Page 167 of Visions & Shadows

“Stay with us,”Ares says.“Don’t go to the shadowlands.”

It’s weird. It feels like I’m stuck in the Twilight Zone.

My sight blurs, and when it focuses again, I see the woman who’s trying to say something to me.

“…you just hold on for me, sweetheart. Have you given her the sedative, Isobel?”

“Lydia!” A man says, drawing the doctor’s attention away from me.

“I’m busy. Talk fast!” Lydia snaps.

“How’s the mother doing?” the man asks.

“She’s hanging in there. How are the children?”

“Only one made it. The father’s dead, too,” the man answers.

“Shit!” Lydia hisses before focusing all her attention on me again. “You’re not going to die. Just hang in there for me.”

The pain in my chest feels like it’s trying to tear my beating heart right from me.

I try to breathe, but instead of inhaling air, my lungs are filled with ashes.

“Scalpel!” Lydia orders, then I feel something slicing into my skin. The pain tears a scream from me, but I don’t hear it.

I feel hands digging inside of me, ripping my heart out.

I force my eyes open again, and past Raighne and all the destruction around us, I see a shadow move toward me.

Where Awo was all light, this creature is made of millions of shadows constantly swirling and creeping over each other.

“What’s that?”I ask, panic lacing my thoughts.

I can’t feel or hear Raighne and Ares, and as the shadowy figurecomes closer, my entire body chills until it feels like ice fills my veins.

“No. Stay away from me!”I scream, but no one hears me.

The shadowy figure moves over me, and as it hovers above me, I stare at the absolute darkness where its face should be.

It moves a hand to my chest, black veins snaking beneath translucent skin, and the most agonizingly lonely feeling coats my very soul.

“No,”I gasp.“I’m not done fulfilling my destiny. I can’t die yet.”

I start to shiver fiercely as I stare into the dark abyss. “Who are you?” I breathe the words as if they are my last.

“Void.”His voice is eerily soft, and it has a pull to it, drawing me away from the light.“Join me, Alchera.”

Everything stills inside me, and unable to move, I can only stare into the dark abyss that’s pulling me away from everything I hold dear.

“No,”Ares’ voice strikes like a lightning bolt, the light so sharp in my mind it makes Void creep back to the edge of my sanity.“I won’t let you take her.”

“Ahhh…Ares,”Void hisses sinisterly.“I’ll see you soon, son.”

The icy cold disappears, and my body starts to shiver as Void disappears.

“The bullet is out,” I hear Raighne say.

“Void is gone,” Ares tells him. “Can you get into her mind again?”

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