The Fearless One [discontinued]

Chapter Fifteen

They went out.

Steph was left alone with Paige. Somehow, Steph didn't mind.

The night sky didn't have stars, covered up as if something was on.

That made Steph unsettling.

Paige was quiet too, but she was stable.

She fiddled with her fingers, sometimes she hugged the cushion.

After taking her medicine, Steph read her stories until she fell asleep.

Steph was, again, restless.

You see, with darkness you start to think; the time where all your inner demons will be unleashed.

They howl and they scatter themselves into your mind; they make you insane.

At least they made Steph uncomfortable, sad... trapped.

Caged within her own depressed thoughts, she felt like screaming, but the sound died at the edge of her lips.

She cried numbly, silently. Tears warming up her cold cheeks before it was left cold again.

She was so consumed in her own sadness, she didn't seem to notice the shadows outside the windows.

When she did, it was too late.

They had rushed into their room like a ball of thunder.

A black wind sent the beds shifting and Paige into a crying panic.

"PAIGE!" With one pull and push, Steph and Paige flew out of the door.

Grabbing a few packs of her medicine, Paige sobbed loudly under Steph's strong grip.

They ran downstairs, the other rooms also opened with screaming people.

Steph cursed, she forgot her weapons.

As she pulled Paige behind her, she looked up at their room. It was the only room that didn't burst open. Perhaps it was because no one was in it.

She had a chance, but what about Paige?

She needed it to protect Paige.

With the building courage inside her, she ran upstairs. Fighting away panicked people, the overwhelming view blurred away from her eyes.

Paige screamed as she was pushed back by the wave of people, but Steph managed to catch her hand again just in time before she went tumbling.

Pushing open the door, Steph threw on her quiver, her bow, and sheathed her daggers.

A gust of wind flew past her. Steph closed her eyes and clutched onto Paige tighter.

Paige was squirming under her sweaty grip, but Steph didn't let go.

Before she knew it, she opened her eyes to met the wolves.

With one swipe of her arm, the glass like symbolint on her arm glowed. A rabbit leaped out of her fingers, enlarging in size to match with the wolf.

The small creature burst into flames, engulfing the beast in its fire.

Steph rounded her eyes. She felt something pumping in her arm, something that made her feel strong.

Steph blinked. Her instincts... it was her buried instincts.

Paige's cry sent Steph awake. Steph didn't hesitate and left the room.

The Inn was emptied, all that was left were shattered windows and royal drapes fallen from the wooden attachments.

The door to the entrance was open, the screaming fading into the distance.

Steph walked out into the chaos and walked the opposite way. It wasn't the time for her to interfere, it was time to bring Paige to safety.

Jacobi would've wanted that.

Entering a trail, Steph's breathing became more harsh.

The weather suddenly became bitter, as if a winter curse had hit the land.

Paige shivered and stayed quiet. All Steph heard was their heavy footsteps and their heavy breathing.

"Help...!" Steph knocked on the first door she met. The houses were lined up together, trailing to the back to make a small village.

Steph moved on to the next and knocked loudly, desperately.

There was no one.

"Open the door!!! Please!"

As if miracles do happen, someone opened the door.

Steph fell into the house as quickly as the door was closed shut.

The wolves started to scatter, sending a sound across their roofs.

Their shadows danced with the moonlight, intertwining with the darkness of the room.

"T-thank you...I-"

"You...I..." the women took hurried steps back and leaned on the bookshelf behind her.

Steph furrowed and shook her head, "we do no harm, we... the place we stayed was attacked. The town is being attacked!"

Steph narrowed her eyes. She couldn't see the woman. She walked forwards.

A flash of lightening was what shocked Steph.

She saw herself.

Steph gasped and stumbled back. Paige's cry of fear faded away from her ears.

The thunder came and Steph waited for another strike of heavenly light.

It came and she saw the frightened self.

"Stephanie?"

It wasn't until that voice that allowed Steph to understand who this woman was.

She heard a strike of a a wooden match, then the dim, weak fire fluttered in the breeze.

The woman lit up a candle and held the handle to walk closer to Steph.

Steph's breath hitched in her throat. She saw the woman more clearly.

In fact, she didn't look like Steph. Some features had resembled hers. For example, her perfect eyebrows, the determined look at the corner of her eyes...

Steph didn't say a thing to the woman.

"Stephanie." The woman said with more certainty.

That very woman that seemed to be her mother.

---

A/N

I'm sick, *sniff sniff* but using this time of break, I managed to write this little short chapter! I'm sorry it's so short and that you guys had to wait for a long time for this! The wait is going to be long as I warned before... SLOW UPDATES.
And this is rushed and not edited. I wrote this on my phone.

Forgive me!

Lily