Aven stood in a world of darkness the ocean waves lapping at his shins. The silence deafening and numbing.
Ahead of Aven was an endless ocean, everything around him was in shades of grey.
A spot of darkness rippled behind him on the shore. From it walked out a shadowy creature, it stood on four legs it measured over a meter tall. The shadows swirled around the creature before settling on the shape of a wolf.
As it moved shadows rippled around it like fire. It shifted forward moving towards Aven back, it made no sound as it moved coming to a standstill just behind his shoulder. It raised its head and howled.
Aven stood looking straight ahead, out into the endless ocean, barely even registering the howl that sounded from behind him.
The shadow wolfs head turned to the side as it stared at Aven, it radiated confusion. Its eyes narrowed at him then struck out and head butt Aven in his shoulder.
Aven snapped out of his daze as he toppled forward, he rolled away and whipped around to see a meter tall shadow wolf. Shadows rippled of it like flame from a fire and its eye glowing like red embers. Avens eye widened in shock at the figure before him.
'How did it get that close without me noticing it before?'
Aven reached for the dagger at his back but came up empty. Aven's heart raced as he kept his eyes on the shadow wolf.
As the seconds ticked by, he realised that the shadow wolf looked very familiar.
'What, where have I seen this creature before?'
"Are you done yet?"
Aven jump at the sudden noise, freezing up as his brain processed that the shadow wolf had just spoken.
"This isn't really happening creatures can't speak, can they?" Aven said ending in a whisper.
"Helloooo" the shadow wolf shifted its head as Aven was in the middle of his mini break down.
"You really can't stay here much longer" the shadow wolf started moving around "you're running out of time."
"What are you talking about?" Aven questioned.
"You'll know soon" the shadow wolf disappeared.
"Wait what do you mean, where even is here, come back"?
As the shadow wolf disappeared the world around Aven grew darker until there was nothing left.
As the darkness in crouched around him Aven started to break.
"Help, someone please help me."
He drifted in the darkness, searching desperately for any light. From somewhere in the darkness a voice rang out.
"Aven Fire-Rose"
"Hello?"
'What, who was that? Who's calling me? '
He heard a voice calling his name and he tried to look around himself but no matter where he looked for as far as he could see there was nothing. He was unable to tell where the voice was coming from, but it seems so far away into the darkness.
"Hello, where are you?"
"Is anyone there?"
He looked around but got no answer. He looked down.
'Please someone help me!'
Aven curled into himself and tightly closed his eyes trying to block the endless darkness.
'What am I thinking no body is going to help me'.
"I told you; you're running out of time."
'Wait the shadow wolf!'
"What do you mean, where are we?"
"Only you can answer that question, Aven."
'Only I can answer, how is that possible?'
Aven shut his eyes and took a breath. 'I have the answer, really? 'As he breathed, he tried to calm down and centre himself. As he started to calm, he felt the world shifting and slowly opened his eyes.
The world gained some colour and he realised that the world had actually changed slightly.
'How is that possible' he looked around and saw further up the shore for the first time he saw a grey forest from within a pair of ember eyes glowed.
"So, is this place a part of me?"
"Not bad your almost right, this is your inner world, but you are out of time." With that Aven felt the ground vanish. As he fell, he hears a voice calling.
"Aven"
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Aven jolted up as he awoke, as he did fell from his perch.
"Are you alright Aven".
'Well, that hurt.' Aven lifted his head and locked eyes with Joseph Randall.
"Sir?" Aven asked confused as to when Joseph Randall arrived.
"Are you alright not only did you just fall out of a tree, but you appear to have an injury" Joseph Randall said while motioning towards Avens chest.
Aven just sat there blinking for a few seconds before his mind finally caught up to what was said, and he looked down at his chest.
'The malikia, so was everything just now a dream.'
Aven shivered as the bitterness of the snow cut through his clothes.
"Aven"
"Truthfully sir I really have no idea."
"Do you think you can get up" Joseph Randal asked as he moved closer "let get a fire going and have a talk."
"Yes sir I think I can" Aven pushed himself up and tried to steady himself as he swayed lightly. He looked to the side and there was Joseph already cleaning an area and placing the wood for a fire.
"Come sit, how is the chest. Do you need any supplies for the wound."
Aven touched his chest and noticed it felt slightly warm.
Aven hesitated for a second 'it got infected, what do I do.'
"Sir" Aven started before pausing.
Joseph Randall turns to look at him.
"Whatever is wrong we are both members of Ravens Deep. I will help you if I can." Joseph stared into his eyes. "In our academy we are family in our own way, while it might take a while for you to accept but you have people who will help you now."
'How can that be true; I haven't had a family in years. How can just joining an academic institution change that but I need to do something if my wound is actually infected.'