This chapter is dedicated to AliceXShunMEGAFan17 . You will understand why as you read on.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I appreciate it. :)

Path To Rest In Peace

crystal-mist

Chapter 8

"More?" Shun repeated Alice's words. His voice was filled with despondency and desperation… What more could there be?"

They did not notice the black raven that lurked it the shadows away from their attention.

The villagers were pleased with themselves. They had finally got rid of the menace, Alyce. The elder wondered where Shuon had run off to. But he did not care enough to check.

A week after Alyce's death something was happening in Alyce's grave site unbeknownst to the villagers. All the water that was left in the rivers drained away overnight and very soon there wasn't even a single drop of water available to anyone.

A drought; the likes of which the village had never seen engulfed them…The intensive thirst rendered their throats hoarse and as dry as the Sahara Dessert…

No one could comprehend what was happening. Their crops dried up and soon all the food had also been consumed.

They were hungry and thirsty… The inhabitants of the village started to suffer from serious cases of malnutrition.

After exactly one month of Alyce's death one of the villagers happened to pass by her grave and was surprised by what he saw… There was a gaping hole where the grave should have been. And inside the hole was water, crystal clear pure water.

He rushed towards the village and informed everyone. Within no time people were running towards the pond with containers in their hands.

They dipped the vessels and filled it with water. They brought it to their mouth and sighed in relief as the cool water drops refreshed their dehydrated throats.

"You want water?" came a female voice. "How dare you trespass on my grave? For that you shall pay…." And then a string of laughter echoed through the clearing.

The water in the pond instantly started changing colour… A pinkish tint appeared in it. And the water soon transformed into a gruesome red- the red, of blood. Even the water that the people had collected in their pitchers changed its colour. They dropped the vessels in fright.

The water in the pond rippled unevenly and there was an ominous breeze. Without warning hands started emerging out of the water; dry, scaly and decayed hands. They reached out to the sky and weird groaning noises also filled the clearing.

Soon zombie-like people followed. Their skin decaying and smelled foul. Some of them had nothing in their eye sockets and the others had little bits of skin sticking out from here and there. They walked slowly and heavily, just like any old zombie would.

The people scrambled out of the clearing and back into their village. The whole situation was just a level or two down from a stampede.

They did not notice the cloud of smoke that was rising from where their village was.

When they reached their village they were in for a horrible shock. Everything was covered in flames, the houses were burning and the screaming of the adults who were left behind echoed.

And right through the middle of the flames walked Alyce's ghostly figure, clad in white clothes which were powdered with mud and blood emerging the wound on her forehead. She walked step after step with a deranged expression on her face…

She slowly turned her face to the villagers and a bitter laugh escaped her ghostly lips. "Now, I will give you all a valid reason to despise me." She murmured as her chocolate brown eyes glowed bright red.

Alyce extended her right arm in their direction. "Burn in my flames of hell." She said in an icy voice.

Swirls of fire emerged from her hands and they covered the villagers. Soon cries of pain filled the atmosphere.

"Please spare us." "We're sorry." "AAHHH…Please make it stop."

Alyce just watched at their suffering and did not flinch as person after person was burnt into charcoal.

Her mother reached her. "Please Alyce honey….Make it stop… You shouldn't be doing things like this…Not to you mommy."

"Not to my mommy?" repeated Alyce, the hatred in her heart subsiding for a split second… But then she saw that sly glint in her mother's eyes. "Mommy? So tell me, where was Mommy when I was being beaten up all those times. Where was Mommy when they were burying me alive? Where was Mommy when they were calling me a monster just because of my hair colour…Tell me…Tell me now!" screeched Alyce.

The flames that was burning her mother only intensified and the peoples' screams only grew louder. The sounds of crying children also intensified.

Alyce climbed up on a tree and sat on one of the braches and swung her feet like a little child.

She laughed once more. "Oh my! The fire must be hot... So HOT…Flaming, burning, blazing, fiery, sweltering, sizzling, blistering, searing, scorching,." She said, and with each word her voice became a bit louder.

And soon the flames subsided and the village was reduced to ashes and it was filled with the dead bodies of it's previous inhabitants. Alyce closed her eyes and jumped off the tree's branch. Right as she landed on the ground a strong wind blew and the fire disappeared.

The whole village was reduced to rubble and there was only one solitary hut standing upright… Alyce walked over to it and opened the door to the hut. Inside the hut were the children of the village, some old, some babies and they were unharmed. They looked at Alyce with a terror-stricken face.

"Take care of the babies." She muttered to the older ones before walking away.

As Alyce walked away a raven flew towards her and perched on her shoulder.

"You killed them yet spared the children who were innocent…You are quite soft, aren't you?" cawed the raven, its red eyed glinting.

"Shut up."

"Perhaps you should stop pretending to be tough."

Alyce ignored the raven's remark. But she said something. "He wasn't there…."

"Yes, I noticed too…The boy you loved isn't along the pile of dead bodies."

She did not answer…

"Now now Alyce…. Don't worry. We will track him down… And only after his death will I take you to hell."

*Flashback*

Soon after her death Alyce found herself surrounded by darkness… TO be honest she was scared.

Suddenly, a sort of spotlight lit up from nowhere and in the middle of the circle of light stood a raven with glowing red eyes.

"Alyce Gehabich… Welcome to the gateway… I couldn't help but overhear your thoughts and I basked in your thirst for revenge…. So now…Tell me, Just how badly do you want this so-called revenge?"

Alyce was on her knees… She was still overwhelmed with the pain she had just been put through. "I will do ANYTHING…" she muttered.

The raven visibly smirked. "Alright then…If you truly wish to eliminate the people who have tormented you then I will help you deliver your vengeance. However, you must in turn make a sacrifice… You will be sent to hell after your revenge."

"Hell…" she repeated. "I've lived in hell ALL my life." She muttered as she stood up from her knees.

"Very well then…" the raven then flew away and the darkness around Alyce dissipated.

The raven watched her from a tree-top. "It's strange… But I just can't help but feel sorry for that girl…"

*End Flashback*

*Back in the present* (21st century present I mean)

"You….you killed them all?" muttered Shun in disbelief as he looked at Alice (the apparition).

"That's right." She answered. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"But Alice….How….how could you?"

"How could I?" she bellowed. "How could I?" she shouted once again. "How could YOU have killed me? How could you have turned against me like all the rest? After all you said….You even kissed me…DARN IT ALL!" she shouted as tears of blood rolled down her cheeks.

Shun watched in horror.

She was trembling a bit…Her voice mellowed down a bit… "I mean…I wouldn't have minded if you had stood on the sidelines without interfering…Even that was acceptable… But you hit me with a spade! I….I believed every word you said… All for what?"

"Alice….I…"

"Shut up…And just accept your death…" she said as she raised her face to look at him.

Shun didn't know what to do… That sadness and hatred in her eyes was just unbearable for him.

The raven spoke up… "Alice dear…Perhaps you should know the reason Shun betrayed you."

Alice half-glared at the raven. "I don't want any reason…"

"I insist." Said the raven…. And Alice could see from it's eyes that it was serious.

"But don't expect that to sway my desire for revenge."

The raven ruffled its feathers as another stream of memories soon surrounded them.

This time it was a dimly lit room and Shuon was sitting in the middle of the room. His arms were tied behind his back and his body was trembling a bit.

The door at the far end opened and the village elder walked in along with three other men. One of them had the end of a chain in his hand. He tugged at it and in stumbled a young little girl with short black hair and golden eyes which matched Shun's. She was being led like she was some animal.

"Now…Shuon. Let me see if I cannot alter your decision about killing that demon Alyce.

The little girl was Shuon's sister. Her cheeks were marked with tear stains and she was still sniffling a bit. Her childish face lit up in joy as she saw her brother but then fear crossed it as she saw the sorry state Shuon was in.

"Brother, are you alright?" she called out. But before Shuon could answer; the elder pulled her roughly and tied her up to a nearby post.

The little hut was soon filled with a series of shrieks as two of the other men lashed her. The wicked whip left brutal marks on her tender skin. She howled as she cried out to her brother for help…

Shuon watched in horror as his innocent sister suffered… There came a point where the little girl could no longer bear the pain and she fell unconscious.

"So…What is your decision?" asked the elder as he pulled Shuon's hair brusquely.

"I….I…" Shuon was unable to frame a proper sentence.

"Well if you still won't kill Alyce then we can continue this whip-lashing session when your sister becomes conscious again." Said the elder with a sadistic smirk.
"STOP!" Shuon screeched. "Just stop….stop….please stop…"

"Alright….So I guess I will take that as a 'yes I will kill Alyce'. Have a nice day young man."

And with that the men untied Shuon's sister and carried the unconscious girl away. They left Shuon in the darkness…

"Help…." Shuon whispered in vulnerability. He had no idea whom he was addressing… He just needed someone to help straighten things out.

Alice (the apparition) was taken aback… She was also mortified by the way the men beat Sutori.(Shun's sister)

"But…Still that is no justification." She muttered, her face bowed down.

The raven cocked it's head a little. "Hn…Now, just one last vision… See what happened after your death Alice… You want to know what happened when Shun ran away from that place after hitting you, don't you?"

Alice didn't answer. Yes, it was true. She wanted to know what happened thereafter… "Alright…Show me then." She told the raven.

"Alice…I don't think that you should see that." Spoke up Shun.

Alice turned towards him. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Just don't…" he muttered. "It's better if you didn't."

"I can assume what happened….You probably got married, settled down and fathered lots of children."

"I wouldn't even think of such! Not after what I did to you."

"Oh…So you do understand the gravity of what you did to me….How very nice!" She said mockingly.

"I'm sorry…"

"I will know what happened… I have a right to; after all, you were the one who killed me physically and mentally." She turned towards the raven and nodded at it… Immediately the scene around them changed.

It was dark and a guy with long black hair and golden eyes was dashing through the forest. His breathing was heavy… "What have I done? What? Why? How could I have? NO…It's not fair…." He was muttering desperately as he ran aimlessly.

Alice(the apparition) wouldn't let it show on her expression… But she was horrified after having witnessed how inhumanely Shun's little sister had been treated… Alice now understood why Shun had that deranged expression on his face when he was about to hit her with the spade. She realized that Shun was probably not in his most sane temperament. Her chocolate eyes widened. 'What is this emotion I feel? Could it possibly be doubt? No, I shouldn't doubt this…No; he deserves to die for what he did to me.' She thought to herself.

But then another part of her mind protested. 'But, he had no choice. Not after seeing his little sister hurt so horrifyingly… He just wanted to protect her… That is why he-' She stopped her thoughts short before she started sympathizing with him. A sigh escaped her lips as she waited for what would unwind before her.

Now that chapter was long… Alright, so according to my expectations, there should be only two more chapters at the most….Not sure about the particulars.

Alright, so tell me what you think of this. And also tell me what you expect happened to Shuon after he had run away.

REVIEW alright?