"What takes you so long, Keeper? My patience dwindles." The feminine voice was cool and gracious on the surface, but it was laced with malice. Its owner gracefully draped herself over an earthy throne, akin to how the thin silky fabric of her Greecian-style toga draped the supple, sinuous curves of her body.
"I have searched far and wide, your Highness, but to no avail. The spell that protects the key eludes my detection." The hooded figure replied quietly.
"Time runs short," the goddess snapped. "The eclipse of the realms draws near."
"I believe it is crucial to regain your full powers and ascend to your true form first before we make a move." The Keeper's tone was dry, almost mocking.
"I am powerful enough as it is! The power I have will suffice to draw and knit together all the realms once again."
Unseen underneathe his hood, the Keeper raised his eyebrows. "If I may so put forward, your Grace, the last time this was attempted, our plans were twarted by a Voyager, you were defeated in a remarkable manner and put into a deep slumber for a thousand years."
He paused to carefully word his sentence. "It has not been long since you awoke. As a fellow stakeholder in these plans, I strongly suggest your Highness recuperate before we proceed to the next stage of our plans. Well then, I shall see you in our next meeting when I obtain more news of the Key."
And with that, he vanished, leaving a trail of dark smoke that slithered its way before melting into the shadows.
"That insolent- ARGH!" A loud boom resonated as the goddess flung out an arm, the sheer force of her barely contained wrath translating into pure energy that crushed a part of the chamber walls.
"Your Highness, if I may." A wry voice interrupted her rage.
She paused, narrowing her eyes at the newcomer. Dark hair, slicked back, casually dressed in modern clothes with eyes that glowed like rubies in the dark. Her almond eyes narowed. "And who might you be, intruding the personal chambers of the Goddess Gaia?"
"Someone unimportant," he shrugged. "but with a piece of news you night be interested in."
Gaia sat upright in her throne, crossing her legs and propping her face with a hand. Her eyes were narrowed still, but there was a curious gleam in them. "Speak, stranger."
"This regards the Key to open the realms, which I believe you have been searching for," he began. "A little bird told me your Keeper friend has indeed uncovered some clues to its whereabouts. But he has grown soft over the years, for he wishes not to disclose this to you in order to protect someone that had become dear to him."
"What do you mean?" the goddess hissed.
The man shrugged and smirked. "That is all I will disclose."
"Tell me more," she demanded.
The stranger walked towards her in small languid steps. Reaching the bottom of the daison which her throne sat, he placed a foot uncaringly on the lowest step as he peered up at her with unfathomable eyes. "Information comes at a cost, your Highness. For something that could grant you the universe in the palm of your hands, what could you offer me in return?" He grinned, flashing a row of pearly fangs.
Perhaps she was still groggy from her thousand year slumber, perhaps she was too power hungry. All she saw was the possibility of everything that she should have had finally coming back into her hands. She did not sense the danger, did not hear the hint of intent in his words. "I will strike you a blood contract," she said resolutely. "One thing that you desire shall be yours, as long as it is within my power."
The man's grin widened. "Deal."
-
26 April 2016, Tuesday
She is like a comet streaking across the night sky, bringing a sliver of light and a burning hope into my dark world. I want to wish upon this wishing star, that better times are coming. That I'll finally live free from the clutches of this darkness.
In the short 5 days I've known her, she's given me something to look forward to. School isn't something I hate as much, knowing that despite having to face people who treat me like I'm nothing, I have a friend who's got my back.
I've told Isabelle all about how things are at home, how my parents' high expectations put a lot of pressure on me to perform and not be a disappointment, how their harsh words make me feel less than I am. But I haven't told her about Amelia, Rachel and Brooke.
I haven't told her about how sometimes they can be really nice, letting me confide in them, and at other time make me the butt of all their jokes despite knowing I hate it. I haven't told her how Amelia physcially roughs me up, kicks me or pokes my ribs for a laugh then accuses me of hurting her whenever I try to retaliate.
Truth is, I'm ashamed of myself. Isabelle is someone who won't go down without a fight, who'd challenge anything and everything. What would she think of me, cowering and passively accepting this treatment from people I still called my best friends? I don't want her to see me as a loser. She'll be disgusted with me, like everyone else.
I found out that we're the same age, and she's only two classes away from mine. She transferred from another school a couple months ago, which explains why I don't recall seeing her around. With this close proximity, she's bound to find out about my other friends someday. And the prospect of this worries me.
At the same time, my friends are bound to find out I've found a new friend to hang out with. They've begun to question where I go off to during lunch breaks without them. If they find out, I wonder if things will get worse for me, if Amelia will make my life hard.
I don't know what to do, I'm caught in between. I don't want to have to choose between friends.