Seal of Light - Enlightened novel Chapter 22

Dec 24, 1999, Christmas Eve. The festive cool breeze can be felt everywhere.

Different light decorations can be spotted even to the simplest structure.

A red sports car pulled over in front of the Winterfrost Mansion. The  young man on his early 20's steered the steering wheel  to its center and pulled the hand brake. John Eve turned off the headlight but kept the car engine running. He released a deep sigh and shook his head.

"It's been a year now since we first met Lily. I was really hoping we could be more than friends..."

The girl on the passenger seat made no reply. She was looking away from him. She wanted to tell him everything, but she decided not to. She shared the same feelings with him, they were young and in love, but there is something that must be done before she could commit herself to John. It would be totally unfair to receive all this love and never return it back.

"I'm sorry John, I never planned to end it this way, but there are other things that I need to do before this."

"Why wouldn't you tell me, I know we can make this work Lily," John said with a broken voice.

"Trust me, this will never work, you are a good man John, you deserve someone better than me, this is the last time that you will see me."

Lily reached and unlock the car door and left without looking back.

"Goodbye John...  Merry Christmas."

John watched her as she walks away from the car, he knew he saw her paused at the foot of the last flight of stairs for a while before entering the mansion.

John was left clueless, thinking what just happened.

-

John moved and parked his car a few meter away from the Winterfrost Mansion. He stepped out of his car and decided to take a walk on this open park area nearby.

He sat on second riser of this three layered bench facing the field of grass and trees. It took him a few seconds before realizing there was someone already sitting on the far opposite end of the bench. An old man. But his face was a bit familiar to John.

"Of course, how could I forget, the old beggar I often see here whenever I visits the mansion. But it's Christmas Eve, doesn't he have a family to go home and celebrate with?"