When those words left Bela's mouth, it felt like a freedom she had never known. She found herself caught up in the moment. There was no more rationalizing the way she felt. It was just the way things were. She'd cast out her verbiage and await whatever lay ahead.

She could only hope that it would yield something good.

"Bela, I…" Ethan gulped as he tried to figure out the best way to respond to her. Could there even be, he wondered? The man had lost focus for a second, unaware of where his eyes had been this whole time. Once he regained focus, he realized that they were still centered on her lips.

Had they been there the whole time?

Her hand would not leave his face. She didn't want it to. Everything about it was perfect. The feeling of attraction had suddenly taken her away, as if she had been deprived of such a sensation her entire life. She had been, no doubt. But that life had been upended, and this one was anew. Her choices were her own, and she was making those choices right now.

"I know that this all sounds so crazy," she added, biting her bottom lip as she pressed her mouth shut. Bela's eyes dwindled, seeking out the hand that would have held his wedding ring. "And I don't ask you to feel the same way. With everything that has happened to you, I can never. But after what has happened to me, I am no longer the person that I once thought I was. I'd like to believe that maybe there is a chance for me to find love. If my feelings for you aren't love, then okay. I cannot explain them. But I can tell you that everything that you've done for me here has a place in my heart."

Her hand fell from his face. She had soaked up enough of his touch to keep her going for now. To demand any more would have crossed a line that had been well-established in the past. He was a man who grieved the recent loss of his dear wife. Even if his daughter was indeed safe in their world, that didn't take away from what he had gone through to discover the truth, nor did it diminish his sadness about not having her.

Even in her bravery, Bela chose to keep quiet about what she wanted the most, to preserve their friendship. She wouldn't ruin it for the sake of a hopeless romance. The blonde was never a risk-taker, and reaching for a mountain so high was out of the cards.

She respected his life. That was the best that she could do for him.

"These feelings that you have..." Ethan continued to stumble on his response. Every time he had an answer ready for her, it would disintegrate inside his head. It was so easy when it came to Kyia, despite how stress-free their interactions had been. Why, of all people, was it Bela that turned out to be the difficult one to reject?

"My feelings are my own," she said, appearing to be somewhat dismayed at what was evident. "I've been keeping them to myself for a little while. I think that if I ever find a man who does the things that you have done for me, then I can live happily with that kind of person in my life. All my life, it has never been about me, even when I aimed for it to be."

Bela snickered with a hint of delight, ignoring all her problems once again. "I guess I've always desired attention. Either way, you gave me yours. You saved me." She leaned back, giving him the space she figured he needed. The woman would not push his boundaries any further. "You're a good man, Ethan. I can see why your wife loved you so much."

"She did," he said as he let out a slow breath, thinking about the way she had been throughout the years. There was more good than there had been bad, but the final few years had seen more bad than good. It was like a slow downward spiral. It just kept going, narrowing as it circled the drain. Mia wouldn't talk about their problems. He had a hunch that she had been keeping things from him.

Hunches like that have been on his mind for so long. Too many years to count. It hindered the trust that he felt he should have had with her from the beginning of their marriage. Things only got more complicated for him when he considered the possibility that he may have trusted Bela more than he trusted Mia.

And when that thought crossed his mind, everything he believed had been shaken to its core. Just how much did he trust this woman? What was she to him?

Ethan glanced back at her as she sat up, likely stewing in her thoughts about the way he had responded. She was composed, as she often was. Such a level head, even in the worst of times. Bela looked like she still had a tsunami of things to tell him but would retain them to deal with on her own. Nevertheless, she was still open to discussing some of her problems. Hell, the blonde strived for a solution more than anything.

That was just who she was. Bela the problem-solver.

Now, she was the problem that he needed to solve for himself.

Ethan took in the vision of the woman. Her blonde hair was wavy and seated around her right shoulder. That slender neck and waist. Her piercing eyes curled with a unique curve whenever those wide cheeks of hers rose. There had always been something about her eyes that captured his focus. They were as otherworldly as Serpenmoor itself, but unlike this city, he wanted to get lost in them forever.

Her lips were a prize that he tried to avert his gaze from. Ethan hated to think of what it felt like to kiss them. She was an attractive person by all measures. Had she not been born where she was, Bela could have lived as a model in another life.

Ethan had not spent this journey pursuing lustful ideas. Far from it. When he looked at Bela, he questioned if there was a chance that there was another woman who could have been crafted for him. Mia had felt so right throughout the last decade. That brunette hair and those rounded eyes. Her smile and vibrant skin.

Bela had the complete opposite approach, and he admired it.

From that blonde hair of hers all the way down to her long legs and thin toes, she was different. It was only then that his sense of attraction propelled him to peek at her breasts. It was a fleeting glance, as his mind quickly reminded him of what may have happened to her before. But still, the thought had crossed his mind, and he had to account for that.

In the handful of days that they had spent together in this nightmare, the two had shared their many ups and downs. They had both changed so much, and he wondered what the future would hold if they were allowed to grow together. Ethan didn't acquaint himself with delusions of her replacing Mia entirely. But in the confines of this new direction of life, could there be a place for someone like her?

"I guess this is where I say thank you for what you've done," Bela remarked as she sheepishly caressed the side of her arm, her eyes averted from him. "Thank you for not giving up on me. I hope life can be as kind to you as you were to me."

The blonde had so much more that she wished to tell him, but she kept it at that.

Your kindness went such a long way. It gave me hope when I felt like there was none. Even your nice little gestures, like offering me your jacket to sleep on. I wish I had been better to you. My anger was such an obstacle. Yours was no better, given your circumstances. We were caught up in the wrong moments in our lives, but I think it worked. Ah, Ethan, please stay with me. I don't know what awaits us, but if we make it back to our world, I'll try and do my best for you. Maybe there will be a way for me to repay your kindness in full. I have so many wrongs to right, but let me start with you.

Ethan pulled out his journal as he prepared to write something in it. "Life has been kind to me, all things considered." He opened the book and tapped his pen against the paper. "I can't ask for much more than what I have been given."

"I wouldn't expect you to." There was a sadness in the way she spoke. She hated to think that Ethan had shrugged off what she had just told him. The blonde rarely spoke from the heart, and this meant more than anything else to her.

Did you hear me? You look like you're in such thought.

Ethan began to scribble something down, but she was not sure what it was. His writing instrument dashed across the page over and over. Her curiosity swelled when she saw his eyes occasionally peek up at her. What was he doing?

"Ethan, I'm sorry I brought all this up." Bela couldn't control the next tear that fell from her eye. She felt so stupid for confessing her feelings. The man was clearly too shocked to discuss it further.

I should have just kept my mouth shut. Now look at what I did. What was I even expecting?

With a sigh, Ethan set down his journal and pen. "Don't be sorry," he said.

"I don't understand myself right now," she told him, her eyes anywhere but where he was. "This is all new to me, but I had to let you know. That is all."

He beckoned her over. "Can you double-check the cracks on my skull?"

Why? Fine.

"Sure." She scooted closer and put out her hand again, pressing her fingers around his temple. Ethan's hand extended as well, and he placed his along her large scar. With opposite arms out, the two were locked together in a yin and yang formation. The light of the lantern re-ignited her amber glow, which, unbeknownst to her, Ethan was once again entranced in.

With the blonde in front of him a second time, Ethan hoped to revisit what they had just shared. He needed to know if his own feelings weren't just a temporary thought. In the short period since he had learned about his condition, the man had been debating the true nature of his perception regarding her.

Bela wouldn't—and couldn't—compare to Mia. That was just the way things were. But he also pondered whether she should at all. Mia was his departed wife. That was a role that nobody else could fill. There would be no replacement for her memory or the ordeal he had gone through to rescue her.

But like Mia, Bela was also another woman he had fought tooth and nail to save. Why had he not discovered feelings for someone like Zoe Baker, or even Kyia herself? Why Bela? Why did he find himself drawn to her?

Back in Louisiana, his memories of Mia had not included the numerous fights and complications that followed that horrible night. Over the next three years, Ethan began to ask questions about why she had been aboard a ship that housed a bioweapon. But just like his inquiries regarding some of his injuries, she claimed ignorance and chalked it up to what she called the "nature of things that never have answers."

The more he pushed for the truth, the angrier she got. Mia had become a wall, shielded by the events that she had endured. He didn't want to cause her emotional harm, but he believed she had not been so up-front in some ways. Now, aware that he most likely did perish in that home, only to be revived by the immortalizing mold, he believed she had been hiding something.

The lack of trust in a relationship was a deadly poison. Even Rose could not blind him to the cracks.

Ethan used to believe that love was a product of fate. Then, as he got older, he assumed it was born from a person chosen by their partner, whom they could seek out on their own. Now, sitting in this dimly lit room with a woman who shared many similarities with him, he had reached a different conclusion.

Fate did play its part, but the outcome lay in the choice made when the moment came.

This was that moment.

It might have been the experiences that they shared. Or perhaps, when all the barriers that had been enacted by their previous world came crashing down, the two of them may have stood a chance, after all.

"Are the cracks still there?" Ethan asked as her fingers swirled around the side of his head.

Bela nodded softly as her brow furrowed. "They are."

His other hand came up and gently gripped her by the wrist. The only sound she made was a low breath as she embraced his touch. Ethan held her hand where it was.

What are you doing?

She parted her lips as she moved in a little closer, feeling his thumb against her temple. "Just like my scar will always remain. I used to find it hideous, but right now, you're making me feel like it makes me...me."

"We can't change who we are, then," he said.

"No." She shook her head only slightly before it locked forward. She just couldn't take her eyes off his. Something compelled her to let down every single wall that she had left. Was it blind stupidity? She didn't know. If there was any time to pull back now, this was it, but she chose to stay.

No. She chose to move in closer. "What can we change?"

"You tell me."

Her eyes slowly moved away from his. Her voice was so calm, "Everything and nothing."

Bela then noticed how she was still closing in. When his lips parted, there was no going back for the blonde. Her face advanced toward its goal, only to find that his had as well. Their mouths connected, and she felt her chest burst with excitement. This wasn't the kiss that Malcolm had tortured her with. Ethan had given her something completely different. His lips brought a feeling of warmth that was greater than any fire. Her body lit up, electrified by the sensation of his mouth against her own.

Bela's lips broke free when the need to breathe presented itself, but by then, both were wrapped in each other's arms. Ethan pulled her in, hands pressed against her spine, as she dragged hers up the back of his neck and into his hair.

The blonde let out a soft moan as she reveled in the pleasure of his touch. They disconnected again, their foreheads resting together. Ethan peeked through his lids and gazed at those beautiful dark eyelashes of hers. Her plump lips were just as he had imagined, if not even more engrossing.

He desired to jump right back into them, but before either of them could act too fast, they both needed to think.

Bela ran her hands down the sides of his face, smiling with a shaky breath as she looked him in the eyes. "Wow."

It brought out a short laugh from Ethan, who leaned in again and kissed those lips that he wanted. Bela's fingers twined along the edges of his sideburns, dragging her nails across his skin as she savored the act. The scent of his body called to her, as did hers to him. After a couple more seconds of their romantic embrace, they were back in the same position they had just been in.

Her forehead remained against his as she thought about what they had just done.

I can't believe I've just done this. It feels so amazing. I'm breathless. Is this what love truly is? If so, I want this. I want it all. It just feels so good.

Bela gave him a brief peck on the mouth before she spoke, "This is how I feel about you."

"Bela…" Ethan looked like he had just found some clarity. The man's face was rife with confusion—not at her, but at himself. "I don't know what to do. This is all happening so quickly."

"I don't know what to do, either," she admitted, swallowing her fears as she placed her hands beside his neck. "I don't have a damn clue, but right now, I feel alright. I don't feel as scared as I was before."

"Don't be scared."

"I've always been so scared," she said as she climbed on top of him, her desire for comfort overriding everything that she once knew. "I've never been able to choose for myself before." Her lips smothered his as the two kissed again. "I never knew what I wanted."

He tried to be rational, but his innermost desires began to take control. Ethan reached up under her arms and pulled her body as close to his as possible. He gandered at the strings of blonde hair that dangled down on his left. It was all so strange for him, as he had only seen brunette hair for so many years.

Even after such a long marriage, holding and kissing Bela made him feel like he had never kissed a woman before. She was new—all of her. The taste of her mouth and the texture of her skin clouded his judgment. He had not had anything like this in so long. The tensions between them. The passion.

It didn't have to build up. The fuel that the match had struck had already been there, but where did it come from?

Ethan didn't say a word as they returned to their act of kissing, his hands gliding around the seams of her gown, sensing her ribcage as it went along. Her legs straddled his waist, while her pale skin glinted under the light. He thought about her body as she went along, seeing it as a beautiful vessel that housed the caring soul that he sought. It was all a manifestation of the woman he had grown to like throughout this perilous journey. She was no longer the bloodthirsty witch that he had met in their world, but connecting with her caused him to reflect on that day.

It only added to the allure of who she was. Ethan could see the growth inside as she let out her feelings. As Bela's mouth curled into his like a hungry animal, he heard the quaint draw of her voice under her breaths. She was a young woman who wanted to matter, and she looked to him to do so.

For Bela, the memories of what Malcolm had done to her were excluded from her mind as she gave into temptation. It took a lot to keep the visions at bay, which was why she had to keep going back to Ethan's lips, lest she sense the taste of Malcolm's along the way. Her first kiss had been a traumatic ordeal, but she would not allow him to hold that power over her.

Kissing Ethan the way she did brought forth something different. She got to make the choice, and it was a choice she yearned to make. He respected her body and left it for her to offer. He didn't seek to devour her like a wild animal. Even if his primal instincts were holding the wheel, Ethan embraced her like a lover should. She could feel it in the way his hands kept her steady. He wanted her to be comfortable and relaxed. There was no stress. No fear.

This is why I love you. You wouldn't harm me. You've been taking care of me this whole time.

Bela reached over and pulled against the edge of her gown, yanking it down as she exposed her right shoulder.

I can't guarantee what the future holds, but after what has happened to me, I want to remember how I got to make these choices.

She then turned to do the same on the opposite side.

I want you to be my first. My only.

Her teeth snagged themselves on his lower lip, gently tugging on it as she prepared to unbutton her dress. As soon as she opened her jaw and let it go, she heard his voice whisper.

"Mia…"

In the blink of an eye, Bela's lips pressed into a crooked frown and her eyelids closed. She let out a frustrated groan as she pushed herself off him and retreated two feet away. Ethan had only just realized what he said, but by now, the damage had been done. The two of them sat there, quiet, as they each recovered from what had gone down.

Bela had already begun to tear up, but there were no wails or whimpers to be heard from her. She wouldn't make any noise at all. Frustrated, she pulled the shoulders of her gown back up before she leaned forward and crossed her legs. With her elbows against the sides of her knees, the blonde partially covered her face as she soaked in the truth.

Ethan was no less irritated, but his disdain was only toward himself. How could he have said that? Gazing over at the broken woman at his side, he wondered what could have propelled him to utter such stupidity at a time like this.

"God damn it," he said as he shook his head at his actions. "Bela, I'm sorry. I truly am."

A sniffle broke through her fingers as she lifted her head and stared at him through those pink-bordered eyes. Her mouth opened as she drew in air. The taste of his lips was still hot on her own. She brushed her tongue against them, savoring the memory of what had just been.

"No," she told him. "I'm sorry. Ugh, I don't know what I was thinking."

He wouldn't allow her to blame herself for this. "Bela, none of this is your fault. I made my choice, too. That isn't something you're responsible for." Ethan watched as another set of tears ran free down her skin. Her cheeks shone in the light around her. The girl looked so sad.

"I instigated this, Ethan. It's okay to hold me accountable." Bela glanced down at the cleavage of her breasts, groaning at the thought of what she was about to do. "I gave in, and this is what follows. I'm such an idiot."

"Nobody is an idiot here." He didn't want her to look at their kiss as a mistake. The lack of self-esteem the blonde had was evident. It pained him to see her throw so many punches at herself. "We both chose to kiss. I was enjoying myself. I guess the problem was..."

Ethan stopped short of finishing his sentence.

He wasn't sure how to word it without having to face the cold, hard truth. Bela, on the other hand, already knew the answer.

"The problem is that you can't undo years and years of loving somebody," she said, uncrossing her legs and curling them up to her chest. The tears seemed to subside, but Bela was no less depressed. She maintained that disheartened frown as she brushed her hand across the hair on her scalp. Her eyelashes flickered at him as their lids hung low. "I shouldn't have felt for you the way I did, but when we kissed, I just gave in. But giving in doesn't change what the case is. You still love your wife, and that is reasonable."

Now, Ethan felt like a complete failure. Internally, the man raged at himself for complicating both their lives with his unguided ambitions. Up until this point, he had always maintained a steady hold over the way he viewed her. There were times when his interests would perk up. But why, when they were finally face-to-face, did he suddenly lose all self-control?

He could not lie to himself and say that he wasn't wild about kissing her. The soddened state of his mouth was a testament to that. It had happened so quickly that by the time he saw her undoing her gown, Mia's name came screaming out of his head and from his lips.

"I don't know why I said that to you, Bela. I seriously don't know." He adopted the same sitting position as her, feeling the desire to collect himself. "I wasn't pretending that you were her. Fuck, I looked right at you and saw you as you."

"I don't doubt that," Bela said as she let her arms rest at her sides. She sniffled once more, but the well of tears had run dry. The blonde was thankful that they were at least talking about it. She would have hated to have been cast away with a horde of unanswered questions and punishing assumptions. "I could see the look in your eyes. I must have had the same look, too, I assume."

I probably did. Even I didn't feel like myself. Just letting go of every insecurity was just...grand. But it seems as though this wasn't meant to be.

"Bela, I'm sorry." Ethan didn't want her to bring herself any further down than she already was. He could see how royally he had messed this up, and because she had found the strength to admit her deepest feelings to him prior, the crash must have been devastating.

Bela took in the apology as she sat there, her finger rubbing against her bottom lip. She still wanted to kiss him again, but the idea that her touch wasn't worthy came to mind. She lowered her hand and parted her lips as she debated curling back up under her blankets.

It would have been easier to retreat, but she understood that confronting her problems was better than hiding from them. She had already kept much of the trauma she had recently endured to herself, and it was agonizing. There would be no locking herself away after all of this.

She wasn't the woman she used to be. The eldest daughter of Castle Dimitrescu had always been expected to perform without question. Any personal issues or gripes about life needed to go away. She would put on the mask of a happy woman, even though she felt torn between everything she valued and everything she wanted.

That woman was dead. What was left of her had perished inside Malcolm's home. The revelation of her true past and the lies that surrounded it added to the reawakening that she had undergone in that torturous pit. It was the kiss with Ethan that had allowed her to finally take the reins that dictated her acts and her choices.

She would not fall into grief.

"Don't be." Bela straightened out her posture as she lowered her shoulders and sighed. "You're being honest with me, and that is all I ask for."

"I just don't know why," he repeated. "You're someone else. Mia and I didn't interact the way you and I did. I had my differences with my wife, just like we have, but...

"Did you ever get over them?"

"Huh?" Ethan was caught off guard. Bela's take on psychology was an odd pitch. She had never inquired about something like that before, but her confidence gave the impression that she knew what she was talking about. "Not really. There was always a bunch of unsettled things."

"And you miss her, don't you?" Bela took another breath, aware of where this road would inevitably lead. She'd have to face the bad news.

"Of course," he replied.

"That is what I feared," she confessed. "You want me to fill in that hole that you have in your heart, and I want you to do the same for mine. The only problem is that you had love before me, so I'm just repairing the damage. Unfortunately, I have damage that must be repaired, too."

The atmosphere in the room had thickened with the implication of what her statement had meant. Ethan still felt terrible for what he had done, but he saw the intent behind her words. She was still that composed, reasonable young woman that she had always been. Was she doing it for him or just for herself? That, he could not be certain of.

"I did not mean to drag you into this," he said. "I shouldn't have."

"I wish I could be her, Ethan. I'd love to see you have what you've lost." Bela extended her hand, offering for him to take it. "As you can see, I am not Mia. But I am somebody, and you must remember that."

He softly held her thin palm as his fingers caressed its center. There was still that sensation inside his chest. He felt a connection to this pale woman with blonde hair, even though he still yearned for Mia. He then realized that he would always do so, as the love he had forged with the brunette over the last decade could never be forgotten.

Ethan couldn't narrow down the chemistry between him and her. What they had right now wasn't the kind of romance that he had shared with his deceased wife. It wasn't a fling. Even the brief spark of sexual tension yielded no roots in primal instinct. He did not seek her out of pure desperation, either.

What he had gotten from Bela was a sense of fulfillment, albeit one tied to mending old wounds. He viewed her as a stranger in body but a familiar spirit in the way their minds connected.

He couldn't fall right back into what he used to know in his marriage, but the similarities were present enough to allow him to feel comfortable with her. He couldn't explain it to himself, but the complicated brew of romance was one that he would have to decide if he should continue stirring. Ethan saw how much it had affected her. This was no time to play with her feelings.

"You are somebody, Bela." Ethan placed his hand on her left shoulder as his other one used a finger to dry some of her tears. "I think we are both in the middle of so much in our lives. This is something that we'll have to figure out, but I won't pretend that it never was."

"I didn't kiss you just because you were nice to me," Bela told him. "I did it because you are the force of good that I need in my life, and I want that force of good. You gave me hope that I could be more than what I was, and now that I have seen the truth behind my upbringing, I know that there is much I have left to uncover. Maybe I won't get the answers that I seek, but I am ready to start living again."

She let out a short chuckle at herself as she shook her head. It didn't stop the tears that came along with it. "I have been blind for so long. So, so long. But with you, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it ends in this world, then it ends here. I'll still go out fighting, as long as I have you beside me. Together."

"Together must mean until the end, right?"

Her expression fell as she looked at him. Those words—a symbol of the bond they had forged—took her by the soul as she listened to the way he said them. That was when Ethan smiled at her, and at that moment, Bela knew.

He leaned forward, as did she.

Bela kissed him again. A short-lived touch, but enough to tell her that there was still something to hold onto. The flame of hope she held had not faded.

Ethan gave it a few seconds before he answered her, "To the very end."

"I don't want to lose this." She brushed her fingers across his chin, up toward his left cheek. "Be genuine with me."

"We both have to heal." Ethan glanced over at his bandaged gunshot wound, thinking about the changes his body had gone through in the past. His mortality was in the crosshairs. He could not risk another injury as grievous as those he had suffered back in their world. He needed to be able to keep fighting.

Not just for himself, but for her.

"I know," she replied with a smile. As torn as she was regarding the seemingly unending series of disastrous events that had plagued her, she kept herself calm with the promise that there was something to reach for. Diving headfirst into all her trauma would be too much for her to handle. Likely, too much for anyone. She wanted to confide in Ethan about it all, but he had his own issues that he needed to face.

Love was an unknown subject to her, but she believed she would learn more when the time was right.

Daniela always went on and on about her favorite romance stories. I used to just want to snatch that book out of her hand and toss it against the wall. I guess I should have paid a little more attention. But I remember her telling me how patient love is. Ethan wants to make more room for me in his heart, but I can't push my way through it. That, and I must understand who I am better if I am to love him as much as he deserves to be loved. I can find peace with that. I know this is not over.

Ethan wrapped his arm around her as she melted into it. Happy to be held, Bela allowed her body to follow his as the two laid down on the assortment of blankets that had been arranged on the floor. With her head at his chest, the blonde giggled as she allowed her fingertips to dance around his sternum.

It was a display of her girlish delight that she had hidden away from the world for so long. Ethan's hand reached over and sought out those fingers of hers, playing with them as she held them in place. He looked down to see part of her shaven scalp, only to see the beauty in her disfigurement. He wanted to say something that would encourage her, but the demand for speech was absent. The only sounds that would be heard were the faint breaths of satisfaction that she would breathe as she soaked up the comfort he provided.

Ethan tried not to think of Mia as the two of them lay there. Comparing Bela to his past life was unfair, but he would be lying to himself if he thought this wasn't what he had wanted from his wife the most. Even though he and Bela still had so much they had yet to learn about one another, the trust was there, and that was what mattered the most to him.

With her, he had clarity, even in the murkiest clouds of the unknown. He just knew that she was someone he could count on.

Someone he could trust.

.

Bela's consciousness had faded into a blur. Nestled in the soothing arms of Ethan, she found herself so relaxed that the weight of her troubles had finally lifted—if only for the time being. She found herself fast asleep before she knew it. In the blink of an eye, her brain turned off, and her body began to soak up the rest it had so desperately craved.

There may have been periods when she would awaken for only a second or two, then close her lids and drift away again. No dreams to occupy her consciousness. No stressful memories. She was shut out of life entirely.

Yet, as she slept, there was still a fiber of Bela's consciousness that remained alert to the world around them. The tiniest sliver of awareness, it was, but there nonetheless. She sensed the cool air brushing against her foot. Her bare toes curled under the drop in temperature.

Her mind was too far gone to form thoughts, but she had a gut feeling that this wasn't a simple exposure. Her feet were reacting to something. The breeze drifted up to her legs. A draft? No. When the touch of wind suddenly veered away, she knew that there was something around her. Then, like a lit match thrown into an ocean of fuel, Bela's eyes shot open, and she sat up in an instant.

The lantern's flame flickered vigorously nearby, cutting the light that illuminated the room repeatedly. The flashes of yellow were the only thing that allowed her to see what was around them, but as the periods of darkness that the lantern underwent began to lengthen, Bela had managed to uncover the source of the anomaly.

Vikcia.

The witch's clouds of dust had been slowly seeping in through the cracks of the attic hatch. There she sat, crouched in the corner, unwilling to get close to the light. Cloaked under her dark hood, Vikcia's pale face could be seen at the center of the shadows. Her blackened lips brimmed into a bloodied smile, while the white circles of her pupils glinted at the blonde.

She had been steadily forming while simultaneously tampering with an object that had been used against her in the past. She had learned from her mistakes, and Bela had a grave feeling in her heart that this was the end of the line for them.

"Ethan! Wake up!" She shook him as hard as she could. The man's eyes broke open in a frenzied state. He was already on task, despite not knowing what they were up against. His hands had custody of the twin-barreled firearm by the time he looked toward where Bela pointed.

"Shit!" He stumbled onto his feet as soon as possible, aiming the gun at Vikcia. "Bela, get behind me!"

Seeing the pair act on her presence, Vikcia wasted no time making her entrance. The rest of her shadows burst through the hatch, breaking the lock and leaving the board hanging downwards above the floor below. The creature rose as she giggled at them; her sharp, black talons spread at her hips.

"Why are you doing this?" Ethan begged her, but, as usual, she did not respond. He still hoped to be able to have some sort of dialogue with the demon, but she constantly portrayed herself as the animal that she was. There would be no talking in this exchange, only violence.

Bela scooped up her sickle from the ground as she took hold of the lantern. The flame was quickly dying, and she knew that she had to act fast. "Ethan, get your flashlight!"

The man reached for the device, but the second his eyes lowered, he felt the blunt force of the otherworldly woman slam against his body. The sounds around him became muffled, but he could still hear Bela screaming in the background.

The strength of the shadow woman was unimaginable. It took little effort for her to drag him around in circles, slamming the man into anything that was in their path. Ethan tried to get back up, but she continued to throw him back down. With the dust clouds rising, he could barely see a thing. She dug her claws into his skin as she went along, putting his muscles at risk of being sliced apart in the process.

He had witnessed the way she thrashed that psychotic man just earlier. If he did not get to his flashlight in time, she would likely tear his throat wide open.

"Get the fuck off me!" Ethan screamed as soon as he spotted her face to his right. She still had that wicked smile across her jaw. That was the most horrifying thing about her. As the bloodthirsty woman pinned him against the floor, he noticed the gusts of her clouds knocking over various boxes around them. A metallic ping was heard nearby, just before Vikcia's head quickly turned away in the opposite direction.

It had to be the metal fragment, Ethan thought. She appeared bothered by it. He had not seen that look on her face since he first shined his light at her.

Vikcia carried Ethan further away from where the boxes were, tossing him against the edge of the wall while lying on his side. In her haste, she had loosened her hold, allowing him to snag his flashlight as soon as they landed. His thumb brushed up against the switch, and he quickly turned it on.

Once the beam emitted from the lens, a shrill cry of pain bellowed from the witch. Ethan witnessed the light burning away the shadows of where it landed and, to his surprise, part of her cloak itself. The pale, bare skin of Vikcia's thigh appeared before she moved out of the way. Her claws were still on him, and she would not let her prey go.

The last thing he saw before the light unexpectedly died out were the streams of shadows that trailed upward from the corners of her mouth. Before he knew it, Vikcia had ejected another wave of dust out of her throat and right into his face. It blinded Ethan, making him cough ferociously as he struggled underneath her. His hand moved to wipe the blanket of particles off his skin and eyelids, but as soon as it reached up, he felt it get pulled right back down.

"Ethan!" He heard Bela's voice shout as she ran up to them, followed by Vikcia's growls amid whatever was taking place. They had to have been fighting. The beast released one of her hands as she turned around to swipe at the blonde. The clatter of metal scraping against the ground was the next noise that crawled into his ears. It sounded like her sickle had just flown across the room. Bela had to have been struck.

With urgency coursing through his veins, Ethan used his freed arm to reach for his pistol. As soon as it was withdrawn from his waistband, the man aimed it in the direction of Vikcia's breathing.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Four rounds were spent, but only to result in a sharp hiss. It did nothing.

Bela could now be heard further down the room, seemingly stumbling as she tried to get back to him. "Ethan!" She screamed again. That was when he endured those talons clutching onto his arm again before his body suddenly found itself dragged along the floor at breakneck speed. The panels of wood that lined the bottom skimmed his back—until he felt himself fall through a small opening below.

The lantern immediately turned back on.

Fighting the flaring pain that roared across her side from when Vikcia backhanded her, Bela cautiously scanned the room as she searched for any sign of Ethan. The faint remnants of shadows could still be seen as they faded away, leaving only the hatch that led to the attic in their wake. In a panic, she snagged her sickle from the ground and stood up, arm cocked back, in case Vikcia was about to come barreling back in.

But as the seconds drew on, the rumbling beneath the lower floors caught her attention. She could have sworn that she heard the muffled groans of Ethan as they went along, but the thumping of her heartbeat overtook them. Her amber eyes spotted his pistol not too far away from the hatch, realizing that he had been taken by the witch.

Oh, no! No, no, no!

Grabbing the handgun before she lowered the broken ladder beside the exit, Bela climbed down onto the top floor. Without a light to guide her, the blonde was willing to face whatever creatures lay in wait nearby. Fortunately, the upper level of the stairwell was clear of any threats, but that did not bring any further relief.

Her eyes turned around, and she gazed at the window on the wall, feeling her gut pulling her to do so. To her horror, she observed Vikcia funneling through the air above the surrounding buildings. The large plume of dust and shadows was shaped like a slow-moving comet, weaving in the pattern of a serpent.

Wait… What is that she's holding? Is it…

It was.

In Vikcia's clutches was Ethan himself, helplessly trapped, as the witch made her way back toward the clock tower.

NOTES:

Love is in the air, among other things.

Starting from the top, I hope you all enjoyed the big scene. I know this is something that you all have been looking forward to for so long. What follows may have been unexpected, and it no doubt soured what was had. For a long time, I was debating whether or not to include a sex scene in this story. My only reservation was that, just like everything else, it has to make sense.

Looking at Bela and Ethan, I tried to figure out just what kind of love these two could have. My biggest issue was finding a way for Ethan to toss Mia aside and go for her. As it turns out, I couldn't reach a realistic reason in my head for him to do so. Even if I lay out everything that she has done wrong to him, I think part of his heart will still love her. I couldn't wash away years of history in the blink of an eye. He still doesn't know exactly what Mia had been up to, either, just going off his assumptions.

This story isn't going to give our characters everything they should know. They work with what they have, and that is where this moment is born. Ethan sees the real Bela as what he has always wanted from a partner, but that doesn't undo Mia's perceived shortcomings. He is torn and, quite frankly, still recovering. Bela is no better.

She has gone through so much and is far from over it. While her feelings for Ethan are real, she reached out for the only source of comfort and liberation she had. Her self-blame is because she feels she hurt him to better herself, unlike Kyia, who simply shut down and became angry. She is also aware of the many issues she will have to deal with and needs to sort them out.

But they end on a promise of commitment, recognizing that life is no longer on its intended course.

Now, as for the ending, this is the final path.

Vikcia has attacked them yet again, and Ethan is about to be brought to her domain. The final ten chapters are about to be a rollercoaster of love, tragedy, and horror as she embarks on her mission to rescue him.

We're going out onto the streets of Serpenmoor one final time as the nightmare reaches its peak. Get ready for big reveals, violent battles, and an explosive ending that no one will see coming. Death lies in wait within this city's tallest building, and it is time to enter the heart of darkness.

The end begins this Friday.

Follow this story on Archive of Our Own to see the latest artwork created for Bela and Ethan's kiss!

Thank you all so much for the inspiration to keep writing all these chapters. I hope this weekend's double release was worth the wait! It has been a very busy week, but we pulled through. Enjoy the rest of what it has to offer in the meantime. Stay safe and happy, as always! And once again, thanks for being so awesome! 😊