CHAPTER 29. OCTAVIET

I disinfected and wrapped my wounds with a piece of cloth. Keeping a mini first aid kit with you is not something that should be undermined. Should I go save her or should I make a run for it? Of course, I am to save her. The real question is will I survive if I do that or will the mission be compromised? Was I willing to risk it?

I gazed at Morpheus' blade. Its glow churned as if screaming at me to do it. I turned to Olivia who understood my gesture. She nodded in agreement. Morpheus turned back. I placed him back on my neck. Olivia said, "I know the way to the park. What will we do when we reach there?" I had never faced an enemy like this guy so I had no experience. What I said next shocked me too, "We'll find out from there." Ella was right. I was spending too much time with the warriths.

We headed straight to the park. The dark clouds had left it looking like a horror show. The trees looked crooked. Their branches had dry barks with no leaves. The grass had a menacing shade of dark green The pathway had sharp stones on it that threatened to pierce your feet. I could have sworn I could see drops of dried blood on them. Snap out of it, this is just an illusion.

Morpheus rose off my neck and pointed directly at the center of the park. A man was standing there. He was tall and slender. He was wearing all black with a long jacket that reached his knees. His gumboots had a pewter skull designed on their sides. His back was crooked. His face resembled a mummy's. It was rotten with sharp canines peering through. His eye sockets were empty but something told me something was lurking in them. I never knew the slender man was influential in the mostri world.

Olivia wasn't shaken. I guess she was used to horror movies. We reached him but maintained a 3-metre distance. He was standing on a grave. He smirked, "Finally arrived. I thought your little friend was going to run out of oxygen." She is in the grave. Rage filled my veins. How could he? He said, "Save your death glares. It is a simple exchange. A person for a person." He began chuckling, "And if you dare think of refusing. You should know that I will kill you and take the girl." Olivia slowly walked to him. Once Olivia was close enough, he grabbed her only to feel his fingers had met.

Olivia dissipated. He looked enraged, "How dare you?" My hands ran to hold out Morpheus but before they could reach, he charged with a punch. I blocked the blow but still left marks on my skin. He was crazy strong and fast. He launched another one but he missed and hit a tree. The tree fell. One blow could take me so I had to stay in long range. That didn't work out. In a flash, he had closed the distance between us and grabbed me like a chicken. He kicked me using his knee.

My stomach raptured. He looked disdained. He looked disappointed as he threw me away. He said, "I thought you would put up a fun fight but this is all you got. I am disappointed. I have dying for a good enemy to fight for a while. Do you know what? Let's make this more fun." He snapped his finger freeing Fiona. An It-inspired smile spread on his face. He clapped his hands and held them there. Raven's wings spread out from all over his body. They glowed red. He said, "Blood Moon Domain"

I felt like my conscience was being sucked out of my body. I blinked. I was no longer in the park. I was on a gigantic tree like big enough to compete with Burj Khalifa. It had curled shaky leaves. The sky was dark red with a blood moon illuminating the sky in an eerie way. The air felt unreal like I was in a simulation or something. It resembled the air in my domain.

Oh no. We were in his domain right in front of him. He laughed loudly, "Isn't it pretty?" Is he talking about his domain? If so, yeah it's pretty if only I was Chucky to make it my dollhouse. He said, "As you well know, every domain follows a specific law. Wanna find out what this one follows?" He held his hands out and 2 rifts of tar on either side of him. He blubbered, "Fears take physical form. The fear of snakes."

Two anacondas jumped out of the rifts. They slithered at lightning speed towards me. They looked like they could give a tight hug. Too bad I am not in the mood for hugs right now. I summoned Phil and got on him. We flew to the sky right before the snakes launched for impact. They knocked their heads and coiled over each other to get us. We flew right over their hides and I went around in circles running my blade through them. The hide was tough but Morpheus was taking any excuses.

Sebastian said, "Fear of bats" A dozen bats the size of lorries emerged from the rifts and attacked. We diverted our trajectory towards the branches. My hands at this point had begun shaking – just a bit. Don't blame me. You're not the ones who got the faces of those bats stuck in your head. I maneuvered Phil through the thick branches trying to lose the bats. One of the bats caught up. I thanked it by reducing the weight of its wings. It screeched as it landed badly.

Sebastian remarked, "My domain is not here to help. Fear of hornets" The curly leaves turned yellow and became rough. Wings popped out and just like that I experienced the miracle of life of a thousand hornets. Fiona t-told me, "Get ready. I'm about to try something. Fear of a destructive flood" Violent water appeared out of thin air. I struggled to dodge all the waves of water. We flew to the open again. Sebastian held out a rift, "Fear of fire" a series of bright red flames burst out. I was surrounded. Fiona t-said, "Fear of a hurricane"

The fire dissolved into mist when it made contact with the water. I was disguised. This was my choice. I reached so close that hope ignited in my heart I guess. I held out my sword to deal a fatal blow but he turned towards me. He said, "Fear of…" I couldn't get the last word but it was easy to guess after the large amount of wingless bloodsuckers crawled out of his eye sockets. That's right. Disgusting bedbugs.

I froze. I hated those things ever since they disturbed me in middle school. They always made sure to leave me itchy skin throughout the day. I can't say I developed a fear but what else could explain my racing heart and frozen body? The bedbugs got closer. Come on, move. Nothing. Not a twitch. Fiona t-said, "Get your act together. I'm about to call upon another calamity." She wasn't lying. Volcano craters appeared all around me. She t-said, "Fear of being stuck in the middle of a volcanic eruption"

The craters bust with smoke and Ash. Then came the lava. Bedbugs were being burnt to cinders all around me. I squared my shoulders, drew in a steadying breath, and maneuvered Phil to dodge the lava. With each eruption, I could hear husks against hot rock.

I activated my chaos and engulfed the place in a fine mist. My target was clear. I made clones of me and Phil. I released them to attack from different directions. As anticipated, Sebastian sliced each one with his scythe. He remarked, "Illusions," I said right before a clone went for his chest, "Can you be sure?" He freaked out and jumped in the air. Got you. He couldn't dodge well in the air. I needed to get him in one good attack. If I went for his heart, he had a chance of escaping by using my blade as support.

I got the part. I went in for the strike. It was successful. My blade went through bone. Sebastian supported off my blade to escape but he was done for. He fell flat on the ground like a pancake. His spine was emitting black ashes. I had got him to finally sit down. He said angrily, "You think this is funny? Think this funny." I pushed myself off Phil with my l blade out ready to finish him off. He managed to force his mouth open.

A giant centipede jumped out and coiled around me. It held me in the air. It constricted me so tightly that I could no longer move. Sebastian spoke like a madman, "Show it to me. The face of fear. The one I was deemed to have." His voice turned sad, "The one me, an illegitimate boy whose mother dumped him with his dad deserved to have on the day he was shot in the spine during a school attack. The one I had as I was paralyzed in my pool of blood and when my father came. He decided to ignore me and go to another room to look for other casualties. That fear I had–so raw and deep. It wasn't some fear of death or leaving prized possessions behind. It was the fear that I would never be loved by anyone. That I will die and no one will shed a tear. As I watched him go, I pictured all the times I had tried to impress him. To get his attention. To get him to love me as his son but nothing. All I got was nothing back. And for what? I crime I had never committed. I want to see that face at least once on someone else's face so that I can know that others have felt my pain. That they know of it. They understand being blamed for what you never did. Show it to me." The centipede squeezed me more. He shouted, "I said shout it to me."

I tried to pierce the centipede using Morpheus but my hands were too tightly held. It wouldn't barge. Phil tried to help me but the centipede stung him. He dissipated. I will handle that later. A teenage girl who I only started to notice seconds ago walked toward Sebastian. Her silk gown was pure white with a cloak matching. Her Adam's apple glowed a mixture of pink and blue. In her hands was Morpheus. I double-checked. I was still holding Morpheus. How. She raised the blade and stabbed Sebastian in the heart.

The whole domain dissipated into ashes. I blinked back into reality. Sebastian was on the ground slowly disintegrated. Fiona knelt to his ear, "Do you know, old man? For a mostri that deals in fear, you should have known that fear is destructive and a great snake. It never chooses which side to fight for. It takes the side of anyone willing to use it." She darted her eyes at me, "Thanks for coming to save me but technically I saved you in the end so you're welcome."

I was still a bit dizzy from the experience. I kind of felt sorry for Sebastian but he had chosen a dark path so his choices had led him to that but he got what he deserved. I tried summoning Phil but he didn't burst into existence as before. I tried again but nothing. Fiona said, "He was injured during the fight. Remember. He ain't coming out for a while." I asked, "You are suggesting…" She replied, "Use the subway." I said, "No train can take me where I want to go." She retorted, "Who said a normal subway." I clicked. I said, "I can't go there. He hates me." Olivia asked, "Who and where?" I continued, "Plus I don't have a silver dollar."

Fiona smirked, "How much are you willing to pay for it?" I responded with a crooked smile, "Are you extorting me?" She said, "Is it extortion if it is not by force? Do you what? What if you pay it back by owing me a favour?" I agreed hesitantly. One thing I learnt back in Patricius is never owe a hybrid a favour. Especially pudeky with an ability similar to hers. Owing a favour to them had a way of increasing the intensity of their commands. May God have mercy on my soul.

I shook her hand and felt the coin in my palm. I buried it in the ground. The ground started shaking and the soil erupted. An elevator from a bygone era formed. Its walls were gleaming with polished silver and its floor adorned with a plush carpet. Intricate designs of a mine were etched into the silver doors.

I would have been impressed if I hadn't almost died the last time I entered one of those 'fancy' elevators. I entered dispiritedly into the elevator. Olivia entered with much more enthusiasm. Fiona waved Goodbye and whispered, "Don't forget you owe me." Not planning to. I presses the button and we descended into the earth. Well, this is going to be fun walk down in memory lane.