~YULIA
I exhaled sharply as I stared at Lana and Jamal through the slit of the door.
They looked happy together and I was glad that Lana had finally found someone looking out for her.
“What’s on your mind, Yulia?” I heard Issa say behind me and I finally stepped away from the door.
I turned to look up at him. “Jamal got hurt today because of Helena. . . Which is also because of me.”
Issa shook his head at me. “No, you didn’t do this. Helena did. And we are going to catch that undead motherfucker, this time, I’ll make sure she can’t come back to life.”
There was determination in his voice as he said it and it made me smile. “I’m glad I have my own personal hero.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t call myself a hero. Not many people like me. I’d say that I’m your very own Villain.”
I laughed. “Right. . .” I began to walk away. “We should go home and re-strategise.”
I heard him fall into step behind me and I barely made it three steps when I felt a sudden zap in my core.
I gasped and when I blinked, the world turned dark. The temperature in the place dropped and my body instantly began to tremble.
Strange whispers reached my ears and I could swear I felt cold hands reaching out to me, touching me, feeling my skin.
I tried to move but it was almost as if I had ground roots and was now stuck on the spot.
I could no longer find Issa or the patients or the hospital. I was alone in this place.
This did not feel real. What the hell was happening to me?
I tried to speak. I blinked continuously, a thousand times but the darkness I had suddenly been shrouded in did not move.
“Child of Light. . . You didn’t really think that you had escaped me. . . Or that you could stay away from me. . .” An eerie voice whispered from the deepest core of the darkness.
I tried to move my lips but they were too busy trembling to let me speak.
I wanted to ask questions like who was this? Where did it come from? What did it want from me?
“This always happens everytime. . . You all try to fight me but eventually. . .” He trailed as he spoke as calmly as ever. “I always win. . . I thought the goddess would have learnt her lesson by now.”
The voice kept echoing in the darkness and that was when I saw large crimson eyes come to life in the deep dark void.
All my life, I had never been this terrified. This order was even more horrific than when I saw the shadow back at the council.
“Surrender to me and I will give you your heart’s greatest desire. . . Let me in, Child of Light. . . Or bad things will keep happening to the people you love until you lose them all.”
The threat of hurting my family fueled my anger and Yara finally emerged to the surface.
“I will not let you hurt my loved ones. I will kill you before you touch them!” I roared.
A cold chuckle scattered across the space and I felt tears from the fear and anger fill my eyes.
“You think I’m bluffing, don’t you?” He released that cold chuckle again. “I left you a little gift. You’ll soon find out just what I’m capable of and know that it’s all your fault.”
I released a loud roar as I tried to charge at him and that was when the darkness was lifted and I found myself back in the hospital.
“Yulia!” Issa exclaimed as he suddenly pulled me into a hug. “What the fuck just happened? You scared the shit out of me!”
But remnants of my tremors remained and all I could do was stare in shock.
Did he really mean what he said? Could he really hurt them?
“Lana! Where’s Lana?” I cried as I suddenly turned toward Jamal’s room.
“Lana is fine, we left her inside, remember?” Issa was saying but I was hell-bent on seeing her first.
I opened the door and saw that she was now sleeping beside Jamal. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw this and my legs suddenly weakened, making me lose my balance.
Issa was quick to catch me. “What’s going on, Yulia? Talk to me.”
The worry in his eyes was genuine and I looked away immediately.
“Was it the Darkness that Albus talked about? Did the Darkness try to seduce you?” He demanded as he stared fiercely into my eyes with his worried green ones.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to make him any more worried than he already was.
“N- no, I- I was-”
“That’s it, we’re going back to see Albus. I believe you’ll only talk to him,” Issa stated as he helped me stand straight and started leading me away.
I tried to stay in focus but my mind kept going back to whatever that living nightmare was. I could feel Issa’s eyes on me the entire time as he led me out of the hospital and into the car.
The drive was silent and I tried to act okay but anyone could see that I was shaken.
What gift could he have left behind for me? Was it just a bluff to scare me or could he really reach people that I cared about?
“I- I think that you should have guards watch over Lana and Jamal,” I muttered after a while.
Issa nodded. “And why do you think they are in danger? What are you not telling me?”
I looked up at him and shook my head. “I told you before. I can feel a storm coming.”
He was still suspicious of me but he did not press it. He probably believed that all answers would be gotten from Albus. I also hope that Albus could give me all the answers I needed as well.
We soon arrived at Albus’ mansion. Issa packed the car and I slowly got out.
“You ready?” He asked.
I nodded at him before exhaling sharply. Then I took the lead and walked to Albus’ house. I placed my hand to knock but the door creaked open, which was strange.
Did someone sneak in?
“Typical of Albus, he probably left the door open because he already knew we were coming back.” Issa said behind me.
I decided to go with what he said and walked into the house. But as I arrived at the fireplace and set my eyes on the evil awaiting me, my heart dropped.
Before nailed to the wall, blood flowing down from his body, eyes wide open in horror, skin completely pale with terror and black veins that bore witness to what happened to him- was Albus.
I screamed.