Jace didn't know how long he had been floating in that state of suspension, but suddenly he was pulled out by a sucking force, one that crushed him and consumed him with pain.
There were hazy voices speaking— an argument perhaps?
The words were rushed and Jace could barely register them. His head throbbed and every muscle in his body seemed to cry in agony.
The voices were getting louder, someone was crying— Tamara?
Jace groaned, golden brown lashes fluttering like the delicate wings of a butterfly, they brushed across his cheeks before they opened to reveal stunning green eyes which squinted in confusion and daze.
"Thirsty." Jace groaned, he felt dizzy, sore and nauseated — an after effect of the surgery it seemed. He had survived; a burst of joy surged through his heart.
His voice though small had managed to attract the attention of the people in the room.
"Oh goodness! He's awake." An unfamiliar voice cried with relief.
"I told you he would be fine, it's just his usual act." A voice snorted with disgust. "Always trying to scheme his way into Dylan's heart, it's a bit disgusting."
"That's enough Emilia, he will hear you." The words lacked force, as though he was encouraging her rather than scolding her.
"Let him hear, he should understand that the person in Dylan's heart is only you, Ian."
Jace's head ached, why couldn't both of them just shut up and who were this people speaking to?
Dylan? Ian? Both names seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he heard them from.
The confusing situation forced him to fight through the fog that filled his gaze and focus despite the headache.
He was in an hospital room, that much was clear— luxurious and clean just like he liked it, but it looked strange.
Two people stood a few feet from the bed he was lying on — an average looking lady whose soft features were cute but not eye catching with short black hair, dark brown eyes that were currently glaring at him and painted red lips twisted with disgust, her ample bossom seemed to be in the verge of bursting out of her short red dress. The other was a man, he stood a few inches taller than the lady, his features were stunningly beautiful; glowing pale skin, long golden blonde hair, sky blue eyes, red lips and an aura of softness and beauty. His simple attire of a white shirt and blue jeans did nothing to diminish his good looks.
"Who are you people, and what are you doing here?" Jade froze, stunned by the sound of his voice— too soft, too smooth to have come from him.
Emilia and Ian exchanged puzzled looks, what game was he driving at?
"Oh please!" Emilia rolled her eyes, "you didn't hit your head hard enough to be playing the amnesia card." She scoffed.
"Emilia." Ian shot her a glare, before he turned to his brother who was watching them like a frightened animal. "Avery, are you okay?" He asked softly.
"Who is Avery?" Jace asked, he looked behind him to be sure there was no on else in the room.
Emilia frowned, the look on his face didn't seem fake, was he really not acting? She shared a worried look with an equally puzzled Ian.
"Avery calm down, can't you remember me and Emilia?" Ian asked tentatively. "It's me, Ian, your brother."
Brother? Jace was puzzled, what were this lunatics yapping about? Where was Tamara, Adam or Maya? Who let this Ian and Emilia in?
"Stay away from me." Jace raised a hand to stop an approaching Ian. He froze, gaze locked on his hand. Jace was used to his hand — he had seen the limb his whole life— this was not his hand. His hand was veined with long fingers and calluses evidence of his hard life. This hand was smaller, more delicate, it was healthier— not the skin covered bone he was used to seeing.
Suddenly Jace's head began to spin, he felt dizzy, his breaths coming out in harsh pants as his heart thudded painfully in his chest— it felt like he was dying all over again.
"What is going on?" He gasped. "What did you people do to me?" He felt fear grip his heart.
Call the doctor. Jace heard someone scream, but he was too far gone to care. A wave of darkness washed over him and he embraced it with comfort.
*******
When Jace regained his consciousness, the first thing he did was to check his hand and he heaved a sigh of relief when he met a familiar sight.
What a God awful nightmare.
He looked around and noticed he was standing in the middle of a garden— beautiful and grand— a man and a woman were assisting a little boy to plant some seeds and they were laughing, as they teased the boy— standing a few feet from them was another boy; roughly same age as the boy planting with his parents, he stood behind them, eyes red with tears as he clutched a bleeding palm behind his back.
"You know all my life I have always thought that I was the problem, that I was the one who wasn't trying enough, who wasn't good enough, but the truth is I could never compare to him." Jace had been so entranced by the strange sight in front of him that he was startled when he heard someone speak behind him.
He turned sharply, perhaps he expected to see the devil but all he saw was a boy— a young boy with sad eyes and an aura of melancholy.
"Who are you and what is this place?" Jace asked.
"Honestly I don't know." The boy shrugged, green eyes still locked on the garden scene— that remained still like a movie put on pause.
"I know you're confused Jace—"
"How do you know my name?" Jace eyed the boy.
"Because you're the soul I chose." Again with the answer that wasn't really an answer.
"I don't understand." Jace snapped.
"You died Jace. In that theatre room, you died." His voice is firm with conviction.
Jace freezes, he had expected it, still something painful breaks in his chest and for a moment he stands stunned and speechless.
"And who are you? The God who will judge me?"
"Goodness no." He laughs— the sound hollow and empty. "I am no God."
"Then who are you?"
"Avery Ford."
Something familiar strikes him about the name, like something he has heard before, and then it clicks.
Avery Ford, Ian, Dylan— the names are familiar because he's seen them in the novel he was reading — The Alpha CEO Darling Omega— or something of sort, but this had to be a joke, some weird crazy dream that his brain had created.
"I don't get it, you're Avery Ford, like the one in the novel or something?" Jace is about to go crazy.
"Excuse me?" The boy stares at him as though he is questioning his sanity. "Jace I don't have much time, let me explain."
"Go ahead." Jace nods weakly.
"All my life I have been chasing people who didn't love, people who didn't want me. I went looking for love in a place where there was none for me and they filled my heart with thorns." His eyes fixed the picture a hard stare. "My father never loved my mother, married her to secure his business. The moment she died he brought in his mistress and his bastard son and suddenly I became the unwanted child, tossed aside like trash, like I wasn't worth a thing."
"My hatred for Ian began when I was just a boy— hate; an emotion too strong for a child my age, I should not have been able to muster it, yet it was all I felt when he got all the things I dreamed off, and I didn't dream for much— just for my father to hold me with love, to smile at me, offer me warmth and look at me with pride, but it seemed I dreamed for too much."
"Ian took everything away from me, my home, my father, Dylan— everything." He cried.
"I chose you Jace so you could help me, all my life it was Ian who took everything away from me, now I want to take something from him too — his title as heir— without it he would crumble and fall and everyone will leave him just like they left me."
"Avery your story is sad, but I can't help you destroy someone I don't know." Jace said firmly.
"You have to, I gave you my body, I gave you a second chance at life and you owe me for it." Avery yelled, almost deranged.
Suddenly the scene at the hospital seemed to make sense.
"I didn't ask for it." Jace argued.
"Yet you wanted it, I heard your thoughts that's why I chose you." He smiled darkly. "You hated the fact that your body had been riddled with a disease for years, you hated how it immobilized you, so many dreams you hade but had to bury them because your life was slipping before your eyes. Your dreams of having a happy family."
"I am giving you a healthy body, you can have all you wished for but only on one condition— take Ian's position as heir."
Jace stood stunned— could he really have it all? The life he had been dreaming about, yet at the destruction of another. On one side stood the unknown Ian and on the other side stood him, he knew it was wrong, yet humans were selfish creatures.
Nobody wanted to die young and Jace had been unwilling against his bleak fate, now that he had gotten a second chance how could he refuse.
"You have got yourself a deal." Jace said.
Avery smiled, dark and dangerous as a red light tied them together before it glowed and disappeared.
"Our deal has been sealed, don't you dare try to break your promise or you won't like the consequences." Avery warned.
"I won't break it." Jace scowled at the threat.
"Goodbye Jace, hopefully we never meet again."