Chapter 3- A Different World

I can't remember everything that happened after fighting that demon. If anything, I only felt like I was floating around an endless space. There was no pain, no suffering, and no sadness. It felt comforting at first, but the more I stayed there, the more I wanted to feel something just to feel if I were alive.

I was already asking myself if this was the afterlife? This way too different from the souls I have spoken to during my seances and exorcisms. Geez, I guess I had been lied to.

Suddenly, I heard a whistling breeze. The cold breeze tickled my ear. I tried opening my eyes but there was only darkness everywhere I look. Have I even truly opened my eyes at this point? After floating endlessly in nothingness, the first sensation I felt was weird and overwhelming.

I felt my body hitting hard on the solid ground. The blade vibrated it hit the ground and I finally felt a surge of pain travelling all over my body. I tried groaning, but the pain was unbearable.

I held the tip of the blade protruding from my belly. I gripped the sword hard and felt blood running from my palms. I gritted my teeth and pushed the blade back. I am not sure if I screamed or not, I was feeling dizzy… too dizzy, I—

"What day is it already?" I asked myself as I awakened from the loud roaring thunder.

Rain began to fall from the heavens. My eyes opened once again. A bolt of lightning lined the sky, spreading all over the dark canvas. I slowly moved my body and felt the stabbing pain in my gut. I touched the wound and felt the oozing blood from it.

My wound hasn't healed well. That's probable. The weapon who inflicted this wound was Percival, a sacred blade. It could be just luck or dumb fate, but I have lived after being hit by it. If it were Tryste who stabbed me with it, I am sure to die.

I rolled to my back wincing in pain. My mouth was too dry, the blood and dirt were parching my throat. I opened my mouth and caught the raindrops. The rainwater tasted bitter and dirty. What was that?! Is that really rainwater? I tried spitting the water out, but I was too thirsty to do it. I would rather drink this now than suffer.

After a while, I stood up and tried looking for shelter. The cold wind blew hard, and it wasn't helping my wound. It was difficult standing up, let alone walking but being soaked in such a bad weather is even worse. The downpour was wild, as if a storm came and was devastating the place.

I was walking in a dark, muddy path. My only solace were the strikes of lightning that lit up the path for me.

"What is it with this place?" I asked mumbled.

The air was too heavy, filled with dust and some other things that made it too dirty. The water was also not clean. The rainwater tasted bitter with a salty aftertaste. I realized a few steps later that I landed on a hill. The rainfall and breeze made me realize I was at a high elevation.

I finally saw a small, abandoned shack, a hundred steps from where I landed. It was a dilapidated house of some sort, I desperately walked inside as the wound throbbed even more. I stumbled inside the dark, tight space and landed on some hard metallic things. I am not sure what they were, and I was too tired and in pain to find out. My eyes closed involuntarily, hopefully not for good…

"MASTER DARWIN! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"MASTER DARWIN!!!"

I woke up once again, cold and confused. Outside I could here voices of clamoring over a name. I heard their footsteps squishing over the mud and splashing on the puddles.

"Master Darwin!!!"

Their voices echoed once again. I laid on the floor silently and unmoving. I could hear them outside the abandoned shack, mumbling or maybe speaking…things. I really couldn't understand them. It sounded forceful and desperate but at the same time, it had soft and gentle tones. I rather not say a word and keep myself silent while there was a commotion outside.

After a few minutes, the voices finally faded. I sighed and looked around as my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the room. I saw tridents and nets hung on the sides of the shack. Am I in some sort of torture chamber?! Highly unlikely, the place looked like a storage more than—is that a pair of scissors?! I have never seen such gigantic ones! Are they using this to decapitate or amputate someone?! This was far too brutal!

The door suddenly creaked open. I held my breath and tried my best not to move. I immediately grabbed the first thing I felt in my hand. It seemed like a wooden staff; this should be enough to fend this intruder.

I tried feeling my magic, but I was too weak to produce a spell. My regeneration magic drained most of my energy. At the moment, I only have enough strength to knock the intruder down. Other than that, I could only hope that they go down in one hit.

A small figure sneaked inside the shack. I could hear the intruder fumbling on the devices hanging on the walls. I could hear him breathe from where I was, it sounded desperate and young.

I could hear him whispering to himself. He seemed to be agitated and panting, seemingly hiding from something or someone? Could it be those other people were looking for him?

Suddenly, I felt shivers down my spine. Something wasn't right. The air began to feel heavy and suffocating. It felt like a someone or something with a powerful magical presence was heading this way. My body reacted involuntarily. I crept behind the child so I could pull him away in case the presence might notice us.

I could hear an audible hiss from outside the shack. It sounded like a giant snake… like a---

All of the sudden, the shack was torn in half. Luckily, I was able to grab the child before the other half of the abandoned house got torn away. I immediately covered the child's eyes.

"Do not struggle!" I said. "Don't struggle! I am here to help—Arrrghh!" The child stepped on my gut.

I could feel my stomach twisting from the kick. I winced in pain as the child apparently ran away. I could hear the hiss once more. I looked up and was surprised to see it.

A Gorgona?! I covered my mouth and looked down at the ground. The last thing you want was to look into its eyes. I saw its humanoid body towering over me as its tail slithered. It seemed to haven't noticed me. It simply leapt over me and proceeded to chase the child.

I immediately stood up and was able to ride on its tail. I no longer have any magic to battle this monster, nor Durandal to skewer the Gorgona, but I have to try and kill it. I wouldn't let it touch that child.