Fated-The Cristalline Chronicles Book I

XXIX.The Nightmare

It had been hours since I parted from Liam and started moving along the river, I had been on alert ever since. Ready to defend myself against any more random attacks; for anyone or anything to pounce from the forest at me. I had been thinking for quite some while, as to where the scythe might be, and it was not easy because Light and Fate tokens were some sort of elements with characteristics disguised as objects but they still had some basic properties that couldn't be hidden. But the Scythe of Death was an object in itself; it could be buried somewhere and we wouldn't have an ounce of an idea.

Looking up at the moon, my brows pulled together in confusion because it was nearing dawn but the moon was as bright and big as the midnight. Then I realised that blue moon, being a supernatural event taking place on my birthday, would last for the entire 24 hours. The last time when the blue moon was the supernatural event marking my birthday was my third birthday. The very thought dampened my mood further.

The path was turning rough and full of pebbles as there no more cliffs and the river was flowing next to me in its semi-frozen state. All this while, I had hoped not to encounter Ian at any cost. I didn't want to see him. I didn't think I could; not after what he had done to me. A thought crossed my mind, maybe he was the one spying on us, all this time. I mean, he was present there most of the times.

I needed to find the scythe. I couldn't let him find it. It would greatly bruise his pride if he couldn't get it; I was sure about it. And I would make him pay in every way possible for doing what he did.

By now, the river was no longer peaceful; its flow had turned turbulent with so many rocks and stones in its way. Roaring as it flowed down stream, it was sparkling in the moonlight. The mist had caught up with me, crawling its way from the forest around the banks of the river. Small swirls of mist had edged their way over the river too, hanging lowly, barely protecting itself from the clutches of the violent water.

Looking ahead, I saw more mist. It was getting denser as I walked towards the Castle. Realising the need to increase my speed, I took in a deep breathe and ran. Barely seen as a blur, I moved, jumping from one rock to another. I kept going for few minutes and stopped once I felt the mist thinning. The river was no longer as violent as before. Stopping, I knelt next to the river and washed my hands, splashing my face with the ice cold water; the water stung slightly. I saw my cheeks and nose turn red in the reflection.

Suddenly, I heard hustling from behind me. In a millisecond, I was standing facing towards the forest with my sword drawn in my right hand and the Fire's crescent blade in my left. Everything was completely silent, I neither saw nor heard any more movement. But I could feel eyes on me. My back stiffened. It was the same sensation I had back in the castle all the time. I was being spied on again. Only this time I wasn't sure, if it would be simple spying anymore. I was expecting him to come out from the dark forest and attack me like last time. And this time, I was ready for him.

Then I heard more rustling and sound of footsteps hurrying. Only difference was, they weren't directed towards me. Instead, they were moving away from me. They were fleeing. I stood there contemplating whether to follow them and uncover the nasty truth; the one I, in all honesty didn't want to believe in, the truth of Ian's betrayal or to simply turn a blind eye on it and focus on winning the tournament and getting back at him by defeating him.

Sighing in resignation, I took off after the footsteps. I felt an adrenaline rush as I whizzed past the trees faster and faster, gaining on whoever it was. The mist was thin but enough to block my view, so my hunt was solely based on my eager sense of hearing. I was running so fast that not only could I not be spotted, not even if one had a sharp eyesight, but my speed had created a  gust of wind, disrupting the cloak of mist around me.

Just before I was about to catch my prey, the sound of their footsteps stopped. I came to an abrupt standstill, making the trees shed their snow. The broken mist gingerly tended to itself, trying to weave back slowly. Everything was silent, I could hear my own breathing. A few seconds ticked by and then it all happened so suddenly.

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the silence of the night. My feet ran in the direction of the scream. Pushing through the bushes, I realised I had reached the Castle grounds. I heard a slight coughing coming from my left. Swiftly, I went there. Turning the left corner, I froze. A soldier lay in front of me, coughing blood with a spear sticking through his heart. One look at his fangs and I knew he was a vampire. The spear was wooden and I knew then,

he isn't going to survive.

Spotting me with wide blood-shot eyes, he dragged his body forward, in my direction.

" Run, Princess. " He barely managed to choke those words before he fell limp, his skin turning deadly pale.

With broken steps, I went to his lifeless body. Kneeling in front of him, I gently withdrew the spear from his chest and closed his eyes.

" Rest in peace, brave one. "

Tears welled in my as I looked around me. Bodies of our soldiers were lying around; some beheaded, some with weapons sticking through their hearts; all dead.

" No, no, no! " I whispered as tears ran down my cheeks.

Even though I barely recognised them, I was hurting. They were my soldiers; protectors of Cristalline, lying dead at my feet. I had never experienced death first hand. Immense grief and hurt burnt through my veins lighting the Fire of Fate. Rising up, I squared my shoulders and clenched my fists, and weaved through my fallen soldiers carefully. Their blood had pooled and formed a puddle. The other end of the puddle had footprints, of their blood; a glaring contrast to the white snow. The footprints vanished into the forest.

Following them, I reached near where the forest surrounding the castle started. But before I could enter the forest to avenge the death of the soldiers, a shiver went down my spine. I had eyes on me again. Turning back in a split second, I saw a lone cloaked figure, standing in the middle of the puddle of blood, facing away from me.

I was frozen in place, I didn't know what to make of it. The way it stood remorselessly in the blood, proved it was the killer and my anger made my brain go blank for a moment. I wanted to punish it, avenge their deaths. I gritted my teeth but paused when I realized that my anger was making me lose control and I couldn't let that happen. Taking shallow breaths, I started walking towards it, my jaws clenched.

I threw the crescent blade and watched its spinning form cut through the air like a bolt of lightening but the figure vanished before getting hit. Instead the Fire went and struck the ground, melting the nearby snow. Going ahead, I bent down to pluck it out of the ground when I froze. A series of shivers ran down my spine as I felt someone releasing chilly breaths at the back of my neck. Jumping away, I turned around, only to be partially paralyzed again as my wide eyes came in contact with the hooded figure. Blood of my soldiers dripping from the knife that was slightly peeking from its left sleeve, its face was completely covered in shadows of the hood except for the pair of those horrifying yet familiar red eyes.

It was then that I realised that my nightmare was coming true.

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