He rushed to her side, catching her as she fell to her knees.
"N-no! This can't-, but how? How?!" He pressed down on the wound.
The ground rumbled, causing the pebbles on the floor to vibrate. Cracks ripped through the cave's wall. Pieces of rock broke away from the ceiling, blocking the entrance, as a large rupture tore through the center of Daeva's doorway. The glowing symbols flickered like dying lights.
"H-Himz, please take a breath." She smiled calmly, caressing his cheek.
"How can I? Look at you." His breath quickened.
"B-but I don't understand. You're a Goddess. How could a mere weapon harm you?"
"There was s-something I recently uncovered back home." She trembled, materializing a slab of rock.
She handed it to Himzavaick.
"Daeva, what is this?" He stared at the slab that was engraved in a familiar language.
His eyes scanned the slab as its words were transcribed in his head. His eyes widened, processing its context.
"Daeva!" He gasped.
"Y-you said you wanted all your stories to include me, and I f-feel the same way. I would give up everything to be with you." Her eyes welt up with tears.
"Ack-!" She choked up blood, roughly coughing as it trailed down the sides of her mouth.
"No, no! What did you do? If I had known, I would've-" He could no longer hold back his sobs, trembling as he caressed her face.
"I wanted to write my story a b-bit differently than before. I have s-spent millenniums giving others a second chance at life. I-I just w-wanted to be selfish this one time. I guess this is the product of my greed." She winced, laughing.
He softly smiled down at her in his arms, dipping his index and middle finger in the blood that trailed down Daeva's chest. He rose his hand as the blood illuminated bright pink.
"Himz, what are you-?" She tiredly watched him.
"ANNAADRON." His voice deepened several octaves as he drew foreign symbols in the air with the blood.
The circle of symbols lit up, swirling together to open the portal for Daeva's home. It mirrored the Whispering Basin Grove. Their fields of those beautiful purple flowers looked identical to the one over here.
"There's nothing I want more than to live out my days with you by my side." Himzavaick sighed, placing his temple to Daeva's.
The cave shook as debris fell around them.
"You have no idea the kind of dreams I had about our future together. How badly I wanted to bring them to life." A group of vines cradled Daeva as Himzavaick stepped back.
"My love for you will never change."
"Himz, w-what are you doing?" She cried out, struggling to get up.
"What I must." He forced a smile to stretch across his tear-stained face.
"Himz?" She reached out to him.
The vines pulled Daeva towards the portal, throwing her through the doorway.
"Himzavaick!" Her voice cracked as she cried out to him.
The portal's entrance collapsed, vibrating the ground violently as pieces of the roofing caved in and fell around the broken gnome. He didn't try to run or take cover. He just stood there with his face towards the ground. The screams from the frightened boy didn't seem to affect him at all.
The falling rocks bounced around him but never touched him. As they crashed near him, I could see a faint violet shimmer forming a shield around him. Its aura was warm and loving, just like her. But the look on Himzavaick's face begged for the cave to swallow him whole. The rubble piled around him as tears slid down his dirtied cheeks. I peered over to where Daeva's portal used to be, feeling a mix of emotions because I could no longer hear the boy's screams.
I turned, shielding my face from the dust that spewed out from the debris until the sounds of grinding rocks ceased.
"Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" Himzavaick pounded at the rubble, screaming and crying as he bloodied his fist.
His rage and despair formed a dense cloud around me, causing my chest to tighten and ache with every breath.
Is this what he was feeling?
If it is, then that means my wall is no longer up. It's harder than it sounds to concentrate on keeping up my wall and looking into another person's story at the same time. I should be okay for the time being. It's not the first time I've done this without a safeguard.
I turned my attention back to Himzavaick. A strong gust of wind slapped against me. I stumbled back, glancing up at the sky.
The skies twisted with a dark charcoal grey as lightning flashed through the clouds. Trees bent in the wind, their leaves ripped out from their branches and tossed around in the forming whirlwind. The heavy rain pelted my face, drenching me as I stood there watching him sob into the dirt. The rain washed down my face as a droplet fell into my eye. I winced at the stinging pain.
It didn't make any sense. Why did the rain burn my eyes? I stuck out my tongue, catching a few drops.
It was salty and slightly warm.
The rustling of grass echoed behind me. I turned and saw all the souls standing within the trees. They appeared to be crying as well as they watched the gnome mourn for his love.
Himzavaick stood up. His face was shrouded in darkness, making his features seemingly disappear. It wasn't until he walked away that I noticed a massive dent in the ground where he knelt. The scene was unreal. Everything was going so well for them. Why did it have to end up like this?
Anyone can tell, just by looking at him that Himzavaick is still waiting for her, hoping and wishing that she will find her way back to him.
I don't blame him for being angry. After all this time, Daeva was finally able to figure out a way to reopen the portal. She had one shot at seeing him, and instead, she chose to see me.
But why would she do that, for me of all people?
A sharp pain throbbed in my chest, burdening me with a large sum of guilt. I can't help but feel like I stole something important from him.
I tried to catch my breath, but the pain between my shoulder blades made it impossible. I fell to my knees, feeling my head fill with haze as my body was drained of all its energy. I clutched my chest in fear.
What was happening to me? It became hard to focus as my vision blurred. Suddenly, a hand yanked the back of my shirt. I jumped up, gasping as I frantically looked around. A loud ringing went off in my ears. I slid my hands beneath me, trying to figure out where I was. I blinked my eyes, but my vision remained hazy.
Okay Lis-an, come on. Panicking won't help us. Control your breathing and close your eyes.
I covered my ears, laying still. I focused my attention on the sounds of my breath as the air exited and entered my lungs. My heartbeat lowered, and the ringing ceased. Slowly, I opened my eyes, peering around to see that I was lying on the ground in front of the desecrated cave.
"You good now?" Himzavaick looked down at me.
"Yeah." I deeply exhaled, relaxing against the cold ground.
"How're you feeling?" He searched through his satchel.
"A bit dizzy." I held my head, trying to sit up.
"That was the longest time I've spent doing that." I kept my eyes closed, trying to ward away the nauseous feeling.
"It can be taxing on the body to spend an extended amount of time in someone else's story." He sat on the ground next to me.
"I get it now. I'm sorry that I took your one chance away." I propped myself up against a smaller boulder nearby.
"You did nothing wrong. All of this has always been about Daeva and me."
"But what did it say?"
"Hm?" He glanced at me.
"She handed you a stone tablet in the cave. What was it?" A tingling sensation raced through my limbs, chasing away the numbness.
"She," He sighed, smiling down at his wrist, twisting a golden rope knotted around it.
"Daeva was relentless. If she wanted something, she would stop at nothing to get it. I knew she hated how we lived on different timelines. I would continue to age and eventually die while she would just simply keep existing. It was only a matter of time before she took matters into her own hands."
I was able to lift myself onto a nearby stone.
"That tablet is an ancient craving that laid upon the walls deep within the cave. At first glance, they seem like nothing more than mere scribbles."
"What did it say?" I eagerly looked at him.
"Well, simply put, there is a way for the Goddess of this forest to become a mortal being. Though, it was written more as a warning. It's the reason why Daeva couldn't stay here for long periods and why she had to go back home to recharge, in a sense. Because Gods and Goddesses are higher beings that live on a different plane than us. Their world very closely mirrors ours, but their time isn't entirely consistent. Futures, past, and present-day events tend to mingle with each other and overlap one another."
"That seems hectic." My head ached just thinking about it.
"But to them, it was normal. With Daeva, her body adapted to adjust to our ways. Even I didn't know what had happened to her at the time."
"What do you mean? Did she cast a spell?" I pushed myself onto my feet, still feeling a bit unsteady.
"No. It was just one of the conditions she had to live with. Because she was constantly adjusting herself to our world, it started to affect her biology. The longer she stayed in our plane, the weaker she became." He sighed, combing back his hair.
"The stone stated that if a higher being continuously adjusted their biology to that of a mortal being, one day they will have difficulties reverting back to their original state. And if they neglect to spend a sufficient amount of time on their own plane, then the issue will become permanent. Meaning,"
"That Daeva was slowly becoming mortal." I gasped, puzzling all the pieces together.
She gave it all up for him. She was willing to become a mortal, so she could live out her days with him here in the forest, where they fell in love.
But if she did, what would happen to the land? Doesn't it need her in order to continue helping these troubled souls?
"On her plane, she was protected by divine power, which aided in her healing abilities. But here, she was no different than you and I, who can die when wounded. So I made the best choice I could." His gaze fell to the ground.
"I'd rather she be healthy and alive without me than to die by my side. Not a single day goes by that I don't feel empty without her." I could see the tears cloud his eyes.
"I have tried every spell, portal, and trinket I could get my hands on, but I-I can't reach her. I have mastered every subject of magic, every technique imaginable, and yet the Gods seem to deem me unworthy of any kind of luck. So when I heard she chose to see you and not me, I lost it." His brows knitted together.
"Himzavaick, if I had known, I would've-"
"There's nothing you could've done. For some reason, she won't see me. It's frustrating how she has no idea how much I've struggled to breathe since she left. For so long, I have been drowning, hoping that one day she'd reach into the water, allowing me to breathe again." He clutched his chest.
For a stoic man like himself to be standing before me, wearing such a vulnerable expression, pricked my heart. I could understand that longing feeling to see someone you can't reach.
It's unbearable.
"Child, it's time for you to rest."
Vines sprang from the ground, scooping me up.
"W-what the-"
"It's nearly morning, and I think I've put you through enough for today. When the sun is high, you shall rise, but for now, you rest."
I could see him through the tiny opening within the cluster of vines. His face glistened as tears ran down them, cocooning me within his vines to hide the most vulnerable part of himself. The side he refuses to show to others, much like most of us do. Out of respect for him, I'll tuck away this moment. I laid back into the cushiony vines. It's not like I was going to get out any time soon, so I might as well make myself comfortable. It was oddly comfortable within those thick yet plushy vines. They molded to the shape of my body as the faint light of pink dandelions radiated around me, easing the tension within my muscles. A wave of sleep washed over me. It was nearly impossible to keep my eyes open.
I didn't realize how tired my body was until now. Maybe it was okay to sleep here. Just for a little while, until I gain the strength to get back up again.
The vines moved cautiously, carrying me to where ever Himzavaick commanded them.
The sounds of the forest faded into the background as my body relaxed into the snow. The exhaustion from my legs ceased, and they seeped into the ice. I let the cool air invade my chest with every breath. I always found comfort in this icy fortress. The way the ice crunched against my body and cooled my wounds from the previous day. Even the way my breath would gather like newborn clouds running off to greet their family above brought me peace. Moments like this are rare nowadays. So I'm gonna bask in this moment for as long as I can.
My ears perked, hearing the loud sounds of crunching snow approaching me, stopping a foot away.
"I always hated the snow. It's too cold for my liking." A familiar voice spoke.
My eyes fluttered to the right, watching as my mom sat next to me. Her jet black hair rested over the shoulders of that horribly made jacket, where you could see the seams and the sleeves were different lengths because dad was not good at cutting fabric. He made all of us matching jackets for the winter out of deer skin. They were unsightly.
Who knew that something so ugly could be so beautiful. I'd give anything to get mine back.
"I've missed you." I held back my tears with a wide smile.
"You take so much after your father. His mannerisms, his tone, and his love for the cold." She caressed my cheek with her warm hand.
"I think you're confused." I laughed.
"Dad hated the cold. He said it made his nose hurt." I smiled up at her.
Her smile seemed sad. Like it was hiding something beneath it.
"Are you okay?" I held her hand that rested on my cheek.
"I'm sorry for everything. I acted selfishly and put you through hell just to keep you by my side for as long as I could. I knew it made you sick. I knew it hurt you, but I still made you take those pills every day because the thought of losing you came to me every night like a nightmare." She sobbed.
"Mom, it's okay. I know you only did it to protect me. I know." The cool air pricked my skin where the tears slid past.
"I'm okay. I'm alive and well."
She sighed, cleaning her face as she took my hand into her lap, covering them with her palms.
"I've made many mistakes in my life, but you are not one of them. No matter what they may say, the Gods blessed me with you. You were a gift sent from the heavens to save us all. Always remember that." Her thumb traced along my knuckles.
"Is something going to happen soon?"
I could feel a sense of anticipation in her voice.
"Always so quick to catch on. Now is not the time to burden you with future concerns. Focus on your task at hand, be sure to study hard, and always keep getting up when you fall." She kissed the back of my hand.
"I w-will. I promise I'll work hard." I smiled through the tears.
The chirping of birds echoed around us.
"Our time is almost up."
"N-no! I'm not ready to leave you again." I clutched onto her jacket.
"I hope one day you can forgive us for the secrets we kept. They will feel like betrayal when you find them, but in time you will understand everything."
"What are you talking about?" I searched for the answer in her eyes.
"Just know, your dad and I loved you with our entire being. We always will." She smiled widely.
"Mom!" I reached out my hand, gripping onto a vine.
I sighed, seeing that I was still inside the vine cage. Those dreams feel more and more real each time I have them. Something tells me that they are not merely just dreams. But what secrets was mom talking about? What else were they hiding from me?
I don't see why I have to wait to find out. Wouldn't it be easier to find out everything now so I'd have time to deal with them?
I hate being so lost. I don't like being kept in the dark. I don't like surprises or change. I always listened to my parents. I always did what they told me to do. I behaved. I never went outside. I tried my best to never complain. I played the part of a good daughter.
I don't understand.
"Why me?" I clutched at my hair, closing my eyes tightly.
"There's no use in asking such a question." A young girl's voice calmly spoke.
I jumped back. The girl tilted her head, staring at me.
"You're the girl from last night, right? The one with the twin?" My heartbeat lowered.
"Yeah, what of it?" She furrowed her brows, clearly agitated.
Why is she giving me attitude?
She's the one who came into my space. I rolled my eyes, sighing.
"Are you deaf?"
"What?" My brow twitched.
"Did you hear what I said earlier?"
"Yeah, what of it?" I scoffed at her.
See how you like it.
"Hmph!" She folded her arms, cockily smirking.
"And here I thought you were just another boring one."
"Why are you here?" I grunted, leaning back against the vines.
"Because we wanted to apologize." Her sister popped in next to her.
She sat there smiling warmly. Her demeanor was a lot more tolerable. Looking closely, I noticed she had a beauty mark under her left eye while her irritating sister had one under her right eye.
"Why would you apologize to me?"
The twins looked at each other.
"Since you're being nosy, I guess I'll tell you." The rude twin raised her chin at me.
I groaned, tucking my hands beneath my head as I closed my eyes.
"H-hey! You can't just sleep while I'm-" Her sister covered her mouth.
"Sorry about her. She has a rough personality, but she means well."
"Well, my ass." She pouted.
"Anca, please just stay silent."
I sat up laughing at the pouting girl.
"We heard from others that during the welcome ceremony our energy had a pretty heavy effect on you." She bowed her head.
"There's no need to apologize for that. It happened because I couldn't control my abilities." I glanced at my hands.
"So, I assume you're like us, right?" The pouting girl spoke without looking at me.
"You know, abandoned."
"No, not exactly. My parents died saving me. Now my mom's childhood friend is looking after me."
"Hm, ours died trying to kill us." She bitterly chuckled.
"Anca, there's no need to bring up painful memories." The calm twin lightly touched her sister's arm.
"Still, she's one of the lucky ones." Anca averted her gaze, glaring at the wall.
What does she know?
Calling me one of the lucky ones. Such bull-
"Don't take it the wrong way." Her sister interrupted my grumbling.
"Our stories may be different, but we share a similar pain." I clenched my fist, trying to control the anger that was swelling inside of me.
"Of course, we know that losing someone you love is painful." Anica glanced over at her sister, whose gaze softened.
"At least you have others willing to risk their lives to stand by you. Many are not so lucky." She reached over, holding her sister's hand.
The word lucky that they keep tossing around plagued me with resentment. I'm not sure why but it really rubbed me the wrong way.
"But you can't always trust those around you, can you?" I glared at them, knowing that they understood what I meant.
"I suppose so." She sadly smiled.
A sharp pain shot through my chest.
Damn it. I didn't mean to hurt her. I-I was just, I should say something.
"We'll let you go. I'm sure they're probably looking for you." She sat on her knees.
I looked at her, regretting my choice of words.
"See you around, wolf girl." The eccentric one waved her hand.
"Take care." Her sister softly spoke as they faded away.
I threw myself back against the vines. I didn't mean to vent my anger at them, especially at Anica. There's no use dwelling on it any longer. It was already said and done. I just want to find Usynlig and Himzavaick and go back to the cabin.
The sunlight peeked through the cracks, catching the side of my face. I peered out, and it looked like I was about a few feet away from the tree.
Why couldn't he just bring me inside or at least a bit closer? I don't know. Maybe this was the extent of his kindness. Hey, at least he placed me on the ground and not up in the trees.
My stomach growled loudly. I sighed, scratching the back of my head, wondering how I was going to escape this makeshift cocoon. My foot grazed the bottom as I stretched out my legs.
Something isn't right.
It feels different than it did last night. I lightly knocked my knuckles along the walls. It echoed back like thick hollowed wood. Their soft plushness hardened, forming a bark-like material around me.
"Really, gnome?!" I frustratedly threw myself against the wall.
He trapped me in here!
I bet he's doing this because he's still bitter about the whole Daeva situation. Well, whatever. I don't plan on staying here all day, waiting for someone to help me. There has to be a way out.
I hopped onto my feet, crouching near the cracks between the vines. I rolled my shoulders back and stretched out my arms, preparing to claw my way out if I had to. I pressed my hands against the wood, trying to find a weak spot. But it all felt pretty sturdy. Well, of course, it is. Hmzavaick made it.
Wait, where I knocked earlier sounded hollow.
I scurried back to that side, knocking against the wall, listening for the slightest difference in sounds.
Thwack! Thwack!
Thwack! Thwack!
Thunk!
Ha! I found it. It's a hollow spot no bigger than my fist.
I'm not looking forward to this. Just accidentally banging my hand against Usynlig's wooden table hurt. I couldn't imagine the kind of pain I would have to endure, smashing my knuckles into the wooden floor.
I can never have a pain-free day.
I ripped the bottom half of my shirt, wrapping it around my knuckles tightly. It won't prevent the pain, but at least it'll ease it up a bit.
I took a deep breath, positioning my fist over the weak spot.
Here goes nothing.
I jerked my arm back, throwing it down with all my strength. Sounds of cracking filled the cocoon as I hoped it was just the sound of the wood giving away. A sharp, throbbing pain traveled up from my hand, clawing its way through my arm. The cocoon shook. I stopped, wincing as I held my wrist, refusing to look down at my hand. I find that it hurts less if you don't see how much damage was done. That is something I can deal with later.
I glanced at the wall, and all I was able to do was cause a slight dent.
Damn it! What the hell was he thinking?
What? Does he not trust me? Or was this all a trap?
Maybe not. Because how would he know that we would come here? I guess one of the spirits could've reported back to him, or maybe he has people on the outside giving him information.
Is he really our ally?
Damn it! I need to go to Usynlig before anything happens.
I began punching into the same dent I made earlier.
He could've killed me when I was asleep if he wanted to. Or was his goal to turn me over to the Red Cloaks?
Loud creaking sounds moved through the vines, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked around, noticing how the walls were getting closer.
What the hell?
I stretched out my arms. My hands were now able to touch both sides of the cocoon. I could feel the vines move underneath my palms. They pushed against my arms, slowly caving in on me.
Fear crept behind my neck as I fell back in disbelief.
So this is what happens when you let your guard down?
You have got to be kidding me.