N I N E T E E N
Dark and Light

THE PLACE WAS an eerie darkness, displaying the nights of the world as we stepped into the freezing compound. Occasionally, there was the echo of dripping water that would resonate all around us, sending goosebumps to rise on the skin of my arms in an instant. I shivered, murmuring prayers under my breath as I walked alongside Calvin with Fabian walking behind the both of us.

"You seem anxious," Calvin observed. "Is there something wrong?"

"This place is just really creepy. It is making me worried and the worst part is that I don't even know what I am really afraid of."

The walls had a sort of dust and grime that clung onto the ancient stone, water flowing freely from the top of the walls and down onto the pavement as the seconds ticked past. With the air heavy from all the dreariness and the musky and unmistakable scent of death and destruction, it was no wonder why I felt so very unsafe even at a spot in which was supposed to be protected.

"Nothing is wrong with being afraid. Everyone tends to be at a certain point in their lives. Even angels and demons have such a fear and you are just a mere mortal. Fear is what makes you human."

Calvin shrugged almost nonchalantly, his long arms swinging by his sides as he walked. I struggled to keep up with his long strides, taking wider steps than usual just so that I would not lag behind.

"Furthermore, this place is ridden with bones of the dead. It is perfectly ordinary for you to be afraid in such a gloomy place."

"Yes, just because this place absolutely reeks of death," came Fabian's voice from behind us. I pivoted on the spot, turning to face him with an eyebrow raised in shock by his joking mannerism.

"Did you just make a pun?" I asked, completely flabbergasted as Fabian shrugged. Though it was unmistakable that what he said was meant for a laugh, his face was still ever the same, stoic and unfeeling.

"It is not as if I am unable to make a playful comment, Pilediah," he simply said.

"Don't mind Fabian, Addison. He had always been like this after Ida left us. It was a tough time for him, you know? After Ida's death, he became nothing more than the shell of what he used to be. Back then, life was much simpler." The spirit of conquest sighed once, his shoulders sagging to match his disappointment. I thought I saw a hint of longing in the bright blues of his irises, perhaps thinking back to the times in which was worth reminiscing about.

"You miss it, don't you? Life before the fall."

"Every single day. Don't get me wrong, I adore the era in which we are currently living in now. There are so many new advancements that the people from the olden days couldn't even begin to dream about. But back then, life was undeniably simpler. There was never a war for us and it was only after Lucifer had fallen had we started to descend into the chaos the world is now."

"You never did explain how you fell." I pointed it out, tilting my head to the side in slight curiosity. "Neither did any of the others, even Dimitri. Not explicitly, at least."

"There is nothing more to explain. Lucifer dragged us down when he fell and only Lucius escaped his hold."

Calvin's words held the unmistakable tone of finality, his eyebrows hard-set, and his jaw clenched tightly together. I knew for a fact then and there that he was hiding something. The severity of the incident was obviously enough to cause such a stir in him for his bright electric blue eyes now held the darkness of a disastrous storm.

I pursed my lips together, desperate to find out more about the backstory of the four mysterious brothers. However, I also knew that this was evidently not the time for it.

The deeper we ventured into the labyrinths of the catacombs, the colder it became. The rhythmic dripping of water was echoing louder than ever before, paired with the freezing frosty feeling that reminded me greatly of the time in the boathouse whereby the boys had sent their personifications after me and my friends. Skulls and random bones littered the grounds of the catacombs, some even lining the walls as if they were nothing but a decoration. It did not take long before we were at a fork in the road, my feet halting in their movements as my eyes widened in fear.

Memories of time I had spent in the maze that Death had set for me flashed before my eyes. The everlasting green hedges that kissed the skies, the creepy clown that would leave a scar in my memory for the rest of my days, and the ghoul that could've ended my life had I been a second slower. I shivered, blinking my memories away as I felt a hand rest upon my shoulder. To that, I jerked away only to find Calvin staring at me with a concerned frown etched upon his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked, dropping his hand back to his side.

"Just... memories." I swallowed the bile in my throat, taking in a painful deep breath to calm my racing heart. "Albeit unpleasant ones but they are still memories. They belong in the past and they shouldn't have the power to affect my future."

"Memories are the best lessons in which life can provide, sometimes." Calvin smiled wistfully. "But that doesn't mean that they are always pleasant."

Calvin's words made me shut my mouth back up, concentrating back on attempting to drive my thoughts away. It was true; memories and past experiences serve as the greatest tutors a human can possibly have. However, the lessons they provide are more often than not painful and hence, dreaded.

"A fork in the road." From behind us, Fabian had finally caught up. Now, he stood by Calvin's other side, arms folded across his chest as he frowned at the scene before us. "Just what we needed."

"Now, it can't be that hard, brother. We will just have to be strategic about this and we'll soon be on our merry way." Ever the optimist, Calvin beamed brightly, playfully slapping Fabian's back while a huge smile shaped his lips.

"Not everything is shit and giggles all the time, Calvin. Optimism will not always save the day, in contrast to what you might think."

"It is better than having you bunch acting so gloomy all the damn time." Calvin rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I cannot believe I am saying this but I wish Wilhelm was here to back me up on this."

"He thrives on bloodshed. What makes you think that he will see the bright side of things?"

"At least he has a sense of humor!"

"Guys, stop it!" I yelled, taking a step towards them so that I could wedge myself in between the two brothers. Even with my body placed in between them as a barricade, they still had their noses inches apart, faces red with annoyance as they glared at each other. "Fighting and arguing will not get you anywhere in regards to this mission. Maybe with what you do, it might be a necessity, but not right now. Now back off and act decently, for Pete's sake!"

To my left, Calvin hesitated for a second before he took a step back. His features softened into an apologetic one in an instant, shaking his head as his snowy white hair fell over his eyes.

"Addison is right. I apologize, brother. It is unlike me to start acting so foolishly and I should've known better." Dipping his head down for a second in a sign of apology, Calvin was the first to resign to the fight. On the other hand, Fabian did not move a single inch, his features bearing the ever-present scowl that he had so skillfully mastered.

"Come on," he said instead, "we are wasting time just standing here."

And just like that, without another word, he marched off, heading our little troupe once again as he chose the path towards the right without even a second's worth of consideration. Once he was out of earshot but still within sight, I turned towards Calvin, a frown still shaping my eyebrows.

"What was that? You're usually so level-headed that it is so unlike you to start arguing in the middle of nowhere. The conversation started off as a playful banter before it escalated out of hand."

With a sigh coming from Calvin, the both of us started to walk, attempting to catch up with Fabian but still place a careful distance between us.

"I suspect that it is the light energy of this place. It is counteracting with our own minds."

"We're underneath a church, Calvin. If anything, the energy will just make the both of you all smiley and happy. On a good day, you both might even start singing and dancing around the campfire as flower petals fall from the sky."

"It doesn't work this way for us. The light energy counters us by making us lose our minds. We cannot stay here for too long if not there will be a repeat of what just happened. It will only be a matter of time before you would have to hold the both of us back from wreaking havoc in this place."

I had never seen Calvin so uneasy. His entire posture was rigid, movements like a stone statue trying to walk and his lips were in the shape of a rare frown.

"On the bright side of things, however," Calvin started as a sort of light lit up in the irises of his eyes. He stopped in his movements, staring straight ahead as I turned around instinctively to look at where he was focusing on.

In front of us by just a few more steps, Fabian, too, had stopped in his tracks. Unlike Calvin, he was not looking ahead. He had his head turned back to face us, a fleeting and small smile tilting the corners of his lips upward as he nodded towards something that was behind him. Without waiting for Calvin, I dashed toward where Fabian stood, casually breezing past him to look at what was behind his figure.

On a pedestal, so very similar to the one that I had grabbed the orb containing my soul from when I was plunged into the sadistic game of a maze, there stood a gleaming golden goblet that shone like a trophy or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It had small clear diamonds that decorated the lower rims of the goblet just before the stem came in, followed by the base. There were words etched onto the goblet, ones that seemed like symbols from a far-off fairytale and yet I knew that it was impossible to read them for they were scratched far beyond comprehension. Yet, the thirteen diamonds that decorated the cup was gleaming brightly as day.

Instinctively, I looked to my wrist, eyes immediately darting down to eye the bracelet that was enwrapped around the flesh of my hand. When I moved ever the slightest bit, the diamonds caught whatever light was available in the enclosed underground area, reflecting a shimmer of light as I smiled briefly at the life-saving jewelry.

"We found it," I breathed in happiness. "The golden chalice."

"It is magnificent." Calvin, whom which had moved quickly to my side, was now staring intently at the shimmering golden goblet. He seemed at awe, his lips slightly parted to release a low whistle as he shook his head lightly. "Well, that was easy."

"Nothing is ever easy."

Fabian walked past the both of us with a slight shove, the nudge causing me to stumble slightly over my steps before coming to a halt when I was finally able to stable my footing. I sent my best glare at him but he did not seem to notice. Instead, he was headed straight for the pedestal, fingers wrapping around the stem of the goblet to lift it off of its stand.

With the golden chalice in hand, he turned back to face us, his expression grave and posture seemingly on guard. The next few words that left his lips caused me to put up my guard as well, fists clenching by my sides as a new wave of determination and urgency flooded through my veins.

"We've got the goblet. Now, let's go. I sense an angelic presence here and I am willing to bet on everything I have that our friend is the one that is about to pay us a lovely visit."

This chapter is dedicated to @-wildfiree for these beautiful covers for the [Kisses From Death] series. Thank you so much! They are so very pretty.

So sorry for the belated update. Again. School is really kicking my ass right now and I don't really have the time to write anymore. I will try my best to finish this book (at least the Radish Fiction version) by the end of this year though. Thank you so much for your patience.

xx aurora