Eternity in the darkness - Chapter 97

Eve’s POV:

The muscles in my body hurt as I tried to stand up, taking the tree’s support I got up as I saw Olivia order the corpses that were behind her. On the other side I saw the shadowed creatures try to tear the barrier as they charged forward to fight with the corpses again. Few of the shadowed creatures attacked Olivia but she effortlessly fought them like they were stuffed toys.

I held my sword tighter in my hand as I pushed myself against the tree, taking deep breaths as I got my legs steady. It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t scared right now. I was having a blood rush but I knew better to be strong than scared. Olivia’s words kept ringing in my head. I couldn’t run away and if I could where would I run to? I had no idea where the exist to the land of dead was and I couldn’t let Ruka step in because if he did…he wouldn’t be able to return back.

What ever I was supposed to do I had to do it soon before Ruka stepped into land of dead. When I took a step forward I heard something creek next to me making me spin around with the sword in front of me.

“Shh,” Evan said in his raspy voice, “We need to get you out of here. Come,” he took hold of my hand as he pulled me along with him.

“Where are we going?? They need our help,” I said in a rush as we went through the forest running.

“Your powers are taking time to harness all the energy. We need to prolong before she comes to get you, my companions will distract her until then,” he said as we made our way through the lush green trees, “Don’t worry you’ll fight her but not this minute or the next.”

As we headed to a safe place, silence creeped in except for our light footsteps on the snowy ground. When I turned back to see if anyone was following us I noticed the small trail of blood behind was.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I hadn’t realized my leg was bleeding and I couldn’t run anymore after five minutes therefore I stopped, huffing for air. Maybe if I ran like this in sports I would have come first in the track team.

“We need to run, Eve,” Evan said looking behind me while I had my hands on my knees, “I don’t think they can hold her back anymore.”

“I-I cann-ot,” I shook my head as my head felt fuzzy due to fatigue.

“Alright,” he said looking around, “We’ll stay here until you feel you can walk again,” he suggested and I nodded while I leaned my back on the tree. The sky was deep blue in color as I gazed up. It wasn’t snowing but there was enough snow on the ground.

“Can you sense if Ruka and the others have stepped into the land of dead?” I asked after few seconds passed by.

“There’s no change in the atmosphere since Olivia entered so I doubt if your mate has come,” he said looking towards me, “Are you waiting for him?” he asked me.

“I wished before he did but after what Olivia said-”

“You don’t want him to come,” Evan completed making me smile and nod at the same time.

“Yeah,” I replied and spoke, “If he can enter the land of dead without the stones there should be a way to get out for him. Right? Though it’s just an assumption. I don’t know what’s going to be the outcome of this battle but I want to be able to go back to Ruka in the end and of course have this land handed over to you guys safely.”

“Hmm,” he responded and I heard an owl hoot above us making my heart jump which made Evan chuckle, “You remind me of someone I knew long back in the land of living.”

“I do?” I asked tilting my head in question.

“Yes, when I lived in the land of living,” he said surprising me but before I could ask him anything he pulled me to his side making an arrow nearly miss me, “She’s here,” he alerted me.

I stood straight but I felt something sharp pierce my body making me grit my teeth to prevent myself from screaming with pain. We looked around to see where Olivia was but there was no sign or trace of her. I could feel my heart beating like a fish trying to struggle outside water. Calm, I said to myself, taking deep breaths but it turned to short when I heard Olivia speak behind us. We turned quickly to face her as she took a step gracefully with her bare feet. Evan came forward while he pushed me behind him.

“You’ll have to fight me before you even touch her,” he said pulling a sword out of his ragged clothes.

“If you insist,” she said clicking her teeth while she raised her sword, “Eve, did you know your getting people hurt because of you stupidity. I asked only for you but you have here creatures putting their life ahead of you unnecessarily,” she said and before she came to strike me, Evan pushed me out of the way making me fall on the ground.

“I have waited so long for this,” I heard Evan say as he took away his ragged like cloak away from his body and presenting a skeleton like structure beneath it. There was something odd the way his back and face was structured. Something clicked in my head as I saw what was going on in front of me.

Evan and Olivia fought for the others throat while I stood there stupefied but only for a short while until I fell on the ground with pain. Their swords clashed against each other, making the sound resonate throughout the forest. One of the tree with a smaller trunk fell down as Evan trying to attack Olivia. I could see the sparks flying around as their swords met each other in a furious battle. The trees around was an advantage to Evan as he could glide over easily but at the end Olivia was far more powerful than Evan was. After all she was a witch of dark sorcery while he was just a shadowed creature. Something sparked making Evan bring both his hands around his throat and fall backwards.

“EVAN!” I went to his side and saw him heave for air like he was struggling to breath, “What did you do?” I asked Olivia who just smiled looking at her sword.

“Putting his misery to death. There’s only darkness beyond this place, now then,” she replied nonchalantly, “Let’s get your pretty heart sacrificed and all of this will come to an end,” she said looking at me.

“Save yourself,” I heard Evan say with his raspy voice though his jaw didn’t move. He was telepathically talking to me. I stood up holding the sword in grip and saw her smile flatter a little before she came at me, her sword slicing the nearest tree as I dodged. I put my all as I pushed her sword and striked it.

“You fight well,” she complimented me as I defended myself against her, “But a light can be diminished by darkness.” First she cut the chain that was around my neck and then thanks to her my sword went flying to my right side. We had come to a bare land without trees now.

“We could do this in a more nicer way but you didn’t listen,” she said raising her hand towards me.

“Don’t you feel any remorse?” I asked her.

“Remorse for what? For liking the man of my sister’s mate? Or killing my mate?” she asked me with a sick smirk, “Or killing my family?”

I looked her in her eye and saw the hollowness in it. She was an empty shell, void of emotions. I wish someone had saved her before she gave in to the darkness.

“Tell goodbye, sweetheart,” she said chuckling as a red light emitted from her palm that was raised at me.

“You know something, Olivia,” I said with a smile now which only confused her. I could feel myself rejuvenate as seconds passed like something cool circulated me, “You were so clouded by the darkness that you failed to notice certain things. Things like how your mate loved you and how much you could love him. Things like how much your sisters trusted you but you only betrayed them. Everyone is obsessed with something but your obsession has passed its limit. Lastly you failed to notice that if light can be hovered and diminished by darkness then so can light brighten up a darkened place.”

When the red light like substance came towards me I raised my hand and saw a blue light pushing it back. My wings hadn’t returned but my powers did. I knew at this situation it was kill or be killed and I couldn’t have second thoughts about it. The red and blue light tried overcoming each other as they moved back and forth. The wind around us had increased its speed as the leaves moved fervently.

As I was both injured and tired, the strength I had was leaving me and slowing the red light began overpowering my energy.

“My obsession is going to win, dear Eve,” she said as the red light closed in towards me but someone seemed to have interrupted it as Olivia stood still in her place with her hands on her either side, “My obsession…” she said softly as she fell on her knees.

Ruka was standing right behind her with his black wings spread wide. His hand covered in blood and I saw Olivia fall forward, noticing the deep hollow formed at her back.