SPELLBOUND

"Why do you think it's because of my husband?" Evie asked Vera. She did not know why but this made her heart jumped and shivered a little.

"I'm seeing him always with Gideon since we came in that place," Vera replied. "I couldn't tell what he was doing, but Gideon looked quite fine whenever your husband is close to him. The black smoke-like thing lingering around his body also seemed to disappear only when Gideon is right next to him."

Vera's answer silenced Evie. Somehow, she felt a really bad premonition after hearing this information from Vera.

"Do you see any other details about this, Vera? Like maybe if my husband is being surrounded by that smoke-like thing or something that seems off?"

"I'm sorry… I wish I could tell you more details about this, but I could hardly even see other faces except Gideon's. Much less any other details about them." Vera replied apologetically and Evie pressed on her palm. She knew she was pushing Vera for something that was not in her capabilities to help. But she could not help it. She was feeling too nervous about this matter involving Gav and Gideon.

"It's alright. At least we have some leads to follow up on now. If in case you suddenly remember something else about this, please don't hesitate to tell me, okay? I believe that this is one of the crucial matters we need to deal with." Evie told her and after Vera nodded, she continued on her narration again.

"I think days or even months passed after that. I think Gideon and everyone keep leaving the castle we're staying at and that's why there were lots of gaps in my memories during this time. It was that way until the temporary peace seemed to be broken again. I saw Gideon coming at me then grabbing me and pulling me away. There was chaos everywhere. I think that castle was now under attack too. We somehow managed to escape and I watched that castle get swallowed by a wall of darkness too. The next thing I saw was we were inside another castle again for another while before the darkness reached us yet again. This time…" Vera's voice began to crack and her grip on Evie's hand tightened so much.

"Gideon lost it again and he left me. I was struggling from someone's hold as I watch him walk off towards the wall of darkness. I was screaming at him, telling him not to go there, but he didn't listen. Or he couldn't listen… I am not sure. Then I don't how, but I ended up chasing after him as he stepped into the darkness. I managed to hug him tight and was about to pull him back… but he pushed me away before I could do anything. He… apologized to me and then… he said goodbye." Vera's tear dropped silently. "I think he called for a dragon, and it took me away from him by force. As I looked down, I saw him enter the black wall and the monsters that were wreaking havoc in the castle seemed to have followed him there."

Vera wiped her tears as she took one deep breath. The things she saw during that moment was still breaking her heart to pieces. Because during that time, Vera saw it in Gideon's eyes, that he knew that moment was their very last goodbye. That they will never see each other again. She had begged and begged him not to go. She even asked him to take her with him that if he was going to die, that he must bring her along with him. But Gideon did not listen. He kissed her and said 'sorry' over and over again before he told her 'goodbye' and forcefully sent her away.

"The memories stopped there… because I think… our future had ended there." Vera uttered as she tried her best to stop her tears. She slumped over on Evie as though she had lost all strength to hold herself up. Her body was wrecked with silent sobs as she agonised over that bleak and sorrowful future that had been shown to her.

Evie supported and hugged the drained Vera and did not speak for a while. She just comforted Vera with her presence and continuously patted or rubbed circles into her back. Evie knew that there was no point for words at the moment when Vera was still caught up in the possibility of losing her love in the future. The pain in Vera's eyes broke her heart too, knowing what exactly she was going through right now after experiencing it beforehand. Evie had a lot of things to ask and say right now but she refrained from doing so at the moment. She needed to give her friend a moment to breath and calm down. But…

"Evie…" Vera was the first to break the silence. "I was so powerless… so useless… there was nothing I could do! All I could do during those times was to beg and cry and cling unto him… I couldn't do anything else…" her body shook. "I want to do something. I don't want to be powerless anymore. If only I have some power too, I could've been more helpful to him. Maybe I could even stop him from leaving me. Or I could fight alongside him rather than allowing him to do it alone."

She cried in agony and helplessness and Evie could only hug her tighter. She tried to tell her about the future and that she would not be that powerless person, but she could not say it out.

However, Evie had realized that there was no point in telling Vera about the version of her that she had seen in the future. Vera was powerful then, but Evie saw how she had gone about no different from a living dead. Evie realized that perhaps in that future, it was already way too late when Vera had finally awakened her latent powers and learned that she was actually an ice-dragon guardian. She had only learned about her abilities when Gideon was already gone.

"I don't want to be powerless anymore, Evie." Vera said again and then suddenly, she pulled away and there was a fierce and determined look flashing in her eyes. "I will… I am going to take away Gideon's power.. I think if I do that, something will change… no, I can change the sequence of events that lead to that disaster."