14 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Okay, ladies! Start running, now!" Our teacher said, clicking her device and taking a few steps back.

I sighed and began running. I felt tired. I couldn't cope with P.E. at that moment and so, I finished running as the last one. The teacher came to me as I was panting and holding on my knees on the green grass. "Moore! What's wrong with you? You used to run way faster!"

I rolled my eyes. She said that to me every time I ran. "I doubt that. I'm feeling like throwing up. Can I go to the bathroom?"

She frowned, but made a quick hand movement towards the building. "Go. Don't tell anyone I let you, 'kay?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I told her, smiling because she let me off the hook that easy.

Taking a deep breath, I walked at a fast pace towards the building, being careful to not be seen by anyone. The P.E. teacher was so focused on the class that I could stay in the locker room for the rest of it without her noticing. I sighed in relief when I opened the door and I sat on the bench, trying to make my heart beat slower. I looked up and noticed a huge mirror leaned against a locker. My brows furrowed. It seemed a worker forgot it here instead of placing it in a bathroom.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds, calming down. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

I sudden noise made me open my eyes quickly and turn my head.

It was a scream. Goosebumps appeared on my arms and the back of my neck. For no reason, I felt terrified.

Looking around in the locker room, my brows furrowed.

It didn't look like that before.

My heart started racing again, even though I was standing still. Inhale. Exhale.

Everything around me was... grey. No color at all. Black and white. The floor was muddy and my shoes almost got stuck on it. I grimaced, watching the disgusting mud remaining on the back of my shoe. "What the hell is happening?!" I whispered to myself, confused by all this... change.

There were no walls. There were no lockers. I wasn't in the locker room anymore. I took a few steps and the only things I could see were the grey sky and the repulsive mud. "Is anyone here?" I yelled, pressing my hands on my head.

It's okay, it's okay. Don't panic. Be strong.

How could I?! I was in the middle of nowhere!

"Anyone?" I continued, my voice getting shaky and on the verge of crying.

This couldn't happen. I had no idea what was going on. It was even worse than the shadow things. It was... lonely.

I narrowed my eyes and spotted something about ten feet away from me. It was someone there. My chest filled with hope and, almost running, I reduced the distance and I realized something: what if that person... wasn't human at all?

I stopped abruptly, considering this fact. My chest was going up and down on an unsteady rhythm. I have to find out. I don't have anything better to do, anyway.

"Excuse me?" I whispered, surprising myself on how dry my throat was. I cleared my throat and tried again: "Sorry? Can you hear me?"

With short steps, I came closer and his shape became clearer to me: a man with his back at me, carrying something in his arms. He was wearing a long black robe and his long, grey hair almost made me think he was a woman.

"Sorry!" I said again, getting a grip on his shoulder. He stopped like he finally heard me. I took a few steps back, suddenly scared by this weird person. But I had no other option, did I?

Slowly, he pivoted and I got to see his face.

Wish I didn't.

I widened my eyes, staring at his blank expression. But not his expression was the problem. His eyes...

... weren't there. His eyes sockets were empty and black, small black veins growing around them. His arms were carrying wood and they suddenly fell, the wood hitting the ground and splashing mud around. He took a step forward and I took one back, shaking my head and forcing myself not to cry.

What was happening?! I felt like in a horror movie. One more second and I would've started running away from him but his action made me stay a bit longer. He raised his hands in front of his chest. Like he was trying to say he won't do anything to me. I inhaled deeply, feeling trapped in a nightmare.

This can't be real. This is just my imagination.

"I won't hurt you, young lady." He whispered, making me frown.

His harsh voice hurt my ears, but his tone was gentle, like he really meant it. My jerky inhalation made me see double and I closed my eyes a few seconds to calm down...

"Ivy!"

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a pair of worried, small, black eyes. His brows furrowed and a line appeared on his forehead.

"Where am I?" I asked Caiden, realizing I was staring at the ceiling.

"In the locker room. What happened? Why are you lying on the floor? Were you sleeping or...?"

His voice gradually became suspicious, like he thought I was standing there for no reason at all. I scoffed, trying to raise my upper body and resting my elbows on the floor. "I have no idea where I was a few seconds ago. Everything was grey. There was mud on the ground. Sticky mud. And there... there was an old man with grey hair and black robe, but his eyes... his eyes sockets were... empty. And black."

He listened patiently to my blabbering and when I finished he touched his bottom lip and bored his eyes into mine. "I think you visited hell."

I widened my eyes, freezing for a few seconds. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. I sensed weird energy here a few minutes ago and I came. I thought it could've been the coalition. But as I see, it's something even worse than that. The balance is almost destroyed. Humans can even enter the other dimension. It's worse than I thought..." His last sentence was a whisper and it gave me the chills, a shiver running down my spine.

"And... and what does it mean?" I asked him and he sighed, getting to his feet.

"This means the world might end if I don't get that memory." He explained, but, oh, I wish he didn't.

The stress clenched my heart and let me short of breath. He lent me his hand and I got a grip on it, leaving him to get me to my feet. I grimaced as a sharp pain went through my chest. My whole body hurt, like I ran way more than just 500 meters at P.E.

He threw me a quick glance and then pivoted, walking towards the exit. I followed him, rubbing my arms. The room became chilly and the only thing I could think about was those man's non-existent eyes and, I was quite sure, they will haunt me in my nightmares.

***

"What a nice flat! I can see why you want to stay here." Emily said, winking at me and admiring Caiden's room.

Gabe flopped onto the bed and took out his phone immediately. I rolled my eyes and smiled, amused.

Caiden entered the room, searching it thoroughly with the corners of his eyes. I frowned but said nothing. Probably he was looking for anything Jessica could've left behind, like a special, sharp knife.

Emily sat on the bed, next to Gabe, and took some big sheets from her backpack and put them in front of her, adding some markers as well. "We'll create a poster. I can draw. I need you to tell me more about that Eda thing and then we can go somewhere nice like Starbucks." She said, throwing her blonde and long hair on her back and smirking like her plan was unbelievably good.

Caiden folded his arms and leaned his back against the wall. "Sounds good. Let's go to the kitchen, so you can write easily."

He took a few steps and opened the room's door, waving towards it and looking straight into Emily's eyes. This invitation was open just for her. I sighed as Emily blinked twice, got to her feet, and left the room, with Caiden gazing at her all the time. He threw me a quick look and lifted his head. I bit my lips and nodded. I knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to get the memory at that moment.

He closed the door and let me sighing alone, with Gabe giving me weird glances. "What?" I asked him, sitting where Emily was a few seconds ago.

"Nothing. You and your boyfriend are strange, just that. Why did he take Emily into the kitchen? Shouldn't we... I don't know, do the project together?"

I chuckled. No one cared about that stupid project anyways. "Yea, well, we are pretty useless, aren't we?" I said, lowering my eyes and playing with my nails.

Gabe looked up at my face and left the phone on the bed. "Is something wrong?"

"No... it's..."

I couldn't finish my sentence because a terrifying scream coming from the kitchen made us both widen our eyes and flinch, surprised by the sudden noise.

Emily.

Oh, no. Why did I trust a demon? What was wrong with me? Why did I let her come here when I knew he wanted her?

If something happens to her, I'll never forget myself.

With my heart almost exploding in my chest, I sprinted towards the kitchen and opened the door so fast I almost fell on the floor. Panting, I looked up and bit my tongue.

Caiden, with his white hair and snowy eyes. His brows furrowed, his eyes focused and his full lips became a thin line. His hands with his long, white nails were pressed onto Emily's head. She squeezed her eyes shut and a few tears trickled down her face.

I heard Gabe gasping behind me, but I didn't care about him at that moment. "You're hurting her!" I yelled at him, taking a step forward, ready to interrupt his weird incantation, but a glimpse of red-hair made me stop.

Jessica jumped on the open window and grinned at me, coming closer to me and Gabe. "Sorry, Ivy Moore, but you can't stop him now. One mistake and her mind will be fucked up for eternity."

I drew a deep breath, without being able to move my eyes from her painful expression. I didn't know if what Jessica said was meant just to scare me and let them get the memory or not, but I couldn't risk.

"What the... the hell is happening?" Gabe muttered, his voice shocked by the things he was witnessing.

"Oh, sweety, don't worry. Your friend is gonna be fine." Jessica said, mocking my worried expression, drawing her brows together.

My hands started shaking and a shiver went down my spine. I exhaled sharply and opened my mouth, ready to tell her...

Caiden jerked his hands away and Emily fell from the chair, collapsing on the cold floor. He whined, pressing his hands on his head. He frowned and turned his head towards me. "She's all yours now. It didn't work anyway." He said, short of breath.

I saw Jessica with the corner of my eye, widening her eyes, but I had much more important problems.

I ran towards Emily and lifted her head. She was unconscious. I turned my body towards Gabe, who was standing in the doorway, looking terrified like he would've collapsed as well. "Gabe." I said and waited approximately a minute until his glossy eyes bored into mine. "Take Emily and go. Leave this place as fast as you can. Okay?"

The color drained out of his face but he managed to nod and, with a little help from me, he took Emily in his muscular arms and left the kitchen. As soon as I heard the flat's door closing, I jerked my head towards Caiden who was still massaging his temples. "What the hell was that?! You hurt her!"

He sighed, not looking at me. "I didn't expect it. She wasn't relaxed as I told her. She felt... guilty. I told her I wanted to show her a relaxing trick. I think she misunderstood."

An assumption started dancing in my mind. "She probably thought you were hitting on her! And I'm her best friend and you're my boyfriend, of course she felt guilty!"

He sighed and I didn't know what to say more. I felt the urge to slap him. But I knew better than anyone else he could've killed me in a blink of an eye.

"Yea, yea, she's gonna be fine, Caiden's sorry, blah, blah. Did you really fail?" Jessica asked, lowering her body so her face was at the same level as Caiden's.

"No." Caiden almost smiled and Jessica sighed in relief. "You won't believe it when she was touched."

She frowned, resting her elbows on her knees. "When?"

"At the stupid party from last year. When we killed the incubus and the warrior."

My eyebrows rose, watching them throwing meaningful glances at each other. "Is it, possibly... the party you made me pass out?!" I asked Jessica and she turned around at me with a blank expression. Caiden furrowed his brows.

"Yea that one. Remember the yellow head and the sexy guy? I saw them approaching you. Demons. You didn't see Caiden there because he was too busy to move their bodies."

The creepy guy and blondie boy. They were... demons?