The Reaper's Wicked Obsession
Chapter 104: The Piece Of News

Chapter 104: The Piece Of News

"For my master, I’ll not." His reply left no room for question.

Isadora scoffed, strapping her holster around her thigh and sheathed her dagger. "Ekko, Kraven’s companion who does not want to kill me because he would offend his master’s wishes, can you show me the door?"

"You shouldn’t address me with such a lengthy title," he stated.

Isadora’s teeth clenched. "The door."

Suddenly the sound of a stone door jolting open filled through the air. Isadora turned to it and back to the unknown presence she had encountered but he was gone.

Isadora didn’t hesitate as she stepped out of the room and rushed down the threshold, eager to get away from this place.

She took the stairs and made her way to the stone bridge, the lanterns lining the pathways casting a soft glow.

Keeping the jacket close to her frame to shoo away the cold, she made her way to Rav’s place.

Isadora spotted him stepping out of the door on his way somewhere. Just the sight of him brought ease to her body.

"Rav."

Rav halted instantly at the sound of his name, turning, he found Isadora standing just a few feet away from him, a scene that felt straight out of a dream.

He must be seeing things.

"Isadora?" he asked to be sure.

Isadora’s lips quivered uncontrollably, her steps turning into fast strides and then she was running into his arms, and buried in a tight embrace.

Rav was caught off guard by the action, but this was the spark of reality he wanted, to know she was real.

She was real!

Isadora held him tight, burying her face in his chest, holding him like he was the only thing that mattered.

Something within Rav sparked, a swamp of emotions igniting within him and before he knew it he wrapped his arms around her small frame and deepened the hug into a bone-crushing one.

Alda! She was shaking in his arms and he wanted nothing more than to ease and take away what frightened her. To hold her together and prevent her from breaking.

Isadora didn’t care if he crushed her frame. She needed comfort, the warmth of his body, knowing that there was at least someone she could hold onto.

Yet, the void in her heart was still there. The feeling of loss and pain that attempted to drown her, it came back like a storm.

Isadora pulled away but remained within arms reach and Rav didn’t keep his hands away, he held her like she would disappear.

"You’re awake," he said breathlessly, she had been asleep for a moon and each day he spent it worrying until he couldn’t have any decent sleep.

He eagerly waited for that day she would awake. However, seeing her right now his regret came forth, the things he shouldn’t have done knowing that she needed him and he wasn’t there.

"I wish I was there..." he confessed without a moment to waste, not wanting to keep them suppressed because that was the only way they would eat him alive, as it had been since he laid eyes on her unconscious frame.

"I didn’t come to the final challenge because I couldn’t watch you throw your life away." He gulped. "But I should have, at least to watch you realize your goal even if you died trying."

Isadora’s heart skipped a beat at his words, the weight of them reminded her of her friend. Just the same way Rav butchered himself for not being present, she did as well.

"Vanya." she voiced, her tone covered by the weight of emotion threatening to bury her, the tears falling on their own accord.

"What’s wrong? Did something happen?" he demanded.

Isadora broke into a feat of tears and it took everything to talk, but it was just a jumbled mess of cries and sobs. "S-She died and I wasn’t there."

"Vanya?" Rav asked as his features morphed into confusion. "What are you talking about? Vanya isn’t dead."

"W-What?" Isadora said as she lifted her wide eyes to him. "What do you m-mean?"

Where on earth did she get that news from? Who told her that?

"Vanya’s alive."

~♧~

Isadora rushed through the doors of the Ward, her erratic eyes searching every bed until she found the one she was looking for.

Inhaling sharply, she rushed to Vanya grabbing her things.

"Vanya!"

She turned and Isadora had already pulled her in a bone crushing hug before breaking down in tears.

"Thank Alda! Thank Almadra!"

Vanya’s expression was in shock before morphing into confusion, but she hugged her back anyway.

She had a feeling Isadora needed it, the way she wrecked in her arms caused an ache to her chest.

Vanya had just finished her treatment and was on her way to find Isadora to check up on her. Rumors were going through the court that she had been bedridden for a moon and might not recover. No one had seen her since.

"I thought you were dead!" Isadora said parting away from her.

Vanya froze at her words as her eyes widened. What on earth was she talking about? Dead?

"D-Dain told me you died fighting the demon of the ocean," Isadora said, sobbing, using the back of her hand to dry her tears.

’Seven gods, Dain!’ Vanya thought as rage burned through her. That idiot actually told a lie that she died, to what end?

"I couldn’t believe it but his words made sense, and I wasn’t there, I really thought you died!"

"Don’t believe anything that comes out of that good-for-nothing mouth! He probably did it to confuse you during your battle" Vanya signed aggressively as her movement showed her anger.

Dain distorted her purposely and she was thankful that his sick plan didn’t work. Isadora had a way of surprising her. Despite getting such a piece of news she emerged victorious.

’You’re something else Isadora, just what kind of person are you?’ Vanya thought, a smile on her lips, watching Isadora dry her tears.