Chapter 288 - Last Letter

Roselyn and John ran toward Ethan, Roselyn stretched her arm to extinguish the fire but Ethan was so severely haunted by the flames that his wounds didn't heal.

"I love you so much. Tell that to William too." Those were the last words he spoke before he gave his last breath.

His eyes turned dark and he had never been that paler before.

In an instant it was like the soul in his body had flown away just like a butterfly.

He sacrificed himself to save John and Roselyn and to allow them to win the battle because deep down he knew they stood no chance without protection.

Ethan had learned during the time he spent with the snakes that the protector is an immortal banshee who once in hundreds of years decides to take under protection a special banshee to bestow upon her the hopes she would become just as strong as the immortal banshee.

John's eyes filled with tears, he gazed at the surrounding.. few of his men were left and none of the enemies were alive which meant that they won the battle.

But what was the point of winning if he had lost such an important person?

John began to shake, he never had a good relationship with death, deep down he couldn't accept what death lead to, not seeing anymore the closest people, he couldn't accept such a drastic resolution.

A tight aching grip squeezed his heart while Roselyn was trying to suffocate her tears. She leaned her hand toward Ethan and took it.

It was as cold as the snow and even colder than the vampire usual skin. She almost shivered at the touch but when she began to visualize she closed her eyes to welcome the vision in, hoping that would explain better why Ethan did what he did.

She could see Ethan with the other snakes, the first day he met them when they asked him to side with them.

She could also see he was asking them information about the protector, once he gained their trust. His real purpose was pretending to side with the enemies only to find their secret, indeed if it wasn't for Ethan they would probably never found out the protector's weakness.

Roselyn's eyes filled with tears but her visions continued and she moved to his house. Ethan was writing a letter then he wrinkled it and throw it away to start over and over the same writing and then throwing.

Finally, after about 10 attempts he wrote fully the letter. Roselyn could read the first words on the three letters he wrote, one for John, another one was for his father: William and the third one was for his mother.

Those seemed like goodbye letters as if he had been planning his death and to sacrifice his own life only to win the battle.

Roselyn recognized the wood where the house was and when she woke up from her vision she drive her tears away and then exclaimed: "He wrote a letter! He wrote a letter for you and William!" Roselyn said excitedly.

With the corner of her eyes, she spotted her huge magnificent wings and she smiled, full of excitement she flapped her huge wings and just as it was natural for her she flew toward the house, followed by John.

When they arrived, John dropped his jaw, recognizing the house. That was the house he saw Ethan and Sharon gathered there the day before the battle. A sigh of sadness escaped from his lips as he tried to suffocate the tears that filled his eyes.

Roselyn walked in, luckily the door budged and she began to open the desk she saw in her vision Ethan hid the letters in.

"Here they are!" She exclaimed while John seemed to be exploding in joy all of a sudden. It was a reassurance to know his brother thought about him before he died.

John looked at the letter with a sad gaze, he then traveled his gaze to Roselyn.

"I.." his voice was broken and his eyes were so bloated for the crying and the tiredness.

"I… treated him so badly. I didn't trust him." John exploded in tears feeling guilty for the way he overreacted and doubted Ethan's intentions instead of asking him.

"John.." Roselyn hugged him tightly, her heart broke into millions of pieces seeing her husband so miserable. "I am sure he understood your reasons. And that doesn't change how much you shared lately and how much you both loved each other." Roselyn tried to reassure him but he seemed even sadder.

Roselyn took his head and kissed him on his cheek before she gently wiped the tears on his face.

"We should read the letter together. Do you want to read it?" Roselyn asked offering him a supportive gaze.

John took a deep breath and then nodded.

With shaky hands, he opened the envelope of the letter and then slipped it out.

He unfolded it and began to read it aloud.

Dear John,

I had spent most of my life loathing you, for no particular reason but only because I envied what you had, a family. I sought revenge all my life in an infinite vicious run that only lead me to feel even more lonely and desperate than I already was.

I had never tried to look away, I always sought the best alternative, for the most brutal way to hurt you but I never fully understood the one I was hurting deep down was myself and myself only.

When you grow up alone, with no one but yourself you slowly start to think that the normality is to conference and I sought self-destruction because somehow I was also the only one blaming myself for the other people's mistakes. I thought I had been abandoned because I was wrong because I was not enough, so I found happiness in hurting others, I only knew that form of love, that unhealthy toxic love.

Until I met you, I was stalking you, I found out about Roselyn and understood you were catching feelings for her so, I thought hurting her would make you feel as hurt as I was inside.

But it was in vain, I planned a supernatural battle but also that turned out in vain, moreover seeing you happy with Roselyn and each other fighting to save the other broke my heart in two because I wished I had something like that. I understood what I was seeking during all my life wasn't revenge but was love.

And I found that with you and with William, for the first time in my life I felt I was loved for who I truly was and forgiven for all the atrocities I committed. All of a sudden my life wasn't so dark and dead-end. Suddenly I found a reason to become a better person and you were that reason, I would have become the best version of myself for you and our father but also because that was what I truly wanted.

I had never felt as happy as I felt when I was with you and dad, and I will never be grateful enough for having made me see the light at the end of the tunnel.

If you're reading this letter now, it means that everything went according to my plan and that I am dead by now but it also means that the protector is dead and now you can finally dedicate yourself to Roselyn and your son.

You're probably sad or wondering why I took such a drastic decision but the answer is very simple. It's because I wanted to thank you for having made me feel for the first time in my life part of a family, for having made me feel happy, and for having shown me that happiness does exist and people can improve.

All I ask you is to remember me the way you saw me the last months we spent together. I hope you have an amazing life because you deserve so.

I couldn't have asked for a better brother than you, John.

I love you so much.

Goodbye."

Roselyn and John were both crying desperately yet John had a hinted smile on his lips, he seemed sad but at the same time moved by his brother's words.

He looked up to the sky and rested his hand on his chest.

"You will always be my brother. I love you too. And always will." John murmured in a brittle voice.

A star in the middle of the sky shined, just like if it was Ethan who heard John's statement.

Roselyn smiled moved as well,

"He will always be with you, John." She said making John nod.

His eyes were still filled with tears and his cheek were red for the crying.

He took a long breath and held Roselyn's hand. He gazed at the letter which had William's name upon it.

"We should go to our father now," John said and Roselyn hinted at a smile.