Back to the Beginning

From Author

Yaayyyyy . . . I finally made it and posted the next chapter but unfortunately, I didn't get the time to edit it so forgive any mistakes in this chapter.

Onto the chapter . . . 

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Darkness.

Silence.

The feeling of absolutely . . . nothing?

No sound. No smell. No light. No taste. No feelings. No memory.

Nothing.

. . .

"Christina."

. . . . Who?

Who was Christina?

Who was this person and who was he calling?

"Christina Norton."

. . . Christina Norton . . . 

That name . . . A vaguely familiar name.

"Chris."

. . . Chris . . . 

Chris was usually used as a boy's name but it was also short for Christina . . . Because she liked that name . . . and her father always agreed to go with everything she liked or wanted.

Chris's father. Christina Norton's father. Sebastian Norton.

Her father.

Chris jerked open her eyes and found the face of the person calling her name.

"You were brilliant, Chris. You did amazing," said the person smiling.

Chris was still disorientated but she recognized the person even in that dark place.

"Fer . . . gus . . .?" Chris barely managed to whisper. Her own voice sounded foreign to her.

"You were truly incredible," Fergus's smile widened. 

"What happened . . . and where are we?" Chris asked as she looked around and realized they were in a dark room. 

The room felt familiar as if Chris had seen that room somewhere before . . . a long time ago but the memory was still somewhere at the back of her mind. A dark room with only a small ray of light entering from a small crack above her somewhere. In that small light, Chris looked down at herself and saw she was sitting in the middle of the room, cross-legged as if she was meditating. 

And she was covered in something red and liquid. . . blood. She was covered in blood.

She brushed her face with the back of her hand since her palms were practically dripping with blood, and found blood on her face as well.

"That's not your blood . . ." Fergus said without Chris having to ask him. "Well, not all of it."

"Then who's – ?" Chris began but Fergus just extended his hand with a smile.

"How about we get you out of this place first?"

Chris was still a lot disoriented and lost but she trusted Fergus, even though she had no idea what was happening. So after a moment of hesitation, she gave Fergus her hand and Fergus gripped it tightly, despite all the blood staining his clothes and hands.

"Come on," Fergus helped Chris stand up, and for a second Chris stumbled. She felt she was standing on her legs for the first time. Everything felt new, unknown, and difficult for some reason.

"What's happening, Fergus?" Chris asked as she steadied herself with Fergus's help. There was this lingering fear inside her that she could feel but couldn't exactly put into words.

Hearing her Fergus sighed softly but gave Chris's hand a warm squeeze.

"Your soul is battered, Chris. It will take a while for you to recover."

"My soul?" Chris asked surprised. What was happening and why couldn't she remember anything? Why did it feel like everything was slipping through her fingers?

But Fergus didn't answer any of her questions, he just led her out of that dark room. They stopped in front of a door, which Chris didn't even notice before and that was when it hit her. She finally remembered where she had seen that very dark room.

"It was this room!" Chris spoke out loud, halting in her steps. "I saw this room before in my dreams when I was eleven!"

Fergus looked surprised for half a moment but then a knowing look settled on his face.

"You remembered."

"Yeah, I do. I was covered in blood in my dream too. And there were four people here with me but their faces weren't that clear. Maybe I didn't see it but it was definitely –"

"The four founders," Fergus finished Chris's thoughts.

"I . . . What's happening, Fergus?" Chris asked, at a loss for words.

"Chris, I . . ." Fergus hesitated for a moment before confessing. "I don't know."

"What? How? I mean –"

"Remember when I told you that I do not know what will happen after you possess the founder's powers? The fact still stands. I'm not exactly sure where we are right now. Like you, I have also seen this place just in your dreams and now standing here. Maybe we would know more if we got out of here."

Chris was also confused but knew Fergus was feeling just as lost, so she nodded. Fergus smiled softly at her agreement and while still holding her hand, he unlocked the latch on the door with his other hand and opened the door.

Bright blinding sunlight poured into the room and Chris and Fergus stepped out shielding their eyes. After Chris's eyes got used to the sudden brightness, she opened her eyes to find the outside was the complete opposite of the room. It was a beautiful green valley painted with a softly glowing afternoon sun, chirping and flying birds, a light comforting breeze, and swaying green trees. Green fields stretched as far as Chris could see and the soft sunlight felt comforting on her skin. It was perfect.

"Where are we?" Chris asked turning to look at Fergus and saw his eyes closed, he was soaking up the sunlight with a soft smile on his face. Chris smiled seeing him so free and relaxed. "You can feel the sunlight."

"I do," Fergus murmured. "The real sunlight. Not the thing I created under the temple. It's been so long."

Chris's smile widened as she felt genuinely happy for Fergus but then the realization hit her.

"Fergus . . . you can feel the sunlight . . . what does that mean? Are we . . . dead?"

Fergus gave a sympathetic smile before speaking, "Knowing my luck, I wouldn't get my hopes up about that."

"Fergus!" Chris chastised realizing the meaning.

Fergus chuckled. "I am talking about myself, Chris. I wouldn't hope that for you. You have been alive for only sixteen years, you have much more life to live but I have been alive for almost a thousand years, is it wrong for me to want to be free?"

"No, but . . ." Chris hesitated for a moment before letting out a small sigh. She looked over the vast green fields and spoke, "If I am really dead then I just wish I had said goodbye to friends this time. . . And for the record, I am seventeen."

"Your crazy time traveling doesn't count," Fergus said, amused and they both looked at each other and chuckled. 

Fergus placed Chris's hand around his arm to support her more firmly.

"Let's walk, let's get away from that room. I have a feeling we aren't alone here."

Chris was surprised but didn't ask any more questions and nodded at Fergus's suggestion. They started to walk and Chris was grateful for Fergus's support as she was feeling very weak. Usually, Chris had always power through tiredness and injuries but she couldn't do it at that moment. The pain and wariness felt like it was coming from somewhere deep within her. It wasn't just a bodily tiredness as Fergus told her it felt like her soul was tired. But Chris didn't want to dwell on it and thought even if she was dead, the place where they were in, was a peaceful place to live after death and maybe it was ok. But what really bothered her was the fact that she couldn't remember everything chronologically. Especially the part after she absorbed the founders' powers and even before that some memories were hazy, to say the least. 

"Fergus?"

"Yes?"

"What happened at the battle . . . after I . . . I unlocked the Founder's powers?"

"How much do you remember? After unlocking the power?" Fergus asked.

"Nothing. Everything just exploded. Everything went bright. I couldn't look and then . . ." Chris hesitated as she guessed what might have happened next. "I absorbed the powers, didn't I? That's why I don't remember anything after that."

"Yes, you experienced a complete blackout. But rest assured, you were brilliant and you fulfilled your destiny. You did what you needed to do. You defeated Maligno and took back the crystal," Fergus proudly informed.

"What? Really?" Chris almost smiled, she almost jumped in joy but then another realization followed. "So we are definitely dead then?"

"You are not dead, Christina."

Suddenly, a familiar voice came out of nowhere.

Chris spun to her side and stared at very familiar old blue eyes. Albus Dumbledore was walking toward them, sprightly and upright, wearing sweeping robes of midnight blue.

[To be conituned]