The Rede Breaker

Chapter 11: Mirrors

Eric and Sierra are not home when I arrive.
I call out to anyone when I enter so there are no surprises before heading to the nearest mirror. I run my hand over the surface of the mirror and wait. The surface ripples as if I have thrown a stone into a lake.

The ripples stop as Aria appears to me through the reflection. Behind her, an ancient doorway looks out onto a purple sky with swirling colors dancing across it. I know this place to be Da'Vallach, an ancient elven castle in Scotland.

One of the many locations of the Council. It happens to be Aria's favorite.

"Parker? Is everything alright?" Aria asks.

"No. Why didn't you tell me a demon is behind this?"

Aria looks over her shoulder to make sure no one is listening before she smiles at me. "We did not know for certain. We suspected but we needed confirmation."

"You have it. The demon's name is Anarch and he has a soft, squishy part in his black heart for me." I say. "And a witch is helping him."

"A witch? Really?"

"And what about the wolves? Why didn't you warn me about the wolves?"

"I did. In a way."

"I got chased off a cliff by a werewolf. Any idea why? I thought werewolves were more reclusive. And it wasn't even a full moon."

"It must have been a wolf that mastered their ability to transform. It's not unheard of. And the why of the situation I cannot help with. If it would help, I can reach out the allied wolf packs in the area."

"No. I'll just stay out of the woods from now on. Back to the matter at hand. Anarch. You know, scary demon."

"Are you sure of the demon's name?" Aria asks.

"He told me himself. Didn't seem the type to joke. What do you know Aria?"

Aria offers information on the resident demon. Anarch is a powerful demon, most known for his bid to enter the mortal world through a disgraced witch. She details the incident that found him locked away in a prison realm. He was nearly successful before the council stepped in and shut the witch aiding him down.

His weapon of choice is, of course, fear with despair being a close second. The reason he is so powerful is because he feeds on our fear, which explains why he hunts the survivors of his realm. There realm is referred to as "Terra Sine Spe" or the land without hope.

"You visited his hopeless lands? You saw those have gone missing?"

"Yeah, I have. We need to get them out of there. But it's not slowing down. More are going missing. The thing is, I have no clue what the connector is between the victims. They seem random."

"The witch who assisted him in his devious plan divulged something about him before she was...punished. His favorite victims are sensitives."

Sensitives are humans and witches who are sensitive to the supernatural world, like psychic and mediums. Being sensitive is not as rare as being a psychic or medium. Those are extreme cases of someone being sensitive.

Though, some highly sensitive individuals have been able to pierce the veil between life and death.

"That's gotta be it! He's searching for sensitives."

"Which means you are at risk. Perhaps it is too dangerous to send you to combat him." Aria says.

"No. I'm in this now, and my powers could be helpful. My powers have been able to get me in-and-out of his realm. And I've escaped him a few times now."

"I do not know."

"He has my scent now. He's made it clear that he's interested. I know enough about psychotic beings to know that when they latch onto you, running won't help."

Aria is visibly uncomfortable. The floor creaks above me. I follow the creaking of the stairs with my eyes. The creaking stops at the stairs. Aria calls my name from the mirror but something is holding my attention at the stairs.

I walk over to the stairs. A loud thump accompanies a body rolling down the stairs. The body stops at my feet as the world around me loses color.

My walls are replaced with dingy walls covered in a tarry substance. The stairway as well as the floor underneath my feet becomes dilapidated.

I am no longer in the land of the living.

I bend down and roll the body over. An Indian boy with large, round glasses lays dead with his eyes wide open. The stairs creak again as I spot black hooves descending the stairs.

I stumble back until I hit the wall. Anarch's glossy black skin shimmers as he settles at the bottom of the stairs. His nostrils flare as his eyes center on me.

"That smell. So potent. Parker." Anarch rasps.

Anarch steps over the body. I try to run but an invisible force holds me in place. It lifts me in the air. Anarch stops in front of me, standing face-to-face with me.

"Don't run. You're my favorite plaything."

I struggle against his binding. My lips attempt a counter curse but my mouth won't move. I cannot decide whether it is utter fear or if his powers are keeping me silent.

"You've sought me out, witch, now you will get what you came for."

Fight or die. That's what my mind knows to be true. I either overcome whatever is causing my paralysis or I die to a demon that looks like a Resident Evil villain.

"Get...off me!" I shout.

Anarch is surprised. I open my mouth to shout and an invisible force pushes him backwards. I drop to my feet. Using my hand, I seize him and toss him to the side before running for the door. The door opens and I find myself face-to-face with Ambrose.

"Mpenzi!" He says.

Ambrose reaches through the door and pulls me all the way through. I tumble to the ground behind him on the cold concrete.

There are boxes all around us, as if I am in some type of warehouse.

My heart beats faster in my chest as I realize where I am. Blood runs under my shoes as I lift myself off the ground.

"No. No! Anarch, let me out of here!" I shout.

"Who is Anarch?" Ambrose asks.

Ambrose' white shirt and leather jacket are drenched in blood. His mouth is still red from the atrocity he committed.

"It's just the two of us. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"This isn't real. You can't hurt me."

"I would never harm you."

My eyes shut tight. "This isn't real. This isn't real."

Ambrose's hand clutches my shirt, causing me to open my eyes. "It's very real, my love."

My mind almost explodes with his touch. I shout into the air as I feel all the power inside of me release. I let it flow until there is nothing physically left.

"Parker?" Eric's voice calls.

The world goes dark for a split second before my sight returns. I find myself sitting on the floor in front of the mirror. Aria is no longer beyond the reflection.

Eric rushes over to me with Sierra following him. The two call my name as I acclimate to the world around me. Blood drips from my nose onto my shirt.

Anarch knows what I am afraid of, and he is not afraid to use it against me.