Page 25 of A Rising Hope

The Black Shadows were here.

I wrapped all my powers around Zora’s mind, shielding her while exposing myself like bait, open and ready to be devoured.

I didn’t blink, staring straight back into the inky, heavy darkness that now filled the cellar entirely. The shadows clawed at the stone walls. Their foggy smoke filled my lungs, ready to feast on my fear, to reap my horror. And I let them. I let them scavenge my soul, tear it to pieces, shred my guarded walls I’d built for so many years, until they saw an aged mark already there, one they had left so many moons ago.

“Haeaeth . . .” I whispered under my breath, a word I wished I didn’t know. The shadows swirled at the sound, recognizing it. Their darkness reflected in my eyes like a mirror. They lingered for a second longer, intrigued to see a part of them forever entrapped in my destroyed soul. Another breath and the shadows left, leaving me unscathed.

The shadows left, but the light did not return.

Dense darkness, like an impenetrable black fog, had swallowed the world, extinguishing the last echoes of hope.

There was only one reason the Black Shadows would roam the world so freely, consuming everything in their path.

One reason only.

All Justice Wielders were dead.

And the Justice Fire was gone with them, leaving the world in darkness.

The universe was no longer in balance.

And Esnox had fallen into the haunted realm of nightmares.

PART II

TRUTH

16

FINNLEAH

Alittle drop of black fell into the obscure waters. The distant splash echoed around me.

I was empty of any feelings, floating in the pitch-black liquid.

My mind was there, and yet it wasn’t.

I existed, yet I didn’t.

I tried to move to look around, but the black, glassy waters didn’t sway. Only an occasional drip falling from the murky, undistinguishable ceiling above me. The sound reverberated long into nothingness.

It was neither warm nor cold here. And I floated mindlessly with no direction.

Bit by bit, little snippets of memories began to return, silver threads being woven into existence.

A wave of sudden panic rolled through me, and I remembered the pain.

I remembered intense agony.

But there was none here.

Relief lulled me to sleep, and I slept.

Time didn’t matterin this place.

Neither thirst nor hunger.

I guess it only made sense considering I didn’t have a body here, or at least I didn’t feel it. There were no feelings all together. Just me, floating in the black, suave liquid that matched the abyss of darkness above me.

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