IT'S OVER

"Presentable dress! What's that?

"I knew you would ask me this. Actually sister...."

Casey was about to say something but later paused. "You should put on this. Find us in the living room once you're done, okay?"

All Araxie did was to nod.

"Oh gosh!"Araxie said loud as she held the dress against herself.

Putting it on she realized that the plunging neckline led down to her belly button. The dress joined its associate in the rejection section of the rack.

She didn't like it at all.

"I simply can't wear this!"she breathed.

"Are you done dear. Mother has sent me to take you downstairs. You know you haven't greeted the guests."Casey said politely.

"I-I can't go with this dress."

"Why."Casey's face dropped on hearing that.

"What's the need to put on this. I have my own clothes."

"I know that... but you won't look sexy and attractive."

"Sexy! Why must I look se...(what's that word again). There's something you aren't telling me sister. What's going on?"

Araxie was really troubled and confused. She couldn't figure out what the two of them were up to.

"I won't answer your question right now. I think you have to come with me and see for yourself. Anyway it's alright if you didn't like the dress. I will give you another one but you can't go anywhere with your obsolete dresses, especially not tonight!"she mumbled but Araxie heard it all.

"What did you just say. I hope there isn't something special tonight. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"Araxie wanted to keep calm but calling her clothes old-fashioned made her blood boil.

"Nothing. Try on this too."Casey gave her a well folded silky red dress, ignoring her words.

Araxie couldn't refuse but to try it on. It wasn't too flashy but it was unique.

It's slit high-up the leg and low cut, which she didn't like.

She wasn't a huge fan of high-class clothes. She was going to take it off when Marina entered the room.

"What's taking you so long?"she asked with her penetrating gaze fixed on Araxie. "Why are you quiet, huhh. Don't tell me you're refusing to come, are you?"

"But mother.."she wanted to say something but Marina didn't give her a chance, "let's go." She grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.

"Here she is."one of the guests said before everyone else moved their eyes to look at Araxie who was walking with her eyes on the ground - she was feeling uncomfortable since it was her first time wearing dresses of that kind. Her heart was beating faster like never before but still she had to do it otherwise Marina would finish her.

"Wow. She's so beautiful!"a man with big and round red eyes said. He had long gray hair that almost touched the floor when he was sitting.

"You were right. I'm already convinced that she's my better half."he added.

"Hmmmmm!" A woman sighed before she asked. "How old is she? She looks to be in her twenties."

"Hey Bony. What are you saying. Don't you know that in today's time age is just a number. I have liked the girl already and it's all the matters. Don't start now please" the man smiled awkwardly.

All that was shocking for Araxie.

She always thought she was very young but there, her stepmom, Marina was going to marry her off.

"This means my friends were right. I'm old enough to fall in love.

Perhaps that's why mother is going to.... I'm ruined! No one is going to save me now, not even them but they deserve to know about this.

I have to let them know that I'm getting married soon."she seemed lost.

"It's good that you've liked the girl. We'll discuss the rest over the phone, okay?"Marina said, looking so happy like never before.

"Sure ma'am."the old man agreed before they left.

"Congratulations dear. You're getting married soon."Casey said looking so excited.

"But mother, why...."she felt like asking but Marina cut in before she could, "don't worry dear. Everything will be okay. I know that you're feeling nervous about all this. Every girl feels the same way. It's normal."

Araxie was wondering why Marina was getting her married to that old man who looked as old as how her father, Rodrigo would've been if he were still alive.

She didn't get it as to why her sister looked so excited about the situation.

Elsewhere, Trion was trying hard to forget that he ever had a crush on Araxie, the girl he fell in love with at first sight. He went on and saved her life but that wasn't enough for her to develop feelings for him.

Yes, he saved her because of the little humanity he had within him but how could she be so straight!

How could she tell him that she didn't love him. She could've at least lied to him.

She could've faked it.

As he was thinking about all that while swimming, his lightening sea blue eyes saw something floating on the water. It looked like a piece of paper.

Quickly he swam towards it, willing to catch it up but as he was so close, he remembered what he read a few hours ago.

"No, you won't hurt me again, Araxie. I'm sure you've sent this too."he said before he made a U-turn.

Just like how fate plays its magic, as Trion's pet was flying over the Sea, she saw the same paper floating on the water.

She swiftly stopped to pick it up.

When Trion was having a hard drink, on a mission to forget about that girl, Araxie, he felt like reading through the letter for the last time before he could tear it down.

"How did it get wet. I left it right here."he asked himself but later ignored everything and opened it.

He couldn't believe what he just read. "Am I this drunk that I'm reading different words?"he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I can't be drunk. Two glasses of whiskey can't intoxicate me. How's this possible? How did the words change because I remember she had rejected me but this....it shows that she loves me too. Now which is which?"he was talking to himself when his pet dropped the previous letter onto the table for him.

"Oh ...I see."he breathed with relief.

"It makes sense now...my Araxie loves me too. Yes!! She loves me.... Araxie loves me."he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Thank you Tia. You don't know what you've done for me tonight. You've saved my life from getting ruined. See, I had already started drinking. I won't add another glass." Before he knew it, a smile was back on his face.

Yes, Tia was the name of Trion's pet, that great egret!

"I swear on our love Araxie, nothing is going to stop us from becoming one. It's only you and I. No one will separate us. No one! Not even your precious mother, Marina."

At the moment Trion was feeling butterflies roaming around his whole body. He was so happy that he couldn't bear it alone but to write to Araxie, the thing he thought he would never do when he had read the first letter. But right then, he was doing it happily.

"I'm very sorry Araxie".he breathed while writing. He couldn't stop blaming himself. Instead of fighting for his love for her, he wanted to give up that easily as if his love was all a lie! How unfair of him!

Stubbornly Aurora and Sarah didn't go to their house instead they kept hiding on the terrace at their friend's house waiting for the bird to show up with a letter.

They expected Trion to have seen the other letter they dropped into the Sea. They knew he would surely respond after reading it through.

Just like they expected, Tia came over with a well folded paper.

It was like Tia didn't see them because it went straight inside Araxie's room.

They didn't have a choice but to sneak into her room as well but through the window since they didn't want to be seen.

Luckily their friend wasn't in her room. She was still crying in the living room because she was so shocked by what just happened -she was getting married!

The bird left after delivering the letter gently on to Araxie's dressing table.

It was their good timing which saved them that day otherwise Araxie could've seen them because she got in the room few seconds after they had left.

"It's Aurora's fragrance. How did it come..... Was she here? Did she see everything that just happened."she wondered, throwing herself on the bed. "I'm sure she was here a moment ago because there's no way her perfume could've come in here!"

The next morning Araxie told her friends everything.

She expected them to feel bad for her but they looked as if they didn't care. They went on and pretended like they didn't hear her say anything.

"I need to tell you something."Aurora told Sarah before they walked away, leaving her all alone.

"What! T-they walked away! Did I do anything wrong that they're so angry with me?"she was asking herself.

She was so scared because she had never seen them behave like that with her before. She used to make mistakes but they never showed her that attitude they just showed her.

"I think it's good that Araxie has finally realized she's old enough to start s family.'"Aurora said.

"Yes but..."

"What?"

", I'm afraid she might fall in love with the one Marina chose for her. And poor Trion...!"

"Nothing like that is going to happen. Araxie won't love him. Didn't you hear - she said that Marina stopped the man from saying something. She told him they would discuss the rest over the phone and I have a feeling that the two of them are hiding something.

I'm even suspecting him to be a witch too.. because only witches befriend a witch."

"Oh gosh! At least give me a minute to digest what you've told me!"Sarah's head was spinning because her sister wasn't just talking, she was rapping instead! "How would you stop her?"she later asked.

"Just wait and see how I will play my cards. I can't wait for the evening to come!"she was so confident and excited about her plan.

"I would need your help Sarah."

"Sure. I will do absolutely nothing."

"Good, I want you to find out what Marina is hiding and why does she want to get Araxie married."

"Alright then. Consider it done!"

As usual the three friends went on an evening walk to the Cliff again.

This time Araxie didn't ask any questions neither was she hestant like the last time.

In fact she was seemingly happy.

As they got into a conversation, Aurora seemed uninterested.

She was lost in thoughts.

"What are you thinking Aurora"

"Nothing."she hurried to say.

"You're lying. Tell us please"her friend insisted.

"It's nothing. You guys stop looking for words from my mouth."

"It's you who taught me that a problem shared is a problem halved, didn't you?"

"Well, I'm just thinking if we could stand on the edge of this Cliff. Maybe we would shout out anything we feel like."

"Wow. That's a great idea. Let's go."they all agreed without hesitation.

The three of them were having fun until Aurora intentionally pushed Araxie off the cliff. "Forgive me dear. I hope everything works out in our favor. I couldn't let you marry that old man you told us about."she was already shivering and sweating, with tears in her eyes.

"What the heck! What have you done sister?"Sarah shouted. All along she didn't know that her sister was planning something hilarious like that.

She felt like jumping off to save her friend but it was risky and deep. She was that someone who didn't know swimming at all. She felt like shouting at Aurora but she realized it was of no use since she was only standing like a statue.

"Speak up please. Why did you push her."she was yelling at her coldly.

"I.. I didn't kill her. Tell me that I haven't killed her."

"You've killed our best friend, sister. You're a murderer."

"No! She didn't die. He must save her."

"Why did you do that. Why aren't you saying anything!"she was shaking her, eagerly waiting for what she would say.

"Enough! Not another word Sarah please. Don't you remember what Trion said - he said he's always in the Sea. He said that Araxie shouldn't hesitate to jump into the Sea if she feels like meeting him because he would always be there to catch her. That's why I pushed her."

"You've totally gone crazy sister. How could you believe that. No human can stay in the water twenty four hours. I agree that he said that but... Oh God! We even don't know if he really exists or not. We don't know him. What if he's dangerous and has been fooling us when deep down he has evil intentions. How would we save Araxie then.

How will we know if she's in danger or not. We are sisters but today you've proved that we're totally different and we think differently too."

"What are you saying Sarah. You shouldn't be negative please. I only did what I thought was right and best for her. I promised myself that I will unite two loving hearts but then Marina had to come and stand in between and I couldn't allow that.

I really wouldn't have stood there and watched my friend get married to someone else, never. I admit we haven't seen Trion yet but don't forget that Araxie saw him once, which means he really exists.