 

"She wouldn't even care about Kriss." 

"True that." 

"No, you're wrong. She visited me. She told me my fate. She told me my brother's. She hates the Raven, and I do too." 

"Well, even if that story is true, we need to locate this cure. Fast. "

We need to help her rotting heart. 

Or the darkness will be her new living quarters. 

I knocked on the cold marble door, the hard edges bruising my knuckles. 

I hope this is worth it.

A tall pale man, wearing a star-studded hat strolled out of the dim building, an alchemist's table set towards the back of the room. 

Looks like we found our man. 

"Sir, we wish to ask you about a cure." 

"You see, our friend, Kriss, well..." 

"I'm Blood-Red, sir. I'm the child of the vampiric blood-suckers."

"Well, young ones, please refer to me as the Sorcerer. Right this way." 

We forwarded in, his house dim and discreet. Tucked away in the woods. 

Hidden from the likes of evil. 

There we were. Standing in front of the man who could cure the darkness. 

The man, who even though he looked insane and absurd, must be a genius. 

"This is my humble abode. The Hole in the Forest. That's what I like to call it. She hates me for it." 

"Oh sorry, this is my apprentice, Jacqueline. Jacqui, say hello to the guests." 

She sat still, almost silent. Her breathing was calm, her face staring into the distance. 

Almost as if she was hiding something. 

"This is my workshop. Nothing important really." 

No, he wasn't lying. 

"I'll get to work looking in my book. Maybe we have it logged somewhere. Jacqui?" 

"I dddon't rememmberrr, sir." 

Her voice was quiet and distant, her speech dragged on, her stuttering dominant. 

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but why is your workshop...nearly empty. Surely you should have at least one potion."

"Great question, young whipper snap. I've been running out of stock since the day I opened. I'm terribly sorry." 

"So, miss Jacqui, you look so miserable over there. What's the problem? Hate the attention?" 

"Shut up, my dear. You know nothing of such." 

"Carl, we may want to keep an eye on this one. She's feisty." 

"On it." 

Everything was all a mess.The sorcerer is secluded to us all, and this woman seems rather strange. 

Everything seems to be strange.

"Sorcerer, are you ready? Can we find the cure or not?" 

He nodded, shutting the old runic book closed, sighing. 

"There is a cure located in the district. I must have owned it at one stage, but you see my stock is depleted. I could create another batch, but it could take quite some time." 

"We don't have some time!! We need her human again now!" 

"Cody, we can find another. It's out there somewhere. This wizard can stuff himself." 

This wizard is crazy. 

"Jacqueline, see them out. They've out stayed their welcome." 

"Yes master. They will say their goodbyes." 

We were forced out. 

No hope was left. We had our chance, and we lost it.

"Oh, they will say their goodbyes. Goodbye."  

(Talutah's POV)

"Talutah, my dear, right this way." 

The office was a stern looking white building. Hedges lined the front of the residence, a marble white path crawling towards the door. Fountains sat on either side, water flowing out, creating a bubble around the placid water. 

"Talutah, I'm sorry he requested for you in a time like this. I understand you were grateful to be alone for once. I promise this won't take long." 

His voice was monotonous. His voice showed no emotion. 

"Thank you for considering me. The boss should not be taken lightly." 

We were walking now, up the paved stone walkway, past the trimmed hedges, towards his office. The building was parched white, the door, the walls, and the roof were painted white. 

The boss had an obsession with white, its purity, and even the plain and basic normality of the whiteness. 

He was plain. He was ordinary. 

"The boss appreciates your approach at getting what he wants." 

"I appreciate him approaching me to carry it out." 

"We're nearly there. Inside, please don't make a sound until he asks. Please do not go near the back of the room." 

We hit the door, the starch white daises hidden behind pale green stones, the dirt hidden under plain white sand. 

"Enter, Ms Blood Red." 

The entrance way was bare, the whiteness swallowing any chance of darkness or suffering.

"The boss is waiting, Talutah." 

We entered, staring straight towards the only other man in the room. 

The boss. 

"Talutah, I believe you've failed me." 

He knew it. He knew the mirror was right. 

They'd found the cure. 

"Colby, you failed me also. You ruined our plan." 

"Sir, I'm sorry. I couldn't risk it." 

His voice flopped over his words. 

What ever he did must be far too serious to forget. 

"Talutah, I asked for a blood-red with the purest of heart, one who possessed love in another that has long been lost. One who has loved and been loved by many." 

"I tried to achieve the goal, but Kriss was lost. My love of her brother brought me to my knees." 

"You let your lust overrule your yearn for power." He turned his head to face the back of the office, his eyes meeting the back window. 

"Please, listen to me. I tried, okay? I dodged a bullet when I ran into the Raven, and I never gave up searching for her. I promise you, sir, I tried." 

"You tried, yet trying is never enough. You of all people should know that." 

"You don't understand the life I've lived. You grew up in a humble family home with your five younger siblings. You had a loving father, a mother who was there all your life. I had nothing. Trying never helped." 

"I grew up wanting nothing more than to be alone. My siblings didn't care for me. My parents were always busy. You weren't the only one who struggled." 

"My father beat me up! He ruined my life! My mother disappeared without an inkling of a clue where she was. I fell in love with a boy I couldn't have because of the Raven. My life was more than a struggle." 

I stood up. I knew today would be the worst possible. The boss never liked human interaction. Or in my case, vampire interaction. 

"My dear, I have a plan for you." 

It couldn't be good. Not coming from him.

"Yes, sir." 

His head turned once more, facing towards the back of the room once again.

"Colby, you would rather not see this."  

"Oh but sir, I don't want to miss your ingenious plan." 

"Sir, if I may ask, what do you have planned for me?" 

"You will pay for what you never brought me. You will suffer, you will be brought through pain, through suffering, through torture."

"You wouldn't risk losing your number one client. You couldn't survive without me." 

"I could manage perfectly fine. You are not the reason I got this far." 

"I'm begging you. You need me, Zacchaeus. We have a history. You wouldn't let that slip, would you?" 

"From me to you, you need me. I'm loyal to you. You wouldn't kill me, you wouldn't kill your first love, would you?" 

"How dare you bring up our past, thinking that could save you! You deserted me. You left me in the ditches. And you rose to become queen. So I made sure I could rule over you." 

He rose his palm towards my pale face, scarring my cheek with the slap, bruising me. 

"Next time dearie, don't leave your lover when he's still in love." 

"Or next time, don't send your minions to kill my first love so you can have me." 

 (Kriss's POV)

They booted us out. I thought I could be free. 

I guess not. 

"I'm sorry, I failed you guys. Shut up, you fools, I'm the queen. Whoa, I'm so sorry. My mind is spinning circles." 

"Perfect. Make them hate you. Removing you won't be as hard." 

I heard the voice in the distance, but with a mind like mine right now, I could have been descending into the pits of insanity.

"Hey guys, I can hear them. Let me get closer."

Ayana inches towards the window, leaning in, trying to make out the words. 

"Master, we can't give it up. It's for her. If she turns up." 

"I understand, but maybe she won't ever turn up. She doesn't seem to want it." 

"Master, she will be banished. We will not let her overrule us." 

"I know, I know. But we can't aid her in the war. The girl is her creation, after all." 

"I know, I know. But what will do without the potion in stock. You know how rare it is to make." 

"But you also know how easy it is to forget, Miss Crowe." 

"I can't stand letting go our only chance of wiping out the villain." 

"But I can't stand aiding her." 

It was time.

It was time to steal the potion.

Sylvia and Cody burst in, surprising the two in a frightful gasp. They stood up, staring at my friends, glaring. 

"Hand over that cure, liars!" 

"You calm down sissy. I don't need your belittlement." 

"What potion? I see no potion or cure?" 

"We know the truth. You plan to hide the potion, you plan to use it on 'the villain' and you plan that none of it will go towards Kriss." 

"Carl, they may need your help in there." 

I watched as another entered the hall, as the numbers outside diminished.

"Oh but my dear, help is not needed. Not when the battle is nearly won." 

I crept towards the window, peaking in enough to notice the bottle. Glowing blue, its contents seemed to shimmer in the dim light, dancing around. 

"Get out before we call for reinforcements. You wouldn't want that." 

"Hand over the cure before all of us storm in here and charge you down." Carl's voice nearly jump scared the others. 

"Take it. I'm dying anyway. I can't make anything more. At least I can save your friend." 

He seemed oddly dazed, like he was suddenly struck by lighting. 

"Did you not listen to a word I spoke to you five minutes ago! We cannot lose our only opportunity. Do you hear me, wizard?" 

"Yes."

"They cannot use our cure. We need to protect it." 

The plan was to begin now. Sylvia notified Ayana, who told me and Dan to enter. We would ambush the potion before either of the bickering parties noticed. 

We were in. We were ready. 

"Now." I mumbled, walking towards the cure, Sylvia not far in front. 

Let's hope this works. 

Cause this is the closest I've gotten to freedom. 

(Talutah's POV)

"You played the game well, Zacchaeus. You played hard and you won." I commented, pulling the ruffled hair over my bruised eye. 

"You played too risky, my dear. You could have won, but your determination failed you." 

I sat back down, glaring pure hatred into his eyes. 

"We were too unlike to ever bond over something." 

"We could have worked together. You shouldn't have feared me. We could have been unlimited."  

"But you refused. Therefore, I knew I had to destroy you when I needed to. I have the chance now, don't I?" 

"Please, Zac, I never meant to hurt you. When you found me alone and fractured, you made me warm and...well, happy. You made me open my eyes, Zac. I thought I could...love you!

He went emotionless. He was still. 

"I'd do anything for another chance that day. Another chance to forgive you. I gave you the reason to leave, I gave you that chance. I hate myself for it." 

"We can always start again. I mean, we've given up trying to forget the past, so why don't we live it again like it never happened. Please." 

"I would, but I'm afraid there's no possibility that could work out." 

"There's a threat to the system. They will wipe us off before we can even run away. They will pick us off, one by one." 

"They'll destroy us, won't they? Target the stronger first." 

"We don't know. You have to go. You need to escape." His voice was shaking. 

Even he was scared.

"Thank you for visiting, my love. I'm glad we brought back history." 

"Zac, please never forget me. I loved you once. You loved me too. But fate caught up." 

"I'll always love you, Tally. Why do you think I fought so hard to reach you? I needed you." 

"I'll miss loving you, Zacchaeus. I'm going to miss that hair." 

And like that, I left him. Alone.

We needed safety. 

The threat was coming, and we needed to hide. 

Or like a  computer with a virus, we'd be terminated. 

"Colby, are you still there? I need you to prepare the others." 

"Colby?" 

He was heading for the staircase.

The one place he was refused to go.

"Talutah, you better hide. The storm is gonna get rough tonight."

And it won't end either.

Not until we're all dead.



































(Sylvia's POV)

This was it. One more step. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing young girl?" 

I'm caught. 

Caught in the storm. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I just wanted to help my friend." 

"Your friend, huh? I had a friend once. Do you know what they did? They killed my parents." 

"No friend of mine would kill anyone." 

"Look at them. They wouldn't harm no-one." 

It's true. They wouldn't stand for even the smallest of bullying.

"Jacqui, calm down. I have words on her fall. She's dying." 

"You liar. She couldn't die. Not now." 

"Accept it, Miss Crowe. She's out of our hands. Let the children be happy." 

Her face twisted. 

"Let the children be happy? You innocent old man." 

I was sick of this woman. 

Her personality drains your blood, poison inside your veins. 

"We're leaving here with a cured Kriss whether you like it or not!" 

This was her time. If she wanted to turn away from the darkness, now was the only time she had. 

"The darkness forbids the willing to leave. But I'm no longer a part of them anymore." 

Jacqueline was mad. Her face twisted over, her grin turning sour. 

"You take that potion and you're dead." 

"You don't scare me, raven." 

She threw the potion down, the sparks flying in all directions. 

This was it. 

"Oh and he forgot one thing. Your memories, say goodbye to all that goodness Talutah fed into since she began raising the dead. All gone." 

She was evil. Cruel. 

Her grin only defined the cruelty in her eyes. 

But...Kriss was cured. 

"Finally."