A Window To A Soul

Chapter 32: Della

I was on my knees. I was looking up at a man with his facial features gone. Instead, his eyes and mouth were replaced by smoke. He wasn't wearing anything, but he didn't have any genitals. He was looking down at me.

I looked around the room. There were big, white pillars on the sides of the room. I was on a long red carpet that led to the throne that the man sat on. There was a golden door behind me. Other than that, the room was empty. I looked at my body. I was in the clothes I fell asleep in.

I stood up and looked at the man. He began to speak in a booming voice. "Welcome, Della, to the world of the gods."

My eyes opened and I was covered in sweat. I looked at my arm and saw my marking glowing. I jolted and blinked. It stopped. What happened?!

I got up and left my room, rubbing my eyes, and still staring at my marking. I knocked on Cal's door. After a few seconds, it opened to reveal him in his own pajamas. It was just sweat pants and a black shirt. He yawned. "Yeah?"

I kept glancing at my arm. "Hey, uh... can we go to the library? Like now?"

Cal looked confused. "Why?"

I glanced back at my arm, half expecting it to glow again. "I want to get a book on Great One or God lore."

Cal rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... Yeah sure. Lemme get ready."

He walked back into his room and I went into mine. I got dressed in black pants, white shoes, and a white shirt. We both left, Cal wearing the bodyguard uniform. The library wasn't too far from here. It was just down the block.

When we finally got there, it had statues of the Great Ones in front of it. Yan's statue had been torn down and mine was being built. The door was glass. We walked inside and looked around. When the girl at the desk, green eyed, saw me, she jumped up in surprise and saluted. "Your Great One! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

I smiled and chuckled. "You can relax. I'm just trying to find a book."

She nodded and stopped saluting. "Of course. Do you need help?"

I shook my head. "No thanks."

I looked at the labels on the shelves. I went to the shelves that said 'Lore'. I looked at all the books and stopped at one that read, 'Legends of our Great Ones.'

I opened the book and went to each chapter. They were labeled with many different topics. 'Gods', 'Marking origins'. There were too many to count. I stopped at one that said, 'Glowing markings.'

I opened up to the chapter and read some of it. It explained that it has happened to a few Great Ones, but sometimes, when they have a very vivid dream, they wake up and their markings are glowing. The ones that it had happened to had always been Epimora's Great One. It had happened to Yan too.

Each time that it happened to someone, they swore that they were in a different dimension. And every time they told someone, no one believed them. I kept reading. It explained what it looked like and someone that they met. It was the same man that I also met.

I put the book back and looked at Cal. "Let's go."

I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the library. I wanted to explain it to him, but I didn't know how. Cal stumbled as I dragged him. I was so frustrated right now. Everything was so confusing and I had no idea what to believe. I could get attacked at any second and the only protection I have is Cal.

When we got outside, I brought him to the side of the building, where we were covered. Cal was standing in front of me as my back was facing the brick wall. I was looking down at my feet as I kept holding Cal's wrist. "I... don't know what's going on. But I'm scared."

Cal didn't say anything, so I continued. "I've been having strange dreams, and when I woke up this morning, my marking was glowing." I felt myself starting to tear up. "I got so scared. Elliott seems to be getting more and more dangerous, and I feel like I'll be killed at any second. I don't know what's going on in your head and sometimes I wonder if you're going to turn out like Malakai, even though I know that you won't."

I started to cry now but I continued. "I picked a book to read about my marking and all I got was that it only happened to Epimora's Great Ones and that it happened more than once to them. I don't know what it is and I'm afraid I won't ever know." I finally looked up at him, tears streaming down my face. "This is too much, Cal! I don't even know what's going on with you. I don't know much about you. I don't even know how you got your scars. I don't know the punishments you went through, and I don't even know your smallest interests. I barely even know you!"

I finally stopped talking. Cal wasn't looking at me anymore. "I didn't want to tell you about my scars because I didn't want to worry you." He looked up at me and I saw worry in his eyes. "But I can tell you. I'll tell you all about me. I'll tell you my interests and I'll even tell you my dreams. I'll tell you why I was punished." He started to tear up as well. "So, please don't worry anymore, Della."