Chapter 16: My Way Home?

Blackness becomes everything, till it reaches a point where I can't even feel myself.

But what I do feel is the suffocation, and the eagerness to tear out of whatever this is.

Luckily, I don't have to dread this sensation any longer, as light and figures form before my eyes.

I erratically breathe in an enormous gulp of air, whilst coughing at the same time.

"Hahahaha." Laughter booms into my ears, and I know who said laughter emanates from. "Should have held out a little longer, perhaps you would've suffocated to death."

I turn to meet the voice of the wolf named Ruth, expecting to see her in her usual condescending demeanor.

But despite the lively outburst, she looks as pale as chalk.

I don't have anything to say to her, but I wonder why she looks like she is about to die.

A sinister part of me, which is very bitter about the wounds I am suffering from because of her, wishes she got some metal projectile from the fight at the warehouse, lodged finely between her heart, and someplace vital.

But I push these thoughts aside and focus on where exactly it is I am.

It doesn't take me long to realize that I am leaning on one of the walls surrounding Darius' castle.

"Enjoy the time you have in this world," She says, and I turn to meet her, but I only find a shadow taking on her form. "Because I can guarantee it won't be much."

Her shadow dissolves into the ground, and she is gone.

The absence of her presence is enough to make me breathe a sigh of relief.

But as I do, the wounds that were halfway through being healed bite at me rather aggressively.

I can't dwell on it, I find purchase on whatever it is I can, so as to erect myself, and find a way inside.

The wall is the only thing I have nearby to support me up, my hands stretch out, and as I do, I feel something coming between me and the wall.

A second of investigation, reveals to me the item Elias gave me.

I don't know exactly how I forgot about it, but as I remember, I also remember his words.

'Keep the totem safe and no matter what, do not tell Darius or anyone about it.'

A totem, why in the world would he give me a totem?

I analyze it, searching for anything particularly special about it.

My search does not carry on for more than a heartbeat, as I see its ornate carvings and design, shimmer, against the light of nothing.

Because my shadow is obscuring it.

Though I am intrigued, I still have yet to know what it does.

But what I do know, is I can't let anyone know about it.

"Souvenir?"

A voice rings into my ears so suddenly, causing me to flinch, and clumsily shut my hand, hiding the totem from...her?

I realize it is Celine.

I turn to her, feeling a mix of emotions, but as I expected, I find fangs bearing down on me.

"Celi..." I don't finish before being picked up and shoved against the wall.

"I didn't want to believe it, but you're more stupid than I had hoped." She growls at me.

"Celine, listen, I..."

"Shut up." She cuts me short, then she pulls me along.

I can feel myself hoisted a few inches off the ground, but after a gust of wind blasted into my face, I find the environment has changed.

Celine lets go of me, and I fall to my backside.

She turns to face the wall, which I just noticed, is the side located at the back of the castle.

Whereas the wall we were adjacent to just a second ago, was on the west side of the castle.

Celine carried me and zoomed our way here in a heartbeat.

I wonder what she is doing on the wall, but the pounding of my heart won't let me focus.

What is she feeling? What is she going to do? Does she hate me?

The sting of my betrayal all of a sudden burrows into me like a hole of a giant sandworm.

I didn't mean to hurt, her, but...I had to.

*RUSTLE* reverberates into the air, then before my eyes, I find the wall creating a human-sized hole.

"Wh..." I attempt to speak, but the words stop at my throat.

"Get up." She says, then she heads into the hole, without looking at me once.

I force myself up, then I follow.

The hole shuts behind me, cutting off any light whatsoever, which leaves this, wherever pitch black.

I take a step forward, but as I do, I don't find any platform ahead, so I fall.

*CLICK* brings light into this tunnel as I have just discovered what this place is, and I stay halfway into a fall, and halfway standing on one leg, as Celine had placed a hand on my chest, thus preventing me from descending down the stairway that leads downwards.

She doesn't meet my gaze for more than a second, before pushing me back, causing me to slam back first into the wall behind me.

I groan, but she doesn't care.

She continues down the stairs, and I watch her descend a few steps before I force myself forward.

We keep at it for about three minutes before the path ahead is a straight one, departing from the stairs and making it solid ground we step on.

I try to speak to Celine, but each time, my tongue ties.

What could I possibly say to her?