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chapter forty-seven ━ odd desire

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❝ why did the city sound so special? ❞

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twenty votes and twenty comments for the next chapter!

DAMON HAD OFFICIALLY joined the kidnapped list, along with Jeremy and Bonnie. No doubt Shane was behind it. In all honesty, it seemed pretty logical since he was obsessed with finding Silas and would most likely find the cure and toss it in the ocean before they got the chance to get it. Melody ended up calling Caroline for an update on Klaus, only to find out he has been being stubborn on everything, a lost puppy in her words. He didn't know what to do without his girlfriend so he sketched his girlfriend because nothing was happening in Mystic Falls. Absolutely nothing.

"Tell me you're not serious," Caroline sighed, sounding worried and exasperated.

Melody shook her head, kicking up some sand on the shoreline where she and the remaining others were gathered. "Does it sound like I'm joking?" She rubbed her temple, glancing in case she found anything they missed from their already several trips around the beach.

While she was talking to her, Caroline was in the living room of the Mikaelson mansion, currently shooing Klaus away who was trying to steal the phone so he could talk to his girlfriend. He wasn't giving much of an effort, acting like a child attempting to reach some candy that was put onto a high shelf.

"The second me and Rebekah got back from searching for Jeremy, Shane and Bonnie vanished," Melody explained to her, jumping onto a rock as she stared out at the sea. This island reminded her a tad bit of Neverland. Not because it was an island, but because there was a villain they were on the lookout for and there were people they had to rescue. Of course, that villain in the magical realm was her father. "Shane needed Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure, and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses."

"And where's Damon in all this?" Caroline asked, slapping Klaus hard on the arm, getting an annoyed glare in response. He huffed and crossed his arms, sitting on the couch as he decided to just listen into the conversation.

Melody laughed with an amused grin, shaking her head as she glanced over momentarily at the group who were conversing calmly which was surprising. "Having a catfight with Elena. Supposedly he said he would take a walk but now we are on the beach, searching for more clues because from what we have found, there were signs of a struggle. It seems like he was kidnapped too."

Caroline sat on the couch too, still speaking on the phone. Klaus scooted over to her. He got ignored as she continued to speak. "Do you think Shane took him?"

The brunette sighed and placed a hand on her hip in an authoritative manner even though she wasn't addressing anyone. "Well, I mean, he's not strong enough to take Damon on, even with the element of surprise. But that then means that he must have someone helping him. Maybe that person that tried killing Jeremy?"

"I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to help."

Suddenly she was reminded of something she was meant to tell Caroline once she spoke to her. "Actually there is something you can do from home." Almost instantly the blonde perked up, wanting to do anything to help so she could pass the time.

"Anything to pass the time with babysitting Mr. I Miss My Girlfriend So Much I Am Going To Cry." Klaus gave her a nasty glare, narrowing his eyes in an offended manner. She gave him a smirk in return, not at all displaced by his look because she knew he wouldn't do anything to harm her. Of course, not unless he wanted to endure the wrath known as Melody Mills.

Melody had heard her title and laughed loudly, jumping off the rock. Klaus muttered something to himself about her, moving down the couch away from Caroline. Once her laughter faded, she quickly got back to the task at hand, focusing because this was more important at the moment. "Shane's looking for the cure. We think we can possibly find him before he does anything stupid. We have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map."

Caroline nodded along as she was now following along with what she was saying. "Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus."

"Exactly. Now, could you convince my very stubborn boyfriend to give up the sword?" she questioned, even though her words didn't provide room for argument for him. "Because he was the one who hid it. So tell him that if he doesn't, I will personally have a talk to him when I return."

Klaus smirked at that, getting up and grabbing a book to show that he wasn't going to budge. He was going to mess around with her some because it wouldn't hurt. He also knew that Caroline would find it easily since it isn't like he hid it well. No one would dare go searching through his house anyways. "Demanding, I have chills, love. I look forward to that talk. Perhaps we can continue that moment of ours."

Instantly her cheeks flushed, ducking her head. Caroline faked gagged, throwing a pillow at him. Stefan and Rebekah were watching her, listening to the conversation to see if Klaus would tell them where the sword was.

"He'll never give up the sword," the blonde Original murmured to the male beside her, tugging her coat closer to her chest as there was a bit of a chill.

"Yeah, but if anyone's gonna get him to give it up, it's Melody," he replied, raising an eyebrow in a confused manner. He didn't understand why Klaus wasn't giving the location of the sword to the fairytale woman. Didn't he trust her? That's what he wasn't understanding.

Rebekah shook her head. "You're right but that doesn't mean he will tell us. He'll make us search for it. Because he's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, despite him helping Melody to find the cure for me."

Melody closed her eyes tightly, knowing he was being stubborn. So she shook her head, knowing that Caroline would be able to find it on her own without his help. He was surely going to get it when she got back. And she didn't know exactly how she was going to get him back for this, but she would find some clever way.

Caroline seemed to sense her emotions somehow, quickly assuring her that she would find it. "I'll find it, don't worry. Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back."

"Thank you, Caroline," she sighed. "As for you Klaus, believe me, I will get you back for being so bloody stubborn." Her accent was strong, her voice demanding and agitated. However, he didn't seem to be affected in a negative way. In fact, he shivered with a wide smirk. Caroline was gagging again, disgusted.

The two said their goodbyes and when Caroline hung up, she pocketed her phone and started to go up the stairs. He grinned from his place, watching her walk away. He hummed. "Need my help?"

"Nope."

———

Rebekah spent hours just trying to get her phone to work but only got a busy signal. Elena was sulking on a log, her head in her hands. Stefan was standing by the shoreline with his hands in his pockets. Melody was pacing back and forth quickly, burning with annoyance and irritation that translating the map was taking so long. She looked much like Pan at that moment, radiating how angry she was so everyone would leave her alone.

Thankfully her dark magic wasn't spiking too bad. She gathered that she must be getting better at controlling it. After weeks, she was finally getting the hang of it. Of course, all of that might go down the drain when she kills Elena. All she had to do was be careful that she didn't lose total control. That was the last thing she wanted.

Elena attempted to start up a conversation with Stefan but he ignored her entirely, walking away to where he now stood. Melody finally stopped pacing and groaned, tossing her hands up in the hair before she slapped her leg. "How long does it take? It's been three hours and I'm losing my mind. Ugh, I swear, once I see Klaus—"

"Patience, Mel," Rebekah sighed though it was clear that she was getting impatient as well. She lowered her phone from having tried to gather a signal again. "I'm sure Caroline and my ass of a brother are translating it as we speak. Let's give it a bit longer."

That eased her slightly but that didn't mean she was still anxiousness. Suddenly her phone rang and she got it out quickly, pressing it to her ear. Elena wasn't paying any attention and neither was Stefan thankfully. The two females stood by one another as they listened to what news Caroline had for them.

"Please tell me you got it," Melody breathed, eyes widening, looking hopeful.

"We do, we have the translation of the tattoo." Both of them sighed in relief, looking up at the sky for a brief moment. "We're emailing you pictures of the map and instructions right now." Melody pulled her phone away and checked to see if it sent. It did and she smiled.

"We got it. Thanks for helping out."

Klaus stole the phone from Caroline, speaking up from his place on the couch, casually laying down on his back with one hand behind his head. "Actually, it was me." He heard the eye roll his girlfriend gave, placing her hand back on her hip as she wasn't very happy with the attitude he pulled earlier, or how he made her wait there for three hours in the chilling cold while their time was quickly running out.

She had a sarcastic smile on her face and Rebekah took the time to step back before she got caught in the crossfire. "Oh? Who is this exactly? Wait, is this my former boyfriend?"

He smirked and then winced playfully, holding a hand to his chest. "You wound me, love. But in all seriousness, translating took longer than I anticipated and I would wholeheartedly apologize if I meant it." She shook her head with a glare aiming at absolutely nothing. "You did give me chills earlier with your accent. Do it again."

"Klaus, this isn't funny. We are at a very, very high disadvantage right now. We could lose our chance at finding the cure." Her unsaid words hung in the balance. "And if gave our opponents a headstart. Congrats, you just earned yourself an entire week without kisses or touches. Enjoying the couch as well."

The hybrid went wide-eyed in horror, but before he could protest, Caroline snatched the phone back before she could hang up on them. "There is one more thing, Melody." She took a deep breath, gnawing at her lip before she revealed what they found out. "There is only one dose of the cure. You need to find it first and take it if our plan is going to work. Which means—"

"Either Elena gets the cure or Rebekah does or Stefan," Melody realized, her expression falling. She hung up without waiting for a reply, looking over at the blonde Original who looked heartbroken to hear the news. When she put the phone in her pocket, she focused on her. "I'm giving you the cure, you deserve it. Stefan will understand, I'll k-deal with Elena without giving it to her." She placed a gentle place on her shoulder. "Don't worry."

———

They started to walk across the island once Melody told the others that she got the picture of the translation of the map but she didn't tell the two anything else. However, she did plan on telling Stefan when she was able to get him alone. All she could do is hope that he understood she was going to give the cure to Rebekah.

"What did Caroline say?" Elena asked her, looking like she hoped to interrogate the fairytale woman on the conversation since she didn't believe her. Her strides increased as she came up beside her, looking at the side of her face, waiting for an answer.

Melody shrugged, her expression blank, void of any hints that she was lying. "I'm not sure, the signal was lost. Come on, would hate to miss our chance at getting the cure." She quickened her pace, wanting to get far away from her as possible before she decided to stop waiting and killed her on the spot. No, she had to think of yet another way to kill her. Though she did have a hunch about something, taking a precaution no one knew about except herself. If only someone killed him, then her plan would work perfectly.

Eventually, they came to reach an edge of a cliff, stopping at the edge as they glanced over it. Melody took out her phone and stared at the map to make sure they were on the right path. However, she had massive faith in her knowledge of maps so she was positive they were fine. "We need to get down there and then go across. An advantage of being a vampire: all you guys have to do is jump. An advantage of having magic: all I have to do is wave my hand and picture myself down there.

"And how come you can't just teleport us all?" Elena questioned, narrowing her eyes with an accusing expression.

The brunette plastered a smile on her face. "Because that's a waste of my energy sweetie. Why would I do that?" All she got was an annoyed twitch of her lips in response, making her smirk and scoff at the doppelganger. Rebekah couldn't help but grin at the retort.

Stefan wasn't amused. "Guys, we don't have time for this. Elena, you go first. We'll be right behind you."

Elena hesitated but stepped back, taking a running leap off the edge. Unfortunately, all she did was stumble slightly once she reached the ground, turning around, looking up at them as she waited. Melody nodded to Rebekah and the blonde nodded back before jumping. Stefan was next but before he could, she threw her arm out to stop him.

"There's something you should know about the cure." He rose an eyebrow, making a gesture with his one hand for her to continue. She sighed, looking guilty for having to do this to him. "According to Klaus and Caroline, there's only room for one of you guys to take the cure."

He didn't seem to believe her at first, shaking his head at the ludicrous statement. "That can't be right. So you're sure that Klaus is telling the truth? That there's only one dose of the cure?" She nodded gently, still looking upset to have to tell him so. Finally, her words registered. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you're dumb enough to hold out hope."

Melody quickly snapped her fingers to create a sound spell around them so Elena couldn't hear. "You know what this means Stefan. Elena isn't getting the cure, Rebekah is. And I would hate to have to—

"Let her have it, she deserves it more than I do." She didn't object since she had nothing to say in response because even if he did deserve it more, Melody vowed to get it for her best friend, not him. "I'll distract Elena, you and Rebekah go get the cure. Now hurry."

She nodded and then undid her spell before smirking, playing an act for the doppelganger who was clearly listening. "I'm sorry that it couldn't work out the way that we all wanted it to." Then she snapped his neck with a flick of her wrist. Elena gaped in horror, going to snap Rebekah's neck but the blonde was gone by the time she spun around. And when she looked back up to the cliff, Melody was gone too.

———

"Your attachment to your friends will be the end of you," was the first thing the females heard when entering the cave. The man's accent was thick, flowing through his every word just like Melody's did whenever she was cross or rambling on about things. Once they entered, Damon sensed them immediately and grinned knowingly.

He chuckled. "You don't know my friends...or my enemies."

Vaughn rose an eyebrow and seemed to notice the change in atmosphere. He then turned around to see the two. Damon went over to them and they didn't acknowledge him, staring at the hunter across the cave who was training his gun at them.

Melody rolled her eyes, severely irritated again. "Is this a joke? You do realize that you are outnumbered? Plus you aren't as strong or fast as we are."

"Not to mention he know he can't hurt me," Rebekah chimed in, grinning with her best friend. "Unless he's got the white oak stake of course."

The hunter smiled suddenly, enjoying the advantage he had that they didn't know about. Well, there was more than one. "Oh, he doesn't, but he's got other toys." Right as he went to shoot Rebekah, Melody went to use her magic. But nothing happened. She went wide-eyed. It was too late, Vaughn stuck a grenade of wooden spikes into the blonde's chest and then detonated it, sending the wooden spikes into her body, all the way through to her back. Rebekah died temporarily, collapsing to the ground.

Melody didn't feel her dark magic and for once, she felt fear. Damon didn't move an inch yet. Vaughn smirked. "Having trouble there, lass? You see, your magic doesn't work in this cave. Silas's magic cancels yours out. Guess that makes you. . .human."

She went to withdrawal her knife, while Damon went to knock him out. The hunter was faster, using another weapon to wrap a vervain rope around the eldest Salvatore's neck, tossing him to a pole so he was stuck there. Melody threw the knife and hit Vaughn's thigh, getting a pained scream from him. Then he launched at her, knocking her onto the side of the cave, knocking her out.

Everything went by without her, Katherine arrived, Elena and Stefan did as well. Everyone was racing to find the cure before anyone else did. When Melody woke up, she expected to be alone. However, Damon was there waiting for her, tossing the knife she had impaled Vaughn with. He glanced over when he heard her stir, groaning in pain.

Slowly she sat up and supported herself against the wall. Thankfully her cut on her forehead wasn't deep, some of her energy still preserved. So she waved her hand slightly, healing the wound. Yet, she was still weak, unable to get up from her spot. "Not going to lie, I'm surprised you're alive." He didn't reply and she didn't have to ask to know what happened. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Rebekah was still unconscious, no doubt because of all of those wooden spikes piercing through her heart. Damon shrugged his shoulders, attempting to be passive but failing in her eyes. "Needed a siesta."

Melody hummed at that. "You gave up."

"I didn't give up," he replied shortly, making her give him a knowing look. His mask seemed to fade all of a sudden, knowing that he couldn't lie to her. She would know if he did. "I just realized you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. Let's just say I made peace with that fact."

She snorted in disbelief, shaking her head as she blinked, trying to move but only hissed. And so she stopped trying, settling down as she relaxed her body. "You have a funny definition of peace, Damon. You love Elena. You always will no matter what she does. It may sound stupid but that's exactly how I am with Klaus." She licked her dry lips. "You know Elena's going to take that cure. None of us can stop her now."

"Life sucks. Get a helmet."

Despite the situation, Melody smiled at him, laughing slightly though it did hurt her head to do so. "You did something selfless, Damon. I think you deserve a gold star." Surprisingly, he smiled back at her. It was genuine.

The cave fell silent after that. Even if he could heal her with his blood, she wouldn't have let him. Her pride ran too deep for her to let him help her with anything. So they both sat there, knowing that they had failed. Melody didn't have enough energy left to be angry or cry or scream. Because somehow she knew, that she hadn't truly failed. It was her gut feeling.

———

Rebekah had woken up to see Melody fast asleep. Damon was gone after hearing what happened to Jeremy, knowing Elena would be torn to shreds, her heart shattered. Night fell and then passed by and finally, the brunette woke up. The first thing she did, ate everything that she brought, guzzling some water. Her energy wasn't replenished so she couldn't use her magic yet. Rebekah caught her up to speed and soon enough they started to go find the cure.

Neither knew about Katherine, not until they were at their campgrounds and Damon approached them. Because Melody was still somewhat weak, Rebekah protected her, standing up fast as she hissed at him. "Where is it? The cure? We know someone has it."

"Yeah, someone — Katherine."

Melody groaned loudly in irritation yet again, kicking her feet up like a spoiled child not getting what she wanted. "That bitch is everywhere!"

They couldn't disagree with her on that because even though none of them had heard from the vampire, she always seemed to be lurking in the shadows. Damon nodded. "Yeah. Sneaky little bitch must've been spying on us for weeks. She killed Jeremy...or somebody did." While Rebekah looked somber, Melody had to force it, trying not to grin. "He killed your brother. Let's not with the fake sad face."

"I didn't say I was going to miss him, but I'm not heartless," Rebekah murmured, not catching the smug look her best friend had behind her. Because her hutch proved to be true. Now all she had to do was watch as Elena fell apart. And also make a phone call when she had the chance. "He was Elena's only family."

"Good. Well, you two can send flowers after you help me find Bonnie."

He started to walk away and the two watched him, neither moving to follow after him. Melody scowled at him, one hand on her thigh to support herself because all she wanted to do was lay down until she got the energy to heal herself fully. "What we need is to find Katherine."

"If there's one thing that's a guarantee in this miserable little world, it's that Katherine Pierce is gone," Damon told them, stopping in his tracks. "We need to find Bonnie. Oh, and beware of the immortal Silas. If he was asleep in that cave, he's awake now."

Then he casually started to walk again. Rebekah and Melody exchanged a look before they both went to follow him, linking arms. Sure they were powerful beings but they weren't stupid enough to believe that this ancient witch guy couldn't overpower them.

As they trekked through the woods, the brunette was getting major déjà vu, leaning onto the blonde for support because it gave her a perfect excuse to be taking care of. If Rebekah knew what she was doing, she didn't argue, helping her walk along the path.

"I don't like being out in the open like this," the Original spoke suddenly, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

"What, afraid of the big, bad Silas?" Damon teased. Then in a sing-song voice, he continued on. "Scaredy cat!"

Melody gave him a glare, not appreciating his words. "Oh shut your trap! Kol drove himself mad worrying about Silas rising. I think it's stupid of us not to be a least a tad bit concerned. And I also think you're being a hypocrite. You're so scared, you're over a thousand miles away from your supposed true love."

Rebekah smirked, nodding in agreement with her while it was Damon's turn to roll his eyes, sticking up to himself. "Hey, somebody needed to find Bonnie."

"Stefan could've done that," she sighed, stepping over a rather large branch. "You are dating Elena. Unless she decided to go back to her former love. It's so hard to keep track of who she is with nowadays that it hurts my head worse than it's already hurting." She leaned her head against Rebekah's arm. "Shouldn't you be in Mystic Falls comforting her, or are you terrified of being there when she realizes her brother is dead? Scared she'll lose a few screws?"

Before she could continue on with her taunting, Damon grabbed her and Rebekah, yanking them out of the way as an arrow zoomed pass them. Melody pouted, seeing as she hadn't seen that coming due to her injury. Or at least, that's what she told herself.

They saw Vaughn aiming a crossbow at them. He shot another arrow at them but Damon caught it, using his heightened speed to go over to him. The hunter began to run but the vampire appeared in front of him, tossing his body to the ground like a doll.

Vaughn held a dagger in one hand but then Melody was there, using whatever energy she had to twist his wrist, snapping it. She smirked widely at him, hearing his muffled yell since he clenched his jaw together. "That's for killing Rebekah. And this. . ." She slammed him down hard, knocking him out cold. ". . .Is for nearly giving me a concussion."

———

Vaughn woke up not long after that, tied and propped up against a tree, a dagger being pointed at his throat by Damon. Melody was sitting criss cross, Rebekah standing beside her as the brunette leaned onto her leg.

"Here's the thing. I was completely willing to accept the fact that you were one man on a lonely mission to kill ol' Silas, and then I got boned by my vixen nemesis Miss Katherine Pierce, and then I start thinking there's no way that this is a coincidence. So what do you know, huh?"

There was no answer so Damon twisted the point of the dagger on the hunter's neck. He didn't even flinch from the touch. "Torture me all you want." He smiled widely. "You can't kill me. The hunter's curse will torment you forever."

"It'll be worth it."

Rebekah sighed, wanting desperately to go back to Mystic Falls so she could exactly sleep and eat actual food instead of granola bars and trail mix. "He's right. You can't kill him, but that doesn't mean we can't tear him apart piece by piece, nerve by nerve until the pain is so severe, that your brain shuts it off to give you one tiny moment of blessed relief, and then we'll heal you and do it again and again and again."

Melody hummed, closing her eyes. She was exhausted and when she got tired, she got clingy to whoever was near her. Because she didn't like being alone. "That sounds like a genius plan."

"Why thank you."

Vaughn started to squirm uncomfortably from the dagger at his neck and the blonde's words. So he decided to tell them what he knew. "I was tracking dens of vampires across Colorado. Katherine found me, said she could help me find Silas. She already knew about the hunter's mark, the cure."

"How?"

"Oh, she had someone on the inside, some werewolf girl, friends with your professor."

Melody frowned, opening her eyes as she realized who he was referring to. It did pang her slightly but she still had a gut feeling about the female wolf. "Hayley, Tyler Lockwood's old friend." She must have had a good reason to help Katherine of all people. "Where'd Katherine find her?"

Vaughn thought for a moment, trying to remember. "New Orleans. That's all I know."

For some reason, hearing the city made her feel a warmth in her chest, a longing almost. Perhaps another hunch? Or maybe she wanted to just visit that's all. Somehow she doubted it because hearing the name caused an odd feeling. Why?

Damon removed the dagger from his neck. "Ah. Good. Let's throw him in the well. If he starves to death, it's not our fault. I'm gonna go find Bonnie."

Rebekah helped Melody stand up, supporting her on her arm. "We've got a lead on the cure, Damon. We're gonna find it, but I suppose you don't mind. You never wanted Elena to be human again, anyway."

"You might think I'm afraid to go back, but I'm not because I know what she needs. She needs me to bring her best friend home." He walked off without a goodbye and Rebekah smiled at Vaughn.

He smiled tightly back.

———

They took care of the hunter and on their way back to the shore, they had found Shane dead. Neither of them thought much of it, wanting to go back to the mansion so they could sleep. Night fell again, the whole day having passed by in a blur. Melody didn't remember how she got back to her bedroom because she had fallen asleep on the trip back. Klaus had thanked his sister for taking care of her, watching over his girlfriend while she rested. She deserved it.

When she woke up, it was noon and she could smell food being made. Melody raised her head, feeling her magic come back to her. Her energy had returned. She bent over slightly, grabbing her phone as she quickly dialed the number before laying back on the pillow.

"Hello?"

"Hey, kid," she greeted with a yawn. "Did you get there safely?"

"Yeah, I'm staying at Granny's for now. Haven't gone to see your family yet though." There was a pause and then a sigh. "How did you know I was going to die?"

Melody smiled to herself, closing her eyes even though she had gotten lots of sleep. "I told you, it was a hunch Jeremy. I'm just glad that spell worked and that you got off the island." She waved her hand as she spoke but she wasn't using her magic. "Don't worry, your fake body is at your house as we speak. As everyone is concerned, you are dead. I told Rebekah and Klaus though, but they won't bother you. Just. . . can I ask you something?"

Jeremy nodded his head though she couldn't hear it. "Sure."

She took a deep breath. "Why did you agree to let me do the spell? I thought you would say no because Elena's your sister and all."

"Whoever that is, that's not my sister. I'm just glad to get away from all the drama and that's why I agreed to it." He paused again. She heard a bell chime and then him mumble a quick thank you. "I got to go, my food got here." Before she could hang up, he spoke again. "Melody? Will I see you soon?"

The question hung in the air and for some reason, Melody was reminded of New Orleans, recalling how the city name caused her to feel a certain way. It was almost like she was being pulled towards there, or that something about the place was special. So many possibilities ran through her head and she couldn't choose one to stick with.

"Yes, I have a feeling that I will see you soon."

And she felt positive about her answer.

———

Wow, this chapter was long, lol. I fit in two episodes if you didn't notice because the one episode had hardly any room for me to fit Melody in. I figured that I wouldn't waste my time posting a super short chapter. Next chapter is the INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT one! So make sure you don't miss it ;)

The end of this book is getting so close!

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )