It was a hard reality, a difficult and bitter realization that I had to face. Even to this day it continues to haunt me by playing the scenes in my mind. As strong as I am it leaves me torn apart inside, forcing me to my knees and making me cry countless of tears built on regret. How foolish I was to leave her alone in a place where she desperately tried to escape from. And how cruel is the irony that the last time I’d ever see her, was the place where I had first met her, and the first place I’d fallen in love with the celestial being, Aureus.

When we first encountered Aureus it was a warm night in the early days of April, when the atmosphere was warm and calm, much like today. A frantic and bewilder man came running towards the temple shouting of a light that hovered over the green leaved trees of the forest that surrounded our village. In a dramatic and serious tone he explained that it shot down from the sky and hovered over the tops of the lively trees before it came down with a loud bang. The villagers that heard the man’s tale just shook their heads and paid no attention to his false tale, because he was known for making up stories for attention. Even though I follow suit with them my duties as a protector for the village made me have to take his side, therefore I followed him into the glistening forest.

“I swear to you that this is not a lie,” the old man tried to reassure me as his steps quickened. “Just further down,” he would repeat ever minute or so.

Irritation spread throughout my entire face, but I tried to keep calm. The old man’s jokes never lasted this long, which made me believe that he was not telling a fib. After a few more steps he proved to me that he was not crying wolf.

In the middle of the quiet forest, where the land was vacant, yet filled with luminous emerald leaves and the only dead tree, there stood a bare body of a young woman. The woman’s shimmering long blonde hair gave cover to her unclothed frail form, a form that seemed to be glowing as though she were an enchanted jewel. Then everything seemed to suddenly slow as she began to turn to us, to watch us with her beautiful sun kissed eyes. All I could think of was how her eyes mimicked the sun on the clearest of days, but I was naïve back then and didn’t notice the truth that eclipsed them.

When I was finally able to escape her charming spell my head turned to look at the old man. He too was captivated by her unworldly beauty, as he just gawked at her. With a quick shake of his shoulder I got his attention and his eyes where now on me.

“Go back to the village and get her something to wear,” my voice was serious and rushed.

The old man looked at me as though I was speaking in a foreign language. I gave him a light glare and he quickly nodded his head. He gazed upon the inhuman being one more time before turning to leave in a quick haste.

My attention soon turned to the woman; she had her arms over her chest and a hand above her lips as her sunny eyes looked at the ground. The young woman’s entire being turned from something mystical and graceful to being coy and innocent. To me it made her seem more human than anything else and as I took a step towards her I knew she wasn’t a threat because she backed away.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I made my voice sound as gentle as ever, yet she recoiled and kept her eyes away from my gaze. I needed to find a way to make her understand that I meant her no harm. I slicked back my blood red hair. The only thing I could think of was to reach out my hand towards her, as though I were telling her to take it

After an agonizing moment she finally looked up at me with her golden eyes, they seemed to look surprised. A warm smile appeared on my face, as she gradually made her way towards me. The hand that had hovered over her mouth was now reaching out towards mine. As soon as her soft porcelain hand grabbed a hold of my rough tan one there was a strange wave of peace flowing throughout my entire being. When the peaceful wave disappeared an image of a tree with blood red leaves appeared in my mind, but as quickly as it appeared it disappeared causing me to think nothing of it.

“Fiat lux in fine,” she whispered in my ear, in a language I didn’t understand. “Fiat lux in fine,” she repeated in a lush velvet voice as she stroke my ruby red locks.
Back then I didn’t bother telling her what that meant because in all honesty all I could think of was her bare form latching on to mine. I knew it was impure to think of such thoughts with someone that seemed innocent, but as a human male I couldn’t help it.
The days that pasted turned to months and the months turned to a year. During that time we gave the unknown beauty the name of Aureus which meant golden, like the color of her dazzling eyes and silky smooth hair. The village teachers and elders had also taught her how to speak our language and learn the way of our life. As for me I taught her how to interact with others and meaning on how to have fun. Aureus on the other hand taught me how it truly felt to be in love, and in those days I couldn’t be happier with anyone else, I could tell she felt the same. However things soon started to change.
Exactly one year after we found Aureus, the lively forest soon started to die. The leaves blackened and the tree barks grew dark, everything in the forest started to decay. Aureus began to look pale and sick. Her eyes held much sorrow in them as though she had done something wrong and she grew frighten of entering the forest. An elder of the village warned me that this was caused because of Aureus. He informed me that a demon was looking for her because she was an angel. I didn’t believe him and told him he was a fool. Maybe I should have listened.
Not long after we found out that a demon was lurking through the forest. The creature was sucking out the life of every living being, including the people who lived in the village. The other warriors and I went out to slay the beast before it could kill anyone else, but as we were heading out Aureus had stopped me.
“You…,” she stopped herself, her voice was a bit shaken and held a slight accent. “You must not slay beast, if you truly love me.” Her golden eyes held fear.”I’ll go too,”
“Don’t worry Aureus, I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll come back alive. So please stay here and don’t go in the forest,” I kissed her forehead and continued to walk away.
“Kai!” she shouted my name.
I turned around and saw her extending her hand, as though she were telling me to take it. Aureus’s clouded sunny eyes looked as they were begging me to please take her hand. I simply smiled to reassure her everything will be okay and waved a goodbye. Aureus only frowned, and then ran off her golden locks following behind her.
Among reaching the deceased forsaken forest, it smelled of death. The soldiers and I could see the carcasses of dead animals everywhere we turned. Like a lash of a whip three of my ten soldiers laid dead on the floor adding to the massacre before us. My hazel eyes looked on to them in horror, how quickly they were killed by an unforeseen force. Then almost immediately something was breathing behind our necks. My entire body became paralyzed as I heard the screams of the men behind me, and I could feel their blood being splattered on my body.
The monster behind me let out a blood chilling laugh that made my entire skin crawl. Even though I was a trained to be a soldier ready for anything, I doubted anything would prepare me to face off such a creature that could take down my men within seconds. Either way I mustered the strength to jump away and turn to face this monster. Standing there before me was a being that could have only existed in ones own nightmares. Its body looked as though it were made of black smoke and dark shadows. The creature’s eyes beamed a terrifying red; they were more terrifying then its sharp blackened teeth and menacing horns upon its head. His claws were long and decorated with human blood.
The demon raised its lengthy arm and was about ready to strike me. For the life of me I couldn’t run out of fear, but then I remembered the promise I had made to Aureus. I snapped back to reality and dodged the monsters attack before it could reach me. This only angered the dangerous beast and it lashed at me more and more. I fled before it could catch me, but as I ran something glowing ran besides me and took my hand. It was Aureus.
Aureus’s touch made me feel as though I were weightless, it felt like I was flying as I ran. She soon released her grasp and starred at me, but not with her sunny eyes, but dreadful red ones. Those glowing red eyes reminded me of the creature that was surely following us.
“Kai, you cannot kill demon,” her voice was serious “I will go,” she repeated.
I shook my head “He killed my soldiers with one strike! You are no match for something like that!”
She stared at me her eyes returning to their golden state. Aureus than extended her hand out towards me and as soon as she did I could hear the screams from the village. The demon hadn’t dared to follow us; instead it went for the people.
“You will not be able to defeat him,” her voice was grim, but she then smiled at me extending her hand further to me “Come with me Kai and you will be safe,” her voice was charming even though it had a poor rhythm to it.
The words the elder told me of her being the cause of the demons appearance rang through my mind. I couldn’t believe that his words started making sense to me.
“Aureus, please tell me…” I trailed of not being able to ask.
She lowered her hand and placed it besides her. A frown formed on her lips, she knew what I was going to ask. Aureus walked over to the only tree that was beside us and gently touched it.
“Fiat lux in fine,” she said “Fiat lux in fine,” she repeated in a low and grim voice.
My memories soon hit me like a slap to the face. This spot was the same spot where I first had met her. I remembered those words now and I still didn’t understand what they meant.
“Aureus, what does that mean?” I asked taking a step towards her.
She looked at me with watery eyes “Let there be light at the end,” she removed her hand from the tree “Kai, I love the color red. When I first came here I wanted for the trees to not be green but red. Because red is the color of blood and of life,” she smiled a sad broken smile “And the color of your hair,” she walked over to me and gently stroked my loose hair. “Forgive me, Kai. I did bring the demon here, because I have not fed for you,”
A confused face fell over me, what exactly did she mean that she has not fed because of me. A faded smile took over her face as she began to spill tears. In my mind I feared the worst.
“I am not an angel. I am far from being something so graceful. No, I am a soul snatcher. I feed on anything that lives. But I have not fed since I met you because I wanted to be the angel you fell in love with,” her voice was beginning to crack “The creature you saw is a part of me and it will not stop until it eats all of them,” she began to cry “I is so sorry, so so sorry,” she sobbed on my chest and I stood there baffled.
My hands turned into fists and I pushed her away. This caused a hurtful look to fall on her face. “Everyone I know is dying because of you!” my voice was so harsh it made me flinch. I readied the sword besides me and turned towards the village.
“Kai you cannot kill that side of me, instead please take my life instead,” she spoke serious with tears streaming from her eyes.
I turned to face her and she was right next to me, her hands holding tight over the hands that held my sword.
“Stab through my heart quickly, before you lose everyone. It is the only way you will kill that demon,” she raised up my sword.
I looked at her with a face of dread. How could I possibly kill her? Even though it had been her fault that people were dying. Inside of me I loved her either way, no matter what she was.
“I’ll take my chances with the monster,” I said about to turn away.
“Don’t be a fool!” she cried “If you do not kill me now, no one will be spared!” her hold gripped tighter on me.
I turned to her and kissed her lips lightly, they were so small and soft. I pulled away from her and tried my best to smile “I love you no matter what. I wished that you had told me the truth.”
She released me and I ran.
By the time I reached the village everything was destroyed. Dead bodies laid everywhere. Aureus was right; no one was left in the village. As I looked all over the ruined village it became futile. I placed my sword back in its placed and I realized that my dagger had been missing. My hazel eyes grew wide and I ran as fast as I could into the dark forest, but as I ran the life the trees once had was coming back.
After what seemed like decades of slow running I finally arrived where I had left the woman I loved, but she was not there. Instead the tree in the middle of the forest that never held life was now filled with color. Its bark was a warm honey color and its leaves a blood red. Besides the strange colored tree was my missing dagger, but no blood. I walked over to the weapon and picked it up looking at the tree, tears began to fall from my eyes. I realized that I lost everything.
That tree that still stands in the jaded forest represented two things to me. One is the two things that we loved about each other. To me it was her eyes and to her it was my red hair. The second was the child that we could have raised together, in that village we both called home. Due to my foolishness I stand alone in the place where everything I loved use to be. I’ve never felt so alone.