Blake Heritage (English)

Chapter 6

Blake walked aimlessly on one of Alvia's long and unique roads. The silence that reigned in this city and the surrounding nature had always soothed him. He began to calm down after a few minutes. Mumbling to himself whilst trudging forward, he suddenly found himself at the small path that led him to the mysterious estate. His feet had knowingly brought him to the place which might bring him some sense of resolution, if only he managed to enter. He was almost certain that the estate was void of human activity and so, for the second time that evening, thrusted himself forward into the narrow country lane. The lights were few and gradually disappeared along the main path. He could hardly see the large gate arrogantly waiting at the end of the drive.

Blake seemed unafraid even though he was without any form of light to pierce through the darkness. With so much rage fuelling his determined steps, he didn't stop to consider the dangers of entering this unknown. He needed to be alone, away from his parents. Blake walked up to the entrance in search of a key that might help him break in. And by stroke of luck, it was already open. The grounds were illuminated by hundreds of streetlights; he couldn't understand how these lights were indiscernible from the other side. As he walked into the safety of the lights' warm glow, he felt his anger slowly dissipate.

He moved further into the grounds, absolutely mesmerised by its grandeur and the positive effect it was having on his mood. He was desperate to uncover its hidden secrets. He was drawn like a magnet to this place, but the sense of wonder he drew from it was short lived. A few minutes after entering, Blake started to feel bad - head spinning and vision blurring, he could no longer see anything in the distance. It felt like something was guiding him through the ground and towards a palace. Bizarrely, he did not fear for his life, or the fact he had lost agency. As his sight continued to fade, the more he lost control over his own body. He wondered around, exploring every nook and cranny, making sure no stone was left unturned. He was no longer seeing through his eyes, but through touch and smell. What had happened to him? How and why had he become possessed by this place?

The hours passed and Blake continued to walk and soak it all in. Unconscious, and unaware of what was happening, he failed to realise that several hours had passed since his arrival. His parents must have been worried, especially Elena.

— Do you think he's going to come back home? asked Elena

— I don't know...

— I'm worried!

— It's not even been three hours since he left. He's not a child anymore and you've got to accept it. He's just being a classic teenager, he'll come back when he's cold or hungry.

— I'm well aware thank you... Pass me my tablet, it will help take my mind off of it.

Glancing at the time on the screen, suddenly it all clicked, it was midnight!

— Oh my God! Eden, I know why Blake isn't returning.

— Why?

— We're three weeks away from his 18th birthday!

— And?

— Three weeks before his 18th birthday! That's when the process begins! She had warned us this would happen. If he stays all night at the estate, he will have been selected. It can't be him, he's just a child, my baby!

Elena snuggled up against Eden, and burst into tears.

— No, you know that if he's selected that it means he's ready. You know very well that no one really decides and that it all has a natural way of proceeding. Let's go to bed, he's safe exactly where he is.

— No, I'm going to wait a bit. From the bottom of my heart, I hope he isn't selected.

— Do you want me to keep you company?

— Don't worry, thank you Eden. Go upstairs, you're tired.

— Good night.

Eden kissed his wife on the forehead and went up to sleep. Elena sat on the sofa facing the fireplace. She was crying and wishing Blake would return before sunrise, knowing what it meant. As Blake's mother prayed that he wasn't the chosen child, he continued to explore the estate's grounds. Unfortunately for Elena, he had indeed spent the night at the estate.

It was around seven in the morning when Blake woke up. He was cold and dirty, his shoes and the bottom of his pants were covered in mud. Blake was exhausted and had woken up with no memory of the night before. He tried to think back to what had occurred, but it was nothing but a black hole. The last thing he remembered was the surprise of seeing the entrance open. He was stiff and struggled to get up, devoid of all energy. Despite this rather strange awakening, he still held no feelings of fear or angst about this place. When he was finally able to lift himself up, he saw a girl lying on the ground near him. Blake stood there, shocked and wondered how she had gotten there. He had never seen her round Alvia before. He knelt down beside her, wanting to make sure she was alright. Had she been in the grounds at the same time? Had she also experienced, well, whatever it was currently experiencing?

— Hello, he softly said whilst gently shaking her arm to wake her up. How do you feel?

— I'm fine, uh, thank you... she said after a few seconds in a timid voice.

— How did you get here?

— What? Where am I?

She seemed just as clueless as Blake was.

— Do you live in this house? said Blake.

— No, I don't even know this place! Are we still in Alvia?

— Yes! We're in a property located in Alvia. How did you get here? I don't understand!

— I found myself in this area by chance. I was on a run, and I remember hearing noises and glimpses of light so I went to go check it out. So, I stepped into the park, and then everything went black.

— The same thing happened to me, I discovered this place yesterday afternoon but, I had never noticed it or even been here before.

— Look, I'm glad to have met you, but I'm exhausted. My parents are going to be worried sick, I've got to go home.

The girl tried to stand up but with little success. She could no longer stand on her legs.

— Wait, I'll help you!

Blake took the stranger's hand and pulled her up towards him.

— Uh ... Thank you very much, bye.

The mysterious girl quickly patted down her clothes, seeming embarrassed by the intimacy of the situation.

Blake watched her go. By the time he came to his senses, he assumed he wasn't going to see her again. She wasn't from around here and he didn't even know her name. Blake reeled from this stranger's charm, her long brown hair and her angelic face for a moment, but then quickly gathered his thoughts and began his journey back home.