ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 21 Layla

Layla tossed and turned in her cramped quarters, feeling restless and uneasy. The smell of dampness and rust lingered in the air, making it difficult to breathe. She longed for the fresh scent of blooming flowers, the sound of birds chirping in the morning, and the warmth of the sun on her skin. But here, in this underground section, was only darkness and dampness.

She counted the rusty screws around the circular window, trying to distract her mind from the suffocating atmosphere. As she counted, her mind began to wander, and she started imagining a million ways to keep calm. In her dreams, she was pursued by a grim shadow, dragging her under the water. An icy shiver traveled along her sweaty skin, and she clung to her thin nightgown as oily strands of wet hair stuck to her forehead.

She jumped from her bed gasping for air. Her lungs filled with heavy air stinking of rust and wet metal. Her tired eyes grew accustomed to the dark, and she was now remembering every single detail of her trip in the city with Farrar. It had been a wonderful time, and she clung to this peace of comfort. "I wonder if he likes me? Maybe just a bit," she smiled to herself and looked at the long, dark red shadow that snaked on the edge of the chair. It was his scarf, still smelling like him.

Layla gazed up at the enormous round window above her, where tons of bubbling water pressed against the transparent glass. Dark shadows crowded against it or hit the surface, adding to the myriad of cracks and dents that decorated it. Sometimes, a barrier gave up, washing away the sleeping crafter. His door will never open. Layla could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she imagined the sheer force of the water, the destruction it could bring.

Suddenly, a dull thunk followed by a whisper muffled by the water echoed in the vents, "Shaaaaa... Shhhhaaa. Run while you can. Run." Layla's wide eyes were glued to the ceiling, and she felt a pang of fear in her chest. She wondered who or what could be lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.

As she lay there, the dirty gray light from the dome above contoured the surroundings, and Layla could feel the chill of the morning air. The large fan buzzed in the vents, adding to the eerie ambiance of the place. "Was that just my imagination?" Layla wondered. "Shaaaaa... I will get you..." In that second, Layla's heart stopped, and her body froze with her last breath.

Layla felt her heart racing as she listened to the whispers echoing through the vents, her palms slick with sweat. Despite Herranuen's assurances that there was protection around the guild's perimeter, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every shadow seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, and the creaks and groans of the metal walls made her skin crawl.

Layla tried to focus on the details of the cramped room to calm herself, but even the rusty screws around the circular window looked like sinister eyes peering in. The oily strands of wet hair sticking to her forehead felt like clammy fingers of a corpse. She shuddered as she imagined the grim shadow from her dream pursuing her through the dark, watery depths. The oppressive atmosphere in the room felt suffocating, as though she were drowning.

But Layla refused to give in to her fear. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was safe here, surrounded by the good people who had become her family. She would not let her anxiety rule her, not after all she had overcome to build a new life for herself.

Yet, the whispers of the turbulent waters and hawling air in the vents persisted, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond the walls of her sanctuary. Layla knew she would never be able to let her guard down completely in a world where even shadows held secrets and the darkness was alive with sinister intent.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, exhaustion overtook her fear. But her slumber was far from peaceful. In her dream, a grim shadow pursued her, dragging her under the water. She felt vulnerable and exposed in her thin nightgown, and the pungent smell of decaying flesh and dried blood invaded her senses. The only sound was the quiet shuffle of footsteps drawing closer and closer, the flickering moon casting eerie shadows on the walls. The suffocating silence made her heart pound in her chest as she held her breath, straining to hear any sign of what was to come.