Chapter 57 - Farewell, Butterfly

Third-Person Point of View

All Elyse could do was stare at Natasha's back as she ran away.

Elyse tried to call out for her but Natasha was dedicated to not turning her back to look at her. She just continued to run until she was out of the mansion's gate.

Elyse's eyes followed her as she watched her get in the car and drive off.

Realizing that Natasha was gone, Elyse suddenly came back to reality.

She quickly got her keys and went inside her car, deciding to follow the old red Chevy without thinking about anything.

Elyse was more than willing to help Natasha because she strongly felt like her friend was in trouble even though Natasha would not tell her anything.

She wanted to give as much help as she could and she thought if Natasha would not tell her what was wrong, she will going to find out about it herself. She can't just sit around and stand by knowing that her friend, Natasha might be in great danger. She knew that she would be in danger because of what she saw in her vision when Natasha held her palm earlier. It was such an ugly vision that she could not explain but she knew that it was not good.

She had to save Natasha from whatever trouble she was in.

Elyse had known Natasha for only a couple of months-- not even a year yet but Elyse already considered her as a close friend and even a sister, not only because Natasha was mated to her brother but because she felt good around Natasha. She feels comfortable around her and she instantly sees her as a friend.

As Elyse followed the car where Natasha was, she tried to call her brother.

"Come on, pick up. Pick up, Valerian," she whispered under her breath as she tried to focus on driving, being careful that she would not be noticed by the driver of the car where Natasha is in.

She thought that Natasha was in trouble and if the person that Natasha was with in the car learned that she was following them, she might get Natasha into more trouble.

"Darn it, Valerian!" Elyse cursed out as she slammed the steering wheel of her car.

"Come on, Valerian. Please answer."

But much to her disappointment when she dialed Valerian again and her brother still did not answer.

Elyse groaned frustratedly.

Just when she badly needs Valerian, and that's the time that he won't pick up his phone.

Elyse didn't give up and dialed Valerian again but still, no answer and her calls just went straight to voicemail and so she decided to leave a voicemail for Valerian.

"Valerian, I went to your house and found Natasha in distress. She wanted to leave and she kept on saying sorry and that she cared about me. I don't feel good about it. I could not stop her from leaving and now I'm driving, following a car that she is in. I need your help please call me."

As Elyse followed the car, she made sure to her distance to not be noticed by the driver but as minutes turned to hours of following the car, the road that they were taking was getting less crowded. It's like they were driving to a province because all she could see now was tall trees around the road. Gone were all the tall buildings in the city.

Elyse dialed Valerian again but he still did not pick up so she left another voicemail.

"Valerian, I have no idea where am I already but I can see Natasha's back in the car, and seems like she has been crying nonstop since we left the city. Please, please call me. I really need your help. I don't know what's going on."

Elyse frustratedly groaned because Valerian still hadn't returned any of her voicemail or call her back so she decided to call their friend, Ezra.

"Ezra, oh thank the stars, you picked up." She breathed a breath of relief.

"What's up, El?" Era asked from the other line.

"I really need your help right now Ezra."

"What? What happened? Where are you, Elyse?" Ezra's voice was immediately coated with worries when he heard how stressed Elyse was from the other line.

"I don't know where am I--"

"What? What do you mean you don't know where you are?! Are you in trouble?"

Elyse bit her lower lip as she tried to calm herself down. She knows damn well that she is in trouble. That she and Natasha are in trouble.

"Calm down, Ezra. I'm fine." Elyse breathed deeply. "Are you with Valerian right now?"

"No, no, I'm not. I'm home, I don't know where Valerian is. Is Valerian in trouble too?"

Elyse repeatedly cursed inside her head.

She badly needed Valerian at the moment but he was nowhere to be found and she could not reach him.

"No, no, he's not." Elyse shook her head even though Ezra could not see her right now. "Look, Ezra. I was trying to call my brother but he's not answering. Natasha is in trouble and I'm following the car that she is in. Please contact my brother and tell him about it, please."

"Okay, okay. I will go to Valerian's office if he still won't pick up."

Elyse breathed a sense of relief upon hearing what Ezra just said.

"But where are you, El? I really need to know where you are."

"I don't know what place and road this is that I'm currently driving in, Ezra but please just tell my brother about it. I will be fine. I have to go. I will try to contact my brother again."

"Alright, Elyse. Please be careful."

Elyse nodded her head again. " I will, Ezra. Thank you."

Elyse hung up and quickly dialed Valerian again but it seemed like destiny was playing with her because her brother still didn't pick up the call.

"Ugh, Valerian. Please answer!" she groaned with so much frustration.

She decided to send her brother another voicemail again.

"Valerian? Where are you? I'm also starting to worry, why aren't you answering my calls? Please I don't know where we are already, please pick up. Me and Natasha badly need your help. Please."

As the hours go by, the road gets smaller and smaller and the fear of Elyse in her heart is starting to grow and grow.

It's like they are driving in the middle of nowhere.

No houses or any establishments at the side of the road, just tall trees. And there were only a few cars passing by.

After another hour of driving, the red old Chevy stopped and so Elyse stopped a little too far away from them.

Elyse saw Natasha get out of the car with two men.

They looked harmless to Natasha but the uncertainty that Elyse felt inside her heart is still so strong.

Even though the two men seemed friends with Natasha by the way they could see them talk and act, Elyse could still not rest.

She still strongly feels that Natasha is in trouble and she needs help.

Elyse saw that they went to a grave and she also saw Natasha break down in tears in front of the grave.

'That must have been the reason why Natasha was crying-- someone died. But why would she not tell me? If she was just planning to go visit someone who died, she could have told me. What's wrong with telling me?' Elyse thought to herself as she watched her friend cry uncontrollably. She feels so bad for Natasha and wants to comfort her but she cannot expose herself yet. She could not blow her cover and let them know that she was there yet.

She still feels that something is not right. She needs to know what is it first.

Elyse just waited in her car for a couple of hours before she saw Natasha and the two men went back in their car too.

They drove off and Elyse followed them again, but still making sure that she kept her distance.

Suddenly, Elyse's phone rang and she immediately felt so much relief upon seeing that it was Valerian who was calling her.

He immediately answered.

"Valerian, oh thanks the stars you finally picked up!" Elyse exclaimed. "Where have you been?!"

"I'm so sorry, El. I was so busy, I'm sorry. Please tell me Natasha is fine. Please tell me where you are."

Elyse wanted to cry because she was so overwhelmed with so many emotions inside her but she just swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I have no idea where I am right now but it looks like a province. It was from away from the city and I'm guessing this is where Natasha is from."

"What is the place? Do you know the name of the place? Where is Natasha, Elyse? Please tell me she's fine."

Elyse swallowed hard. "Natasha is fine, I can still see her back in the car. I'm so sorry I don't know what place this is, I don't know but Valerian you have to--- Shit!"

Elyse cursed out loudly when her phone suddenly died.

"Fuck, why did my battery have to die now?!"

Elyse quickly tried to reach for her charger from the glove compartment when she suddenly stopped upon seeing a small sign beside the road where the old red Chevy went.

"Welcome to Redwood Heights," Elyse read the sign.

She quickly plugged in her phone into the charger as she parked her car on the side of the road just beside where the sign was.

The place looked small and she knew that she had to walk now. She can't drive in.

"Please turn on, now," Elyse muttered as she tried to turn her phone on.

The moment that her phone was turned on, there was an incoming call from Valerian.

She immediately answered it.

"Valerian, I know where am I now!" she excitedly exclaimed. "The car that Natasha was in went into this small town called Redwood Heights. I'm right here outside of the town. You have to come here, Valerian."

"I will, Elyse. I will find you," Valerian said from the other line. "We will come for you, El." Elyse also heard Ezra's voice.

Elyse breathed a breath of relief. "Oh, thank the stars."

"Can you still see Natasha? Is she fine?" his brother asked.

"No, I'm sorry. I had to stop outside the town because I didn't think I could drive inside. The town looked so small. It looks like a small community."

"Okay, Elyse. Just stay there, I will go there, wait for me."

Elyse fell silent and didn't answer.

"Elyse? Elyse, are you there?" Valerian asked from the other line, worry visible in his voice.

"I have to go inside and find Natasha, Valerian."

"What? You have to wait for me, Elyse. I'm on my way."

"Valerian, I saw something terrible in my vision when I touched Natasha's palm earlier. I have to go in there, I have to find, Natasha."

The other line was suddenly silent except for the sound of the engine of Valerian's car. Valerian fell silent.

"Valerian, earlier when Natasha left, she told me to tell you something and I told her that she should be the one to tell you about it, but I guess I need to tell you in respect for her wishes from me." Elyse heaved a deep sigh. "Valerian, Natasha said that she loves you. She told me to tell you that she loves you so much, and you know that I do too, right? You know that I love you, brother, right? You are the best brother to ever exist in the world. And I will always be thankful for you." Elyse quickly covered her mouth to stop the sob that was trying to come out. Her tears started streaming down her eyes.

Elyse doesn't feel really good about everything right now. She feels nothing but danger and she just can't sit there in her car and not do anything while Natasha is inside.

Even though it looks like Redwood Heights is Natasha's hometown, Elyse does not trust it. She's scared for Natasha's safety.

"Elyse, please. Wait for us, please," Valerian begged from the other line.

"I can't Valerian. I have to go see Natasha. We will be both waiting for you. I love you, Valerian, the best brother ever." Elyse did not wait for Valerian to say anything anymore. She quickly ended the call.

She tried to ignore the fear in her heart as she went out of her care and went inside the town.

She has to find Natasha.

Elyse walked carefully as she browsed the place. There weren't any people around which she's thankful for.

Elyse found the red Chevy parked not too far away from where she was so she quickly walked towards it.

Elyse saw a house and he instinct told her that Natasha was inside so she walked to the house.

Suddenly, her phone rang, and saw that her brother was calling.

And as if on cue, the door of the house opened and Elyse saw Natasha.

Elyse quickly answered Valerian's call.

"Valerian, I found Natasha!" she exclaimed.

Elyse ran towards Natasha's to give her the phone but when Elyse was just about to reach Natasha, she halted upon seeing a different glow in Natasha's eyes, and the expression that she had on her face seemed off.

"Natasha?" Elyse called her name.

Natasha suddenly walked up to Elyse and stopped in front of her.

"Natasha, this is not--"

Elyse wasn't able to finish her sentence when Natasha suddenly stabbed her with a sharp dagger right into her heart.

Elyse immediately struggled to breathe.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry. . ." Elyse stared into Natasha's eyes with so much sadness as she started to turn into ashes.