Eighteen:
Pure darkness.
It was only then that I learned that pure darkness will drown you even though there's no water involve.
I'm purely drowning. I can't even count how long I've been in a place of darkness but I only know one thing, I can't see even a little light so I don't know if my eyes are close or open yet I keep on swimming trying to escape away from this pure darkness.
I almost didn't know if I was still feeling myself or if I was just delusional because of the pure darkness that embracing me. I also don't know if what I'm thinking is still real and I also don't know if I still feel my whole self or my whole body because the truth I feel so numb, I feel empty.
Yet, I keep on going. Trying to escape in this drowning place but I'm still stuck in this place.
I want to go out of here. I want to escape out of here. I want to stop myself from drowning into much deeper darkness. I don't know how long will it take me to stay here, but I will keep on fighting. I will continue to swim up or forward just to get out of this darkness. With a hope that, soon, someone will eventually hold my hand and pull me out of this darkness, someone that will save me and take me to the light that I'm deserve to be.
*** ***
"Jeanne!"
I don't know how many times Almos called my name, but when I looked up to him and saw the concern in his eyes, I was able to feel calm. I don't know why I feel so safe being with him but I am so sure, I can trust him with all my heart.
"Almos." I finally answered.
"Are you alright now?"
"Yes…" I answered with a doubt and I quickly averted my eyes away from him and that's the only time I finally notice we're… "Flying?" and quickly round my eyes only to find out…
"Relax please," he said that turned my eyes back at him. "We need to ascend up high—"
"You're an Angel!" I surprisingly said while looking through his back and see his black wings, but it isn't just black, it's more like a black crystal that glows in the dark. "You!" I stared at him in shock and the fear I had felt earlier seemed to disappear.
"Okay! I think you're fine!" he said as we landed down.
"Wait! Why are we going down?"
"Because that's the only way for you to escape out of this place," he answered that confuse me.
"What?"
"As an Angel form, you can't use your ability to wake up that is why I need to let you go into my normal form." He explained as he put me down on the ground and he was about to release me but I hold on to him tightly. "Jeanne?"
"Please! Don't let me go!" I said as my fear slowly coming back.
Almos takes a deep breath before he answered. "Look, we don't have much time because as you linger longer in this darkness, your hope of getting out of this place will diminish. So please, leave as much as you can."
"Then, come with me!" I decided.
"No! I need to stay here."
"Why?!"
"Because I need to protect you and by doing that, I need to face those dark creatures to stop them coming for you."
"But…"
"Jeanne, listen carefully. Once I let you go, darkness will follow you. It means, light will fade and even I will vanish out of your sight but always remember, I am here and will always be here. Also there's light that will guide you out of this place, so find that, the single light that will show you out of this place. So run towards it and never ever look back no matter what happens."
He said it again, 'never ever look back no matter what happens'. But will I be able to follow what he said because the fear I felt earlier, once again embracing me which gave me great weakness to get out his arms and away from him.
"… N-no."
"Jeanne! You need to be brave before 'he' comes to you." He said that confuse me more but I don't have much time to ask who he was talking to. "So, go! And I'll take care of those creatures. Just run without looking back!" and with that, he drops and pushes me away before I could speak a word.
I try to reach him but as what he said, once he let go of me, he will vanish from the darkness.
"Nooo!" I screamed.
…
I don't know how I was able to run away after Almos vanished, and right now, I'm just running endlessly with my eyes covered with tears. And just like what Almos told me, darkness keeps coming towards me.
The whole city I was running through is gradually being erased by darkness and even a single light I saw nothing. Yet, I keep moving on without looking back and I try my best to find the light that will guide me out of this nightmare.
I run endlessly until I stumble on the ground.
"Ahhh!" I'm running out of breath as I fall down into the ground and I feel so tired and so hopeless. I really don't know what to do. Until…
'Pray my child. Pray.'
Suddenly I heard this mysterious voice and for some reason, I do trust that voice even though that voice didn't come from Almos I still silently pray with all my heart.
As the darkness continues to embrace my whole surroundings, suddenly I saw a shimmering light from above. Without further thinking where it was, I quickly run towards that light since I see it as my last hope and I really hope I can finally awake out of this nightmare with a hope, Almos is safe.
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