Collision

chapter 23: tartaros

*WARNING: fairly violent scene towards the end. there's no gore or anything, but it's still quite intense so if you are sensitive to that stuff be careful xx*
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"Oh no."

Harry's voice is like a muffled white nose ringing in Louis' ears. The kind of sticky, thick air surrounding them has him feeling faint and confused, and he rubs the back of his head with a grimace.

Gemma is completely vanished from the scene, Zayn's book is lying beside him, and Harry is up on his feet, looking frantically around.

"No," he keeps repeating. "No, no, no, nononononono-"

He turns back to Louis again, watching the fairy with complete, undisguised terror, and Louis stomach turns violently at seeing Harry, Harry, this distressed.

"Where are we?" he mumbles, even though he already has an idea.

"You can't be here," Harry just breathes erratically, ignoring Louis' question. "You can't be here, shit."

Despite Louis still being visibly weak and dazed, Harry takes him by the forearm and pulls him up from the ground. He keeps Louis closely tucked to his side as he starts walking with hurried steps, and Louis doesn't quite know what to do except stumble along to wherever they're going, droopy gaze following the dark wall on their left that whooshes by with every surge forward Harry takes. It's hauntingly dented and dripping with a viscidity, like it's crying from all the painful memories it holds, and Louis feels like it whispers to him, pleading for him to go back, to disappear and to save himself.

Tartaros. He knows it's Tartaros. It's evident in the dreadful humidity of the air, it's evident in the rush of Harry's steps knowing their exact way around the place-it's evident in Harry's fear. His jagged breathing and his desperate attempt at shielding Louis from all the thing capable of hurting him here.

Louis knows they're in Tartaros and he knows he should probably be scared, too, but his head is too muffled and hazy to feel anything but confusion.

Harry finally stops when they reach a marble temple, the smooth stone tinted slightly from red shadows fleeing across its walls. They make something anxious stir in Louis' belly when Harry tugs him inside, not stopping until they're finally in a secluded, closed off area behind a solid door. Louis sits down on a silky smooth bed, trying to get his head to clear up.

"Lou," Harry crouches down so that they're at the same level, his eyes scanning Louis' face rapidly. "We're in Tartaros, which means you're going to have to be really, really careful. As in, you're going to have to stay right here, while I look for a way for us to get out of here as quickly as possible. Can you do that?"

Louis frowns.

"I don't-I don't want to stay here. I don't want to be alone."

Harry looks like someone's twisting a knife in his stomach, and he shakes his head.

"You can't come with me. If the wrong creature sees you, they'll-you can't come with me."

"But." Louis shakes his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. "But you made it sound like I'd be okay here. Back in Grimm, you said-"

"You won't be okay here."

"But I thought this place wouldn't be dangerous if I was here with you."

"That's because I lied, Louis." Harry's voice is too harsh and blunt, and Louis flinches. "I wanted to leave Grimm and I said what needed to be said to convince you. You shine too bright, Louis. Your presence is too innocent. The lost souls will sense that, and there's no way they won't want to destroy it."