Eternity in the darkness - Chapter 95

“Don’t be scared,” the shadowed creature spoke to me in a whisper which only made me more scared, “My name is Drux.”

My mouth was open as no words or voice came out of it. Shadowed creatures creeper in closer around the trees as one of them faced me right now.

“What did you mean by you were waiting for me?” I asked softly to it. The shadowed creature leaned forward towards me and spoke,

“Let’s go to a warmer place. The temperature is going to drop again,” it pulled back and turned to walk in the other direction. That’s when I caught glimpse of its bony feet with no flesh. I contemplated on if I should or shouldn’t follow it but then I had no idea where I was or how I could get back.

I was about to get up when I felt a bony hand in front of me. Looking up I saw another shadowed creature in close proximity. It was offering its hand for me to get up. Placing my hand on its hand I felt it wrap its long bony fingers around mine as it pulled me.

“Thank you,” I thanked it.

“No problem,” it whispered in its raspy voice with its head turned away looking in the opposite direction.

Once we began walking I noticed there were more than twenty creatures with us, gliding effortlessly on the ground as their ragged hooded clothes moved with the wind. My feet were protected by my brown shoes, shielding them from the cold ground which was getting covered by the snow.

“Where are we going?” I asked the shadow creature that walked along with me.

“There’s a cave that’s hidden underneath the land which is safe for now,” it replied. I realized it was smaller in size when compared to its fellow companions.

We were crossing over a lake and it felt familiar. There was a long bark of a tree which was chopped and an owl sat there hooting at us. The lake looked exactly like the one in my dream, it was anything but dirty and covered in moss. I knew for a fact that I wasn’t dreaming anymore and this was the reality. We walked for more than forty minutes as snowflakes blew from the sky. The land of dead was deserted with no one in sight but us. Finally, we reached a huge rock and in led the leader of the creatures while we followed him. Someone ignited a fire from one corner of the cave and putting on the torch like fire everywhere due to which the entire place brightened up.

“I didn’t know you guys could speak,” I said while the leader named Drux moved to one corner of the wall. Surprisingly there was a window like structure.

“We don’t have the ability of speech on your land but here,” he said turning towards me, “We are granted with certain gifts,” I saw the creature raise its hand and wondered what it was trying to do when I saw a zap like fire create in an instant.

“Wow,” I whispered in awe.

“Everyone has a different ability here but at your land, we are nothing but shadows that move in the dark,” the leader said. The fire in the cave wasn’t enough to keep the temperature warm and I shivered in cold.

“Why were you waiting for me?” I asked curiously. It then clicked that Max and his brother had once visited here, “Who else lives here apart from you guys?”

“Us and few other creatures. Men who have stepped on our land have always lost something while they have returned,” he said to which I nodded, “You have both the keys in you due to which you were able to cross over from the land of living to the land of dead. Your arrival was forecasted decades back and you’re the only one who can destroy the person.”

“Person? Who are you talking about?” I questioned.

“The person who wants to sacrifice you to get back the man she lost,” he said and I realized he was talking about Olivia, “The man died few hours just after he arrived here. It was a dark era of the land of living where there was so much bloodshed than the rain itself. The king had favored us back then, letting us reside with no harm being done. You being the bride of his son it’s our responsibility to see to it that you’re sent back safe. You make the perfect sacrificial object as your related now and you’re an angel.”

“The woman is mostly on her way here now. If she gains the upper hand not only will she sacrifice you but destroy our home too. We need you to stop her,” he said.

“I don’t have such power,” I confessed, “I don’t have my angel abilities.”

“This is Evan,” Drux introduced me to the creature which was next to me, “He has the ability to communicate on the land of living with signs which many of us are incapable of. A few days back when you were visiting the cave he signed you as you left.”

“It was you??” I exclaimed as I felt a little relieved that I wasn’t imagining stuff.

“I’m sorry if I freaked you out,” the creature named Evan said apologetically in its raspy voice.

“That’s alright,” I replied with a smile for it to only turn its face away from me. For some odd reason, it gave me an impression that it was a shy creature.

“His signing must have fastened the process of you crossing over because the witch is catching up faster than any time before. It was better to have you here beforehand and be prepared than she makes the first move. Your powers have returned, Eve,” Drux said coming to stand in front of me, “You haven’t looked into it,” he said making me blink few times.

“If I did I would have known,” I said as all the creatures looked at us now. I stood up.

“This place isn’t called the land of dead just like that. Apart from the dead beings it also brings out the potent feature of a beings natural instinct that can’t be hidden. This land mirrors the person to what he is. Look into your soul and try to find the lost magic as you claim.”

For the starting few seconds that passed by, I stood idly not knowing what exactly I was supposed to do. In those seconds I saw Ruka’s face. Was he searching for me now? Of course, he was but how could he crossover from the land of living to the land of the dead without the stones? And how was I going to get back? I only knew how to enter but my exit was unknown. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. It was kind of funny how all of them stared at me but it didn’t feel funny when the creature named Drux took a step forward towards. Panic rose quickly while I took one step back.

“Drux,” the creature named Evan warned his fellow creature by coming between us and keeping me a good distance away from Drux.

“She doesn’t know how to retrace her powers and this is our only option,” Drux said raising his hand but Evan slapped it away.

“We let her try first. If that doesn’t work we shall work it our way,” Evan said turning back to look at me, “Close your eyes and concentrate on what you feel and sense,” he instructed me.

I was quick to oblige as I felt I wouldn’t like whatever way they were talking about.

Now that I was concentrating I felt really cold as the breeze passed by me. Taking a deep breath I concentrated on my surroundings. The whisper of wind in the atmosphere and the silence that was gathered around me now were the ones I focused on. I felt a warm tingle on my back which felt ticklish in the beginning but slowly a searing pain evolved making me shriek with pain. With the velocity it started, it dispersed gradually, making me fall on the ground. My chest heaved for air and I looked up to see Drux with his arms crossed on his chest.

“She hasn’t recovered completely for her to use her angelic abilities yet,” one of the creatures spoke in a whisper.

“What do we do?” another asked.

“We are running out of time. We need to hurry,” Drux snarled looking out of the cave as I saw the sky change color slowly. The sun was going to rise soon. The creature named Evan spoke to me,

“This will hurt a little,” he said before I felt electric zaps on my arms.