~YULIA
I saw the Darkness coming for me.
It came in the form of a large intimidating shadow and it consumed all the light in its vicinity.
I tried to run. I tried to move my legs but nothing happened. I remained rooted to the ground, watching in horror as it came for me.
It screeched and I winced at the sound.
My entire body began to tremble. I was sweating all over. The darkness reached me and that was when adrenaline shot through my veins and broke me out of the captivity of the Darkness’ presence.
My legs began to move and I ran for it. But the Darkness did not seem to like it. It screeched and the sound threatened to force me down on my knees.
Yet I fought it with all my might and I was almost running off when I felt something cold close around my left leg.
Once its grip was firm, it pulled my leg and my balance gave way. I saw the ground getting closer and I finally fell face first onto the ground.
I cried out in pain and began to fight against the Darkness’ hold but it was strong.
It pulled me back.
“Help!” I screamed but there was no one.
I had no idea where I was.
I screamed again but it kept pulling me.
A soft wicked chuckle echoed through the space. “You can’t fight it.”
It was a feminine voice, the same as the one from the council.
“Allow it to consume you, like it consumed me. . .” She whispered.
The darkness finally stopped and it turned me around. I was met face to face with the massive thick shadow that it existed in.
My eyes went wide with shock as I instantly became paralysed with fear. The cold that came with the darkness started sipping in and my teeth began to clatter against themselves.
“The Darkness is not your enemy. . . It is your friend. . . It will give you everything you want. . .”
She laughed again and it echoed throughout the space.
“Think about it, Child of Light. . .”
That was when I gasped awake and jolted into a sitting position instantly. I stared around wide eyed only to see that I was back in our room, where Issa and I had made love.
He was no longer on the bed and I was about to go find him when he stepped out of the bathroom naked, dripping wet.
He had an amused expression when he saw that I was awake but when he took in my facial expression, he instantly knew something was wrong.
“What happened? Did you have a nightmare?” He demanded as he ran to my side, touched one of my hands and placed his free hand on my cheek.
Was it okay to tell him about my vivid dream? Was it even real?
It was probably the aftermath of seeing all those people die. It would worry him for nothing if I went ahead and told him about it.
So I nodded. “I had a nightmare.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. Then I ran into his embrace. “The only thing that will make me feel better is if you take me to Albus.”
He pulled away and stared down at me with a heavy sigh before nodding. “You should go take your bath, then.”
I rose and hurried into the bathroom naked. I washed up as fast as I could and by the time I stepped out, Issa was already fully dressed and waiting for me.
So I hurriedly got into clothes, I chose loose clothes because I did not have it in me to wear fitted clothes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Issa asked.
A flash of my vivid dream rushed through my mind and I had to struggle not to flinch. I forced a smile.
“I am.”
He stared at me suspiciously for a while before nodding. He offered me his hand and I walked with him till we got outside.
The drive to Albus’ home was silent and I could feel Issa’s constant stares all the way there. He could sense my mood even if I was lying to him.
“We’re here,” Issa announced.
It was easy getting into Albus’ home this time. He had already given us free access.
“It would be a lie if I told you I wasn’t expecting your visit,” Albus announced as he led us to chairs in his lounge- by the fireplace. “Would you like tea, coffee or water?”
“Coffee, your strongest.”
Issa gave me that worried look again but I avoided his stare. I sat perfectly on a sofa and Issa chose to sit with me. He snaked his hand into mine, a little gesture to show that we were in this together.
This earned him a smile from me. Support was one of the things desperately needed.
“So what do you want to know?” Albus asked, as if he did not already know.
“Iris said something at the council. She said I would destroy myself.”
Albus stared at me intensely. “We noticed through the years that along the line, Every Child of Light is consumed by a strange madness brought about by a supposed Darkness. But since they were always facing a crisis at their time, they all ended up dying to protect wolves and none lived long enough to see through to what the darkness would do to them.”
I froze. “When does the darkness begin to plague them?”
“You still have plenty of time before that happens and there’s no guarantee how true that is. It’s just a theory based on what each Child of Light kept feeling.”
I frowned at him. “As it ever occured to you that it could have been this same Darkness that consumed and seduced Helena, therefore causing her to lose her powers?”
Albus froze. “Has the Darkness begun to torment you? Has it started trying to seduce you?”
I froze. Was I to tell the truth or lie again? Was Albus going to call me out for a liar if I did?
“Yulia, has the Darkness called to you?”