The girl nobody knew| The Darkling

*CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE*

-And then all I saw was darkness-

You know that feeling when you just know something is going to go really bad? The feeling that the whole world is going to crumble into tiny pieces? Well, that's what I'm currently experiencing. It's currently about 2am and I'm just sitting on a rock admiring the fold. Today is exactly three days after my, or Alina and I's training was completed. I was surprised how we (meaning me, Alina, Aleksander, Baghra and the second army) started our expedition to the fold right the next morning. We came here after two days of riding and just planed what we are going to do. And it's today that me and Alina are supposed to destroy the fold. So I am just admiring the world since this hours could be the last.

"It's beautiful isn't it? If you forget what happens when you go in it?" I asked Aleksander after I saw him sit down next to me out of nowhere. He was quite for a minut. "I'm pretty sure you, Ember are the first person to ever say that." he laughed out. "Why?" I questioned him while looking into those dark eyes of doom. "Well, beside the volcra inside, people don't usually like darkness.." he explained. "Well, at the start I didn't like it either... But through the time, I've learned to love it..." I told my part while none of us breaking eye contact. "I mean, it's part of the nature... And nature is beautiful..." I continued. And right after those words left my mouth, he broke it and stood up. "You should get some sleep." he suggested while offering me his hand. I looked at him for a couple of more seconds before excepting it.

He walked me to my tent, said good night and left. My last thought for the night before sleep came over me is "I hope you know which darkness I was talking about...".

☆

It is really interesting how your view of things can change it seconds. A couple of hours back, I though the fold be devastatingly beautiful. But now, it makes me want to turn around and run away as far as possible. Well, I did turn around, but instead of running, I walked towards the tent where the final meeting is before... well, us going into the fold to hopefully destroy it. Once all of us where there (me, Alina, Baghra and Aleksander) went over the plan.

 After that, Baghra and Alina went out of the tent, so it was just me and Aleksander left. We both stepped towards the exit of the tent from where we could see the fold. "I'm scared." is the only thing that came out of my mouth, breaking the silence. "Have you changed your mind? Do you not want to do it anymore?" he asked with sincerety in his eyes. "Honestly, I don't want to do it... But I will, because. If I wont, who will." I replied with tears in my eyes. I think that at that moment we both knew how this will end. I was about to walk out, but before I could Aleksander grabbed my hand and turned me to him. "Before we go into it, I just want you to know, that I never planned to use you. I was just curious about what the beautiful girl in the field is and what all can she do." he told me while looking into my eyes. No lies detected at all. At that moment both of us started to lean in, slowly. Until our lips finally touched. His hands cupped my face while I hooked mine around his neck. His lips were so, soft. The kiss wasn't rough. It was rather slow, gentle and just magical. I felt safe and loves in his embrace with his lips on mine. 

Unfortunately the kiss didn't last long since we had to board on the ship in a couple of minutes. After we pulled apart we just looked into each other's eyes and said nothing. We slowly walked towards the ship and boarded it. We finally stopped when we came to the deck where Alina and Baghra was also waiting. And then we entered the fold...

-

Darkness and silence. That is the only thing you feel while in the fold. In the worst way possible of course. And since everyone is just waiting for someone to get attacked it just brings more horror. It's also really cold which just makes everything better. "It's time." Baghra nodded to me and Alina quietly. We nodded and stepped towards but Aleksander grabbed my arm with his warm hand and whispered "Be careful." in my ear. You mean 'don't die'.

This is it. This is for what you have been training for. And even if you die, you can die knowing you, in the worst scenario tried your best or in best scenario, died for the greater good. And so it started. We walked to the middle of the deck and grabbed each other's hand and began to work our magic. We both summoned the light and the volcra immediately started to fly towards us. At the start they could't come that near us because of the light but once they got used to it they started to attack. "Keep going! Summon as much light as u can!" Baghra yelled at us while everyone around us started fighting the volcra. It was horrible, blood was splashing everywhere, some of it was volcra... but most of it was human... "Ember" I heard an unearthly voice calling me as I looked around. "Ember..." it was creepy but also made me feel safe. "Ember." Alina calling my name was the only thing I heard before everything went black.