Reese left the villa with a heavy heart.
Before the sun could rise, she went to all the places she wanted to visit before the sun rose. It took her a while, but now she stopped over at the small hut that she used to stay then.
The wedding will start before midnight and she still has time to make herself comfortable and be alone for a moment before she could return to the mansion.
Hindi talaga inakala ni reese na makikita niya muli sa huling pagkakataon si Severus at sa panahon pa na desedido na siya desisyon na ginawa niya.
Ilang oras nang nakaupo si Reese sa harap ng lawa malapit sa tinutuluyan niya panandalian, she wanted to waste time here to reminisce all those memories she'll be losing after staying at the place where she should stay.
Where vampires should stay.
Reese removed her necklace, the ring on her necklace chain has the pendant her father owned, she finally took a full glimpse of the wedding ring that Severus gave her. A small, sad smile crept on her lips as she tried to stop her tears from falling. Everything she did was the right thing, she was not selfish this time.
Reese was startled when a strong sound suddenly came from inside the hut. Binulsa ni Reese ang necklace at kaagad na tumayo sa kinauupuan. Kaagad siyang nagtungo sa lugar na pinanggalingan ng malakas na ingay.
She stood in front of the hut's entrance and she carefully opened the door inside the hut, and she was surprised as soon as she saw the table and chairs were forcefully destroyed on the floor.
Out of worry, Reese entered the hut and she was startled when someone suddenly showed up and he forcefully choked Reese and slammed her on the thin wall behind them. The man was so powerful that Reese wasn't able to use her ability to escape from his grip.
"Argh! L-Let me go!" Reese exclaimed as she tried to struggle.
Reese gently opened her eyes and her eyes widened when realization hit her. She saw the man she was looking for for four years, the person who wanted her dead showed right before her very eyes.
Reese had a difficulty breathing, to the point she could do everything just to struggle and remove his filthy hands on her neck.
Reese used the same trick she did back then, she scratched him in his face and because of the sting, he let go of Reese. When she finally got the chance to escape from his tight grip, Reese did everything to distance herself from him.
Reese coughed and looked at her father, straight in his eyes. "Why are you doing this? I am your own blood and flesh!" Sigaw ni Reese sa tunay na ama.
Elenore, Reese's father, grinned and looked at Reese as if he was mocking her in a bitter way.
"You may look a lot like Rachel, but you are not her. You killed her. How could I not avenge her death to a weakling like you?" Elenore went over Reese and he forcefully held Reese's face. "You do not fit to be called my own daughter." Wika nito at pilit na itinayo si Reese.
Reese had forgotten what her father could do with something that he possessed. He was once picked to be one of the elders for the strength he possessed and that he was strong and powerful enough to kill anyone without even looking at his victim.
With his undeniable strength, Reese was thrown in the air and she had a bad landing on the table and the table was destroyed by catching Reese falling. It made Reese whimper in great pain that she found herself bleeding even after she was a vampire herself.
"A simple fall already made that big impact on you? How can you call yourself a vampire, Rebecca?"
Reese stood, wiped the blood on the side of her lip and answered her own father. "Because my mother's a human. I am not a pure blood vampire and I hope you, my father, are well aware about that fact. After decades of hiding my mother's true identity to your own kind." Reese said bravely, without even getting scared of what her father was capable of doing.
Upon mentioning her mother, her father seemed to be quite shocked hearing the fact she knew about their relationship, even if Reese doesn't know how to fight, she has to fight back.
Reese grabbed the wooden chair that was just beside her and she threw it to her father, but just as Reese had expected to a high-rank vampire- he dodged the chair.
As Reese held her arm, she received another attack from her father. He pushed Reese too hard to the point that Reese once again had herself hurt. Being a half-human and half-vampire has its own benefits and harm.
Reese did not waste any minute and she immediately stood and came running to her father as she tried to strangle him, but instead of strangling her father, the one who ended up getting hurt was Reese and it made such a pretty bad fall.
She fell on the stairs outside the hut and she then whimpered in pain on the ground. Reese tried her best to get as much distance as she needs but she can't just do it. Before she could even see her father, he was already strangling Reese and Reese was already too weak to fight back.
Despite having a hard time to gape for air, Reese did not hesitate to speak up to tell everything she wanted to say to her father.
"You wanted me dead but my mother doesn't want me to die. You love her, right? Then why are you doing this to me? She gave birth to me, she died giving birth to me---"
"That's what made me want to kill you!" Her father exclaimed and Reese was able to look straight into her father's eyes. Longing and misery can be seen deep in his eyes. The same expression she saw in Severus' eyes.
"Your… obsession towards mother was not something she would want if she was still alive. Humans and vampires aren't the same, they will still leave even if she won't give birth to me." Saad ni Reese at pilit na kumakawala sa higpit ng hawak nito. "You should never call your obsession for… l… love, f-father---"
Reese was surprised when she was once again thrown on the ground, it hurts more than what she had gone earlier. Having such a frail body like this for a vampire was something Reese was not thankful for.
"Obsession or not, Rachel was the only person I have." Sagot ng ama niya at tila nanlilisik ang mga mata nito na nakatingin kay Reese. "And I would never accept someone like you, even if she is the one wh gave birth to you- even if I am your father. I could never forgive you for what happened." Saad nito kay Reese.
Even if Reese does not have enough strength, she stood up right after she saw her father holding a silver knife. A knife that could kill any vampire. She won't really be able to change her father's mind and she could never change the way he sees things.
No one really loved Reese, biological or not.
Reese wanted to fight back and she wanted to distance herself at the same time. But instead of fighting back, she ran as fast as she could, even if she was heavily injured. She did her best to run and flee.
Reese stopped running when she saw someone unexpected in front of her. With something this serious, why did he show up? How did he find her?
"Severus." Reese muttered. "No… no… you can't be here…" Saad ni Reese at nabigla sa paparating na boses ng ama niya.
"A vampire might be an immortal, but ending that immortality might help you with your curse, my dear daughter."
Reese faced her father, holding that old silver knife. She knew that this would be really her last time seeing Severus, Reese expected the pain from his father's knife. But what pained Reese was the one who got stabbed, straight in the heart, was Severus.
Severus immediately fell on his knees with the knife still on his chest. Reese was in a state of shock and she could not move. The only thing Reese knows is that she's now fighting back in the verge of anger and that she was frightened of losing another person who is important to her.
Kahit na sinasabi sa isip ni Reese na kailangan niyang tapusin 'to, hindi naman kinakaya ng katawan at kakayahan niya ang makipaglaban sa mas malakas sa kanya. She did her best attacking her own father, but in the end, she was the one that ended up getting hurt.
Her legs felt numb, she felt really weak that she could not move anymore,
"Let's end this madness, Rebecca--"
Reese was surprised when she saw her father fall on the ground after she heard loud gunshots and there she saw in front of her, Kier, who saved her.
Reese did not waste any minute and went towards Severus, who was gaping air for it was getting difficult for him to breath. He was losing too much blood from the stab and Reese was paranoid that she couldn't think of anything straight.
"No, Severus, stay with me." Halos paiyak na saad ni Reese dito, "Why did you follow me? How did you find me? You could've just stayed in the city…"
Even if Severus was too weak because of the injury he had, he still had the strength to chuckle and smile on her.
With his shaking hands, he reached out something from the jacket Reese was wearing and there he showed a small tracking device.
"I-I had… to do...something, I-I can't let you go." Severus said in such a weak tone.
Reese could see him slowly losing consciousness, Reese can't do anything and she was helpless. She looked at Kier while crying.
"Kier, what should I do? We have to help him, Kier… W-We have to save him…" Reese stuttered and she was desperate.
Binaba ni Severus ang hawak niya na baril at malungkot na nilapitan si Reese.
"Malayo ang hospital sa lugar na ito, Reese. We can't possibly bring him back to the mansion, the others might prey him in his situation." Paliwanag ni Kier. "I am sorry, Reese."
Reese looked at Severus and she gently caressed his cheeks as she continued crying.
"Severus, please… don't close your eyes." Pagmamakaawa ni Reese habang patuloy sa pag-iyak.
Reese was mad that she couldn't do anything to save him, that she was useless to help him and the fact that she's a vampire, she has to stop herself from getting interested in his blood.
Severus smiled and caressed Reese's cheeks. "I love you, Reese. I really… do…" He muttered in pain. "But, this is… it… I finally had the chance to tell you." Severus then smiled at her with his eyes slightly closed.
Reese couldn't stop crying to the point that she couldn't breathe properly. "You can't leave, Sev. Please…"
"I'm sorry…" He muttered and he's slowly going pale. "I love you, Reese… I hope I can still be there for y-you in m-my n-next life…"
Reese felt like her world stopped as soon as Severus closed her eyes and he stopped breathing in front of her. Reese, who was desperate to save him, tried her best to resurrect him. She made a cut on her wrist and made him drink her blood, she even tried to do her best- the same thing she did just to resurrect Faith… but she couldn't.
Reese had no choice but to stop, even if it was hard for her. Seeing Severus die in front of her was something Reese did not expect. This was clearly her fault for going back one last time. She should have stopped herself.
In front of her, Severus was left lifeless, all she could do was to smile at him as she mourned for his death. She kissed Severus in the forehead and once again swore to the person she loves.
"I will wait for you, Severus… I will find you in your next life." Reese paused and caressed his face. "I was happy to say that I was once married to you… I love you."
Goodbye.