Rebirth after Ruin

As I darted through the forest, the sounds of battle started to fade into the distance as I ran further and further away from the Blightheart manor and their domain altogether.

In the last 2 years, most of my emotions had faded, but at this point I felt my emotions that had long since faded come back slightly, elation and hope finally filled me as I ran through the forest, free at last. I even felt tears form in my eyes, something that again hadn't happened for a long long time it felt like...

I had suffered, suffered more than I could have ever imagined. When I first came to this forest, I was lost and alone yet I still held hope in myself that I would survive and get out of here one day. When that day came, when Jason found me, the hope I had diminished as I fell victim to what I thought was my fate.

However, as I pushed on. Heeding my fathers' words, his will, to keep going and keeping them close to my heart, I managed to pull through even through such cruelty. I was broken down and reshaped. My morals had shifted but I felt more resolute in myself and more hardened to make the decisions I needed in order to survive from here on.

I say my morals had shifted as when I smacked Dron, Jason's house-elf, down to the ground to make my escape… I felt no remorse. Despite knowing that Dron was just doing what he was being ordered to do, my mind was hardened and my heart was cold. I wanted to survive, survive so I could destroy whatever brought me here in the first place.

This forest that kept me captive, it was a symbol of fear to me but it was also where I was reborn. Even though I was uneasy at what lied ahead for me, I felt comfort knowing I had overcome the weakness I cultivated when I first appeared here.

The obscurus I had generated due to me suppressing my own magic inadvertently became my greatest asset, all because of one slim memory re-awakening when seeing the book Jason held in his hands all those days ago. Fate was strange, maybe someone wanted this to happen to me, to gain this ability over my obscurus but I couldn't know at this point.

I could only know if I managed to make it out of this place.

Stopping for a breather, noting I had run quite a distance, I sat underneath a tree and looked up at the night sky. Seeing the starlight descend upon me for the first time in 2 years gave me a sense of fulfilment. As I was lured in by the gaze of the starlight though, the light above darkened as different figures apparated through the skies heading towards the destination I had ran from.

Looking at these people apparating towards the Blightheart domain, I could only guess it was probably other clans and families within the forest who had caught wind of what was happening there. I could barely make out some witches and wizards, but I also could see vampires and even werewolves passing across the skies above.

I waited for them all to leave, holding my breath under the tree I was resting at. When I noticed they had all gone, I picked myself back up and kept on running.

I'd been in this damned forest for far too long now…

.

Since my escape from the Blighthearts, a few days had passed now. Thankfully, there was no sign of anyone coming after me. I feared Jason may have put some tracking magic on me at one point however I realised after some time that Jason probably never even considered me ever being able to leave his grasp. His confidence and pride over his strength had let me escape with even greater certainty.

The forest seemed to span for miles and miles. Noting this I realised that the black forest, at least what was vaguely mentioned in the books, was nothing like what was actually the case in front of me. To house all these clans and families, the area I was in was definitely enchanted. I did worry upon thinking on this point, yet I suppressed my worry realising that Felix was able to leave his clan for a while so I should be able to leave here as well.

On a particular night though, as I laid down to rest, I felt something within the forest resonate with me. It was a weird phenomenon, as if I was feeling a heartbeat similar to mine that pounded within me sending shivers down my spine. I knew the dangers of this forest at this point but I just couldn't help myself wander towards the source of this sensation.

Heading towards the source, I found myself at a clearing. The clearing felt eerily peaceful despite being in this dark place. Like an ancient grove tucked away from the world, a hovel of peace within this chaotic place.

In the centre a tree stood tall and it towered above the rest of the trees in the surroundings.

This tree was the source of the resonance, but looking at it I couldn't understand why. The tree itself looked incredibly mystical though… Its bark was nearly jet back only broken up by blue veins that seemed to spread throughout it. It also gave off a slight glow, not only at its trunk but on all the leaves it had sprouted.

Each leaf was a light azure colour and looking at these leaves I felt a sense of comfort I hadn't felt ever since arriving at this forest. What I didn't realise was whilst I was so fixated on the tree, there was actually something sleeping underneath it.

As my eyes panned down to the entity sleeping beneath the trees canopy, my heart sunk slightly.

"You again?"

The dark beast I had met on my first day here, and encountered a second time when it spoke to me was now again in front of me. The beast's eyes opened slowly as my words seemed to travel into its ears. Its form was slightly different to what I had seen before, it appearing more ethereal as if it was just dark smoke with eyes. The eyes however couldn't be mistaken, its piercing yellow eyes were embedded in my memory even after all this time.

The beast seemed to stand up and walk towards me, seeing this I sloppily coated my fist with my obscurus' energy. If this was 2 years ago, I would have probably fell to my knees but now instead I felt the urge to fight against this thing if it tried to attack. I knew if I tried to escape, this thing would be able to end me in a moment…

The beast watched my movements with what seemed to be a bemused expression. When it looked at my fist though, it seemed visibly shocked for a moment.

"You… how…".

The beast seemed to realise what I had accomplished, that I had killed the will of my obscurus and made the energy my own. The beast stared for a moment and spoke again;

"History… will be rewritten…"

This damn beast really had this habit of talking cryptically. I spoke out for the first time ever whilst facing this entity;

"History rewritten? You called me an omen last time and said I was 'unrecorded'. Do you know why I was brought to this world? Do you know why I was made to suffer for all this time you damned thing!?"

The beasts gaze grew sombre. I actually felt taken aback seeing its gaze show hints of pity within. 

"I… don't know why you are here… only that… you will need me to help you…".

"Help? What are you going to- "

As I began to question the beast further, I was shocked as it closed its eyes and seemed to fade away yet again. However, this time, it left something behind. On the floor where it once stood laid a black jewel. This jewel felt similar to the tree, it also resonated with me in a weird way… or more specifically resonated with my obscurus.

I knelt down and picked up the jewel, inspecting it. The ink black jewel held an infinite darkness within it that I couldn't put into words. When staring at it for a while though, I noticed at some points light blue streams of light would arc within it. Looking at the jewel, it bared immense resemblance to an obscurus.

"Was that beast some kind of obscurus deity then? How does that make sense…"

The situation left me with even more questions than answers. Why did the beast leave me this? What even was the beast? Why did it feel the need to help me?

I couldn't answer any of this currently though, I could only pocket the jewel it had left for now. After putting the jewel away in my torn trousers, the only 'gift' Jason had ever given me, I stared at the tree that initially called me here.

Just like the jewel, it resonated with me. It also seemed to resemble an obscurus in a weird way, its inky black bark painted with blue veins within resembled again the same colour scheme and obscurus would have.

"This is so bizarre…"

The tree seemed sentient, after all it felt like it called me here. I didn't know what it wanted of me though so I just stood there for a moment, looking at it.

Suddenly out of nowhere, in the next moment a branch seemed to fall from the heavens and smashed onto the floor in front of me. The branches size was not crazy big but it had a distinct shape to it, the branch itself seemed to swirl in a mystical way. In length it was about 20 inches and the width of it was around 6.

I looked at the branch for a moment before picking it up.

"Its weirdly light for its size…"

As those words escaped my mouth, leaves from above seemed to fall onto me. All the light azure leaves that the tree boasted fell silently to the ground, the tree wilting by the second and in the next moment the tree that I originally saw as myself just looked like a big dead tree in the middle of this clearing.

"Now I have even more damn questions…"

The tree seemed like it intended to give me this branch even though it would perish soon after. With both the beast and the tree being here, it felt like this place was designed for someone with an obscurus to claim its benefits. 

For what purpose though? I couldn't wager a guess at all at this point.

Grabbing the branch, I held onto it firmly as I looked past the clearing towards the horizon.

"I have to be nearly out of the forest now…".

I darted off into the distance, leaving the clearing behind.

.

Looking at the site before me, I felt my emotions well up once again. A welcome surprise these days honestly.

I was at the edge of the dark forest, finally I had escaped the enchantment and before me were valleys and fields stretching out. I felt as though the air outside the forest was fresher and less stifled.

Looking down at the nearby valley I noticed a cabin that seemed to have a shed attached to it. The cabin had a logo on the front, but from this distance I couldn't quite make it out.

If I were to survive, I needed to make safe connections for once.

The light of a new day shined down on the valley I was now stepping into.

I was finally free.

-= End of Volume 1=-