The Darkened War

Ch. 21

Alain was walking on glass. The ground wasn't visible, but as his feet pushed onward through the darkness every step he took cracked. He couldn't be sure though, it was hard to tell for sure what was happening when he was fully submerged in darkness. He wasn't sure how long he had been walking forward, or how much longer he had to go, for all he knew the path could be unending and eternal. One step after another, another broken shard of glass; cracking was the only sound he heard, the proof he existed. He wasn't sure how many steps he had taken before the blinding darkness was ripped away by a bright light. Standing before him was a girl with a face all too familiar, and damaged. Blood was running down it, as she watched him with wide, fearful eyes. Odd, he had never seen her scared before. Her arm was outstretched in his direction, and Alain found himself backing away as quickly as his feet let him. Then his eyes went back to her, and saw her look of fear and pleading had been replaced with one of anger. Alain was just about to turn around and run but the girl fell backwards hard on the glass, and when she raised her hands he saw the shattered pieces had dug their way into her palms. She looked straight at him, her eyes narrowed, her teeth bared at him. Alain just avoided her gaze. He couldn't acknowledge her; the past needed to stay in the past. He had to leave. Before she could get back on her feet, Alain spun around and sprinted, he kept running and running, until he slipped on the glass, and fell face first onto it, cut by the shards and bleeding profusely. At least he had escaped her. That was his first thought, until two cool hands sticky with blood grabbed him by the shoulders. And as Alain turned his head, two accusing eyes met his.

"Stop running," the girl's voice was cold, "You left me behind, you left everyone behind. You ran away when things became difficult. But it's time for you to finally stop, Alain. Stop running." She released him, but he couldn't bring himself to move, even as her next words left her lips. "You left me, my friend."

Alain hadn't even noticed his eyes had become wet until he felt a tear roll down his cheek, and then another. He looked away."No. Leave. Go back to where you came from! I'm gone. I've made my decision. There is no going back. I've left my past far behind."

The girl only shook her head and smiled,"But it's catching up to you, Alain. You don't have much time left. You are right, there is no going back. But we aren't coming to bring you back, we're coming to bring you home. It's not about going back in time, Alain, it's about realizing that people, once in your life, never fully leave."

Alain jolted up in his bed, his breathing faster than he had in years. His eyes were damp as they had been in his dream. His dark room, the only room in the castle with walls not made of glass and only had one small window, usually felt comfortable simply because it was a part of the Effulgence castle, but now it was closing in on him. These nightmares had been going on for the past week, and if Alain couldn't get them to stop he might just go mad. She was the last person he wanted to remember. It had to be a result of all the fruit he'd consumed, finally making its way into his subconscious and giving him these dreams. But no matter what it said, he wasn't going back. He put his head into his hands and tried to calm down. Deep breaths, in and out, he tried to relax. Running a hand through his hair he walked over to the one window in his room and gazed out of it. Tonight, there was moonlight, beautiful moonlight and inside Alain ached a little. How long had it been since he'd first seen this moonlight? Now he was used to it; more than that it was a part of him. He'd lived here since he was a child, and he remembered the summer nights, when the moon always shone. He'd never thought twice about it. So why now did it feel different? It had always been timeless; Effulgence, the moon, Adrien. Now it felt like they would disappear at any second. The ongoing war with Rayland, the fruit's messages of destruction, and all the other things that could take those simple and precious things away.