My heart sank deep when I saw Zeo charging towards those masked guys. I couldn't make out their conversation from this carriage but it must have been something serious which made him this much furious. To be honest, from the moment these people have shown up, Zeo is overtaken by some unexplainable anger. When he demanded Uncle Ross to take him as well, a new face of him came to surface. I had never seen him that angry. Was it because they attempted to attack him? Me, Nathan and Millia saw Zeo charging towards the red masked guy, while Uncle Ross stood there, dumbfounded and startled with the sudden action.
Suddenly a huge bubble enveloped him and Zeo was levitating in it. I felt worried.
"What is that bubble thing?" Nathan asked.
"It seems like some kind of spell." Millia replied.
"What does it do?" I interrogated.
"I...don't know. I don't know about this kind of magic. " Millia said. My eyes went back to Zeo. He was struggling to get out of the bubble but it was to no avail.
After a few seconds the bubble started to squeeze around Zeo. Zeo was being crushed and choked. What should I do?
Uncle Ross took a step forward but then retreated. Why wasn't he helping Zeo? He was his son, right?
"Wait. They are crushing Zeo !! What should we do?" Millia asked, stammering, more to herself than to us.
"But Ross told us to stay here?" Nathan reasoned.
"But..but...we can't let him die...He..is..is my brother."
"Let me think." Nathan muttered.
But I was losing all my patience. With every second Zeo was losing his breath and so was I. My heart was squeezing tightly. I felt heavy seeing Zeo like that. And before I could realise, my body did the same reflex that it did when we were attacked.
I opened the carriage door and ran towards Zeo!!
I heard a few of Nathan's screams but before I knew it I was surrounded by a blinding light. And then I was falling like a stone, wind whistling in my ears.
I was surrounded by clouds and among those clouds I was falling continuously with no breaks. I didn't see any ground below. The place was empty, white, pure and blank. Wait, did I see a bird? But it was huge.. I haven't seen such a bird. Wait! I saw another one and another..Hey!! they are not birds....They are like some humanoid creatures with wings. Are...these Angels?? Am I dead already?
Suddenly, someone grabbed me as swiftly as an eagle. He was one of those angels. I looked up at him. He had blonde hairs and snow-white wings whose width was twice my size. He wasn't wearing any upper vest, just pants over his lower body so I was held in his chest. Truthfully, he really had some muscles here but not enough to attract me. I looked up at his divine face smoothed by an artist. I was staring at myself too.
"What's an Elf like you doing in the Angelic Realm??" He asked.
Wait! Where Was I? I needed to get to Zeo, not some Angel's place. I have to save him. And then I was enveloped in that blinding light again.
This time I was on ground but not the one you would be thinking of. There was an infinite stretch of shallow fluid around me, red and metallic. Wait, is this Blood! I stood up in a jerk. The sky was painted red and orange with a sun which was covered. An eclipse probably. As far as the horizon stood there was nothing but this never ending blood lake. Occasionally, I saw some flowers- Red Spider lilies. This place had a strange aura which kind of resonated with the sadness deep down in my heart, making me melancholic and heavy.
"Oh my, We have a new visitor here." A new voice said. The voice had a sound that shivered me. I turned around to meet a tall, gaunt figure in a dark cloak. The cloak was floating in the air even though there was no trace of wind. I couldn't see his head or any of his features except that cloak. He was holding a reaper in his right hand and it confirmed my doubt that he was my grim reaper. This time I am surely dead.
"Welcome to the darkness of Erebus, the Demonic Realm." He said as he leaped towards me with his reaper. I shut my eyes to that blinding light again and I found myself in a strangely familiar place. Heaven, perhaps.
It was my room!!
The sky blue painted walls with these posters and my childhood photos welcomed me. I touched the walls and those photos. I had only left the place for a few days but it felt like it's been months. My bed was made while my trashy clothes were kept tidily over it. Suddenly, the doorknob of the room twisted and from it emerged the most beautiful and caring woman I have ever met and will ever meet. It was my mom. Her face was unusually dull and eyes hollow. She must had been through a lot since I left her. She was stunned to see me. Her eyes glittered with tears.
"Elli ! You came back!" She exclaimed as she brought me a warm hug. I returned her warmth. She was sobbing silently on my shoulders. I patted her back but without me realising, I was crying. But at the same time I was smiling too. A mother's embrace is perhaps the warmest place for a child.
"I am sorry, mom. I left you alone here. I should have. .." I said shuttering.
"It's okay. You are back now, that's all that matters." She comforted me. I should have been the one to comfort her and here she was. A child is always a child.
We stayed like that for a few minutes and then mom brought me to bed.
"You want to tell me what happened to you and Nathan? " She asked.
Wait! Nathan, he is still stuck there and what about Zeo. If I don't do something he will die. I stood up in a jerk at the sudden revelation. Mom was surprised too.
"What happened Elliot? " She asked, confused.
"I will have to go back." I said lowly to myself but mom heard it.
"But where??" She asked, holding my hands.
"I can't explain mom. But I need to go back to bring back Nathan and.... to save someone important." I said the last part slowly so that mom wouldn't hear it.
She stayed silent. Probably trying to figure out what I meant and a reason to make me stay.
"You don't need to do anything Elli. We can ask the police for help and even Nathan's family. They are rich. Now, that you are here we would know where to look f-" She scrambled.
"Mom ! Only I can bring him back. And I have to. I promised him." I explained. Tears were gathering again in her eyes and so were mine. I rubbed them off.
"Then I will come with you."
"No, mom. Its dangerous. I will do this alone" I said but she was reluctant.
"I promise I will come back." I declared. She was on the verge of tearing up but I hugged her again.
"I promise I will be back." I whispered in her ears and then that blinding light came again.
Finally, for a second I ended up in the bubble Zeo was being squeezed in. I felt the crushing sensation on my bones. Even breathing was a difficult task. I held Zeo's back and went for a place of escape. In the glimpse of the light, I ended up in darkness.
This empty and silent darkness felt familiar. This was the place I had brought Zeo last time while saving him. This silence and nothingness. It felt painful but warm. Zeo wasn't there with me anymore. Only thing with me was this darkness. Soon I felt some shadows slipping under me and all around me. The silence was replaced by peculiar whispers. Among those whispers I heard a sound say:
"I ...love you for..eternity ..."
A memory flashed in my mind. It wasn't mine but at the same time it felt mine. I saw someone standing in front of me but he had his back on my side. He had white hairs from which appeared two curved horns. He had some black armour on his body which seemed more like fluid than metal. Even from his back I felt like I had known this person for years. He was someone to me...someone very dear. I moved forward to touch him but I felt a sword pierce me from behind. Gush of blood fell from my abdomen and mouth but I still moved forward. I just needed to reach this man.
The sword kept on stabbing me again and again, twice...thrice..but I kept limping forward. I opened my mouth but no voice came, only blood. Then the sword pierced through my heart and I fell to the ground. My vision was getting blurrier. I reached out my arm but it didn't reach him.
"I...love... you.. too." I managed to say before everything went blank