A soft exhale left Dimitri's lips as he stared at the hall. "What in the name of our lord is this place?"
The entire place was in chaos. Charcoal dust clouded the air as well as the floor, giving it an dark ethereal glow. The curtains over the open windows were thin and torn. There was a fountain in the centre of the room, the edges of the sculpted stone were cracked and jagged and released dark waters. The room was dimly lit by the silver moonlight let in through the window.
"What is this place?" Dimitri asked in awe as he stook a step forward but Damian held back his arm.
"Don't," he said. "It might be dangerous."
Dmitri hesitated for a moment before he stepped back.
"Be careful." He called out with concern.
Damian whipped around with a raised eyebrow. "I literally came here to die. Don't you think it's too late for that?"
Dmitri's mouth made an o and he nodded quietly.
Damian turned his attention to the fountain. It kept producing dark water through the cracks and this time, was more faster than it had been before.
"Where is the white wooden stake?" Damian whispered to himself as his eyes scanned the entire hall.
"Damian?" Dmitri called behind him.
"Yes?" he turned to Dimitri only to see a started look on his face.
"Dimitri, what's going on?" He asked.
Dimitri reeled back a step, his eyes widened in fear. "Damian… what is on your face?"
"What do you mean? What is on my face?" Damian scoffed in response.
Dimitri pulled out his dagger from where he kept it, the blade glinting in the silver light. In his vision, there was a hideous green plant glued to Damian's left cheek's and the creature puffed and defaulted as though it was breathing.
He went on, his voice carrying the same shaky tone as he pointed his finger at Damian. "T - there is something on your face, Damian. Can't you feel it?"
"Something on my face?" Damian went back to look at the golden door behind him. He peered at his reflection and a puzzled frown creased his brow. "Um…there's nothing on my face."
Dimitri held his dagger and stood in a fighter's crouch. "Whatever it is, it's latched unto your face."
"Nothing is latched onto my face," Dimitri said frustrated as they happened. "What are you talking about, Dimitri?"
In Dimitri's eyes, the plant's size grew bigger swallowing half of Damian's face and he went in for the attack.
"I have to kill it!" He screamed as he waved the dagger skillfully at Damian.
Damian was quick to sidestep, making the dagger cut through the air. "There's nothing on my face, Dimitri!"
"Oh no. You won't get away with this!" Dimitri screamed, swiping the air with his dagger.
His skills were amateurish as Damian dodged all of it gracefully. He caught the man's wrist, snatching the dagger away carefully. If he only he knew about the second one.
A sharp object pierced though his shirt and into his chest. He let out a loud cry and fell to the floor on his knees.
"It's spreading, Damian!" Dimitri's face twisted into an ugly grin. "I've killed the first plant. Now, it's just the second one that's left on your cheek."
"Dimitri, enough! There is nothing on my face!" Damian roared with anger and he leapt to his feet.
"It's controlling you, Damian!" Dimitri gave a maniacal laugh and lunged at him.
Damian stopped the attack. His fingers closed around Dimitri's neck and he tightened his grip.
"Oh no, you won't!" Dimitri spluttered angrily, stretching his hand to cup Damian's face.
"Enough!" Damian lifted him in midair and time stood still.
"You won't." Dimitri said quietly.
Damian slammed him on the ashen floor, conjuring up a cloud of dust in the air.
Dimitri released a wheezing cough and laid on his side, heaved for breath.
"Dimitri, what has gotten over you!" Damian yelled over the cracking sound echoing in the background.
Dimitri got to his feet, his head hung below his shoulder. "That's the same thing sweet Joanne told me the day von Burren raided our house."
Damian winced in pain as blood pooled around his chest. "Joanne, your sister?"
Dimitri lifted his eyes and Damian was startled - They were as red as blood. Dimitri had been possessed.
"Sister?" Dimitri scoffed. "Who said anything about her being my sister?"
Damian's eyebrows creased further with confusion. "What?"
Dimitri peeled off his jacket and hurled it across the room. "Joanne was never my sister. She was never my family. She. Was. My. Wife!"
Back in the Canterbury Castle,
Over a dozen candles were lit, the room smelled of incense with a hint of cinammon. Shadows dances around the room as two figures sat on the masterbed talking.
"Colette, are you sure about this?" Lucia asked, terrified of what her sister had just told her.
"One hundred percent. Now, lay down." Colette instructed in a low tone and Lucia did as she was told.
"Damian will truly appear if I summon him?" Lucia cranes he neck to look at her sister.
Colette tilted her head. "Yes. Now, don't look at me. Close your eyes and listen only to my voice."
Lucia got up and leaned against the pillows. "I'm worried we might summon something else. Accidents like this have a hundred percent chance of happening."
Colette pinched the skin between her brows. "This is not a game, Lucia. This is not one of your favourite books either. This is Dream Walking. If we make as much as one mistake, you will never wake up again."
Lucia's face went pale.
"Now, lay back down, shut your mouth and listen to only my voice." Colette said harshly.
"Fine." Lucia rolled her eyes before laying back down and closing her eyes. "On a second thought, how do you even know about this ritual?"
"Because I've done it before." Colette replied.
"Woah," Lucia gasped with her eyes closed. "And did it work?"
Colette smiled. "Let's just say things didn't go as planned… Now, I want you… to fall… asleeeeep."
Her whisper echoed in Lucia's ears, lulling her to sleep.
Colette snapped her fingers over Lucia's face and she didn't even flinch. Then she sat back on the chair next to the bed.
"Lucia, where are you?" She asked.
There was no response.
"Lucia?" She called again, looming near.
Lucia opened her mouth to speak, her eyes still closed. "It's dark."
"Good," Colette ran to grab an empty and some charcoal pencils. "What else do you see?"
Lucia whispered now. "Umm… I see two people…They're talking."
Colette placed the canvas carefully on top of Lucia and put the pencil in her hand. "Draw what you see."
Immediately, Lucia's hands began to move on their hand, scribbling and shading rapidly on the canvas. When she was done, she passed out.
Colette grabbed the canvas and peered at the image, not understanding what she was looking at. But when she turns it upside down, she did.
Her fingers traced the image of a man standing over another crouched on the ground.
Her eyes went round as she recalled who he was. "Dimitri?"