AS THE cold got thicker, Yric’s body felt numb, with his lips shaking. Xurden still fought the darkness, engulfing them. The demon was only laughing around them since he couldn’t get closer to them because of the blinding light. Hearing the laugh, Yric’s fear reached its peak. His mind had stopped running and couldn’t think of anything else other than death. “I find it funny that I will be the one now who’s going to say that you’re a fool. I know the more you stay in this world, you got weaker,” the demon rumbled with a laugh. “You’re going to die here. It’s right that I sought the witch. With her help, I finally can kill you.” After hearing what just the demon had said, they would really end up dying in that nothingness. Yric couldn’t see the demon concealed in darkness. But he clearly knew Xurden had reached his limit as the light he omitted got thinner. The man fell to his one knee, and he instantly followed, holding Xurden’s arm to hold him up. He looked at the man’s face covered
THE WIND HOWLED from the sea, bringing the coldness into the air around the houses built along the shore. It echoed in Xurden’s ear as they stood on the roof of one of the abandoned warehouses overlooking the length of white sand. Above the sky, the round moon glowed bright hiding from the thick clouds. A few blocks away from where they were, the party had started early on the rooftop of a five-story building. He could see Yric standing in the corner, even from a distance. The younger guy looked so lost holding a red disposable cup.Choosing the bar was a wise choice because he was sure the witch would continue her plan when there were a bunch of people around. Xurden knew how the witch’s mind works. The witch was confident in her abilities. That was why she would not waste a chance while Yric was alone.“Boss, I am really wondering what’s on your mind. I believe you have a solid reason that made you to agreed on helping that boy,” Sebastian muttered beside him.Xurden took a deep bre
XURDEN’S MIND stopped remembering the past when Sebastian talked loudly on his side. He blinked his eyes once, touching his head. It hurt after the climax of his memory. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Sebastian.“What?” Xurden asked with no emotion.Sebastian pointed his hand toward the party. “Yric is gone. What happened to you, Boss? I was talking to you, but you’re not responding.”He ignored Sebastian’s question because he didn’t want to tell the truth that his memories drowned him even his wide awake.“Let’s go down now,” He said instead of answering.“But why? I am sure the witch got him. Don’t tell me this is not a mistake. You really intend to give him.”Xurden glared at his assistant. “Are you crazy? I can trace him,” he uttered before jumping off the rooftop.His clothes flapped to the wind as he go down while Sebastian followed him. He landed first on the hard cement with no sound.“How?” Sebastian asked confusedly as he stood on Xurden’s left side.“You don’t have to
THE ABANDONED TEMPLE stood on top of a hill overlooking half of the town. Silence filled the air, which gave an eerie feeling. There were no movements in the trees growing on its surface as the wind had died. The moon peeked in the back of the four pillars that were left after an earthquake many years ago.A barrier stopped Xurden and Sebastian in the middle of the stair that would take them up to the temple. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye.“I understand now why the witch chose this place,” Sebastian commented. “The witch might have thought that you will not come here because this is a sacred place. She even put on an illusion to drive away people who want to climb. Now that we’re here, I can tell the sacredness had long gone.”“It’s good that you know. I don’t have to explain everything. You stay here. I am going alone,” Xurden exclaimed as he prepared himself.Sebastian turned his head immediately. “I’ll go with you.”“I’ll go alone. You’ll just be a burden. Stay on your guard.”
WAVES echoed into the shore as they crashed while the wind howled. The sky had cleared, revealing the full moon. There were no houses built along the beach.Xurden stood on the side of the road under the light post, waiting for his assistant. He fixed his eyes on the rough water with his mind wandering off. After he left the cave, he couldn’t stop thinking about the demon. He had a lot of questions about who the demon was. But he couldn’t find an answer on his own. That’s why he planned on searching for him when he arrived home. For now, he had a burden on his shoulder and that was the two friends lying down, still unconscious on the bench beside him. He would make sure the two wouldn’t remember Yric. He would erase him from their memory together with what happened on that island. It was better that way for them.He turned to the road when a bright headlight coming from the bent hit his back. After a while, the black car stopped in his front. Sebastian went out immediately, not closin
THE SILENCE broke into the car as they drove onto the quiet highway. Muffled shouts echoed from the trunk, mirrored with loud thuds. Yric turned his head at the back, worried for his friends because Xurden wasn’t saying anything to his assistant. He looked him in the eye and spoke carefully.“Please, can you stop the car?” Yric begged the man. “It scared them waking up on a trunk.”Xurden took a deep breath. It showed on his dropping shoulder. He raised his other hand for his assistant. Sebastian immediately pressed the brake with his right foot, looking at Yric with apologetic eyes. The moment the car took a halt, Yric quickly move out and ran at the back. He put his feet under the trunk to open it up. His two friends looked at him without moving for a second to know who he was. Fear was visible all over their faces. When they realized it was him, Vivian began bawling her heart out.“What’s happened?” Noah asked. He gathered his composure. He first went out of the trunk while Vivian
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD where Yric was renting a room looked dead at night. There was no single soul walking in the street, even though it was still early. Most of the streetlights didn’t work, there were only a few which were still alive, but they flickered every minute. He took the minor road going up the hill, passing the opened store.No matter how tight he hugged himself, he was still shivering in the cold. He lost all his things which he brought going to the island. He only turned when he felt someone following on his back. His eye grew wide when the lights from the store and the nearest light posts died one by one, leaving the darkness behind.He ran like there was no tomorrow and almost tripped on scattered garbage. Luckily, Yric picked up his own balance and went on running until he reached the foot of the building, where he rented a room. The apartment was five stories, which looked old even in the dark. He went in through the front door and pressed the elevator next to it. The el
THE DRIVE took them half an hour to reach the large house, hiding behind high walls covered with green crawling figs. The structure looked old from the outside and Xurden made it out of bricks. Windows were thick glasses and tall.Xurden spent millions to build a house that couldn’t be called home, even though he’s been staying there ever since the higher gods sent him to earth. The gate opened on its own the moment the car face it. Sebastian carefully drove the car inside. The house didn’t have a wide yard; the space was just enough for the car to pass through. Yric stared at the house like it was his first time seeing that kind of house.The car entered another door and took the hallway going down the basement. Xurden owned ten cars in different models, including the one he’s using. They lined up in two columns, taking most of the area below ground. Sebastian parked the car he was driving at the end of the line without bumping the other cars. The moment the engine died, Xurden went