Chapter Thirty (Epilogue)
Three years have passed since we ended the war. In the end, we saw no prisoners back at the base. There were no signs that they ever held any Reins in it. There was no sign of my mom. Whether she came back from heaven to helped us was still a mystery. And it was a mystery I would gladly mull over.
We were back at our first real home; the camp. We fixed everything and started over. Even though the war had long ended, we refused to go back to live in the city. Not after the brutality we saw that the humans and us alike were capable of. It was best to keep our distance.
Our little group had grown over the years. With Reins coming with each seasons that passed. We had started a little community where Reins would be living a safe and peaceful life. We had over a hundred people living in the forest with us. More cabins were built. More plants were grown. And more family were discovered.
“Katra,” Zoi called as he snapped his fingers twice to get my attention. “Open your eyes, babe,”
I shook my head in stubbornness. “I don’t wanna,”
“How will we know?” he asked, exasperated at my refusal to cooperate. “You managed to heal Saori. So, what’s stopping you from trying to control that ability?”
“But that was an accident! I didn’t knew how I did it!” I contradicted.
He sighed. Then, I heard the footsteps of people coming towards us. We were on the porch of my cabin. Well, Mine and Zoi’s cabin. We had become exclusive two years and six months ago but wedding was far from our mind. Though, I had to admit, starting a family with him doesn’t seemed that bad. Actually, I wish for it too. I was just not ready yet.
And that was the main reason why he keeps on forcing me to control my ability. He had proposed to me a year ago but I flat out refused. I told him I was not going to settle down until I could stare at another person’s eyes without driving them crazy. And the last one I’ve stared in the eyes for more than a couple of seconds was my dad. Everyone knew how it ended. Since then, I always wore sunglasses whether it be morning or night. It became my signature style.
“Still no progress, Zoi? James asked with a laugh.
I took the distraction as my chance to snatch my sunglasses out of Zoi’s hands and wore it. Then, I opened my eyes and saw James and Tash standing in front of us. James had his arms slung on his wife’s shoulder. The two’s relationship grew stronger after the war. The two of them were always together. Whether it be washing the dishes or hunting through the woods. They were inseparable.
And I couldn’t blame them. The two had a relationship so serious that they got married even before Steven had man up to admit his feelings for Rose. No one mentioned their young age because after all we’ve been through, age was just a number.
Carly and Coleen also found the right partner from one of the groups that arrived half a year ago. Drew was still courting one of the woman that came last Spring. She was a great catch if you ask me. Just a little hard-to-get. But Drew was not one to quit. Lily and Griffin were engaged and be to married on the forth night. Jack and Jake were still the playful men they were three years ago. They showed no sign of courting anyone at the moment. Though, plenty of women made it obvious that they were interested. The two were contented at goofing around for the moment.
Annie had grew up to be a head turner. She became an independent young woman and no one was prouder than me and Zoi. She was like our daughter. She was staying at our cabin before she decided to move out to the bigger cabins where girl teenagers that had no personal family was sleeping. She said that it was time she make friends all by herself.
And we also put a cross, besides Griffin’s brothers, for Carlos so that he would always be with us. I am sure where ever he is, he is happy.
“You have to stop being a coward, Katra,” Tash scolded as she sat besides me.
I rolled my eyes at them, “I am not being a coward. I’m just being honest. There’s no telling what these eyes are capable of and I don’t want to find out,”
“Katra,” they all groaned at me.
I shrugged my shoulders, “what can I say? Besides, no one wants to look at my eyes,”
“I do,” Zoi said with a flirting smile, “I love looking at your silver pools. They remind me of your uniqueness,”
James and Tash made choking noises. I hit Tash on the back of her head the same time Zoi hit James. “You have no right to take issue, you’re married!”
“And happily at that,” James said as he looked at his wife with pride and joy in his eyes. Then, he turned at us again, “that’s why I’m disappointed that you’re still unmarried,”
“You better run away before I stand up, James,” I warned.
The two took a tentative step back, “that’s unfair, Katra. You’re fast,”
I stood up from my chair and the two ran away from the cabin. Laughing and teasing me as they did. I was about to follow them but Zoi held me on my waist and pulled me back. Then, he gently spun me around to face him and he gave me his smirk that never ceased to make my heart race.
He caressed my cheeks with his thumb as he looked at me straight in my eyes- well sunglasses. “You know I love you no matter what,”
I nodded my head, “I know. I just don’t want to hurt you or anyone,”
“You won’t,” he whispered as his lips came close to mine. “I know you won’t,”
“You really think so?”
I felt him smile when he pressed his lips to mine, “Of course, I do. After all, you’re Katra Aima. The purest of all bloods,”
I laughed at him. Using the meaning of my name to build my confident. ‘Katra’ means ‘pure’ in ancient Greek and Aima’ means ‘blood’. He then slowly removed my sunglasses and I closed my eyes. He caressed my cheeks once again and I slowly opened my eyes. I stared straight at his spellbinding blue pools that were full of life.
One minute. . .
Two minutes. . .
Five minutes. . .
Nothing happened.
I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped my throat at my triumph. Five minutes had passed with me staring straight at Zoi and nothing happened to him. He smiled at me and he had the look of ‘I told you so’.
With glee controlling me, I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him down to meet his lips. I felt him threw my sunglasses away and he pulled me by the waist to deepened the kiss. My heart raced. Jumping and skipping like a kid in Christmas. His lips were soft but demanding. His hands held me firmly and I ran my hands through his hair as we got lost in the moment.
ԘίŊ
After a century of peace, a war erupted. The peace everyone had gotten used to was gone in a blink of an eye. The abilities we’ve never used was suddenly the only thing that kept us from dying. But still- we lost a lot of Reins in the war that continued for two years.
A lot, if not all, were forced to change and adapt to the new world. But none had change more than me. Physically and emotionally. I discovered that my dad was the one who started the war. Zoi’s family had killed a clan of Reins called ‘Thorth’ for years secretly and Annie had been the sole survivor of that massacre.
The Reins, who became my true family, stood by my side and fought the war with me. And together, we had put an end to it.
For three years, peace had been acquired once more.
And there was no way we would let it end again.
~oOo~ THE END ~oOo~
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