The Hidden Three (Book 1 of the Hidden Trilogy)

Chapter Thirty: Reunited

Eliana

(SLB)

(Pic is of Aswa)

I cried myself to sleep every night. I couldn't help but constantly remind myself of Aswa's cold voice condemning Tsuki's life. How it was my fault. Tsuki was dead by now, the shadows would have consumed her soul, at least Alena wasn't alone anymore. I was stupid, I'll admit that of course, Aswa wouldn't keep Tsuki alive. He made one mistake, though. He assumed that I would help him in fear of losing my own life. The truth was that I already lost it. My parents; dead. My friends; dead. My brother; psychotic. Even worse, I was the reason it had all happened. Now I was only going to cause more death, through destroying an entire universe, but I wasn't planning on falling through, I would rather die than kill.

I had stopped eating the daily meals Aswa delivered to my room during his daily visit. I was getting more tired as the days crawled on no matter how much rest I tried to get, I spent most of my time in a fitful sleep or staring at the ceiling thinking of a couple days ago when Shannon still seemed like my best friend. I would have tried to escape but even then where do I escape to? It was said that only the celestial beings could bring peace, and more than half of them were dead. Doom was upon us and there was no way to stop it, even if I tried, there is no changing or altering fate. Fate was always a confusing topic, some believe that they are the only ones in control, they can change their futures any way they like. I have always thought that what's meant to be is meant to be and that you can't change it because it's those changes that bring you there. You will always end up where you have to be. The way my fate was meant to be was in a destroyed universe, any change I could make would ultimately lead up to that ending. You can't fight the future. So I wasn't fighting anymore.

"Eat," the cold voice said as the door closed behind it. Aswa stood, his red eyes piercing mine. I couldn't fight the future, but I could fight him.

" I'm not hungry," he scoffed.

" You are, now eat," I didn't respond so he continued "I'm surprised you haven't tried to escape or kill me yet. Quite frankly I'm surprised, you were never this way when you were younger," White hot anger fuelled me; I tried to keep calm, or else I would give him satisfaction. "I recall a time when we were playing outside in the backyard, Mom and Dad demanded that we come inside. You had made friends with a squirrel and said you didn't want to leave him outside all alone. Mom got mad at you, demanded you come in. You didn't. I brought your dinner outside. Those were the good days," he said softly in my ear, yet sounding menacing all the same. He knew how to push my buttons. I remembered that day, it is one of those days that you look back on a realize how much you took for granted.

" You have no right talking about that day," I whispered dangerously "You destroyed those days, you destroyed them the day you murdered our parents!" I lashed out. It was all his fault we couldn't make more family memories, no more Christmas's or Vacations. No more family road trips or movie nights. It was all because of him, and he knew it. He knew how much it pained me to be reminded of how close we were, and how distant we are now. How he brought me dinner back then, when I was standing outside with a lonely squirrel, and now he brought me meals as his prisoner.

" you're starving yourself," he observed.

" At least you won't be able to use me," For a moment the panic in his eyes was evident, then they simmered and he straightened his posture. I started to move towards the bowl of soup that he had placed on the side table by my bed. I fought back against his possession. I fought as hard as I could, something about losing things makes you fight harder to find them. In the mix of losing everything else, I had lost myself and now I was fighting to find myself. He pushed me and I pushed back. Having nothing to fight for made me fight harder. It took all of my strength but eventually, he spoke up.

" Fine! What if I told you Tsuki was still-" he was cut off by shouts echoing along the halls outside the door. Panic flooding every part of his facial features. He then rushes over to me, harshly grabbing me by the waist and pulling me along to a closet, one that I had inspected a million times before, yet then Aswa used his shadow magic and a ladder appeared before him. He pulled the ladder along with me to the middle of the room, just under a skylight. I struggled as hard as I could I broke free of his grip running to the door. I managed to open it before being violently pulled back by Aswa. I could see people running towards him from down the hall. Aswa was climbing the ladder now, with me struggling against his arms. The skylight now in reach his worked some of his magic and the glass faded. Another portal! He was going to jump out into the skylight and transport to another planet. Pulling me with him.

The people in the hall we coming closer, Aswa pulled out a glass ball from his pocket, a sort of darkness squirming inside, desperate to be released. I recognized it from one of my vision. The same darkness that killed my group, that gave me the glowing cut on my side, was now in the hands of my very dangerous brother. Then it made sense. It was a nortoche, it was Souruita, the nortoche that ate away At your soul's and made you obey their bidding. That was how he was controlling me. With one last pull, I fell out of his arms and landed harshly on the ground. In seconds the people that were running down the hall had made it into the room. I felt arms pull at me and I swung my limbs wildly in an attempt to break free.

" Eliana!" I heard my name being shouted but I didn't calm down "Calm down!" I stopped freaking out only to see Alena, Tsuki, Rayn and another guy all standing around me. Alena ALIVE! And seemingly without a scratch, Rayn, somehow here, Tsuki, leaning on this other guy and looking as though she had been beaten to a pulp. I couldn't find the right words. I lunged myself at Alena and Tsuki and started crying. Alena hugged me back while Tsuki seemed taken aback and awkwardly patted my back.

" Thank goodness you alive," I sighed in relief.

Then panic took over and I, immediately defensive, looked around for Aswa.

" He escaped through the skylight," the white haired boy I didn't know said. I nodded. There was no point in going after him, we needed to be more prepared, and that meant getting caught up on why Alena and Tsuki aren't dead, why Tsuki looked like a walking zombie, why there's a stranger added to the group and Rayn isn't on Starbreak.

" First I need an explanation," I giggled, trying to lighten the mood and despite the dark times, we all laughed.