TW// PTSD, Panic attack, trauma, sexual abuse, blood
The sail back home was even more insufferable. Now, with no leads to where Elias could be, he felt even more stressed and lost. He already went through all the million possibilities to why he could've disappeared. They all scared him. He could've gotten lost at sea, though Tivon doubted that. Elias had Dorea and he was one of the best men who could navigate the sea.
He could've wrecked the ship and was stranded on the island somewhere with no one to help him. Maybe something happened to the curse. Maybe someone took him as a prisoner. Tivon gripped the edges of the ship.
Maybe he's dead.
But surely Tivon would know if he was. He couldn't just die. Tivon couldn't live with that narrative. The one last possibility he had, he hated. He didn't, wouldn't allow himself to think about it. Because if it were true, Tivon didn't know what he would do.
Elias wouldn't just leave him. He wouldn't have just said goodbye and set sail away from Tivon because he hated him or because Tivon was a burden to him. Elias wouldn't do that.
Tivon hoped he wouldn't do that.
He glanced out at the sea, the land of Krens just barely visible. The only thing he was glad of, was the fact that they were sailing away from Bradfordshire. That gave him the slightest of comfort. The last night on the ship he had asked Cornelis for the herbs to help him sleep. He knew that eventually he would have to ask Cornelis for help. He figured it would be better to do it now on the ship than later on land. Cornelis just gave him the herbs silently, without looking at him.
It did help, but Tivon didn't wake up rested. He was even more tired and disorientated. It felt like he was sleeping for only five minutes, when in reality, it was more than ten.
He hated being like that. He felt like a burden. He was a burden, yet Cornelis still stayed. Afterall she needed him. If she wouldn't, she would already leave him or got rid of him. At this point Tivon didn't care.
They decided to go to Rhiamon with two horses. Tivon didn't even bother to ask where Cornilis got them from when she emerged from the forest with two brown mares. As they were riding towards the town Cornelis asked.
"How do you know Rhiamon?"
Tivon took his eyes from the path to look at her. "Rea, Elias, and I were running from Naydawin. We rested in the abandoned house for the night. It was before I got stabbed and died."
The memories of that night flood his head. They had fought. All of them. They were tired and everything came bursting out of them. The scary thing was that Tivon didn't know which side to choose. Both Rea and Elias were right.
He frowned. "And my family had a history with that town."
"What kind of history?"
Tivon thought she already knew the story and everything that town was known for. He told her, nonetheless. "The town was known as one who was home to many witches."
"Witches?" She flinched at the word and looked at him. "I thought you didn't believe in us?"
"No, I didn't." He struggled to find his words. "My grand grandfather hunted them."
"So, your grand grandfather killed us and then burned the whole town to the ground?"
Tivon flinched at the sudden anger in her voice. "I never saw them as witches. I always believed they were innocent women."
"We were innocent." She said slowly, her eyes glowing with a deep hatred Tivon had never seen.
Tivon said nothing, because he knew she was right, and she had all rights to be angry. He could never take back his grand grandfathers' actions. He would always carry his mistake with him. He would always carry that burden in his blood.
Cornilis horse came to a stop. "We're here."
Tivon looked in front of them. He could barely see the ruins of the town that once stood there. All the wood had already dissolved, and the stone walls were covered in dense lush greenery. Barley any house was even standing. The overgrown trees were blocking the sunlight, making it hard to see.
Cornelis dismounted her horse and tied the reins to the tree. As Tivon did the same, he asked. "And what will you do now?"
"First, I will look around the place. Maybe I can find something."
Tivon silently nodded as Cornelis went further into town. He sighed. I guess I can help her look.
He quickly found out that he didn't even know what he was looking for. If there was anything that would be remotely useful, it was already disintegrating or buried beneath ruins or covered beneath the thick moss. The village was a ghost town. Nothing could be found there.
Tivon was standing before the house that they, one year prior, took shelter in. He didn't want to go inside. Standing in front of it was enough. He remembered anger in Elias' eyes, when he told him to leave. Tivon felt a slight pain in his heart, like someone poked him with needles. Maybe Elias finally listened to him. Maybe he wanted to leave all this time.
Tivon could feel tears gathering in his eyes. He shut his eyes and turned around to Cornelis. "Did you find anything?"
Cornelis was placing her rocks from her bag down into a circle. She murmured something Tivon understood as a no. "What are you doing?"
"I'll try to talk to the spirits. Maybe they'll be able to tell me anything." She placed one last rock down.
"You can do that?"
"I'm not sure." She sat down in the middle of it. "I have never tried."
She placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes. Tivon stepped round the circle in front of her. He stared at her for a minute or two until he got bored. He started ruffling his shoe in the moss.
"Stop that." Hissed Cornelis. "Be quiet or go somewhere where I won't be able to hear you."
You don't have to tell me twice. Tivon turned around on his heals and started walking down the village. He felt a slight pinch in his scared eye. He rubbed the palm of his hand over it. He wasn't even angry at Cornelis for sending him away. He could say that he was used to people pushing him awa-
Something moved in the corner of his eye. He looked to his right, his hand already reaching for his knife. He slowly started walking towards the trees. Someone was there. As it moved in the shadows it's beryl green silk, flew behind it. Tivon took the knife in his hands and approached the figure.
"Who's there?"
His voice came out of him shakier than he would want it to. He heard laughter. Tivon knew that laughter. But it wasn't possible.
His heart started racing as he came to the trees. A short boy was standing before him, facing his back towards Tivon. He was dressed in green chiffon and tulle dress far too familiar to Tivon. The scant sunlight that shone through the trees, light up his light brown messy hair. He turned around smiling and when his brown eyes met Tivon's, his knife fell to the ground.
"Hello Tivon."
"Adrien?"
Adrien's smile widened. Tivon couldn't believe it. It was Adrien. The same freckled boy from The Jade Paradise that he helped once. But why was he here? Tivon didn't just imagine him. He looked too real. He couldn't be dead. He started walking towards him.
"Adrien, you're alive."
Adrien laughed. It wasn't a soft laughter but a mocking one. Tivon stopped.
"Oh, Tivon. I'm not alive." He tilted his head to one side and smiled. Blood started dripping down his mouth. "I was stabbed. Remember?"
Tivon took a step back, as blood started pouring down Adrien's stomach, smearing the smooth green silk.
"It was because of you, that I died."
"What? N-no."
"Oh, but it was you." He started walking towards him. "Because of you she found out."
Tivon raised his hands up, moving backwards. "N-no, Adrien I-"
"If you wouldn't have been a coward and confessed that it was you, I would be alive." Blood was spitting out of his mouth while he was talking.
"N-no that was not- I didn-"
Tivon bumped into something. No, someone. Tivon's eyes narrowed. He could feel his breath on his neck. He moved his lips to Tivon's ear and whispered ever so slowly. "Hello shary. Did you miss me?"
Tivon quickly turned, before Pit could reach for his hair.
"Oh, come on shary." He started walking towards him, his grin widening. "I just want to play."
"S-s-stay away."
Tivon's whole body was shaking. Pit moved like a corpse, like someone who was dead. But Tivon knew this wasn't a dream. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. But it feels real. He felt his breath against him. He felt him just a second ago.
"Oh, why would I stay away, huh shary? We're alone here." Tivon couldn't move. His whole body was frozen in place. Pit was only a mere foot away now. "He's not here to protect ya, is he?"
Move! Tivon's body screamed.
"Did he leave ya?"
Just move! Pit was in front of him, staring down at him with his one good eye. "What a pity. Thankfully, I'm here." He stroked his hand over his scared eye. "Let's just have some fun."
His touch was so cold. Tivon felt his fingers, leaving invisible traces, he would never be able to get rid of. Tivon gathered all the strength that was left in his body, shut his eyes, and pushed himself away from Pit. "L-leave me!"
Tivon crashed into something soft. When he opened his eyes, Pit was nowhere to be seen. Cold hands wrapped around Tivon's chest. Icy lips brushed down his jawline. No. This can't be happening. Please make it stop.
"Hi, marily." Her cold hands travelled down Tivon's torso. "I've missed you so much, marily?"
Tivon tried to shake her away from him, but she just hugged him tighter. "Oh no Tivon. You won't go anywhere."
Tivon started kicking, thrashing, anything just to get out of her grip. He shut his eyes.
"Look at me Tivon." He wouldn't flinch. He couldn't bear to look at her. "Look at me!" She shouted.
He didn't want to look. He knew what he would see. Still, he turned his head and opened his eyes. Dead blue eyes were staring at him. As she opened her mouth, blood started spilling out.
"You did this Tivon." He tried to look away, but Alieana grabbed his chin and pulled him towards her. "Look at me! Look at what you did to us!"
She released him and as Tivon staggered back, he stumbled to the ground. He couldn't move. His body wouldn't listen. All three of them were staring down at him, blood dripping down their wounds, their mouths, shouting at him.
"You did it!"
"Shaaary."
"It was your fault!"
"Marily."
The voices became one, shouting in his head. They grew louder and louder, some of them yelling that it was his fault, some screaming for revenge, some shouting for help, others screaming his name. Tivon covered his ears, shutting his eyes, but the voices didn't subside. They only grew louder and louder. The pain in his eye was immense.
"You coward!"
"You should've helped us!"
"Tivon"
"Shary!"
"The burden is yours to carry!"
"Tivon!"
"It was you!"
"Tivon!"
"Tivon!"
Tivon abruptly opened his eyes, as someone was shaking his shoulders. "Tivon!" Cornelis was holding his arms tightly, watching him with panicked eyes. "Stop screaming, you're alright. Nobody is here."
Tivon pushed her away, looking around himself for Pit, Adrian or Alieana. But no one was there. No blood, no body, no trace of them. It was just Cornelis, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Tivon calm down." Tivon looked at her. His whole body was shaking, he could feel wetness on his cheeks, his left side hotter and stickier. "Tivon, please, calm down."
Calm down. Calm down? How could I possibly calm down? The throbbing in his temples only multiplied.
Cornelis slowly asked. "What happened?"
Tivon opened his mouth, but nothing came out of them. He saw them. They were here. They were real.
His body wouldn't stop shaking. "I-I saw them. They w-were here."
"Who Tivon? Who did you see?"
"I-I-"
The throbbing wouldn't stop. His heart was slamming against his chest, choking his lungs. He started seeing black dots cornering his eyes as panic seized him.
"T-them."
It was the last thing he managed to say before darkness took over him and he fell to the ground.