Amara's POV
I had a piercing pain in my shoulder as I opened my eyes. No longer was there any glow coming from my necklace. I realized I was staring up at the ceiling of the cell. I heard the breathing of multiple people in the room and the heartbeat of someone behind me. Suddenly, I remembered what the voice said. I sprang up from Astrid's arms. I looked around.
Everyone seemed on edge and I discovered six figures I had never seen before. Two were knocked out and were being carried by two others and I spotted Asher next to another figure that stood a couple feet away from me. Wren, Kalina, Thea, Caspian, and Theo were in one corner, looking too scared and dazed to speak. Luka was glaring fiercely at the other party, while helping Archean steady himself. Astrid looked at me with her vibrant green eyes.
"Amara?" Astrid called out to me with a hoarse voice. Had she been screaming?
"Yeah?"
She cried right in front of me and hugged me. I stood frozen, wondering what could have reduced Astrid to tears. A dark expression clouded my face. What exactly happened when I was unconscious?
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure dashing towards us. Immediately, I pushed Astrid out of the way. I was sent flying across the floor as the figure rammed into me. Pain radiated through my body. I gritted my teeth and hissed as I struggled to get back up.
"Ryder, that's enough!" Gram yelled angrily.
I stood up and examined him closely. He eyed me warily. Who exactly was he? His eyes flitted to Astrid, then Gram, and then back to me. I finally noticed the ice wall behind him that had a giant hole in it. Did I do that?!
Ryder looked back one more time before spinning around and disappearing through the hole in the ice. His brothers quickly followed after him, lugging their fellow brethren with them. Luka immediately moved to follow them, but was held back by Archean. Archean's normally neat hair was ruffled and hung in his eyes. He had a gash on his arm which he clutched onto.
"Luka, leave them," he said. Astrid, noticing Archean was bleeding profusely, cried out in surprise. "Ah! You're hurt! Quickly, we need to bandage your arm."
Astrid helped Archean to the hole and burned the rest of the ice down. The rest seemed to follow her in a daze. Gram glanced at me, then shaking his head, he followed the rest of the group. I watched them leave, a sinking feeling settling in my heart. I had the inclination to follow them too, but something told me not too. Oh, Amara. What have you done?
I felt a deep chill in my bones as I stood in the empty cell. I felt something wet on my cheek. I brushed it off, only to find myself crying. I smiled bitterly. When was the last time I cried like this? Not out of pain or shock or anger, but out of sadness? I let out a small chuckle.
Good job, Amara. You are alone again.
Suddenly, the voice came back. 'I'm here with you, am I not?'
I gritted my teeth in anger. "You are the cause of this!" I thought fiercely.
'Hmm, I suppose, but why would you need them?'
"It doesn't matter now because of you!" I cried. I heard the thing snort. 'Trust me, I was saving you from future pain and betrayal.'
This time it was my turn to snort. "Since when could you see the future?"
The voice shook with laughter. 'Don't need to. It was painfully obvious.'
I ground my teeth hard. I blocked out the voice and finally exited the dungeon. The voice kept whispering taunts in my ear. Finally, I got so fed up with it I snapped.
"Just leave me alone! I don't need your help, nor do I ever want it from you again!"
The voice quieted for a moment. Then it sighed. 'Maybe this will help you in the future, maybe it will help you now, but it probably will make no sense.'
With a strong shove, it pushed bright colors and blurry pictures into my eyes. Suddenly, it cleared and it was like I was in a dream. Most of the colors were clear, but minor details could not be grasped. I realized that it wasn't just a picture, but a memory. But, whose?
I peered closer at the scene. There were two things standing in the middle of the scene, huge hulking things. They seemed to have wings and I could tell that they were badly injured. My vision cleared a little more to notice that we were on a large balcony that overlooked the whole city. The building was crumbling and fire was everywhere. They turned around and stared at me. The things opened their mouths, only to reveal gleaming white pointed teeth, like a piranhas. A sweet and melodious voice flowed through the scene.
"My dear, you might not understand what I am about to say, but in due time you will." The thing drew in a sharp breath. "Crystal, listen. Listen to me."
"You must live. You must survive. I nor my partner can be here for him, so I will have to bestow the duty of protecting him to you. He needs you. Guide him and lead him to become the heir that this world needs. Only you can do this Crystal. Please, because we cannot be in this world any longer. He is with-"
*Screech*
The two figures fell, clattering to the ground in a grotesque manner. I was lifted away and drawn farther away until I was back to reality. I stood there visibly shaken. The voice flowed through my brain again.
"Amara, this is your mission. You cannot rely on others to achieve it. Only on yourself. Of course, I am you and you are me, so ask me anything. I will always be here. Amara, you must understand. You hold the fate of this word in your palm. Don't screw up."
Then, it slipped away, back to the darkest corner of my mind. I shivered. If I truly had this power, how could I rely on anyone? And from today, I think the voice's point is proven. None of them will understand.
I stood still, thinking about the memory. Was it mine or was it the voice's? Well, it didn't matter now. It seems that I have a new mission. I steeled my heart and walked out of the dark dungeon. The rising sun illuminating my face as I strode through the halls. Little did I know the weight of the choice I had made.