Our eternal affairs

Early the next morning, Truce hurriedly prepared for an emergency teleconference in his office. He combed his dark, sleek hair, styling it all the way backwards, then put on his timepiece. At that moment, an ear piercing shriek was heard downstairs and he rushed down, wondering what it was. 

Corrine, a maid saddled with the responsibility of looking after Anna trembled, tears were streaming down her eyes and she couldn't speak. She just pointed owards Anna's door.

Anna...

Truce dashed to the room, widening the already opened door, his heart raced with dread. A horrific sight revealing Anna; flat and motionless on the ground, soaked in her own blood. He glided to her side and knelt down in the blood, soiling his tailored suit. Her skin was cold and deathly pale, and she drew ragged breaths. He whispered her name as his fingers pressed her wrist, in search for a pulse; it was very faint.

Truce's heart thumped loudly in his chest in glee at the revelation, as he managed to salvage the situation. He beckoned on Charlotte, and she came rushing in.

"Get everyone out of the building, right now!" He ordered, as the shocked woman ran out, pushing the maids and kitchen servants out of the house through the back door.

Back in Anna's room, Truce lifted her from the blood-soaked floor, and walked to the bathroom, steadying his weak legs, he dropped her in the bathtub.

"Don't force anything, Lady Ruby. You're strong and you'll be fine. You're doing great." His words were like Valium, as he whispered them in her ears, Anna finally drifted into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, white beings, in terrifying shapes, appeared in bright lights, their feet blazing with red, hot fire.

They filled the room in their numbers forming a circle, and humming a deep rumbling nasal sounds. Then a small whirlwind materialized between them, it's vortex churning with intensity. The blood on the floor began to swirl and churn, as it was drawn into the heart of the whirlwind.

It was sucked upward, forming a glistening ruby red column that defied gravity. Truce then directed the blood from their midst, into Anna's abdomen, where it spilled from. As the blood surged into her body, colour began to appear on her skin. The wound healed up rapidly, knitting up from the edges. With a shuddering breath, her chest rose and fell, her eyes were still closed but she looked relaxed.

He lifted her from the bathtub, walked into the room and onto her bed, pulled the covers over her, and brushed her hair from her face, smiling wistfully down at her, all in the presence of the white beings. (Menos)

Truce left her side of the bed, and stood between them. "What happened here?" He asked in a still voice, like one that could be found by standing waters.

Suddenly, in the air above and before them, moving pictures appeared and began playing, rewinding the events that occured yesterday. Truce's hair started swaying from his head and rising like it was in water. His eyes flashed red with liquid fire tearing at the edges.

"Summon him at once." Truce commanded, and a dark, gaunt being, appeared before them, covering his head from the blinding lights of the Menos, and he kept weeping.

"Speak!" Truce commanded, his voice resounding like thunder. In an instant, his suit transformed into a resplendent, white flowing robe, that shimmered like a thousand diamonds. Every photon of light emmited from the garment, lashed at the dark wretched being, tormenting him bitterly. 

When it couldn't take it anymore more, he cried out. "Anomaaaaaaaaa..." It bowed it's head again, muttering in a foreign language. 

"Cursed. She's cursed. End. Or vengeance. Stupid, human. Ignore. Cursed!" 

The Meno at Truce's right side, began to interpret, it's voice was like a deep, burrowing sound that permeated the bones. 

"Master, her soul is different. Her second chance would bring vengeance on the banished. Ignorance would flee when she's joined to you."

A long, hot silence filled the room, the Merring (wretched being) still sobbed on its knees before Truce. Truce stood still, leaving the Menos bereft of what went on inside his head. He inhaled deeply, and slowly exhaled white fire, which consumed the Merring before him, into a floating smoke, before it disappeared. Then Truce's eyes returned to normal.

The Menos all departed quietly, leaving the room as though a meeting never happened there. He glanced at Anna on the bed, and watched her sleep peacefully before he slipped out of the room, his eyes cold and hard.

Anoma, his half brother had decided to come after his bride again. He went upstairs to his room in silence, shrugged off his blazer and tossed it on his bed. A cold war, had begun and Truce smelt blood.