Myths: The Folklore Trilogy

Chapter 31- In Which Tears are Shed

The golden light filled my heart, my breaths, my very soul. I was smiling; how could I not be. I was brimming with the most powerful source in the universe--love.

Giselle looked terrified for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, furious. She raised her arms and a wave of black mass came crashing down towards me. But I wasn't afraid at all. In fact, I almost laughed. I felt so much power running through me, I felt like I was larger than life, stronger than mountains. I could stride across the world without any fear, invincible. Yes, that's how I felt: invincible.

The black wave crashed into my golden glow.

It was like the black was stuck to it. Nothing moved for a few moments. Giselle lowered her arms, but the wave didn't move. On instinct, I raised my own arms.

The golden light swelled, and the black wave shivered. Then, something strange happened. The black rose into the air, twisting and writhing into a ball.

Suddenly, Giselle shrieked. I looked at her in alarm. She was being raised into the air like there was a string attached to her stomach that was pulling her up into the air. Black water was pouring out of her, from where I couldn't tell. It spilled out onto the floor, then rose into the air to join the twisting ball. Then Giselle collapsed onto the ground, all black gone from her being.

I stared at the black sphere, now roughly as big as a bedroom, spinning swiftly in midair. I didn't know what I was doing, but my arms moved of their own accord. They drew backwards, and then shot forward together in the direction of the spinning mass. A warm feeling blossomed in my chest.

A bolt of golden light exploded from the sharp glow that surrounded me. It hit the sphere right in its center.

The sphere exploded.

I felt the force of the explosion pass me by, but it did nothing more than ruffle my hair. A ring of black particles surrounded the room, threatening to merge back together at any moment. I flicked my hand, and a disc of golden light surrounded me, growing to the edges of the room and swallowing the black. Then it slowly retreated until the only light was the glow around me.

Some part of me sensed it was over. I didn't want it to be, but I had no control over that decision. I slowly exhaled, my body lowering to the ground. As my feet softly landed, the glow faded. But I knew it wasn't really gone. It was inside of me, waiting, until it could be used again.

I remembered Giselle. I ran to her limp form, a little wary but mostly concerned. She was laying twisted at an awkward angle. I carefully rolled her onto her back. She didn't react. Picking her wrist up, I felt for a pulse. Nothing...nothing...

Wait. There.

I felt a beat. I slumped in relief. She was alive. If I had killed her...

"She is merely unconscious," a quiet but firm voice said behind me. I jumped. Genivieve.

I turned to look at her. "What happened to Giselle?" I asked. "What was all that black stuff? Did you see it?"

"We all saw it, my dear," Genivieve said kindly. "And I saw it much earlier, while crystal gazing." She knelt beside me in the floor. "What you saw coming from Giselle was her hatred. We all have a bit of our soul that is black, but hers was so consumed, so overwhelmed, she could use it to directly harm others. It is a rare and horrific ability. I have not heard of anyone else who can do it."

"But what about how I was glo-"

Genivieve held up a hand. I fell silent. She smiled wryly. "Please be patient, Sierra dear. I'm getting to that. You were capable of all that you did because you were in a different form."