Evie could not believe her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and her throat was now constricting because of the overwhelming emotions that had crashed upon her like a massive wave the moment she saw man in the dark cloak. This was just exactly as how she had pictured it in her dreams! It had happened so many times that she could even remember it whenever she closed her eyes. She could feel her body trembling and her skin prickle as she continued to stare at that black clad figure that stood before her, cloak fluttering in the wind.
"Gav…" she whispered brokenly. She could not even completely say out his name. This was not another dream, right? She was fully awake, right? She was temporarily confused as she had this recurring dream too many times that even now, she wondered if she was actually having a flash back on the dream with her eyes opened or was it really happening before her.
Paralyzed, Evie just stared at him. It was him… this time, he was real! She was finally seeing him for real! She could finally touch him for real and speak to him directly! More importantly, she was thanking God that he was alive and well. She could not help but feel her eyes burn as tears stung the back of her eyes.
In that moment, Evie was so shocked she was still unable to move or speak or think. She could only stand there and breathe shallowly, mouth slightly ajar as her eyes roved over his form, drinking in the sight as though it was water for her parched eyes. She would have never thought she would finally see him. And now of all times. He seemed to be a little different from the last time she saw him. He was clad in nothing but black now, his cloak does not even have that infamous silver crest he always wore before. His black hair was cascading down his forehead and seemed a little longer and tussled compared to previously, and it was covering parts of his beautiful eyes.
And that was right. His eyes… his eyes were the thing that had changed in him the most. There was something different in his eyes now, and it was not only because of the devil-blue colour. There seemed to be something unrecognizable that she could not quite put her finger on as she looked closely at him.
Evie tried to swallow the lump in her throat at the realization that his stare was now cold. It was extremely cold and piercing. And she suddenly felt a chill go right through to her bones. Nevertheless, though she felt a little fear, Evie wanted to run up to him and hug him and ask him what had happened. Why was it that his eyes now seemed to have turned permanently blue? If she could leap and jump like the vampires, she would have done it already without a second thought. And if she was not so shocked and overcome with the emotions she did not know were strong enough to have rendered her mute, she would have long since asked Elias to bring her down to the ground, so she could run towards him.
All her mind could think about was to get to him, fearing that he would suddenly disappear on her again. She would not be able to take it if he disappears on her again.
She tried to force herself to snap out her stupor so she could order Elias now, but she could not even take her eyes off him. Why? Was it because he was staring back at her as intently if not more, and the both of them could not bring themselves to look away from the other even for a moment?
Slowly, he moved but never releasing her form from his gaze. He was taking very unhurried steps towards her, and Evie's heart drummed loudly in her ears.
As he slowly got closer and closer, Evie could hear and somewhat make out that Elias and Zanya were speaking with her. But she could not make out what exactly they were saying to her. It was as if she was spellbound, and her senses were dulled to everything else, and she could only focus on him. She was hopelessly transfixed on him and him alone.
"G-gavriel!" she called out, not realizing that she was only calling out for him in her mind and that there were still no words coming out of her lips. Then she dropped her weapons and began to run towards him, her speed picking up as she went. She seemed to have forgotten that she was still at the top of the wall, and he was on the ground.
However, he suddenly disappeared from her view and panic immediately suffused her and she felt her breath catching as her mind buzzed loudly. "No, don't disappear on me again, please! I've missed you so much! Where are you?" she shouted out those very same words she had heard herself say in her dreams many nights before. But again, she still had not realised that those words were only shouted out on the inside of her head and no sound actually came out from her lips.
When she could not find him at that spot where he was just a moment ago, Evie panicked and called his name out again, and her knees began to weaken even as it started to shake.
She was about to fall over on her knees when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her from behind, pulling at her, causing her to be dragged backwards. Then out of nowhere, she saw Elias' back right in front of her view.
What happened next finally awakened Evie from her stupor and confused state as Elias was thrown hard to the ground.
The butler quickly stood again, coughing out blood from the very strong strike he had received earlier and stood before Evie as he blocked her. He seemed to have perceived that there was danger to the princess. However, Evie was unsure what had happened as Elias was struck and still had blood trickling out of the corners of his mouth.