Gloomy was a word to define the other world.
Wren looked around. Clouds hung in the dull, grey sky, looming in the distance. The air around them was cold. A tall, rather run-down tower stood in the distance, and the land was surrounded by trees, nothing else. No villages, no shops, no castle, no nothing.
Just a tower.
Jake was next to get into the portal, landing in the other world. Wren took a step ahead of her and looked around to see that they were standing on an island - surrounded by a vast of ocean.
'Oh damn,' whispered Wren hoarsely.
Jake gazed around, his jaw tightening.
'If we don't make it out of the portal, we're stuck here,' he said. 'And this is creepy. It's not good. There's a tower. A tower and dead trees.'
Ladislaya whimpered behind them. 'You're sure the portal will stay open?' she whispered to Wren.
No. No, Wren wasn't sure.
She kicked herself for having thought of asking the High King. Why, why, why, she cursed herself. But it was too late now. Instead, she walked towards the tower.
'This is the key to the Soulstone,' she said shakily, 'and I'm sure of it.'
No, she wasn't.
It was funny how easily a lie could seep into your mouth without even realising it.
'Is this another kingdom?' Jake asked. 'I don't think so, do you? Apparently, there's no one here -'
'It's deserted,' Wren said. 'We're on an island, and that portal better not to close, or I will -'
'I want to go back,' Ladislaya said suddenly.
Wren and Jake whirled around. 'What?'
'I-I don't feel safe!' cried Ladislaya. 'I mean, what if the portal closes and we never get to come out? If it really does close,' she paused and shuddered, '- if it does, I'll know and I'll be able to do something about it. Someone should stay in there. Besides, it's giving me the chills in here.' she sniffed.
'She's right, someone should stay out,' Jake said, his voice on an edge.
Ladislaya looked relieved. 'I'll go.'
Wren nodded. 'Right. So just - go to Nathaniel or something if it closes -'
'- just do whatever seems right if it does,' Jake told her.
'Yeah,' Wren said, her voice higher an octave. 'Right. Uh - we'll go then.'
Ladislaya threw herself on Wren and hugged her so tight she felt like she was suffocating. 'Good luck,' she whispered.
'It's not the end of the world,' Wren smiled, shrugging.
'Well, just - you know - if there's anybody in there,' Ladislaya whispered. 'Be careful,' she added to the both of them before heading back to the portal.
Wren turned to Jake. 'Ready?'
Jake gave her a nod. 'Ready.'
Together, the two of them headed for the tower. There were no guards guarding the heavy, oak doors. Wren reached for the ring handle when a gush of wind rushed towards them, almost knocking them both off their feet. Followed by the wind was a rushing silhouette, hanging in the air. Jake gaped and Wren rubbed her eyes. The shadowy figure hissed and beckoned closer towards them both, its twilight wings carrying a soft, silver glow fluttering in the air and its eyes as glowing orbs of iridescent glaring down at them.
Inhumanlike.
Cloaked in the darkness were they, draped in shadowy robes that seemed to absorb and merge the surrounding air of gloom. Somehow, Wren felt a melancholic auro around the figure, an intangible presence that evoked ... fear.
'Human child,' whispered the figure, its voice hissing and echoing, carrying an otherworldly resonance, a mixture of melodic whispers and ethereal harmonies. 'You are not welcome here.'
Wren and Jake took a step back in unison. The figure ignored them and edged closer towards them and when it spoke, its voice hissed like a serpent, the tone ringing like a high-pitched bell in Wren's head, making her dizzy.
'Come.'
'Wren,' whispered Jake, his voice audibly shaky, 'Wren, I think we should run.'
Wren didn't hesitate; she grabbed Jake's arm and the two sprinted towards the portal - screw the Soulstone, screw the aura of the place, it was too sinister to bear with -
The figure loomed overhead as they made their way to the portal. Jake choked. Wren stared in disbelief.
'Jake, it's a Shadow Angel.'
'What the -'
'It makes sense - RUN!'
Wren felt the cloak of shadow tingle against her arm as the Shadow Angel swept past her - she could feel it glaring at her and as he floated in mid-air, a strong, invisible force pushed them back and away from the portal.
'Stay,' hissed the voice, and Wren felt that impeccable, unstoppable ringing in her head again.
'It's killing me,' moaned Jake. 'I can't -'
'Jake - Jake - OTHER WAY, OTHER WAY!'
'STAY!' roared the Shadow Angel, stopping Wren and Jake in their tracks. 'To the tower!' he boomed.
'You said we weren't welcome here, let us get out -'
The Shadow Angel spontaneously lowered himself down to level itself with Wren's face; Wren stood rooted to the ground, petrified.
'You. Will. Stay,' hissed the figure. 'Welcome or not.'
'We just -'
Far, far away, Wren heard a cackle. She didn't know if the cackle happened feet behind her, or if it just existed in her head. Still, she didn't dare turn around.
'Into the tower,' hissed the Shadow Angel. 'In you go.'
Wren swallowed; she had no choice but to move. Jake, breathing heavily, made stiff steps toward the tower. 'Do you have a feeling it's not just a Soulstone we're dealing with?' he whispered in Wren's ear. Wren couldn't get the words out of her mouth, so she nodded.
The massive oak doors banged open. An invisible force caused both Wren and Jake to tummelt into the tower and the door clanged shut behind them; Wren heard a lock.
'No,' she whispered in disbelief, scrambling to get back up on her feet, 'no, no, no. We're locked in!'
'What?' shouted Jake.
'We're locked in! The - the thing - the Shadow Angel - he locked us in!'
Wren ran towards the door and pounded on them furiously. 'Let us out!' she shouted, banging on them so harshly parts of the wall crumbled. 'Let us out! NOW!'
Furious and outraged, Wren slammed herself on the doors, but all she got was a sore arm. Jake stood there, his eyes blazed with rage.
'That crappy idiot locked us in!' he bellowed. 'I'm gonna try something - I'll try to turn time back and see if we can get out this time, OK?'
'But - Jake - the Soulstone!'
'Forget about the Soulstone, there's a weird creepy aura about this place, OK?' Jake said harshly. 'Right now, getting out of here alive is more important. We'll deal with the Soulstone later.'
Wren stood helplessly. 'I guess it's worth a shot ... you turn time back to ... when?'
'Uh ... that moment when the Shadow Angel was blocking your from the portal. Right back to that time!'
'OK, do it!'
Wren felt the surroundings spin around her ... she was floating, she was not, she was on the ground ... the locked room they were in slowly transformed into the dark, gloomy island ... dead trees appeared ... they were outside again -
'WREN, NOW!' bellowed Jake, knocking Wren out of the Shadow Angel's way and grabbing her as they ran for their lives back to portal which was still open.
'Ladislaya!' both Wren and Jake screamed their friend's name, and they were just to put their foot into the portal but it was too late.
A little too late.
A second away from escapism, and they would have made it out alive, free; if it wasn't for the Shadow Angels to whip them up in its shadowy cloak and force them back into the tower.
Click - lock.
'We're done for,' Wren shouted to Jake.
'Try again!' ordered Jake, holding out his hands, ready for the second time but Wren whacked his hands down. 'No, I can try. Now. With my water manipulation. I - I can shape a shark and make it bite down the door or something -'
'Just do it!' cried Jake impatiently.
'Okay, okay, on it -'
Wren took a deep breath and focused. Inner strength, she could hear Professor Alan reminding her, use your strengths and hold on to them. She did. She clung on tight, and she felt a manipulative tidal storm in her, and she was going to lash it out - she focused on her aqueous medium, sculpting it to the form of a majestic shark.
And out it came, made of water, huge and terrifying. With a swift flick of two fingers, Wren summoned it to the doors, calling it to chop the whole thing down.
'I added fangs for extra,' she smirked over to Jake. He gave her two thumbs-up.
'Definitely extra, and I think it's working!'
The second he said, that, Wren's shark evaporated into thin air, leaving nothing but a trail of shimmery water droplets. Wren gaped.
'Why did you call it off?' Jake said, bewildered, coming over to her.
'I didn't!' Wren said in aghast, staring at her palms.
'This door must be stronger than Ladislaya's amount of knowledge in her head,' Jake remarked, staring at the doors.
'I can try with a different form,' Wren said, trying to sound convincing but failing miserably. 'Uh ... maybe just a simple lash of water -'
A tidal wave rose and she heaved it upon the door, lashing it out - but the same thing happened - it evaporated.
Wren and Jake gaped at the doors.
'This thing is impeccable!' he wheezed.
'Maybe we should just start looking for the Soulstone,' Wren suggested. 'I don't think it'll be that hard to find it around here though -'
'Wise words, Wren,' drawled an icy yet honeyed voice. 'But you don't have to find it. It's already here.'
Both Wren and Jake turned around on heels. Wren swallowed hard when she saw the tall and slender figure of a woman.
Ombre hair, black to blonde from the roots to tips, the hair in a neat, elegant bun. She was wearing an elegant, icy blue off-the-shoulder dress with gems lined on the hem of her dress. A crystallized, light veil hung from the top of her dress, trailing her around as she walked. Glass high heels trod underneath her feet. Wren lifted her head up to look the woman in her eyes.
Her dazzling, icy blue eyes, colder as snow, as deep as the lengths of the deepest oceans.
She was wearing makeup - purple eyeshadow, eyeliner, a lot of lipstick. She looked radiant though. Delicate crystallized earrings hung from her ears, with studs pinned on her earlobes. A transparent, crystallized crown sat on the top of her bun. And at last, the finishing touch.
In her right hand, she was holding a crystallized, purple stone that shone in the gloomy hall.
The Soulstone.
Wren didn't need to ask who she was.
She didn't.
She already knew.
Writer's note: And I think you know who it is too, don't you? *wink*