Chapter 17

"Yes," I replied, though the true answer remained concealed within me—indeed, I didn't even know the answer myself.

When the coldness became more aggressive, I realized the need to go back inside. I was no longer clinging to him, no longer interested in talking with him. For once, I felt oddly empty but fulfilled. Contended? Safe? Clarified for once? Maybe that's what it is.

What are you thinking? I want to ask him. Since he was out here, preoccupied in his trance, I knew he was thinking deeply about something. He mentioned there were numerous murders that have been happening lately, besides that, I knew there was something else that was about to happen, things he must've planned.

"The ceremony will be sooner than expected. It is better to end us with haste,"

A frown crossed my features. "What ceremony?"

"To break our bond,"

"You rejected me already..."

"Rejection doesn't qualify as an official separation. One must go through th