Fire

Chapter 16. Step into The Darkness

And one door closes
But the one that is meant only for me, I will find,
I'll open up and cross the line.
For luck or for my misfortune.

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The morning started as usual. The Darkness continued consuming the city, slowly getting close to the Crystal Tower where I and my friends I saved resided. 

You, probably, have a question what happened to the citizens of Xentaron and Enia. They haven't died, no. They became silent shadows wandering the streets searching the lights that can guide them home. I wanted to save them, but...

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Today I tried to enter to the Crystal Kingdoms without entering the slumber. 

Here I am. Standing among the trees in The Forest. I... I can see you! Eclip, I'm here! Notice me! I shout your name over and over, but you can't hear me. Where... Where are you going? I slowly follow you. This... This is the path to the Kingdom of the Red Ash. What do you need there? The key is on the other side! 

At that moment, I involuntarily touched you. You stopped and looked around. You... You don't see me, but feel that I am here? What if... I stood among the trees and casted a small sphere.

"Who's there?" I hear your voice trembling "Come out and show yourself, or I'll..."

"No need." I hear my voice echoing in the silence of this place. You finally hear me. I took one step forward. You can see me. "I am not the enemy"

"Who... Who are you? And why... Why do I have a feeling that I have seen you already?"

"I am the one you don't remember, but you have seen a thousand times. I am your friend. I..."

"What do you need?" you interrupted me. 

"Nothing... I only wanted to see you." I look away "Where are you going?"

"I must find Hope... Ahriman asked... Nevermind" 

I see you can't trust me. I show you where to go, and you leave me... I stand among the trees in a total silence...

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I am here again. Among the screens and wires. I returned. But now I know that you're okay... That you're alive.

This name... Ahriman... I have heard this name before... But when? I can't get an access to the library nor to your cabinet, Father. You blocked these from me. But the information must be somewhere... 

Maybe I'll know the answer if I visit this person myself or...

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"You have so many questions, little girl" I don't recognize this voice. I raise my head from your bed (seems like I fell asleep sitting near your bed and holding your hand again) and look around. I see a stranger. He was 50. He was dressed in the black cloak, and on his neck I noticed familiar symbol - cross in a circle. This is the symbol of the Cult of The Darkness. They came to our city before it fell.  "So many questions on which you can't find the answers. Isn't it funny?"

"Who... Who are you?" I stand from the floor and take one step further. The thing I've felt when I looked at him... I can't explain the fear I felt on that moment "What do you want?"

"You perfectly know who I am and what I need" he smiled. I could see his fangs. He took a step closer. He stares at you, and his eyes shone in the dark "That's how he looks like here..."

"Don't get closer" I try to speak as calm as I can

"Or what? Send me to the Crystal Kingdoms? You can scare me with this thing at all" He laughed