Mirage - Shall We Date Wizardess Heart' Fic

Chapter 48: Loss, to run or not to run

In the still, dark world in which the dormitory was settled in, the sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing at the end of the hallway. The unyielding silence was broken by shallow breaths and ragged sobs. The cries were faint squeaks and grunts.

The young wizardess rounded the corner, her feet desperately attempted to create a form of traction, she almost tripped over herself as she tried to reach for the stairs. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. A thin layer of sweat covered the nape of her neck. Her eyes were wide-open and filled with tears. Her throat burned and her legs cramped from all the running. Her lungs were pumping and her heart pounding frantically in her chest, threatening to jump out of her mouth at any second. She glanced back; the other end of the hall was surprisingly clear, somehow, it was no longer chasing after her. Acknowledging that, she slowed down her pace still, her current state kept her alert. Her mind was frantic with thoughts and if's. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, searching for every and any blind spot in which that thing could jump out and lash at her. She started to slowly back away, supporting her hand on the wall to keep her for buckling to the floor, and only stop at the edge of the first step. An unsettling feeling began welling inside of her again. It felt like she was being cornered and trapped, with nowhere to go. So, after a quick deep breath, the girl turned around and sprinted to the door. She tried twisting the handle, but the door seemed locked from the outside."S-Son of a dragon!" She silently cursed, facing the top of the stairs again and leaning her body against the door. Her breath hitched shortly, her back slid down over the surface and she sat on the floor. Grasping her head, she closed her eyes shut and counted the seconds in tense silence, waiting for any kind of sound to emerge from the darkness.

A slithering sound filled the previously silent air. It seemed whatever was coming in her direction arched its way across the floor in small waves. That haunting sound echoed all over the leeway, making it difficult to point out where that thing was coming from.

She slightly opened one of her eyes and looked through one of the sided mirrors at her right, a section of a large, dense fluorescent-green coiled tail was mirrored int it, slowly moving in the distance. Then, the serpent raised its ugly head, its forked tongue flicked in and out towards her, making her self-conscious of the dangers concerning it. Frozen with fear and shock, she couldn't move a sinlge fiber in her body, so the girl's glassed amber eyes fatefully meet its beady, gold-like eyes, hungered for souls. The poor wizardess threw her arms up in a vain attempt of shielding her eyes from it; a screech loud resonated...

**

Aurora woke up suddenly gasping for breath. She forced herself up, swirling around her head and taking in her surroundings; it seemed that she was still inside the small gap formed by the large, oak tree's trunk, being that outside was still raining cats and dogs. She took a hand to her chest; her heart was pounding wildly. She was awake now and that was a nightmare only. Overcome with relief that it was just a dream, she drowsily closed her eyes and laid back down again."Thank the First King..." She said quietly.

"Aurora?" She heard her birth name resonate in a male's voice and, on top of that, right from above her head. At first, she thought she had imagined it but then, she heard it again. "Are you awake? Did you have a nightmare?"

Hesitantly squinting her eyes open, Randolph's face was only inches away from hers. Stared at by his handsome face and firm gaze, even though his face was shadowed, her cheeks instantly blasted with heat. Her body jolted in recognition as she felt his body underneath her, " Oh, sweet cheese and crackers!" ending up hitting with the back of her head on the ceiling. She grunted at the unexpected wave of pain; thus looking up. She regarded the distance she was with the top while rubbing her head as to try to send the sensation away.