Hellbound Heart



Azy dropped his head, and his large eyes stared at his small hand, which was clasped in his father's large one. And then, he lifted his gaze towards his mother. His eyes lingered onto his mother's form as a gleamer of sadness and concern filled his eyes.

"Take her with you, Dad," he said, his grey eyes sparkled with relief as soon as he returned his gaze back to his father. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine. Take Mom with you and keep her safe."

He smiled even as his large eyes watered. Azy was genuinely relieved. Of course, he was sad to part with his beloved mother, but he would be okay even if they were apart for thousands of years, as long as she would be healed. As long as she wouldn't suffer like this again. As long as one day, he could see her again.

This time, Zeke was the one who dropped his head and looked down on the floor. He didn't say anything as his thumb fiddled on his son's small but resilient and tough hand.

For a long while, they stayed like that, with Azy simply standing there patiently, waiting for his father to say what else he wanted to tell him.

"Forgive me for not finding a better solution than this, Azy," Zeke eventually uttered in a quiet voice.

Azy shook his head. "I'm sure you did everything you could, Dad. Mom knows that too."

Zeke's lips curved into a faint smile before he lifted his face and meet his son's gaze. He could sense the depth of Azy's love for his mother, and it was evident in every gesture he made. Alicia's words about their boy being dependable had finally made sense to him. However, this realization only made things harder for Zeke.

His son had been deprived of a father's presence and support since birth, and now he was going to lose his mother too. Although Zeke made a vow to himself that he would do everything he could to make sure that Alicia would return to Azy as soon as possible, he knew this wouldn't change a thing, that Azy would be left here not only without him now, but without his mother too. The conflicting emotions were etched on Zeke's face, but he tried to maintain a calm facade. But as if as though Azy could sense the turmoil going on within him, as he leaned in for a hug.

For a fleeting moment, Zeke froze, unsure how to react. But then, he lifted his arms and gently rubbed his son's head, enveloping him in a warm embrace. It was a small gesture, but it conveyed a world of emotions that Zeke could not put into words.

Zeke let out a shaky breath before speaking, "This might take a long while, son."

Azy's response was unwavering. "I don't mind waiting, Dad. I'm a big guy now, and I still have family here to support me and be with me. Uncle Alex, Auntie Abi, Alexis, Alice, Auntie Elle, and Uncle Seb are all here for me. I won't be alone. So you don't need to worry about me. I'll be just fine."

Placing his hands on Azy's shoulders, Zeke smiled with relief and gratitude and at the same time, pride. "I always knew I could depend on you, Azy," he said and Azy beamed, his chest swelling with pride at his father's words.

…

As soon as Gav left Alicia's room, Alex noticed a change in his demeanor. The man had suddenly transformed into a completely different person, brooding and silent. Alex tried to engage him in conversation, but his attempts were met with stony silence.

Alex couldn't help but wonder what had happened between Gav and Zeke in that short while he was inside Alicia's room. He hoped that it wasn't anything serious, and that Gav's sudden change in behavior was just due to a change in his personality or something.

For a while, Alex remained silent, his gaze fixed on Alicia's window. He watched the white curtain dance in the breeze, lost in thought, wondering what could be going on behind it.

Soon, Alex's tone turned serious as he broke the silence once again, asking Gav, "How long can you guys stay here?"

Gav met his gaze with sharp intensity, no longer ignoring him. "It depends. But given Zeke's woman's condition, I believe he'd want us to go back very soon. If not now."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise before furrowing with confusion. "Why would he... don't tell me, did Zeke already find some cure to improve Alicia's situation?" he asked, hope creeping into his voice.

Gav's response was matter-of-fact. "Demons cannot heal," he stated bluntly.

"Then why..." Alex paused for a moment, a realization dawning on him. "Because he's going to go back here immediately, right?"

Gav's expression remained stoic. "No," he replied. "No matter how powerful an individual is, they can never summon the same demon twice if that's what you are hoping to happen. Zeke still cannot return here on his own as well."

Alex's brows furrowed even deeper, his puzzlement evident. The situation seemed to be more complicated than he had initially thought.

Before Alex could speak again, Gav continued, "Zeke is going to take his woman with us. To save her."

Alex's eyes widened, shocked. He had never expected that to happen!

For a few moments, no one spoke until Abi's soft voice broke the silence. "Do you have any idea on how long it might take for them to return?" she asked.

Gav's response was grim. "I don't know," he admitted. "This isn't going to be easy, and it might take a long time. I don't know exactly what Zeke is planning, but the process will be complicated. And then there's the matter of the price his woman must pay for crossing dimensions."

Abi's expression turned even more worried. She knew about the price that Alicia had paid to cross dimensions, as Alicia had confided in her. 

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