Chapter 59: The power of forgiveness

Ethan escorted me to his car and helped me get into the passenger's seat. He circled the vehicle and slid into the car, firing the ignition.

My mind traveled back to the times when we used to date. This would have been something natural for us; he'd have come to pick me up from my place, and then we'd go for a movie or dinner. However, now it felt different and somewhat unreal.

"Your grandfather told me about the hybrid," Ethan's voice pierced the awkward silence around us.

"I figured he would…" I muttered, looking outside the window.

"How are you holding up?"

"We're training a lot, and I try not to overthink about it. It's scary…" I whispered the last part to myself.

"You're strong, Ophelia. I'm sure you'll do just fine," Ethan reassured me.

"They keep telling me the same thing, but we don't know what the future holds for us. The possibilities are endless…"

"You clearly haven't overthought this!" the detective chuckled.

Ethan opened the radio, and for a while, the rhythm of a pop song filled the silence around us.

"Anything exciting from the Police Station?" I asked, turning to look at his handsome face.

"Not much; we managed to arrest a serial killer after he committed four different murders. Alex's case was put at the Archive; the Chief took care of it. Your absence is notable, though. A lot of colleagues ask about you and send you wishes for a speedy recovery," Ethan filled me in.

"Yeah, I miss my work, too…"

"I think you miss solving murders more than doing patrols and chasing thieves," Ethan teased me.

"Okay, you might be right, Officer Vitalis," I giggled, blushing a bit.

"I missed this; I missed you…" Ethan whispered when I sobered up.

I cast my eyes on his emerald ones, instantly regretting my decision. His intense stare and the emotions I saw into his green orbs had my breath hitched at the back of my throat. Ethan was staring at me with the same love and affection like when we used to be together.

Biting my lower lip, I averted my eyes at the road once again. I wasn't sure what to reply, and I felt confused. A part of me missed him, missed us, but then all the pain and the betrayal I felt came back, crashing me once again.

"You're with the vampire, don't you?" Ethan asked again since I hadn't uttered a single word.

"My relationship with Alexander is complicated. I don't really know where we stand at the moment. But I know that he wants my happiness and vice versa. I wish the same for you, too, Ethan," I replied, glancing at him.

"But this doesn't mean that you're ready to leave what happened in the past and make a new start, right?" he questioned, his eyes cast on the road ahead of us.

"I'm not mad with you anymore. I just wish you'd have talked to me since the beginning. My loved ones got hurt, I almost died, and they could have also hurt you…"

"I regret my decisions and my actions, Ophelia. I feel horrible that all these things happened because of me. But then I thought that even if it wasn't me, they could have found a way to hurt you or your family," Ethan said, his voice a bit angrier than before.

I thought his words for a few moments, only to realize that he was right. Their aim was to get to the necklace, the dagger, or the map, and they'd have done everything to accomplish their plan.

"I felt betrayed and heartbroken, Ethan. The first man I fell in love with backstabbed me and broke my trust in the worst possible way. I admit that I may have overreacted, but now I see that you had your reasons," I stated, a shaky breath leaving my lips.

Ethan looked lost in his thoughts. I knew this was going to be difficult, but it was something I had to do.

"We're both equally responsible for what happened. I want to apologize because I know I hurt you, and I want you to know that I'm ready to move on and forget all the painful memories," I said, my voice trembling a bit.

"You know I'm sorry for everything, too…" Ethan muttered, turning to look at me. His eyes mirrored the sincerity of his words, giving me no reason to doubt him.

"I know, Ethan, I know…"

A few stray tears rolled down my eyes, but I didn't bother to wipe them. I felt my heart lighter, my mind at peace.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere around us.

"You'll see…" Ethan replied enigmatically, giving me a smirk.

"You know that I can read your thoughts," I retorted, trying to change his mind.

"You can, but you won't…" he shrugged.

I rolled my eyes at him; he was damn right.

The detective asked me about my training, and I happily explained to him what Lucas has been teaching me all this time. We'd been driving for more than an hour, and I finally let all my guards down and enjoyed the time I spent with Ethan. It was the perfect break before going back into my harsh reality.

Or so I thought until I saw a church that looked strangely familiar, and then a playground. A chill ran down my spine as I recognized the streets. I had never been there before, at least awake. I had seen this neighborhood in my dreams, in that nightmare where I watched Ester and Ashton being slaughtered by Ivan and his gang.

The car came to a stop in front of a house I knew all too well. The sun was almost setting, adding to the eerie atmosphere around us. I gulped the knot that formed at my throat and turned to look at the man next to me.

Ethan seemed paler than before, and the reason was crystal clear. His emerald green eyes glistened with a few unshed tears as he observed the silhouette of the house. The house he grew up, the house where he found his parents cruelly murdered.

"What are we doing here, Ethan?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I haven't come back here since the night I found them dead. I couldn't, but I think the time has come to face all my demons, and I'd like to do this with you…" he said, his green eyes boring into my blue ones.

I nodded slowly, not being able to utter a proper response. Ethan walked out of the car, and I mimicked him. He came around and extended his hand for me to take. I inhaled deeply and laced my fingers with his. This was unbearable for me; I couldn't even imagine what he felt…

We walked the narrow cobblestone aisle that crossed the beautiful garden. Everything was like what I've seen in my dreams: the beautiful, colorful roses, the green grass, the little bushes. Despite all the years that passed by, the house looked exactly the same.

"I pay a few people to take care of the garden and the house. This is the last piece I have from them; I can't let it rotten…" Ethan explained as we walked on the front porch.

He pulled a pair of keys out of his jeans' pocket and unlocked the white, wooden door. We took a few steps inside carefully, and then Ethan pushed a switch, making the lights come to life.

A gasp escaped my lips as my eyes inspected the interior of the house. Nothing was broken or damaged; it looked like a family house. The decoration was simple in earth tones, and the house had a welcoming aura and a homey feeling.

If only I didn't know what had happened in here…

If only I hadn't seen Ester and Ashton Vitalis being killed in front of my eyes.

Ethan led us to the living room, and my eyes fell instantly on the spot I had seen Ester's body. I shivered when I noticed the small angel-like statue and a bouquet of artificial flowers lying on the floor.

"I know the war is close, and I thought it was appropriate to let them know that we will punish their murders," Ethan whispered.

"I gave a promise to your mother that night, and I intend to keep it," I stuttered, hot tears ran down my cheeks.

"We're going to do this together," Ethan muttered, his grip tightened around my hand.

"Ethan, I know that you want to fight in this war, but please think about it again…" I begged him, standing in front of him.

"No, Ophelia, my decision is made. I'll fight by your side because I owe it to them, to you, but also to myself," Ethan argued, shaking his head.

"It won't be easy. I already worry a lot about David and Chris. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to any of you…" I pleaded with him.

"This is our decision to make, love. I'd rather die on that battlefield than letting them take over the whole planet…"

"Well, I'm supposed to be the one who's going to stop them. Thank you for having so much trust in me…"

"I trust you, love. However, you only have to kill the hybrid, not the army of his rogue vampires," Ethan reasoned with me.

"Just don't get yourself killed…" I sighed, piercing my eyes at his.

"I won't; I promise you. Now can you please show me?" the man asked, his voice shaky.

"Show you what?" I countered back, eying him with knitted eyebrows.

"I want to see one last time what you saw that night, Ophelia."

I gasped, shaking my head in disbelief. "No, I can't do this…" I murmured incoherently.

"Ophelia, it's not just for me, but for you, too. Please, I know you can."

"Ethan, this is insane. I've relived the same nightmare more times than I care to count. It'll bring us nothing but pain," I sobbed.

"I need this, love, please…" Ethan begged me, taking my hands in his.

I inhaled deeply, inspecting his facial features closely. A sigh left my lips when I realized that he really wanted to go through this hell once again.

"Okay, but please don't forget that you asked for this…" I warned him.

Ethan nodded, squeezing my hands to comfort me.

I closed my eyes and let the memories flow in my head. This time, I didn't let them enter Ethan's mind. I changed the living room, recreating the scene after the vampires left the house. All the items of the past looked fainter and were untouchable.

My eyes fluttered open, and I watched Ethan's green orbs casting on something behind me. I knew what it was, and to be honest, I couldn't face that scene again. However, Ethan pulled me closer to Ester's lifeless body. Her soulless green eyes were staring directly at us. Her complexion was so pale that she looked like a porcelain doll.

Ethan sobbed loudly, and my heart shattered into million pieces. I watched him kneel beside Ester, his body shaking uncontrollably. He tried to touch her, but his trembling hand passed through her.

"I'm so sorry," I kept mumbling like this was a prayer.

I couldn't protect them, and now I couldn't even protect her son. Ethan was determined to avenge their murder, and I couldn't stop him. Because no one could have stopped me either…

Ethan was breathing heavily, and I was scared he might collapse. I stopped my magic spell, making everything the way it currently was.

"They didn't deserve this," Ethan wailed in a broken voice.

"I know… I'm so sorry…" I sobbed, coming to stand in front of him.

The heartbroken man buried his face into my stomach and kept crying silently. I caressed his dirty blonde hair, trying to comfort him. It was clear that he needed to mourn for the ones he lost. I just let him cry and let out all the sorrow he felt all these years.

I don't know for how long we stood like this, but when I looked at the window, the night had fallen completely.

Ethan pulled me down, and I kneeled in front of him. His eyes were red, and dried trails of tears covered his beautiful face.

"Thank you," he mouthed, his voice hoarse from all the crying.

I just nodded and stroked his hair once again. My fingers moved towards the stubble on his jaw, and I caressed the small spikes lightly.

"It's spiky…" I mumbled, a small smile spreading on my lips.

"You're so beautiful…" Ethan whispered, caressing my cheeks and wiping the leftovers from my tears. His emerald green eyes bore into mine, reminding me why I had fallen for him.

"I missed you, too," I muttered. My mouth seemed to have a brain on its own, but I knew it wasn't a lie.

Ethan smiled and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on my lips…