Ambrosial Promise

Chapter 9: Eamon's Dilemma

Sheira's POV

Why is it dark here? I walk around for a couple of minutes and it seems like I am outdoors. There are trees and bushes everywhere. Everything seemed bigger, or maybe I was just small. I looked down at my small hands as I moved my fingers, it felt so real. I lifted my head and looked at the pitch-black sky.

In front of me, it seems there are two people, the woman is kneeling and the other one is standing and... Holding a sword.

Horror seized me as the sword sliced through the woman's neck. "No!" I screamed, witnessing the brutal act.

"Sheira!"

"Go, Sheira! Run!" urgency echoed as a man gripped my arms tightly from behind. "What's happening?" I pleaded. "Run and save yourself!" he urged. The word "Dad" echoed in my mind. Confusion overwhelmed me. "Dad?!"

A chilling sound of a knife cutting through the air. The man was killed.

What? Dad? Why?!

Please don't go, please don't leave me alone. Please...

I immediately ran away from the scene as fast as the wind. The wind blew gently with creepy voices in the background as I continued to run away from the sound of steps following me from behind. I took a glance behind me to see the shadows of the person chasing after me. He is dark and tall, with a face like death. My heart pounded, my eyes saw nothing but darkness. I sense that he is coming closer and closer, I can no longer look behind, and my heart skipped a beat. I feel like invisible fingers are running along my spine. The fear spread from my hair to the back of my neck. He grabbed my hand and covered my mouth with his bloodstained left hand.

HE CAUGHT ME!

I gasped. Suddenly, the scenery changed from a dark spooky place to an empty bedroom. My skin crawled and my bones trembled.

Yuri... his figure pops up in my mind as I scratch my head confused.

Is it a dream?! But it seems more like a memory. A memory of when Yuri found me when I was little. He saved my life... but the victims, are they Mum and Dad? My brain's filled with tons of questions.

I sighed. Why should something like that appear now?

Lying on a bed under a white blanket, a small lamp dimly illuminated the room. A man stood beside it, and I sighed, grappling with unsettling questions flooding my mind.

"Who-"

"You're awake," a voice responded.

It's Eamon. He leaned against the wall and looked outside the window. He seems tired with a pale face. What is he doing here all of a sudden?

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Duty," he answered me with a flat face. Well, that's Eamon. But still, he doesn't seem to be okay.

Maybe the commander commanded him to look after me. I pull off a long sigh. I should get up and talk to the commander.

My body is very stiff as I try to get up and sit on the bed for a while. The sky is not that bright anymore, maybe it's been hours since the expedition. Did I faint and fall asleep on the way back here?

"Did you carry me here? Eamon?" I inquired.

"I commanded one of your squad members to carry you here," he replied.

"Oh, thanks."

After a few minutes of sitting, I rose and walked to the window. Outside, confusion gripped me. "Why is it so crowded?" I questioned.

Eamon sighed before explaining, "A lot of people are gone."

"What do you mean, 'a lot of people are gone'?" I pressed.