For a long time; I felt nothing.
I existed, suspended within the stars, peering into the never-ending darkness. They hung everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. Miniature orbs of light that were my only beacon. They floated through this thick liquid with ease, where everything else would sink.
The moment the water rushed into my lungs, settling like bricks, I knew that I was dying.
Even the amulet on my neck, which hummed and pulsed seemed unable to save me.
Where death lingers close, waiting to claim another soul, that is true darkness. It doesn't just surround you, but makes you a part of it. Unfathomable peace and rest, the weight of mortality lifted from your shoulders.
The choice was there, suspended in midair like an orb of shimmering light.
A kid from our town had been struck by lightning a few years ago, and had claimed he saw a white light, and felt endless peace. I laughed at the time, like all of the kids in the neighborhood.
Hey everyone! I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I had to run some last minute errands that really set me back. I plan on writing all this weekend, so I will make sure to give you guys more of Iridian!
'Death's sweet embrace yields to her touch,Blood and sweat, your bones she will crush.To break the curse is to seal your fate,a curse born and bred from love turned hate.''Run faster!' I screamed, giving Rayna another boost of energy to propel us forwards; away from the Ghoul and its haunting song.I was teetering on the edge, dancing between consciousness and relief as I gave all that I had to Rayna. Her panic and fear were acid in my veins, reminding me that I needed to stay awake. She was already giving her all, pushing through the exhaustion. She had no experience with these forms of creatures, ones of mist and smoke; of darkness, and death.'A house once warm, turned to ash and dust.An amulet lost, left to decay and rust.Tread to the starry lake, where the source of magic ever last.To survive the future, follow the events of the past.'Its voice was wet steel, wrapping around my brain until I had no ch
"You could always take it off and give it to me." He suggested for the fifteenth time, rather than answer a single one of my questions. "Then you could be on your way. No muss, no fuss." The Game Master's brother--did anyone even know if he had a brother? In all of the rumors I had heard about Iridian, never once did I hear of the Game Master's family. I studied the man, wondering if the Game Master bared any resemblance. His hair was dark as night, and eyes a washed-out shade of navy. His face was thin and angular, probably from his diet out here in the forest. His limbs seemed a bit long for his torso, making him gangly. As he loomed over me, he all but shouted predator, but in a different kind of way. There was something off about him, something not quite right. I had asked numerous times what his name was, why he was out here in the middle of this creature infested forest, and what need did he have of the necklace I wore. He chose to answer none of them,
I now understood why this path was labeled "Death". It's because, I was clearly going to perish on this trail.Rocky slopes that went down at a harsh angle, coated in gooey moss that squished beneath the sneakers I stole, threatened me with death every second. Each step was a gamble spewed from the mouth of a madwoman--that woman being me. Shallow rivers with fish that attacked my feet, even taking a few chunks from the thick rubber of my soles. I was quite pissed about that one. Walking around constantly on alert was one thing, but to do it with wet feet--absolutely miserable.The monsters and creatures in the forest knew exactly where I was, both from the string of curses that continued to leave my mouth any time I fell or scraped my knees, and from the constant sloshing and squelching of my shoes.As the hours passed and darkness began to break, I hadn't heard much from the ghouls and creatures in the forest. They were always talking, whispering, chattering a
"I have absolutely no clue how I'm bringing myself here. I'd much rather be enjoying a night--day of peaceful sleep." I pointed out dryly, "And anything I've gotten myself into was you're doing. You're the Game Master."I shifted on my feet and let out a sigh. It was different when he called on me, when he brought me to him. If the Game Master was telling the truth, and I suspected he was, why did I keep bringing myself to him? It made it hard to be sour about the whole thing, considering I was the one to blame. The attraction I felt towards him wasn't nearly enough to erase the suspicion and wariness, not to mention that I found him to be an ass half of the time."I am, aren't I?" He chuckled joyfully, proving my last point. His voice was playful, but always with that razor sharp edge of cunning. "I hate to burst your bubble, darling, but you are where you are because of you and you alone.""Why does it sound like a horrible, dangerous thing when you say it?" I
The logic that carried me through the carved entryway to the door shop was that I was merely looking. There was no one forcing me to purchase anything, but the thought of stepping through a door and winning this game--it was tempting. I followed myself through, unable to help it as I analyzed the way I walked. It was unsettling, to see myself and speak to myself. "As you can see, I have doors for every occasion!" She grinned, which was even stranger. As she turned to face me, I noticed the necklace full of keys around her throat. They were all small keys, doll-sized as they hung from her neck like little diamonds. "Are those keys around your neck?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Obviously! You need a key to open a door." She cackled, as though I were the most clueless person she had ever met, which was odd considering she was me. Doors lined the room, all positioned upwards. Some were propped against the walls, while others had some sort of st
Thankfully, my fall was short lived. The nausea in my stomach flattened when I hit the ground. It was surprisingly soft, and whatever I had landed on managed to break my fall. I was hit with the bold scent of something sweet and tart. As I looked up at where I had fallen, I could distinctly see the door shaped opening in the sky, along with Aidan and that jagged grin on his face. "Don't mistake this as a favor, Rachel." He shook his head, his voice dim as it traveled to where I was on the ground. "I could have spared you from so much pain. Instead, I think I'll shove you headfirst into it." Feeling the crunch of something beneath my body, I pushed myself up and onto my feet. Where I had landed were a bunch of horribly crushed flowers. Dark as midnight with thick stalks and billowing petals, the scent of them permeated the little clearing I was in. I was relieved to see the torchlights surrounding me, lining the one lane road that sat nearly ten feet away. Tog
Down the Levidan you spiral, where truth is poison, so painful and vile. Remain sound of mind, and watch your step. The prisoners beneath the earth can hear your every breath. It played on repeat, sung by withered voices that coiled in my ears and silenced my thoughts. Notes of pain and bitterness, betrayal and rage. They were laced within the words, within the stones embedded into the walls that scraped my fingertips as I fell. Faces flashed behind my eyes, youthful versions of Nadia and Callum. The Game Master was there as well, but even past versions of himself were blurred. Nadia's curse hadn't just spanned the future, but it had also obscured his past. The three of them had always been close, laughing and playing together the moment they could wobble on two legs. My eyes rolled and fluttered as the light and images continued flipping through my head like a photo album. One image stood out among the others,
It wasn't his looks that made me tear my hands from his and stumble back, even though they had rendered me completely speechless.It was the sensation I had only heard about from word of mouth, by people who experienced it differently each time. Some described it as a gradual feeling of bliss, creeping up before smothering you entirely. Others described it as a rush of emotion and feeling, though that wasn't what I was experiencing at the moment.Ice and heat washed through me, starting at my hands where they had touched his. During those long seconds where my hands remained in his grasp, I could feel the magic I now had rising up, shimmering like rays of sunlight as they fought to reach his darkness. I had felt the Game Master's magic rise up in response, sucking the air from the room and making my chest feel heavy.What made me pull back ungracefully, was how incredible it felt. Every nerve ending was seared by heat, covered in velvety darkness that felt all t