White Orchids {BOOK 1 COMPLETED}

Chapter 35

The world slams into me like a horse kick, full of electricity and energy. Everything as far as the eye can reach are flat landscapes without a single hill. No trees, no houses. Just parched land as straight and flat as an ocean surface. The only thing that stands out are the large rocks in a round grassy field far off in the distance. I don't need to ask Sixxteen to know that's where we're heading.

We're inside of what looks like a shallow cave, I can still see the dark, almost black cloud covering the entire sky. The rain pours down over the parched, barren land. Cracks covers the ground in a similar way to the crevices on Sixxteen's face.

My entire soul shake as the sky rumbles. Sixxteen takes a few steps forward and looks out on the barren ground. He waves me forward.

"We're going there," he says and points at the stones, "it's not as easy as it looks. We cannot just walk there."

"I had my suspicions," I mumble as I stare at the dark sky.

Sixxteen places his hands over each other but leaves a small space. A blue orb is created between, he carefully removes the hand on the top and throws the orb towards the ground that isn't protected by the shallow cave.

Once the orb reaches the ground, there is only a brief moment until lightning hits, powerful enough that it feels like the entire ground is shaking. All that is left of the orb is smoking ash that quickly dissolves in the rain. The smell of something that tenses my entire body makes its way to my nostrils. I've never felt that smell before, but I know it's what the creature mentioned as fading. A soul's death, as Nine had explained.

It's so intrusive and pungent that it makes me cough. Sixxteen doesn't cough, but his entire face is furrowed by the burning feeling that must have settled in both our noses. He takes a step closer to the storm; my legs feel paralyzed.

"If the lightning hits any of us, the same thing will happen," he doesn't sound affected by it, "literal ash in the wind... or rain in this case."

"Okay, so how do we reach the stones?"

"We run."

"Run?!" I stare at him with widen eyes. "Are you out of your mind? There has to be a better way to reach it!"

"Can you fly?"

I grimace.

"If you cannot fly, you got to run. When your big feet touch the ground the lightning will search for the disturbed spot, so don't stop running until you're in the circle of grass."

I look out over the flat, creviced ground and swallow. "Any more of your useful advice?"

He shrugs. "Don't get hit."

"Easier said than done," I mutter.

Sixxteen doesn't hesitate as he starts running into the rain. The lightning strikes the ground a few centimeters away from him and the same smell of fading forces itself into my nose.

I take a deep breath and shut out my thoughts, make my entire mind empty and when I once again find the hollow place within me I run.

The first lightning that strikes is so close that I can feel how devastating it is. It leaves a burning taste and smell, making it feel like my entire throat and nose is covered in acid.

For each strike I feel it. The smell and the feeling of the rain covering me, it clings to my body and clothes. It leaves a layer of electricity and energy on top of my wet skin.

Everything. I can feel everything.

Another lightning strike close enough that I lose my balance. I know that if I make the same mistake again it could be my last. Sixxteen is faster than I thought, compared to me they're barely able to keep up with him.