Nothing. A dark expanse stretched endlessly around me, an infinite void filled with swirling shadows that choked the air. Time lost all meaning, and with it, so did the concept of purpose. The only thing that dared to exist was the dark crimson floor beneath my feet, faintly illuminated, its glow barely visible unless I was close enough to it.
"Hello?" My voice was a fragile whisper that echoed endlessly—minutes, then hours, then seconds, then minutes, then hours. It was all the same in this abyss. Eventually, it stopped, and I knew this when another sound came. A distant echo of bells. They rang with a solemnity reminiscent of Heladon's ceremonial calls or the mournful tolls at a gravesite, signaling that someone, somewhere, was still alive. Clanging together from so far away that it was a faint noise.
The bells seemed to reach out from the darkness. As if to remind me that I was not alone. Oh no, I was very much in the presence of others, only those I could not see. And this nightmare? Never ending, unbreaking, almost like a purgatory or a perfectly designed prison. Whatever it was wanted me to know that I was trapped in here with it.
Then came silence, and with it a sense of numbness, or therefore a lack of sense. Everything melted away including the crimson floor. No more bells. No more swirling darkness. Now a pit of still, pitch black. The ultimate torture. I stood there for years, oh so many years. Waiting infinitely, tirelessly. Please someone let me out, please, oh please was my only hope.
Yet nothing happened and nothing continued to happen until that nothingness began to eat away at me. First my sense of self. I had finally come to terms with who I was at the Faust estate, but that was ripped away from me.
Then my emotion. Stripped away until... content? Had I truly become content? Floating around in a void where no possibilities, no harm, no anything could exist? Perhaps this was better than having to deal with everything in the world? King Chlodovech and his kingdom of zombies. Vesperus and the curse that ruined my life. Llythyrra, the goddess who constructed everything, willingly subjecting us to every possible torture known.
So maybe, just maybe, this wasn't so bad. In fact, after a long time, normalcy could take place. A world where no one can murder each other for power or survival. Where the poor didn't starve, and the rich didn't starve them.
Yet, as something tapped my leg, I awoke from the dream. The darkness, all of it, an illusion of my mind. Oxygen seemed to fill my nostrils, the smell of old wood bombarding me. I glanced around the barn—dark, musty. Alon crouched in front of me, gear slouched lazily around him. Goddammit.
"Finally awake, I see," Alon said with a nod toward my leg. "I hope you don't mind."
"Huh?" I glanced at the wound, noticing something gooey and light yellow smeared over it, almost like candle wax. "What is that?"
"Fauzue," he replied rather simply. "Comes from a plant, helps to speed up the healing."
"And that really works?" I asked, skepticism creeping into my voice.
Alon shrugged. "Try it out. See how the ol' limb feels."
I hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved my leg, testing the sensation. To my surprise, the sharp, constant pain had dulled significantly. I could still feel the injury, but it wasn't as debilitating as before. The relief was almost overwhelming.
"Well?" Alon prompted, his eyes watching me closely.
I flexed my foot, gingerly putting weight on it. "It's... better. Not perfect, but better."
"Good," he said, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "Fauzue's not a miracle cure, but it'll help you get through the day." With a nonchalant look, Alon handed me a blade. It was a dagger of sorts, with a long steel point and a handle wrapped in soft fabric.
"What's this for?" I asked, taking it with hesitation.
He stood up from his kneeling position and cracked the barn door open. No light spilled in, and I realized it must have been dark out. Odessa.
"Shit—" I muttered, climbing to my feet and waving the dagger around as I did so, "I thought we were just sneaking in?"
Alon laughed weakly, "And if we get caught?" He held a dagger of his own in one hand, the blade longer with a more intricately designed handle.
"I know, I just..." With a moment of thought, I resigned, "Okay. Let's get this over with."
The anger I felt the night before had mostly subsided. Now, I was filled more with the urgency of finding Odessa and getting the hell out of dodge. I remembered how much I wanted to kill and hurt her captors.
"We will, we will." Alon slipped through the crack, and I followed, albeit less gracefully, stumbling on my way out. Straws of hay still stuck to my body, and as we walked, I was busy picking them off.
He led me around a corner, narrowly threading us through two closely spaced buildings, then to a much larger structure on the outskirts of the town. The roof on the top right was caved in and partially sunken on one side. The remainder of the building seemed sturdy enough.
"They're in here?" I asked, barely a whisper.
Alon nodded, his eyes flickering to a hanging lantern. He grabbed the candle inside, handing it to me. "You'll... need light." With those words, Alon put the tip of his finger into his mouth and bit down hard. Blood trickled from the top as he used the same finger to pinch the wick. Muttering two words, the wick flickered to life.
"How did you--?"
"Shh." Alon held a finger to his mouth before opening the door and pushing me inside. Everything happened so fast. The door shut behind me, and as I tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. Alon was on the other side, keeping me in here.
"Alon! What the hell are you doing?" I pounded on the door, my voice echoing in the dark, musty room.
Silence. Then, a faint whisper came through the wood. "Trust me. You need to find her alone. I'll keep watch out here."
I hesitated, my heart racing. The flickering light cast long, eerie shadows on the walls, revealing more of the room. Crates and barrels lined the perimeter, and in the center, a single bed stood under a weak beam of light filtering through a crack in the roof.
With every step, the wood creaked beneath my foot. Pockets of dust coated the room so thickly that I could see it floating in the air. Halfway through, I heard a crunching noise. Glancing down, I saw shards of glass scattered across the floor.
"What...?" I whispered, the sound barely escaping my lips. A low groan echoed through the room, freezing me in place. The bed creaked and groaned as something shifted beneath the covers. Chains rattled against the crudely carved legs, their captive restless.
With a gulp, I forced myself forward. Slowly, carefully. Each step felt agonizingly slow, the flickering light obscuring my path. The air was thick with a musty, oppressive scent that made it hard to breathe. The room felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me. As I reached the bedside, the figure stirred again. My pulse quickened, each heartbeat thunderous in my ears. I extended a trembling hand, then hesitated. Did I really want to do this? Why had Alon dragged me to this forsaken place?
Taking a deep breath, I summoned whatever courage I had left and reached out, pulling back the covers. Odessa lay there, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. Her wrists and ankles were bound by heavy chains, the metal digging into her flesh.
"Oh my god," I muttered with relief, dropping the dagger which clattered onto the ground with a rattle.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, she screamed and kicked, "Get away from me!" Odessa cried, "I didn't do anything!"
"It's me—Alaric!" I replied swiftly, holding the candlelight to my face, "Odessa... it's me."
She stopped panicking and instead stared blankly at my face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her face reddening. No words came.
"What did they do--" Something caught in my throat. Around her neck were red marks, and as I looked down, I saw the same inflicted on her arms. "Did they...?" I asked almost breathlessly.
Odessa nodded slowly, then looked at something past the foot of the bed.
I turned to follow her gaze. Stairs led downward, emanating a darkness that drew me toward them. Without anything to cut her chains, I crouched to pick up the dagger and then began to walk.
"Wait..." Odessa spoke quietly, her voice a fragile whimper, "I..."
"Are they down there?" I asked, facing away.
She didn't respond for a moment. "I think so... but... Alaric..." Odessa began, "If we get out now, we can leave for Auriver sooner."
"No," I said bluntly, my hand tightening on the blade. "Did they use you?" This time, the question was more direct. I looked back at her, watching as she nodded slowly.
They're fucking dead. With no more hesitation, I strutted to the foot of the stairs. For the first time in my life, it was as if I was blinded by rage. Every step I took, every strand of movement, time began to slow around me, or at least it felt that way.
The darkness at the bottom of the stairs seemed to deepen with each step, the air growing colder. My grip on the dagger tightened until my knuckles were white. The flickering light of the candle in my other hand cast long, dancing shadows on the walls, making the descent feel like an endless journey into the abyss.
It barely crossed my mind what I saw at the bottom. None of my belongings, nor anything else of value. Instead, it was a rather small room. Hollow and empty. Cloth was rolled about and on that cloth were people. Boys and girls, men and women, with one standing in front. Rufaeck.
He stood upright with a single shard of glass in hand. The others stayed back against the far wall. They must have heard me upstairs. I wasn't very discreet, after all.
"No one has t' get hurt here..." Rufaeck's voice broke the silence, echoing off the stone walls and falling flat in the oppressive stillness. I didn't listen to a single word, my focus narrowing to a point as I took a step forward. There was no sign of Ellgrick or the other bandits.
"Where's your little posse?" I questioned, holding the blade higher, the edge glinting menacingly in the dim light.
Rufaeck's eyes flicked nervously around the room, searching for an escape. "Gone," he muttered, the bravado in his voice faltering. "Those four left. Didn't see the point in staying."
"Four?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes at Rufaeck. "I only remember Ellgrick and the two bandits. Who the hell was the fourth person?" Something didn't strike me as right, but I didn't care enough to dig deeper. My anger burned too hot for clarity.
Rufaeck's eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. "No one else. Just us," he stammered, his voice trembling. "I swear."
I stepped closer, the dagger glinting menacingly in my hand. "Do all these people know what you did up there?"
"Ellgrick and the others..." Rufaeck began, glancing nervously behind him. "They took everything and left... okay?" He pointed to the people huddled behind him. "I'm just trying to protect my family. I needed your—" His voice faltered, and he swallowed hard. "Your belongings for money. It wasn't me who touched her. Let me and my family go."
With a flicker of my eye, I closely studied the people behind him. They bore similar facial features and hair textures. With a sigh, I closed my eyes. One second, two seconds. When I opened them, my response followed quickly. "I can't let it go."
In one swift motion, I lunged forward and grabbed his hand holding the shard, plunging the blade into Rufaeck's stomach. Despite never having been trained or done this before, it felt smooth, easy. Somehow, I knew how to fight, how to kill, how to do all of this effortlessly.
Rufaeck didn't scream. The yells came from the people behind him. He slowly, painfully, looked down at the long metal embedded in him. With a final glance at me, the light faded from his eyes. He dropped to the ground, twitching and sputtering for almost a minute before going limp.
As I scanned the faces around the room... everyone fell silent, perhaps feeling I would hurt them next, "I'm not stupid." I muttered, "You ALL knew." With those words I swung the dagger around, causing everyone to jolt backwards until I landed on a boy, wearing my leather jacket, "Take it off."
The boy swiftly tossed me the jacket, and I pulled it on, feeling its weight settle around me. I knelt down, my gaze shifting between the group and Rufaeck's body. I searched him thoroughly, my fingers brushing over his pockets until I found a key. A surge of anger and adrenaline blinded me, making me act without considering the consequences for these people or whether Rufaeck was truly involved.
But how could he not be?
With a final, intense look at the group, I turned and climbed the stairs. Each step groaned under my weight. When I reached the top, Odessa was waiting, her eyes wide with fear. She had heard everything, but I didn't let it deter me. After all, wasn't she the one who urged me to act?
As I inserted the key into the lock, I could feel the adrenaline begin to fade, replaced by a slow, creeping calm. Each click of the lock felt deliberate, grounding me back to the moment. The door unlatched, and I started to push it open when Odessa slid off the bed and stepped over.
"It wasn't him," she muttered.
I froze, my hand resting on the doorknob. "What?" I asked.
Odessa hesitated, "He didn't do it."
"But did Rufaek know?" I asked, my voice steady but insistent. Odessa hesitated.
"Did he?" I pressed again.
"Yeah," she finally muttered, the word barely audible.
That was all I needed. Without another word, I swung the door open. There was no need to justify myself any further.
With no sign of Alon and the looming threat of others returning, I led Odessa around the perimeter of the building and toward the outskirts of town. We had already wasted too much time. Auriver was a day's journey, maybe two at most.
"Wait," Odessa suddenly stopped, her voice breaking the silence. "We should grab supplies."
I shook my head, frustration evident as I ran a hand through my hair. "We've wasted too much time already," I replied, pointing toward the distant woods. "Auriver is what, a day away? Two at most?" I dropped my arm and met her eyes. "Odessa, I can feel this curse trying to claw its way out of me. With every step closer to losing my life, it's gaining strength, trying to take over. I'm pushing it back as best as I can, but it's getting stronger with every passing moment." I took a deep breath, my voice steady but firm. "We can't afford any more stops. Not for anything."
"Okay," Odessa nodded, though she crossed her arms uneasily. Her posture shifted. Not as confident, but colder and distant. Something I hadn't seen in years.
Off we went, the pain in my leg nearly gone. Whatever that stuff was, it worked wonders. Alon, wherever he had gone, was behind me now, and I couldn't waste time looking for him, especially after he trapped me in that house.
We traveled for hours, only stopping when we broke through the tree line once again. I didn't want to, but Odessa was tired and after what happened I couldn't say no. The cold air was bearable, a welcome change from the harsh conditions we endured in Heladon City. But we were also closer to the South, notorious for its deserts. That meant we were weeks, maybe even months, away from mainland Heladon. At least now, I was safe from Chlodovech and the possibility of him ever finding me again. So was my plan to cross the Theosilic Mountains.
The sun began to set, painting the skyline with the same vivid colors it did every night. We didn't dare search for another clearing to rest; instead, we propped ourselves against a mound of dirt. Neither of us spoke, the silence between us thick and uncomfortable. The sounds of the forest and the unsettling crawl of bugs on our skin kept us awake for what felt like hours.
Once she fell asleep, revealed by the sounds of her stirring, I pushed myself up from the dirt and began to pace, unable to find rest. My eyes were heavy, my muscles ached, but my mind refused to let me sleep.
As I wandered, the shadowy silhouettes of trees loomed around me, their shapes shifting in the dim light. The cold, crisp air filled my lungs, a biting chill that made my nose burn.
Eventually, I came upon a small stream that blocked my path. Grasping a nearby branch for support, I carefully navigated across a fallen tree that bridged the water. It was slippery, but I held my ground, making it safely to the other side.
It was easier to see on this side. Moonlight bathed a small clearing, which led to a steep drop-off. I sat down at the edge, letting my legs dangle freely. Below, it looked like an abyss, with only the tops of trees faintly illuminated. One wrong move, and I could fall in, disappearing into the darkness, never to be seen again.
The thought unnerved me at first, but eventually, I found myself accepting it. In the past, it might have terrified me, but after facing the curse and coming so close to death so many times, I honestly didn't care anymore. I could feel myself changing—becoming more violent, more driven by impulse. It wasn't what I wanted, but what choice did I have?
I sat there for hours, doing nothing but thinking. It was the only thing left—the one thing I seemed to excel at. My miraculous, stupid ability to do nothing but think and wallow in self-pity.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyASKQEgRWB
