Sapphire Flame

EIGHTEEN

   The first thing she saw was the snarled snout, a hungry expression, but this one had black fur instead. She stepped to the side to view the scene full on.

   The creature was mid-air, looking to land on her expecting father.

    In a flash, the scene glitched again, quickly switching frames between the pouncing attack and the inevitable strike. Blood became stuck in the air like rainfall. 

    Before she could gasp or scream, she was in a void in an instant and nothing but those eyes remained. Like a predator in the night, crouched down ready to pounce. 

   She took a step back, her eyes watering with ground-shaking fear.

   He jumped at her, his ghostly jaws went to clamp around her, but instead, her mind went swollen with his face filling the scene from before. 

   On instinct, her hands went to her ears to silence the whispers and attempt to ease the overwhelming visions.

   He was everywhere. His face, his teeth, his claws, even his voice.

   It was like the realization had physically struck her in the chest. Silent tears burned a path down her cheeks.

   "Oh my god..."

   A harsh scream filled her ears again. But this time it was her own.

   "Come on wake up Kaena!"

   He'd awoken from his sleep to a piercing scream. He jumped upright to find Kaena with her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her mouth fixed in a constant horrified scream.

   Assuming she was having a nightmare, he took her by the shoulders and tried to shake her awake. She only screamed louder as if someone were attacking her. She thrashed around in his grasp violently as she pounded at his chest and arms.

   "What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?!"

   Confused, he shook her harder and called her name.

   "Wha- Wake up Kaena! Wake up!"

   Her eyes suddenly shot open and she stopped thrashing as her eyes landed on him perched above her.

   "Calm down it's me... it's me..."

   Without a second thought, she pushed at his shoulders forcing him to move away from her.

   "Kaena... what's wrong?"

   He reached for her hand and she jumped away. She sat back, her hair flying in her face.

   "I-I'm fine just- just give me a minute," she said, trying to catch her breath.

   "But-"

   "Please! Just leave me alone..." She threw up her shaky hands in surrender and in a disgusted manner like she couldn't stand for him to touch her.

   She jumped to her feet quickly and tried to scurry out of the room.

   "Wait, Kaena!" He caught her hand, stopping her. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

   "I said... leave. me. alone."

   She snatched her hand from him and left.

<><^><>

Unknown

   Renee's banshee-like screams were heard nowhere. In that place, only souls could hear you, but even they couldn't see past their own cries.

   She struggled to push the demon out of her, like a parasite from its reluctant host. They struggled for dominance which the spirit eventually won, sucking herself back into her body and pushing Renee farther down into the abyss of her mind.

   "You'll never escape girl, give it up. You have no voice or will anymore. If I were to give your body back it'd be nothing but a sleeve, and your soul would be damned to an eternal hell. I'd say you're lucky being used."

   "What... is this... Let me go!" her strained voice echoed.

   The spirit silenced her for the final time with a hush.

   She appeared in a familiar spot. The cool gust of the breaths of wailing voices traveled against her skin, something she hadn't felt upon the skin in eons.

   She turned to the famous current of souls, the River Styx. A place of myth in the mortal realm she came to learn, but a place she called home since her beginning.

  Kaena's necklace appeared in the palm of her hand. She curled her fingers around it breaking it instantly. A slight mist began to rise slowly unlike a smoke that would've whisked away. In her other hand, she made the sapphire flame appear.

   She stepped closer to the river before continuing to walk within it. The souls grabbed at her to no avail and moaned and groaned as she pushed past them. Some of them knew what she held in her hands they'd been there so long, they coward away.

   Stopping at a place she knew would be effective, she held them out, then combined them.

   The power surged through her and all through the Styx and shook the underworld at a slight. 

   Her head snapped back at the force but she held them together as they merged. She slowly straightened up, then began lowering into the river, going in until she couldn't be seen.

   Everything grew still for a moment. Until a hand emerged.

   A sluggish entity drug itself from the Styx's hold. Its ghostly hue and sorrowful moans ceased as it stood and morphed into a man. A blank slate with only the glowing eyes of the sapphire.

   More started to follow. Some with the bodies of men, women, and children, but all with the strength of the flame.

   The entity lifted herself from the river. Her true form and Renee a blurry mix.

   In seconds there were thousands of souls rising and taking the form of an army.

   "My children are ready m'lord. With the help of the Phex..." She smiled proudly as he looked around her to see more of the dead rise from the Styx.   

   His voice surrounded her head in a bubble. 

   "What if she doesn't go for your plans?"

   "She isn't stupid. She will."

   "If she truly is not she will not fall for your tricks."

   "No trick was done. That is why her submission is guaranteed..."

Published - 8/3/23