TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE

TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE
Elara's POV

Layla shook her head in disagreement, staring at the dark image of herself. Her quest for revenge had consumed her whole and left her with nothing but greed and despair.

I knew what she had been through but none of her evil actions could justify her wrong decisions to hurt me and attack the hand that fed her.

“No, you can't do this to me Evie. I was only a child!" She claimed but there was no going back for what she had done.

“You were a child then but what about when you grew into an adult? Your selfish desires led you to the deepest part of despair. You let your greed consume you. I can't help you after you have sold your soul to dark magic," I said, but she refused to accept what she had become.

A vessel of her own ambition, the darkness was part of her and it was too late for redemption.

“I thought you were the goddess of kindness and divine? Are you just going to let my souo perish into nothing!" She thundered, her voice carrying the weight of her guilt.

“That is the price you pay for trading with the devil. You wanted wealth, fame and power. Those things you wished for were given to you when you touched your hand on the dark side," I reminded her of her own ambition to inherit vanity.

She lunged at me, screaming as part of her body slowly dissipated.

“You were never good to me! If you had not been so open about everything you had, I would never had come after you. You claim to be righteous and innocent but you are nothing but a hypocrite, a liar who never stopped to play the victim," she spat, her eyes filled with rage as she slowly perished.

My heart twisted at her words and a part of me wanted to rewind time, save her from her despire and give her a second chance. 

But I had already given her too many chances in different timelines.

I hardened my heart and decided to play fair with her. “Victim you say, haven't I given you enough chances to redeem yourself? In every timeline you exist, Layla, you always killed me. I died over and over and over again whenever we crossed parts. You were my nemesis but never for once did I think of raising a hand to take your life. So tell me, what did I ever do for you to want me dead in every life time?" I asked the very question that bothered my mind.

She went silent as if realizing that she had been the one wrong all along. Something flickered in her eyes for a moment. Guilty, remorse but it vanished as it came. 

“You were the worst thing that ever happened to me, Evelyn. I hated you for being good, for being weak and kind to those who mistreated you. We never shared the same view of growth. While you wished for a prince charming to save you from your misery, I wished for a chariot to parade myself as Queen." She scoffed, laughing at herself for all she had done. 

“I wanted to be loved, known and appreciated. And when Lucas came along and I found out he was my mate. I couldn't help but want to be more ambitious. He was an Alpha, wealthy and strong. What more could I ask for? But then he was betrothed to you. I felt so angry when I found out you were going to be his Luna. I was his mate but his family chose a shiny noble over a rusty gold," she revealed, laughing cynically as tears flowed down her eyes.

The pain in my chest multiplied ten times than it already was. She had let envy wedge us apart.

“You knew from the very start I had always loved Lucas in my past life. If you had told me you were his mate instead of going behind my back to stab me, we would never have come to this extent."

“What do you know?! Lucas always had his eyes on you and that's why I seized the opportunity to be with him when I found out that he had a curse and the only way to lift it was through your blood. If you were in my shoes you would have done the same thing," she claimed with anguish in her voice.

“No, of I was in your shoes, I would have looked for a way to get myself out of it. You were never my enemy in all my past lives. But things changed when I realized there is no repentance for a person who has already decaded their soul.

“I don't regret my choice. But what I truly regret is knowing you, Evelyn Darkmoor. I hope you continue to live a life of..." Her last word remained a mystery to me as she dissipated into the air, gone for good. 

There would never be a Layla like her ever again. Not in this lifetime or next. 

For some reason, my heart felt heavy. I shouldn't feel the burden of losing an enemy. But Layla was not just any enemy she was a friend turned against her own desires. And it hurts to witness such a friend disappear from the world for good.

“What you feel is not sympathy," a voice muttered behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see my mom.

“I don't understand. Why does it feel so painful to punish someone who had done some bad?" I asked, holding my chest in pain. 

“No mother loves it when she punishes her own child. What you feel is what every mother should feel over their children. You gave her all the chances to turn a new leaf but she chose the wrong path every time. That is not your fault. It was her destiny to remain a black sheep." My Mom patted my shoulders, urging me to relieve myself from the guilt I felt. 

“You have stayed too long in the celestial realm. It's time for you to go back and unite with the one who cares about you," she said and that's when I remembered Sebastian. 

“Thank you," I said, softly and snapped my fingers to pause time.

Warmth engulfed my body again and the scent of cedar filled my nostrils. My eyes slowly welcomed themselves to the vision of my husband holding my hand and looking down on my face with unexplainable anxiety in his gaze.

I had left him troubled for too long.

“Evie?" He called as if confirming I was truly the one he was looking for.

“Hey," I said, my voice sounding tired from too combustion of my powers. I must have exhausted myself in the celestial realm.

“I am so glad you are back home." He kissed the back of my hand and for a second I saw tears by the corner of his eyes. The dry patches were enough to let me know that he had been crying.

Guilty hung my chest dry as I embraced the home I never realized I had. “I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I am so sorry," I whispered against his ear, holding him tight like my life depended on him.

He hugged me back and I felt the tension in his body flatten in seconds. For how long have I been out to keep his this worried?

“You died Evie," he finally mattered and my heart shattered. “I thought I had lost you for good. But you came back." His voice shook as he spoke and I felt a heaviness in my heart. 

“I am sorry. I will never leave ever again. From now on, you are my safe place and will forever be. Thank you for loving me, My Alpha."