Chapter 49

Aria's POV

I died.

I had to die.

It was the only way.

If I didn't die, he would never leave me alone. He would always be hovering over me, not letting me go, not letting me live, not letting me out f his sight.

If I wanted to be finally free, I had to die.

The only way out.

The only way to freedom.

Death.

When I realised the only way out was death, I had a few things to plan.

How to defeat my dad once and for all.

How to keep my family safe.

How to live once I was dead.

All in all, I had a lot to plan.

I knew about Lucy.

She was in my vision.

So one day, when Simon was out drinking himself silly in the local bar, I wrote a letter, sent it in the post the next day, making sure to tell her everything I needed to say, and not to tell anyone else about the plan.

She replied the next day, she traversed right up to me, somehow not getting caught by Simon, and we made the perfect plan.

The perfect plan.

The perfect plan, where I had to die.

I had to hurt Forest.

I had to hurt my family.

I had to die, and hope the goddess would be nice enough to send me back.

The odds weren't the best, but what choice did I have?

I had to die. I wouldn't let anyone die because of me.

I had to die anyway, so why not try to petition the goddess to send me back.

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Even before I died the plan was being set out, while we were fighting the rogues, Lucy was doing everything possible to get me an audience with the goddess, to make sure I arrived in the heavens as early as possible.

As soon as I died, it was time to see if the planning had paid off.

All I could do was hope the plan worked.

As my life drained from my eyes, from my soul, I wished.

As I watched the dispare rise in Forest eyes, as I watched his heart break, right in from of me, because of me, I wished.

As I felt my soul rise to the heavens, I wished.

I wished I would be back soon, I wished I would be back with Forest soon, I wished I would get to the heavens, but not stay there.

I wished.

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Everything was black.

Everything was white.

Everything was dark.

Everything was light.

There was nothing there.

And yet it was full of everything in existence.

The heavens was indescribable.

You could see everything at once.

Everything and nothing at the same time.

Things fluttered across my vision at the blink of an eye, faster than light itself.

People always seem to think about the life they left behind, when they reach the heavens.

But not me.

I had no memories.

Memories were a human thing.

Memories were stored in your mind, your body.

This was my soul.

The ones I left behind were only a thread, brushing against my conscience, stardust molten and mixed together, spinning and twirling around my soul.

My family weren't remembered in my memories, in my mind.

They were imprinted in my soul.

They didn't influence my life, my soul.

They were my life, my soul.

Without them, there was no point to me.

Without them, there was no me.

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I looked around me.

Taking in the everything and nothing surrounding me.

I had been here for days, waiting, staring off into the abyss.

Waiting.

Waiting for what?

This.

"It's beautiful, isn't it." A voice said behind me.

Layla.

"Hello again," I whispered, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She asked me, standing beside me, staring with me into the nothing-everything all around us.

"I'm sorry, I failed you, I couldn't save them," I said, my voice still soft.

She sighed, pulling me into a hug, "I told you hardships were coming, I told you to say close to your mate, amd you did, you didn't fail me, you saved them, you saved them all,"

I just kept staring, "I didn't save them all, not really. I couldn't save Forest,"

She smiled sadly, "He's still alive, you did save him," I just snorted.

"I can see him you know. He's my mate, even from here I can see him. He's not happy. He's not safe. I'm not sure how much more he can take, his wolf wants to let go,"

She shook her head sadly, "You're right. He needs you, and they need you, but I can't let you go back,"

I gasped, "No, you have to let me go back," She had to, it was the only way.

"They're safe now, they don't need you, you don't need to go back there," She said, shaking her head, "Why would you want to go back?"

"Because they are my family," I whispered back.

"But the world is such a terrible place, there is no death, no pain, no destruction here, why would you want to go back?" She said, looking confused.

"No, it's not perfect, but it's my home, my family is there, I want to go back, I need to go back," My voice raised with ever word until I was nearly yelling at her.

She smiled at me reassuringly, "You passed, you have shown you are willing to give up everything for your family, I am proud of you, you may go back,"

I just gasped at her, "You'll let me go back!" She nodded.

"You can go back, on one condition,"

"What condition," I asked, worrying it would be something I couldn't do,

"You need to get rid of your father's cult, you destroyed the leader, but the cult still continues, they can't be allowed to continue, they will continue to ruin your life, and the lives of others,"

I smiled at that, I could definitely do that, "Already on it, I'm not letting him continue to destroy my life, not anymore, I have a few plans in the pipeline," I said, she smirked with me.

"Sounds good, I believe you already had this planned out with Lucy so I'll let you go and carry out your plan,"

I ran forward and hugged her, "Thank you thank you thank you," She smiled at me, "go back to your mate, he needs you,"

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I opened my eyes, whimpering at the harsh light shone down, I tried to sit up, my arms shaking as they tried to hold my weight.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, take your time," I heard Lucy say beside me, "Don't rush, you've been dead for a few weeks,"

I laughed shakely, "I suppose you're right," I tried to sit up again, slowly this time, and managed to hold my weight.

I looked around me, I was in a clearing in the woods, the trees close together, creating a canopy above my head. The sun shone down through the trees, shining and lighting up the area.

"I want to give you more time to get used to living," She said, smiling at me, "But your mate is about to throw himself off a cliff," She continues. Still. Smiling.

"Ok," I said, then her words registered in my brain, "Wait! What do you mean my mate is about to throw himself off a cliff!" I gasped.

Lucy nodded, "You heard me correctly, we need to go. Now. Because he's on the edge. Of. A. Cliff."

I continued to gape at her, "Why are we still here!!"

"We aren't." She said, clicking her fingers.

Suddenly the background around me changed.

Where before there was woods surrounding me, now there was a cliff, a cliff with Forest on the edge.

I saw him edge closer to the edge, my heart in my throat as he nears the edge of the cliff.

I wanted to yell at him to stop, but I was just so shocked to see my mate, so close to the edge of a cliff, I couldn't open my mouth.

"Wait!" Lucy yelled from beside me. I saw Forest stiffen slightly, but he didn't go closer to the edge.

"You can't stop me Lucy," He called out, but he still wouldn't turn around, "You could have saved her, you could have stopped all this, where were you,"

My heart beat painfully in my chest, I had hurt his so much, I had caused him so much sadness, and loneliness.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, it was the only way, I was following Aria's plan," Lucy stated, trufully, He stared down into the abyss, "Please step back from the edge, for me,"

He snorted, "I'm not doing anything for you, not again," He took a deep breath, edging closer to the edge.

I had to stop him. "Then do it for me," He whipped around at the sound of my voice. His eyes widened.

I smiled at him.

He just stared at me, not believing his eyes, "W... Wha.. What on earth is going on. You're dead."

I just shrugged, smiling at him, "yep, I know. It's complicated, but basically, I had to die, so my dad would stop trying to get me, then I had Lucy collect my body, so you didn't burn it, all I had to do was make a deal with the great luna, easier that you'd have thought actually, now here I am, very much alive and wanting to go home and go to sleep."

I knew he was still on the edge of the cliff, I wanted to pull him off the edge, but I didn't want him to jump, or fall, so I just wittered, telling him my plan casually, hoping he came off the edge.

He ran over to me, I let out a sigh of relief, glad he had come off the edge of the cliff. He pulled me into a tight hug, "Never do that again. I couldn't live without you, promise me you'll never leave again." He gasped.

"I promise."