Epilogue

My Life wasn't cherry blossoms and apple cheeks after that. I still suffered from many things. The memories of Finn Gregory still haunt me, as well as Rebekah. No one ever fully recovered from Calvus's Death. Not Iil, or Ella, or even me. I still remember how much Ella cried, even years after. Her sadness was the worst, I think. It broke me every time I saw her crumble to pieces.

Earth was never fully discovered. Life lovers continued fearing Death, but the fearless count became higher each year, as well as the entire population of Krown.

I continued my job with Ella and Iil continued his as the greatest Searcher of his time. Dex got a job in the infirmary. All those books he was reading were medical books, filled with information about how the body worked, which he said was his 'passion'. Fala wasn't heard of again.

No one ever figured out Rebekah's motives, her reasons. She had a hate that went out of control, and that hurt a lot of people. But now that it was over, and she was no where to be seen, we rested.

After Iil and I officially got together, we decided to tell each other everything. Everything that hurt us, that healed us, that we kept a secret, or hidden away for years on end. I learned all about Iil's childhood, and he learned about mine. As we talked, we came upon the topic of the year that Iil disappeared.

"During that year, I was torn apart. It was my worst nightmare come true. You changed, and that broke me." I told him.

"It tore me too. It was like I was living with my eyes closed. I almost didn't know what was right and what was wrong. My opinions were changed. I was changed. I think, deep down, I was afraid I would never change back. After I did though, I realized how much I needed you next to me."

We also talked about our love. Iil likes to brag that he was the first to fall in love with me. But I really couldn't care less. We love each other now, and anything other than that shouldn't matter. Love shouldn't be a competition. We should be equal, and we finally are.

I told him about my one single fear that never seemed to falter, and it was then that the topic arose, that I realized I wasn't afraid of Iil himself. I was afraid of losing him, of being apart from him. We still had our fair share of arguments, most of them ending without a winner, but we would always bounce back. Always.

We all got by as best we could. Ella was almost never seen without music. It's her escape. I try to think of what my escape would be. If one was to ask me when I was ten years old, I would have said running, or Eddard. Now, it may still be true, but there's something more important that instantly comes to mind. Music might be Ella's escape, but he is mine.

...

[Authors Note: Thank you so much for reading! I've had an amazing journey writing Ray's tale, then editing it endless times over. I started writing this story for myself, not wanting anyone to read it, which is funny, since we're here, and the story is finished. This story, though it may not be the best, has taught me so much about writing and how I can get better, and I am. I can only improve, after all. The people that helped me edit this story taught me a lot too, those being these wonderful people on FictionPress and my friends I see every day, in real life.

Though the story is finished, if you so desire, please feel free to leave a review and I could consider writing out scenes per request (lemons/smut/erotica being strictly excluded).

I hope you had as much fun as I did on this, and I hope to see you again, in the pages of another universe.]