Chapter 100: The Last Breath
“Wrong answer! Wrong answer! Wrong fucking answer!” Hazel said, losing her mind already as she kept stabbing Sander’s chest until Sander screamed in pain while there was blood oozing from his chest.
“Papa…! Mama…! Please help me…!”
“Sander!” I cried.
“You motherfucker! How fucking dare you!” Desmond attacked her by using his wolf speed. He tackled her down by holding her neck, gripping it. “Bring her to the prison cell! Bestow her a hundred lashes! You do it, Harvey!” he ordered angrily.
“Sander!” I rushed by my son’s side as he fell to the ground, coughing with so much blood. “No, no, no… Summon Anderson!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, panicking more.
“Mama…” Sander groaned in pain, crying. “It hurts…”
“I know, baby…” I decided to tear the skirt off my dress, not minding if it was a customized one. “Help me to wrap this,” I said to Desmond as my hands were shaking right now.
“Sander, son… It will be alright, hmm?” Desmond asked, already shedding tears as he wrapped our son’s chest with the cloth that came from my dress to stop the bleeding. “Papa and Mama are here… You are not alone, alright?” He cupped our son’s face even though his hands were smeared with blood that came from our son.
He scooped our son before he bestowed him to me. After that, he transformed into his wolf form and mind-linked me that I should hop on so we could rush to the infirmary. Nodding, the pack warriors helped me to mount on Desmond’s back.
“Sander, don’t close your eyes…” I was trying to hold my tears when Desmond already used his wolf speed while I kept tapping Sander’s cheek when I saw that his eyes were getting droopy.
“Mama…” he called meekly. “I am sleepy…”
Desmond barked. He was trying to wake up our son by barking at him.
I was already in tears when I remembered something. “Desmond, halt!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Tell them to leave us alone.” I turned at the pack warriors who were tailing us.
‘What are you planning? We have to hurry and get our son to be treated, Seraphina!’ I bit my lower lip hearing how frustrated he was right now.
“Just trust me!” I got down which made me bounce from the ground. I apologized to Sander when he groaned in pain. “Please, cinnamon…” I said to him before I carefully put Sander down to the ground.
Desmond gestured his head, mind-linking them that they should leave us alone. Then he transformed back to his human form, rushing beside me.
“What now?” he asked as he kept tapping Sander’s cheeks. “Sander, son, don’t sleep yet…”
I looked at the moon and held onto the galaxy moon necklace I was wearing. Desmond’s eyes widened, already knowing what I was supposed to do. “Mother, please… Please summon Iseldis. I need her. Your grandson needs your help. If Iseldis is not available, please come here and heal Sander. I do not wish him to die. Mother!” I begged, crying more.
“Moon Goddess, please!” Desmond couldn’t contain his tears as he also looked in the starry night sky, having the full moon as it blessed us with its moonlight.
The forest lingered with the sound of crickets and frogs while Sander was groaning in pain. It was pure agony as I closed my eyes, summoning my mother.
“Mother, please show yourself.” I did not have the urge to go to the celestial realm. I felt like I had grown weaker seeing my son’s state. It felt like someone stole the power from me to open the gates to the celestial realm.
“Please don’t let our son die!” Desmond said. “Moon Goddess!”
“You have summoned me, sister?”
I shivered when I felt the breeze enveloping us. Opening my eyes, I cried upon seeing…
“Isabella…” I muttered Iseldis’ mundane name. “You are here…” More tears fell from my eyes when I realized that I was not hallucinating.
My second older sister was there in front of me!
Isabella hugged me. “You did well, sister… and brother-in-law. Allow me to take over and heal my nephew.” She wiped the tears from my eyes before she stood up and approached to check Sander. Like my sister who was a pack doctor, she checked her vital signs with an earnest expression before she turned at him. “Sander… Auntie Isabella is here, sweetie.” She kept tapping his cheek to wake him up.
Sander, whose lips were already pale and eyes were droopy, smiled meekly upon seeing her. “Auntie… You are here…”
She held his hand, nodding. “Your Mama did well in summoning me. I have come here to heal you, alright? Will you have faith with me as the Goddess of Healing and Hunting, Sander?” Sander tried to nod. “Good.” She gently combed Sander’s hair before she performed healing him. “I, Iseldis, the second daughter of the Moon Goddess, am the Goddess of Healing and Hunting who shall heal this pup named Sinbert who is gravely injured and has deep wounds on his chest.”
Sinbert… Sander also had a deity name. That deity name was Sinbert.
He might have deity blood running in his veins but he could never inherit my ability as the Goddess of Fertility. Mother said that only the first generation could ever have the abilities. We could not pass our ability to our offspring.
But as soon as she finished her words, Isabella gasped in horror. “Mother, help!”
“What happened?” Desmond and I asked in unison.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Isabella started to shed tears. “It’s too late… Sander has his last breath after I finish my incantation… We need Mother’s help.”
“No….” Desmond howled. “Seraphina…”
I stood up and opened the portal to the celestial realm. “Mother! Please return Sander’s soul! Please don’t take our son from us!” I begged, holding Desmond’s hand when he dared to go inside the portal.
He couldn’t just enter the portal without our guidance or an invitation from one of us.
Desmond brought Sander’s lifeless body as we headed to the celestial palace. We looked for Mother and saw Her in the vast celestial garden along with… Sander’s spirit.
“Sinbert!” Desmond and I called him.
Mother turned Her head in our direction as She beckoned Her to us. At that moment, Desmond, Isabella, and I were already in front of Her.
“Sinbert…” My voice quivered as I held Sander’s face. I noticed that he was wearing white clothing.
“Mama… Papa…” His voice sounded angelic meaning that he was really dead. My son was smiling at us even though he was seeing that his father held his lifeless body.
“Distance yourself, Sicilia, Iseldis. Sinbert is already in his spirit form. You cannot just drain his spirit energy,” Mother said as She made us distance from him.
Desmond carefully placed Sander’s body on the ground as he bowed his head and knelt before Mother. “Moon Goddess, please… Return Sinbert to us.”
“Mother… Please…” I was already crying. I even felt Isabella holding my hand.
“I am incapable of healing my nephew, Mother. It is too late…” Isabella spoke.
“This is not the end of Sinbert’s life, right? Mother… This is not the end of Sinbert’s life. He still has the purpose to live just as you bestowed Ragriel a second chance to live and find us,” I told, pleading.
I had gotten to know that Rachelle was once dead because of her father who committed treason to the Waevalon Kingdom. But Mother had bestowed her another chance to live. Her purpose was to find us, her sisters and continue serving herself as the Luna Queen of the Waevalon Kingdom.
“Moon Goddess, please return our son’s soul. Is there any reason why you cannot do it? Is it possible that I shall exchange my life so you can return him to us?”
I gasped, horrified at Desmond’s words. “What are you saying, Desmond?!” I yanked his arm, annoyed at his words.
His eyes shifted to me. I bit my lower lip seeing how he also had a hard time. We lost our son and we had to beg my mother that She had to return our son to us.
“I want to do something that would ensure that Sinbert would return to us, Sicilia. I cannot afford to see that we will lose our son… Do you see?” His voice croaked.
“I know… I know that… But not like this…” I turned to Mother who hadn’t said anything yet. “Mother… We beg you… I do not wish to return to the mundane realm without having our son alive!” I was desperate and frustrated now. I just wanted my son to be back in his life.
“He can be reincarnated again, Sicilia. Have no-”
“NO! I CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN!” That made me gasp when Desmond roared and raised his tone, anger at my mother’s words. “That’s bullshit! You can just return his soul to his body! I do not wish to hate you for you are Sicilia’s mother and our pups’ grandmother, Moon Goddess. I do not wish to collide with you but my son is the one we are talking about here.”
“Sicilia…” Isabella caught me in her arms when I felt my knees wobble.
I couldn’t feel my legs right now. I knew what my mother was saying. Reincarnation… It meant that She was going to place Sander’s soul to be reborn and in a different body regardless of gender.
“Mother, please do not be like this to them… Look! You are torturing them! You are torturing your fourth daughter!” Isabella sounded frustrated. “Do not make Sicilia hate you for this…” she said through gritted teeth.
All I could do was cry. I couldn’t even lift my head right now. It was too painful that Mother would have my son be reincarnated in a different body.
It meant that Desmond and I had to return to the mundane realm without having Sander in our life.
“Moon Goddess! Do not be like this!” I could hear Desmond’s voice already in pain. I could even hear that he was punching the ground.
I wailed in tears after that. Isabella hugged me so tight. “I do not want Sinbert to be reincarnated. I just want his soul to return to his original body…” I uttered.
This certainly made me heartbroken. If Mother said that She would still do what She said, I did not know what could have happened after this.
I would certainly abhor my mother. That was for certain.
We were enveloped with pure silence. While I was crying, Desmond was begging. His forehead was already on the ground.
I couldn’t take this. “I’d rather die…” I uttered.
“Mother!” Isabella was already on the verge of anger.
It was over now. My mother would not do anything to return my son to life. What must I do after this? Watch over my son who had reincarnated in a different body? Was that it? Was this the purpose of being a spirit goddess?
Did we really need to suffer like this?
“Desmond… Let’s go…” I said as I walked to him and took Sander’s lifeless body. “Mother has already made Her decision. Her decision is absolute.” I tried so hard not to cry seeing my cinnamon who looked so broken right now when our eyes met.
He shook his head and turned at Mother. He crawled towards Her and held onto Her white clothing. “Moon Goddess… Do not be so cruel to us… I beg you…” Then he turned to Sander’s spirit form. I wished I could go near him for as long as I want but there was a time limit that I could be beside my son. “Sinbert… Beg to your grandma. You do not wish to be separated from us, right? With Mama, Hezekiah, Harolyn, Saoirse, and me? Right, son? Right?”
Sander smiled. “We will be reunited soon, Papa, Mama.”
I looked at my mother angrily who hadn’t said anything but watched us suffering and begging at Her. “Consider this that I am cutting my ties from you, Mother… Take my abilities as the Goddess of Fertility. I would no longer be your fourth daughter…” I declared painfully.
“Sicilia…” Desmond looked at me.
“We must go, Desmond…” I looked at him painfully. “We cannot negotiate with Mother anymore…”
He clenched his hands before he lowered his gaze. In defeat, he walked toward me and took our son’s body to him.
We returned to the mundane realm having Sander’s lifeless body as we went back to the manor. Anderson arrived and gasped in horror seeing Sander’s condition.
“Seraphina…” Isabella apologized to me. “I was too late… I should have saved Sander…”
I only nodded as I was inside Desmond’s arms, looking at Sander’s lifeless body. We put him in our chamber, watching in agony.
She sat beside Sander and held his hand. “I will return to the celestial realm to speak with Mother again, Seraphina.”
“It’s futile, sister… Mother cannot just change Her mind. We already beg.” I looked up at Desmond. “Desmond… I am sorry… It is my fault. I should have known that Hazel would do something to torment us.”
He closed his eyes before he planted a kiss on my temple. “No, Seraphina. It is not your fault.” His hug tightened. “I will kill Hazel. No mercy this time.” There was an abomination lingering on his tone.
I agreed with him. “I want to see her suffering.” I couldn’t hide how I was so angry right now. I really wanted to see her suffering. “Be it in a slow death until she begs,” I told him.
He nodded. “I will, seraphim. I have ways to torture her back and I shall make sure that her life will be-”
“Oh my goodness!” Isabella chimed in, gasping so loud. “Sander’s hand moved!”
That made Desmond and I turn our heads to the bed when Isabella said that. We suddenly rushed to Sander’s side when we both saw that his hand was moving.
“Sander? Son?” Desmond called as he held his hand. “Papa and Mama are here… Open your eyes, son…”
I gasped when Sander’s pale face returned to normal.”I-If he is moving… D-Does this mean…” I couldn’t continue my words when slowly, Sander’s eyes opened.
“Hello, Mama… Hello, Papa… Hello, Auntie Isabella…” He smiled at us as soon as he saw that we were by his side. “Grandma decides to return me now.”