The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 56

But then the King's eyes shift, and we realize he did not see us at all. However, the boy's eyes look at the spot we were and where we have disappeared to. It's as if she saw a glimpse of us or that he has a feeling something is there.

"Yes, General Grithur," the King says to the minotaur. He talks in a language we don't know, the sounds he makes are harsh and guttural, but we can understand what the words mean. "I quite understand the situation. To my deepest pleasure, I can inform you that the troops needn't wait much longer. I will set some more hellhounds to your aid, if still any unease rises before it is time."

"Thank you, Dark King," the minotaur, General Grithur, says and he gives a slight bow with his head.

"Kill one or two if you need to, make an example out of them," the Dark King continues. This time General Grithur only nods as if this order is one he's got many times before.

"Have we finally found a way of crossing the space between our Dimension and theirs, my Dark King?" the Sphinx asks in a tone that is a bit too thickly coated to be very respectful.

"Like I said before, Zephiane. We are aware of plenty of ways, we could've attacked long before―" the Prince starts angrily, but the Dark King holds up his hand to stop him from speaking.

"My son," he says with an air of impatience. "The Soul Hunters are too cautious. They suspect and might even expect our attack. We cannot allow any hasty mishaps."

"Even so, we have an army beyond their imagination. We don't need the element of surprise to win," the Prince says, defiantly. He locks eyes with his father, and he finds them eyeing him with intolerance. We feel scared as if the King is eying us instead of the boy. He hastily adds, "Father."

"I thought of that months ago," the Dark King says drily, as if tired of having to answer his son.

"Although, couldn't we just wait, father, until one of their Teams comes to get a Connected Soul?" The Prince is leaning towards the table excitedly but his father sighs.

"With all due respect, Dark Prince," the sphinx, Zephiane, begins and she addresses him as if she believes he doesn't deserve his title. Without understanding the reason, we are annoyed at that. "Even if that were to work ― which is unlikely because the previous time we barely detected them when they were already gone ― and even if we would be able to force one of them to make a portal, it wouldn't let through enough soldiers at a time. The Soul Hunters can detect such portals and immediately they would know we were infiltrating. The soldiers would be slaughtered right away, and the Soul Order will put up additional defenses after that. We have to attack them when they're weak."

She says the last sentence very slowly and very quietly as if the Dark Prince wouldn't understand her otherwise.

"Son," says the Dark King in a low voice. "Come with me."

The King gets up from his throne and walks around it. We tense but without understanding why, we follow the Dark Prince as he gets up too and we see that they are heading for a balcony. We didn't see it before because a curtain is draped over the entrance, but the wind blows it open a bit and we can almost feel the fresh air except that it is not fresh at all.

Again, we have a feeling that the Dark Prince can see us because, as we follow him and the King, his eyes look straight at us and then away. He must know we are there. How could he not? How else would he look at where we are when none of the others do?

"You ought to focus on your personal task. All other actions will be pointless if you don't fulfill your task," the Dark King says when he and his son stand together, looking at the horizon. We can see a red sun hanging in the grey sky but cannot yet see the scenes below the balcony because we do not dare to move quickly even though no one should be able to see or hear us.

"I understand, father," he says. In a soft mutter he adds, "I only wanted to help."

"Now, tell me what your task is." The Dark King looks down at the grounds after saying this and he smiles but we still cannot see what there is to see.

"I kill the girl at all costs but my own life, I kill everyone who gets in my way, and I make sure I don't get captured." After he recites this, his father nods.

"Very well," the man says softly. "Very well." The second time we are not sure he is talking about his son anymore because he is leaning a bit more over the edge, giving the scenes below a better look. The boy does not move closer, but he watches with an emotionless face.

That is when we take another step closer and see what lies beyond the balcony.

It is horrible. There are creatures whose names even Alex doesn't know, creatures with features we cannot begin to describe. Most of them are holding weapons. Some are fighting each other, others are just talking, and the rest is a mass of movement.

Neither of our minds can comprehend what we are seeing. The group of creatures is huge, but that word does not do it any justice. It is unending. It does not matter which way we look because in every direction they are there. There is no line between the creatures and the land and there are no open spaces anywhere in the group. Even the horizon is dotted with their torches.

We cannot help but gasp and take a step back. We accidentally brush the Dark Prince's arm. At that moment, he looks straight at our eyes with shock. Then his expression becomes confused. We feel the same confusion.

"What is it?" the Dark King asks shortly.

"Nothing," the Dark Prince answers, a little absentminded. "Just the wind."

But we know it wasn't nothing. The three of us do. The moment Alex and I touched him he saw us; it could only be for a second though because he seems to think he imagined it. In the second our eyes locked we saw something more than the darkness of his soul. There was a bit of light that seemed to be prisoned inside him.

Suddenly a wicked grin passes over the Dark King's face. To explain his contentment, he says, "It's time."

Then we have the sensation of an enormous hand grabbing us and pulling us away from the balcony. While we are, I feel Alex coming loose of me and I'm not merged with him anymore. I'm filled with mixed feelings of dread and pain and shock. The most evident right now is the realization that what I have with Alex is the same as what I have with the Dark Prince. We're emotionally connected in a way that I have only felt before with Alex.

The Dark Prince is my Connected Soul.