The evening sun was setting across the bridge, the wind gently blowing, ensuing the cold chills of the evening. Ethan stood at the Horton's bridge, he had a feeling he hadn't had in a long time, a feeling he hadn't felt in seven years, a feeling he hadn't felt in the seven years he'd been away from Peterborough. It was quite pellucid and gratuitous, finally he heard his heart beating in his ears, the instant he saw her name scheduled on a meeting, he couldn't let go, he had to see her. This feeling was authentic, filled with no darkness or shadows.
"I think our little man is swimming in so much joy." Guardian says placing his hands on Ethan's shoulder.
"No, no those are mere understatements, right now, this guy could buy the whole world." Child says and he bursts out laughing with Guardian.
"Ethan, there are still some threats and this time, you need to handle them carefully and keenly, you can't mess up like seven years ago, those that stand in your way, we'll all eliminate them, you can be happy with Samantha." Analyst says gleefully.
"What I cultivated and brought to life can only be mine, what I touched was mine, those who wanted to take it away were simply my enemies, whether family or friends. They will just all die." Ethan says staring at Guardian.
"I really think you have an infinite, cockiness of getting what you want, Ethan Duke Masters." Arthur says acidly.
"Do you really have to come all the way out here and ruin my mood? I was busy scheming." He says indifferently.
"Fuck you Ethan, don't you get tired of these games, isn't it boring? We all know why you agreed to sign a contract with S & D, it's been fucking seven years Ethan, why don't you just move on and let Samantha be happy?" Arthur's gaze was brimming with rage.
"Dear cousin, then why are you disturbing my sentient peace? I don't give a damn about what you think of me, you or anyone. Shit, can't you'll just leave me alone! I simply came back to take what's mine, I want Samantha back, even if I have to lock her up, cage her into a bird, break her wings, I will have her back." Ethan says with pure possessiveness and resolve. His smile was simple and genuine. Arthur sees a mad man in front of him, just what had he been through all these years? The way he spoke was different, the way he stared at him was different, the way he looked was different. Arthur couldn't just pinpoint what it was exactly.
"You are really shameless, aren't you? You have no self-respect, Ethan; for yourself or for Samantha! You broke her once; do you plan to do it twice?" Arthur shouts at him, wanting a far better reaction from him.
"What Arthur? I told you, I came back for her, not to break nor mend her, not destroy her rather than to possess her, I want her to belong to me only, Arthur, you don't get it really, do you? You want to give her your love, I want to give her my life, that's the difference between you and me." He says gently, no; no, this boy, this man was not the person he knew from seven years ago! Arthur thought bitterly.
"Listen to me clearly Ethan, don't come near Samantha again, she's fine, now she's better, she's moved on; Ethan! I'll kill you." He threatens him clearly.
"Just shut the fuck up, I can't take it, Arthur, I didn't know you had a hobby of killing corpses, I died the instant we got separated, so kill me if you may but Samantha will never love you even if I'm dead. Do you think she will forgive you? She hasn't loved you over these past seven years. Don't you think between you and me, you should be the one to give up?" He says calmly staring at the sky and Arthur can't see his eyes. Who was this man? What? What! Was this!!
"She's not an object Ethan, she's a person, she has the right to choose, just what happened to you? You were never like this, not like I care, I still hate you, however if it involves Samantha, I won't stand aside." He says with steel determination and Ethan stares at the sea before walking and touching his shoulder. Arthur feels terrified, what was this? What was this atmosphere? What kind of aura was he carrying? What was this?! This feeling of dread and too much fear. Why was he so terrified of him? He was only touching him, not looking at him, then why? Ethan what are you? These shivers down his spine, when did they appear? Arthur tilts his head and their gazes meet, he's met with brown eyes that are very warm and gentle, a face that is innocent, yet where was this terror coming from? His face was calm and sweet, so what was this madness?
"I will kill you if you get in my way, I will torment you till you forget the fear of death, I will send you back to hell and drag you back just to torture you. Don't say you'll kill me yet you've never done it before, I'll show you just how cruel and painful death can be, Arthur be careful with what you wish for. Perhaps, I'm a grim reaper." Ethan says all these with a small smile before he leaves singing,
'London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down
London bridge is falling down, my fair lady,
'London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down
'London bridge is falling down, falling down,
My fair lady, build it up with;
[wood & clay, wood & clay, wood & clay] build it up with [wood & clay] my fair lady,
[wood & clay] will [crumble and fall; crumble and fall, crumble & fall] my fair lady…
Ethan stood there as he left, he was not terrified, neither did he fear. At all costs, he couldn't move, what spell had he used? They were in the real world, not a fantasy where Ethan had powers and he didn't! For goodness' sake, this was far worse, far worse than what he'd seen in horror movies, this was far worse than when he had nightmares. This petrification of touch and a warm smile, was it a gift that he had? No, no, let's be real that smile was warm, gentle and calm yet why did he feel an ill intent behind it? Something sinister and unfamiliar, something dangerous and violent. Those eyes, why were they brighter than usual yet behind them he could feel impending shadows and monsters? His statement was not a threat or a warning, he meant it. In those seven years, had he murdered someone? Why did it sound so normal to him? Why had he really returned? What was his true purpose? Why did Arthur have this portentous feeling that something horrible was about to occur? Samantha had to stay away from this Ethan more than the Ethan of seven years ago, this one would destroy and ruin her! This Ethan was not his cousin; this was a devil in reincarnation, something far too subtle and exclusive, something worse than evil itself.
*. *. *. *.
Rafael Noles Miguel was staying at a hotel, in this moment, he was in a bathtub, leisurely sipping wine, specifically, a brand from B & D. If his thoughts came out loud, he was always the least complacent, or rather he should say, he was the least perceptible one. He had forever lived in his brother's shadow Deib Noles Miguel. Reasons were quite evident but were always hushed. Unlike Deib, Rafael was different, so much different, with sandy-blonde hair, his lashes soft and long, he had eyes as blue as the sky, his physique was not that manly, he was too feminine that most men mistook him for a girl, even from the way he dressed, most people thought he was a girl. This thought didn't irk him, what irked him most was… that seven years ago, he was the activist of their so-called friend group. He always tried his best to keep the tension at bay, making sure that no one broke or snapped. For the longest time, he's been acting, always acting, that acting that made him lose contact between reality and illusion. He always saw things at a distance, how things were beyond his reach. In that moment he realized that Ethan, Arthur and Deib were just way out of his league. Grace and Miranda too were people who didn't even look at him twice. Even though he couldn't help but realize that Ethan was always a 'puppeteer' with long strings attached to all of them, sometimes he just decided on which or whose strings to pull. They were all 'puppets' but Rafa didn't mind, after all there was no one a part from him who noticed. Then came a girl that didn't need to exist, Samantha Alec Merlin, even when he saw her today, it annoyed him. He annoyed her why, the reason was simple, she was so innocent, so pure and so very honest. Humans are supposed to have flaws yet dear Sammy was almost too perfect. She didn't hate Grace or Miranda for how they bullied her. She didn't despise her grandmother for abandoning and neglecting her, she didn't want to destroy Elizabeth, Tomas or even the late Natalie; she accepted people the way they were, she understood them the way they are. If Rafa remembers correctly, perhaps this was the reason why Ethan took a liking to her, she was like this rising and setting sun while Ethan was like this dark starry night. Day and day cannot be compatible but day and night are 100% compatible. Moreover, this was perhaps the reason as to why Ethan preferred Samantha over Grace. Rafael once read a poem;
'Through thorns or thickets lies a swan
In this desolate lake; her eyes twinkle with thou' stars
She cannot fly; not because she wishes,
Rather than she awaits, for thy moon to shine on thy' lake,
The moon is no moon, it is her life,
Only with its presence will her wings spread,
A swan cannot be bright without a moon.
If Rafael interpreted this poem to his understanding. Those thickets and thorns didn't hinder the swan from leaving the desolate lake, the lake was rather desolate because the only companion the swan had been the stars. She wished to fly but she cannot because no one will be there to watch her performance, to watch her fly and to treasure her. The swan will remain in the thorns till the moon shines, because only the moon knew her essence, only the moon understood her value and only the moon loved her dearly. The moon and the swan belonged together, one cannot be without the other. This poem reflected so much on Ethan and Samantha's lives. Samantha was the swan while Ethan was the moon, this time the swan might fly because the moon shines brighter. Rafael honestly wanted to aid Samantha, the best way to aid her was keeping her away from Ethan, they didn't see him the way he did. That boy had over a million demons on his shadows, with that face, that only attracted everybody to destruction. He was the one who ended up calling Mr. Andrei Hawkins Masters and Mrs. Amanda Courtney Masters, Rafael was the one who ended up spilling the beans to Lady Ada Lu Merlin on the kind of relationship Samantha had with Ethan. He didn't regret it one bit, it did hurt Samantha but that was for the best. He saw just how Ethan was chaining Samantha, physically and emotionally; he was intertwining her in his demons without realizing it, just how Ethan was planning their dark future. Rafael did all this out of love, not love for Samantha; rather than love for Mark Matthews Merlin! He loved him, loved him dearly!