Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
___
chapter four
___
"Ace" a voice whispers, the sheer familiarity of it makes me believe it belongs to the same boy I had been seeing time and time again. Though as my eyes scan the room, and the dark haired boy never appears, I wonder if I had even heard a voice at all. "C'mon Ace, I know you can hear me." The now confirmed voice calls once more, so much more vividly not the boy I'd become used to seeing, but instead, a new voice. Though just as familiar, and wafting up from an archway in the middle of the large room I've found myself in.
Hesitantly I scramble down the large stone steps and make my way closer to the archway at the centre of the room. The archway itself seems empty, but as I step closer to it, a sort of film shimmers at me. My shoulders tense the closer I get, and my mouth feels dry. The near invisible shimmer shifts quickly, and my eyes squint slightly to see what could be causing such a change. Unexpectedly, a figure begins taking shape, stepping out of the veil, and slowly but surely it begins to form into a distinct human being, I stumble backwards. This room, and more specifically this archway made my stomach churn. I shouldn't be here. This was not a good room.
"You're not scared of me, are you Ace?"
When he finally came into view, every sense of fear and dread washes away to be replaced with excitement and love. I took a step forward, my grin spreading wide across my face at the sight of...
"Why don't I know your name?"
"You do, you're just not remembering hard enough." He smiles, taking another step toward me, away from the archway. The man placed both his hands on my shoulders, though instead of the comforting warmth I had expected, I felt nothing. It's as if there's no one in front of me, no hands on my shoulders. My eyes furrow as I glance down at where I can see his hands on my shoulders.
"Why can't I feel-"
"I'm sorry Ace, there's no time." His right hand reaches up, strokes my right cheek. Though if I hadn't watched him do it, I wouldn't have known. His face changes, the once handsome and happy features that had warmed my heart mere seconds ago were replaced with that of a broken, exhausted man. His hair was shorter, but roughly cut, and his face was dirty, which did nothing to hide the remorse behind his eyes.
"Elora!" He was yelling to me, somehow despite not having taken any steps to move, a large gap had stretched between us. I wanted to turn and help him defend against whoever he was shooting curses at, but it was like I was frozen in place. "Get out of here! Run!"
