The sharp, metallic echoing of the boots grew louder as it or they descended to the bottom. I cup the heart with my two hands cradling it perfectly with faint light seeping through my hands. My breath frantically takes in more air as whomever or whatever is coming down. I shot Felix a glance to move his position in front of me, shielding the heart from the line of sight.
It was a silver helmet with long red hair masking their face, with an army of guards. Some holding soul-chilling brandished swords displaying a slight murderous aura, some clutched unto their eldritch wands and stormwrought staffs, while others relied on their coiled fists blocking the only existing path to escape.
"What is it that you want, ma'am?" I ask, keeping my voice steady.
In one motion she removes their helmet with their two hands handing it over to the guard next to them. Revealing a sharp jawline and a piercing gaze with her light pinkish face looking heavenly. Felix dropped down to his knees, lowering his head straight down to the floor. I hesitated, I looked at Felix then back at the person. A sharp pain tore through my chest, forcing me to my knees as I struggled to fill air into my lungs.
"You may stand Felix," she said sharply.
I looked up, my mind reeling. How did she know his name? Felix stood up shaking her hand. For a moment, I calmed. Everything seemed to be under control. Suddenly with an eerie calm tone she spoke again.
"You may stand up Felix. Thank you for reporting this gentleman to us for his illegal business actions."
The world suddenly stopped. No one moved. My eyes scoured around looking for a way out only to meet back with Felix. He was standing menacingly glaring down upon me. A predatory smile appeared on his face. It's as if his prey is cornered. He crouched down unto my level looking deep into my soul where I noticed a dark red in his pupil.
"Hello, Matthias" his voice gnarly dripping with a saccharine tone. "How are you feeling?" His twisted smile once again sent a shiver down my spine.
He was a tiger guarded by wolves who just cornered a deer. My body jerked back. He came closer still looking down into my eyes. I scrambled away, with my hands and feet skidding against the concrete cold flood. The basement walls looming behind me, offering no escape. Clawing with my singular hand till my body was upright.
I gritted my teeth knowing there was nothing I could do even with all the magic in the world I would only remain in pieces. I clutched unto the transcendent heart pressing it upon my chest as Felix's gaze still followed. He jumped up, fluid and rapacious rolling his neck around with his gaze still staring at me. Felix extended his hand out staring at my heart.
"I want it. Give it to me." His voice is calm. Too calm.
I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to give him the heart but I didn't know what to do with it. My stomach growled. I glance back at Felix then at the heart. My stomach growled again. I took a deep breath holding the heart out.
"You're doing a good job Matthias. You're leaving it in the right hands." His patronising tone felt reassuring and reminded me of my old friend.
I glance at him smiling. Suddenly, I shove the heart deep into my abdomen. I fell down to my knees. Coughing and gauging. The taste of ash and old blood with a putrid mix of iron and decay leaving a bitter and sour taste clinging onto my tongue. Saliva dripping down my mouth like a melting icicle, my body convulsing as I try to steady myself.
The room went into eerie silence. There was a sudden chill I felt that electrocuted my entire body freezing me in the kneeling position. I forced myself to look up.
Felix was standing in front of me. His eyes crackled with sadistic gleam, like a storm brewing in a bottle waiting to shatter. It's like Zeus himself was going to descend to deliver divine punishment. Glaring at me were all the soldiers and the woman heavy and unyielding. I blinked.
Instantaneously, my neck was wrenched back by Felix as he clamped his fingers around my neck slamming me to the wall. My body dangling, unable to steady. He dragged me up to his eye level with his grip tightening as we went up. He drove the knife I gifted him straight into my eye blinding my left eye.
I gasped. My right eye darted frantically left, right, up and down. My fingers clawed at his grip as my lungs spasm violently for air.
"You think you can just take the ha-pri ha-asur and get away with it" he snarled, his voice laced with seething with electric fury.
He scoffed, shoving me downwards. Crashing onto the floor, I clutched to my bleeding choking air. My vision blurred. My chest heaved for air.
I twisted my neck, desperate for air, my only remaining eye searching for an escape. Left and right, up and down hoping for a miracle to happen. Snarling he let go of my neck looking down as I fell to the ground massaging my neck.
"It's a bit dark for you. Ain't it Matthias." His voice was rabid, thick in hilarity ";let me show you the light."
He raised his hands with sparks crackling throughout his body. He unleashed lightning. No, thunder. No, it was a storm.
"I'm going to burn the light into you," he whispered while grabbing onto the back of my head, his voice filled with mockery. "And when it's over, you'll be left in a darkness so deep, so absolute, the only thing you'll ever feel again is. Pain." His words spilling out too fast, with his eyes seeming exhilarated.
Everything inside me was cracked. Burned. I could feel everything dying begging for it to stop. My veins are surging with lightning. My right eye swelled, pressure building up. The thin membrane is desperately trying to push it out.
Pop.
My face fell down as agony exploded through me. My hands shot to my face, feeling the electrified blood, thick, wet and gooey oozing between my fingers. As the storm from him was being unleashed a storm within me was brewing. I clenched my teeth, tilting my head towards where he last stood. Even with the pain not stopping, I chose not to fall like a leaf in the wind.
Suddenly, silence. A cold breath ghosted next to my ear, sucking the soul and air out of my body.
Felix whispers with laughter curling around his words "I love it when dogs grit their teeth."
I lunged. Intertwining my fingers around his neck pushing his neck up, crushing his voice with my grip. Tears gradually dripped down my face, hot and relentless.
"WHY! WHY NOW?" I howled.
He snickered, voice raspy however, laced with joy and mockery "From the beginning, this was my plan. I waited for this moment, but I never expected you to fight back. Heh. If only you'd figured it out sooner, Matthias Aurellian… or should I say, the discarded Aurellian?" Rubbing my face with his finger smirking with malicious delight, giving me a mocking wink.
Straight after I felt my hands sliced off as if they were butter. The pain was unbearable but before I could scream. Fingers brushed the back of my neck and then nothing. My face fell down and my brain turned off. My body collapsed and my mind followed.