In the Black Forest.

  The duo finally arrived in front the crystal cave.

  Alicia subconsciously tightened her hands around Ezekiel's hand when she was reminded about that day. Her very own funeral.

  She now wondered what Ezekiel had felt at that time when he had come for her burial. She remembered that moment when she had turned into a spirit. Ezekiel had locked eyes with her that very moment, and it had given her such a shock. Because at that time, it was only Lilith who was supposed to be able to see her, and even then, only in her spirit form – all transparent and ethereal, as though she could disappear at any moment.

  But this man… he already could actually see her ever since that very moment she had turned into a spirit.

  She had seen him looking as composed and calm as usual and seemingly unaffected by everything that was going on around him when he had attended her funeral. That was why when they had locked eyes, Alicia back then, had told herself that it might have just been a coincidence where they were looking the same way and so happened that their eyes 'met' each other's. At that time, she had not believed that he could actually see her.

  "I've watched you drop that white rose with your usual unfathomable expression on your face." Alicia recalled with a small curl on one corner of her lips. "You knew all along that I was still around at that time and not gone for good! That was why you had remained unaffected as you had…… It was not because you were heartless and that you don't care that I died as others might have thought." Alicia now stated the truth that had happened that day, on her burial.

  "Yes. And I know you did doubt me a little because I accidentally made eye contact with you." Ezekiel made mention of the incident that was still lingering on her mind, and she lifted her eyes to his in surprise, not expecting to say anything about it.

  She could not help but shake her head. He was right. She had doubted him at that instant, and instead, she chose to believe that it was nothing but just plain and pure coincidence.

  Alicia hesitantly stepped close to the secret entrance.

  After chanting the spell, the door swung opened without making any noise. The two of them then entered into the crystal cave.

  Her physical body that she had left behind was still there, wrapped in a thick layer of crystal. She still looked as though she was just sleeping within the confines of a massive jewel. There were no indications that she was actually dead.

  Somehow, it felt strange looking at her own body encased in the crystal. She was right here now, in the flesh, as a vampire, of course. And yet, she could clearly see that her body was still inside the crystal coffin. Untouched and still very much the same from the last time she had seen it.

  Before her mind started to wander and think about her body again, Alicia forced her attention away from her dead body to the thing that they were actually here for. Ezekiel's dagger that he had gifted to her.

  She wanted to have it back with her. At least, she wanted it to be with her until her time is up and she disappears. By that time, she would have given it back to Ezekiel. So there was no harm done. The dagger would eventually return to its original owner.

  There was a sharp stinging in her heart at the thought of that upcoming event. She had been forcing herself to stop thinking about it for so many times up until now. And again, the though had crept up, suddenly and stealthily into her mind, taking her unawares.

  She tried her best to regain her composure, effectively stopping herself from thinking about all those unnecessary things. There really was no use thinking about them. She knew that. There was not a single thing that could be done even if she worried and pondered over it. Thus, she might as well spend her time wisely and not waste it thinking on pointless matters.

  Shaking herself out of that pensive mood, Alicia focussed back to the task at hand. As her eyes travelled, it landed on the top of the crystal. There, lay her amulet and the dagger.

  For some reason, these two items that were placed together suddenly gave Alicia a strange feeling just by looking at them. She did not notice it at all before this, but… both the amulet and the dagger actually had the same obsidian gem inlaid, which had something purplish tinting the centre of that back gem.

  Anyone else who would have looked would have definitely thought that the dagger and the amulet belonged together. It was as though they were created or owned by the one and very same person.

  That was something which was impossible because that amulet had been with Alicia as far as she remembered. She could not even remember if it was given to her or who was it that gave it. She already had it probably ever since she was a baby.

  Slowly, Alicia looked up to fix her eyes on Ezekiel. He was also staring straight into those pair of mesmerising orbs, and she knew that he had already noticed the same thing she had observed.

  "This amulet is yours…?" he asked. Intrigue coloured his tone.

  When she nodded, Ezekiel's brow twitched a little. "Since when…?" he asked again.

  "I think I already had it with me since I was a baby. But I am not sure know who gave it to me, though. It could be my mother…? I'm not too sure. And I don't know why I had never asked my father about it when he was still alive." Alicia explained. "These two… there is no way this is a coincidence, right?"

  Ezekiel reached out and picked up the amulet. He held onto the lace string that was tied to it, not touching the obsidian gem. He lifted it and allowed it to dangle across his face as he observed the amulet.

  His grey eyes stared at the dark purple shadow that was in its centre. "I believe this is the same stone engraved and inlaid in my dagger." He said, certain about his observations.

  Alicia picked the dagger up. The round gem engraved and set in the hilt of it was indeed exactly the same.