Curse of Soulmate--The Complete Series

by D. N. Leo

  “I got the data. How do you want to check it?”

  Bran contemplated. “Let’s connect when we get to Eudaiz.” He turned around to leave.

  “Sure.” Ciaran followed, walking as slowly as he could.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Just a little pain.”

  “I’ll see to it when we settle.”

  “Why did you want the data on rural planning and plantations?”

  Bran stopped. “What?”

  Ciaran shrugged. “I saw part of the data before downloading.”

  Bran narrowed his eyes, “Are you sure you got the right data?”

  “If I recall correctly, you wanted the data in the EYE system, right?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “That’s it then. Time was limited. I could only download some of the categories, whichever came first.”

  “What? Was the access granted to all categories?”

  “I’m not sure. Let’s go,” Ciaran said and strode toward the exit.

  “No, no, if we go, we can’t get back in.”

  “I’m not going back in. Why don’t you do it yourself?”

  Bran looked directly into Ciaran’s eyes. “You’re not trying to trick me, are you, Ciaran?”

  “What reason would I have to do that?”

  “I can still withdraw your successor role. If I do it now before you exit the gate, you will be a gate-crasher. That will be a sentence of death by a thousand lightning bolts.”

  “Remember, Bran, I promised to do this for you in exchange for information about my mother. Now I know that my mother is well and good. Why would I want to do anything to you?”

  Bran nodded. “I’m sorry. Okay. Let’s just check the data before we go.”

  “I want to get to my wife. So whatever you want to do in here, do it quickly.”

  “Give me your left hand.”

  Bran reached his right hand out and clasped Ciaran’s left palm as if they were engaged in a handshake.

  As soon as their hands connected, Ciaran could feel a current run from his spine to his palm. Bran’s eyes went blank as if he was looking into the distance. Then he snapped back quickly and tried to withdraw his hand.

  Ciaran clasped Bran’s hand tighter and would not let go.

  “What’s wrong?” Ciaran asked.

  Bran’s eyes darkened. “You son of a bitch.” Bran pulled his hand hard, trying to yank it out of Ciaran’s grip.

  Ciaran predicted that Bran had now left his digital imprint at the EYE databank—proof of his attempt to gain access. Ciaran looked up and saw sparks of oncoming lightning bolts. He let Bran’s hand go.

  “This is for what you did to my mother. You don’t deserve her.”

  “I won’t go down alone, Ciaran.” Bran looked up and saw the lightning coming his way.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Ciaran saw Conan and his mother desperately running toward him. They gestured for him to get out.

  Ciaran withdrew out of the exit.

  Bran saw the opportunity and ran back toward the black arched stone to go back to the oblivion. They could not get him from the black hole.

  Ciaran tackled him and pushed him back to the exit zone.

  From the transitional zone, Madeline, Tadgh, and Zach tried to re-enter without success. They witnessed Bran and Ciaran struggling for reasons unknown to them.

  Bran drew his King Sciphil sword. “I’m not going down alone, Ciaran. You’ll have to share these thousand lightning bolts with me.”

  He charged at Ciaran with the sword. Ciaran pulled out his daggers. They fought.

  Although Bran was an old man, he was King Sciphil. At this stage, Ciaran was only a human. Bran kicked Ciaran to the ground.

  “Ciaran LeBlanc, I renounce your role as my successor.”

  Bran tried to grab Ciaran’s left arm where he had the golden crucifix. Ciaran withdrew.

  “I do not accept.”

  He rolled away and kicked Bran back into the exit zone.

  Madeline, Tadgh, and Zach were being transported further away and were near the end of the transitional zone. Ciaran glanced quickly at the tears on Madeline’s face.

  Bran charged out of the exit zone again. Ciaran had to force him back in with a weapon fight.

  The daggers and sword clashed and ignited sparks. Ciaran locked the sword against a stone with his two daggers. Bran pulled at the sword but could not move it from the stone. Ciaran snatched Bran and spun him around. Bran fell to the ground.

  Ciaran used his body weight to pin him down to the ground. He was about to land a punch on Bran’s face.

  But he couldn’t do it. He could kill Bran with a weapon—and he would. But he could not find the will to use his fist on the man who had created him.

  Bran looked up at Ciaran from the ground. For a brief moment, Bran registered something so profound that he could not explain it—a blood connection between them.

  Bran shoved Ciaran away and stood up.

  They eyed each other, saying nothing.

  The lightning bolts drew nearer.

  Conan and Jennifer approached from the other direction.

  Thunder rumbled in from outside the gate.

  Madeline, Tadgh, and Zach were outside the gate, and it started to close.

  Madeline saw the lightning storm right above where Ciaran and Bran were standing.

  She screamed, but she knew Ciaran couldn’t hear her.

  A bolt of lightning knocked Ciaran off his feet and threw him out of the exit zone.

  Others started striking Bran. He blocked one. He blocked another. And then he was hit. He slumped to the ground. He stood up quickly, roared, and ran toward the closing gate. More lightning bolts fenced him in. He could run no longer. He stood and took the hits.

  He looked at Ciaran. Ciaran couldn’t hear him, but he was sure Bran said, “I forgive you.”

  Ciaran stood up.

  His mother and Conan continued to run toward the zone. Lightning bolts struck everywhere in hundreds of blazing colors. It was difficult to see Bran now, but through a little gap in the bolts, Ciaran caught a glimpse of him.

  Madeline stood numbly, gazing through the remaining slit in the closing gate at what was happening.

  There was a whirl of light as the burning King Sciphil sword flew out from the forest of lightning bolts toward Jennifer. Conan darted forward, pushing Jennifer aside. All he could do was watch it flying directly toward him.

  Conan knew it would be the end. He would take the sword from his brother.

  A body flew in front of Conan, blocking the sword’s path.

  Ciaran dropped to the ground. The sword had pierced his body.

  Ciaran reeled up. He pulled the sword out and threw it toward the forest of lightning bolts.

  The sword pinned Bran’s body to the stone, where he stood immobile and died.

  Blood streamed out of the wound in Ciaran’s body. He fell to the ground.

  That was the last thing Madeline saw.

  The gate closed.

  Darkness.

  Chapter 144

  Madeline woke in Ayana’s arms. She had passed out for a brief moment when she saw the last image of Ciaran before the Daimon Gate closed.

  She could accept that he might die. But she could not accept the gate between them. He might die, but they could not be in two different worlds when it happened.

  Madeline shrugged off Ayana’s supporting arms.

  “Take me back inside the gate, please.”

  Taking one look at Madeline, Ayana understood that nothing she said or did now could waver her determination. She nodded.

  Ayana reopened the gate.

  Madeline charged inside, followed by Tadgh, Zach, Jo, Ayana, and Pete.

  The air in the exit zone was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of something burning. The scorched ground encircled a large area. Bran’s dead body was still pinned to the stone.

  In the corner, Jennifer was holding Ciaran’s body in her a
rms.

  “Oh, God.” Tadgh’s face expressed pure anguish. Conan approached, pulling Tadgh into his arms and letting him cry.

  Zach saw no tears on Madeline’s face. She was as cold as steel.

  Madeline crouched next to Jennifer.

  “Could I take a look at him, please?”

  “He’s dead. I killed my son.”

  “Please,” she repeated.

  Jennifer looked at Madeline and released Ciaran.

  Madeline needed no medical knowledge to know that Ciaran was gone. But her sixth sense told her to believe otherwise. That was all she had at the moment. Her sixth sense guided by her Daimon. She would do whatever it took to protect the happiness she had fought for and serve.

  Madeline looked at Bran’s body, and she puzzled.

  She reached down and kissed Ciaran’s still-warm face. Then she flew across the scorched ground toward Bran. Madeline pulled at the King Sciphil sword that pinned him to the stone. Bran’s body instantly disintegrated into the air, the same way Juliette’s body had exploded under the two thousand light beams.

  Before anyone could react or say anything, the ground rumbled and shook.

  The sound of an explosion came through the gate and shook the ground again.

  “A reformation,” Ayana mumbled.

  The gate spun open. Bran re-entered the gate at great speed in spectacular form—a form that resembled that of his glorious days. Tears streamed down Ayana’s face when she caught sight of him.

  Conan ran in front of everyone, blocking Bran. The two brothers snarled at each other and whirled around like two male lions guarding their territories and testing their prowess.

  “Have you ever seen a King of Eudaiz die inside the gate, Conan?”

  “I underestimated you . . .”

  “You did that all your life, brother. That sword was for you, not for him.”

  “He took it. I couldn’t stop him.”

  Bran raised his hand, and his sword returned to him instantly. He pointed it at Conan. “If I do it again, will you take the sword this time?”

  Jennifer stood in front of Conan. “Please don’t kill him, Bran.”

  “Yes, I’ll take your sword. If I can take it and wash away your sins, I will,” Conan said.

  Bran pushed the sword forward, pressing it to Conan’s throat. “You’d stand there and take it?”

  Conan retained his stance. Blood dripped from his neck where the sword was cutting into his flesh.

  Jennifer looked into Bran’s eyes. She stepped away from Conan.

  “You can take me next,” Jennifer said.

  Bran looked at Conan and Jennifer. He nodded and pulled the sword away.

  Bran approached and crouched next to Madeline.

  “I know I can bring him back, Bran. I’ll do anything. Tell me.” She looked at Bran.

  “Ciaran is a lucky bastard, isn’t he?” Bran muttered. “I need him conscious and able accept his kingship before I take him to the tower. I need a privilege, right now.”

  “The privilege for this trip was used for Tadgh. Not only that, he was killed by your evil King Sciphil sword. A privilege cannot save him,” Conan said.

  Bran glanced at Conan. “You’re the Host. Do something.”

  “I’ll use my lifetime privilege. I can only use it once, and it can only bring him back for a very brief moment. The rest will be in your hands,” Conan said.

  “That’s good enough.”

  Conan turned around and sped away.

  On the ground, Ciaran stirred and opened his eyes. When he saw Bran, anger crossed his face, but he was too weak to say or do anything. He closed his eyes again.

  Madeline grabbed Ciaran’s shoulders and shook. “Don’t waste the privilege your father sacrificed, Ciaran. Open your eyes and accept what Bran says.”

  Bran glanced at Madeline and said nothing.

  Ciaran winced and opened his eyes.

  “Ciaran LeBlanc, I now announce you as King of Eudaiz. Do you accept?”

  Ciaran stared at Bran, then he closed his eyes again.

  “No, no, Ciaran! Open your eyes. Accept it for me.” Madeline shook Ciaran’s shoulders again and again. His eyes remained closed. He looked as if he were fading away.

  This time it would be forever.

  Madeline looked at Bran. A tear rolled down her face.

  Bran repeated, “Ciaran LeBlanc, I now announce you as the King of Eudaiz. Do you accept?”

  No response from Ciaran.

  Another moment went past. Then Ciaran winced. He moaned and opened his eyes again.

  Behind them, blood streamed from Zach’s nose and ears. He couldn’t stand. Ayana and Jo had to hold him up. Zach was sending sound waves into Ciaran’s head to wake him.

  “I’m going to kill you, Zach,” Ciaran murmured.

  Madeline bent down so that her face was in Ciaran’s clear view. “We exchanged vows, Ciaran. I hope you remember and will honor what you said.”

  Bran asked again, “Ciaran LeBlanc, I now announce you the King of Eudaiz. Do you accept?”

  Madeline shoved in, placing her face in Ciaran’s view again. She stared straight into his eyes and waited.

  “Yes,” Ciaran said.

  Before Ciaran slipped away again, Bran pulled Ciaran’s left arm up and placed a glowing band around his wrist. The band absorbed into Ciaran’s arm and vanished. Bran pulled Ciaran up and zoomed out of the Daimon Gate.

  Chapter 145

  The life force rained down. Ciaran saw waves of magnificent energy flowing into his body. He was floating inside a glass chamber.

  This was the king chamber. He was sure of it.

  Thousands of light beams crossed and connected to his body. With every moment that passed, an inexplicable energy from the light flew into him. He knew he was receiving the eudqi of his King Sciphil.

  His body and his mind flew, floated, and then reformed again.

  The energy turned him around. Spinning. Floating. Slowing down.

  Now, in the standing position, he could see through the glass panel. He saw Bran standing outside, looking at him.

  With every minute, Bran’s body deteriorated. As the light beams of energy flew into Ciaran, the same went out of Bran.

  Bran’s eyes were still strong and sharp. His intense gray eyes pierced through the glass chamber, looking at Ciaran. A proud smile crossed his face.

  Ciaran was drawing the life force from Bran. He couldn’t stop it. He had accepted the position, and he had no say in the price he was willing to pay.

  He hated Bran for what he had done to his mother. But at the same time, a man in Bran’s position had saved many lives. He was in charged with an entire universe. There were people who depended on him. He was the king, and that was what it took.

  Somehow, Ciaran understood Bran and the motivation for his actions.

  If he had decided to take the responsibility at a cost to his family and those he loved, then he was a far greater man than Ciaran could ever be.

  He knew his weakness. He was human, and he couldn’t let go of his emotions. A tear rolled down Ciaran’s face.

  “Damn it, that tear you inherited from Conan, not me,” Bran cursed.

  The transformation process was complete.

  Ciaran broke free of the glass chamber. Bran was now no more than a pile of battered flesh, but his eyes were still sharp and intact. He looked at Ciaran.

  “I took everything from you, didn’t I?” Ciaran said. Another tear rolled down his face.

  “Those tears embarrass me, Ciaran. You didn’t take anything from me. If I were strong enough, I would be able to retain my physical presence without the eudqi. But I let my body turn to ruin inside the Daimon Gate.”

  Ciaran reached out for Bran’s hand, but Bran’s body had started disintegrating.

  “I don’t have anything to give you as a father but my blood. Remember, the desire for destruction inside you, the violence and the blade of your mind, they come from your Daimon. Do not lose it. It
’s in my blood. So it’s in yours as well. Without destruction, there is no rebirth. It is the principal of life in Eudaiz. It is the virtue of a king. It takes a life to save a life. You don’t have to be a righteous man, Ciaran. Not in my realm. But you have to be a just king.”

  “Don’t leave, please. I’m not ready.”

  “Yes, you are. Conan helped make you the man you are today. Thank him for me. Tell Jennifer I’m sorry for what happened. I did love her. But she belongs to my brother . . .”

  Bran’s body turned into a pile of dirt that quickly dissolved into the air.

  Lost. That was all Ciaran fell at the moment. He was sure it wasn’t the feeling Bran had wanted him to have. But he couldn’t help it.

  He let it be. At the moment, in this king tower, he was by himself. Alone.

  He and the multiverse. He gave himself a moment to grieve the father he had never had.

  Outside the tower, Madeline had just arrived. Ayana had brought her here to wait for Ciaran. Madeline looked at the entrance of the magnificent tower, knowing that Ciaran was inside. She gazed at it as if she might be able to open it with the force of her stare.

  The gate swung open. Ciaran walked out in a form as magnificent as Bran had been. He was still her Ciaran. He still looked the same. But he now had the aura of a king.

  A tear rolled down Ayana’s face. She knew Bran was gone forever.

  Madeline knew the only person he saw when he walked out of that gate was her.

  Only her.

  He strode down the stone steps. She raced toward him. They kissed each other in front of the king tower.

  A humming sound approached them. Madeline and Ciaran turned around. Zach, Tadgh, Jo, and Pete arrived in a bizarre looking vehicle.

  “Welcome to Eudaiz,” Ciaran said as his brother approached hand in hand with Jo.

  “Should I call you my majesty?” Tadgh grinned.

  Ayana smiled. “We have to go through the coronation process. But it should only be a matter of formality.”

  “And you will be Sciphil Nine when I am done, Tadgh,” Pete said.

  Tadgh laughed. “I wish you all the best, and please stay in power as long as possible.” Tadgh wrapped his arms around Jo’s shoulders. “I assume we can go back and forth between here and Earth, right?”