Enigma

Chapter 11

Haerin didn't sleep much, Dani found herself jolted awake when her arms moved frantically as if she was fighting. Running? Dani couldn't know.

*****

As dawn fell upon them Haerin woke up exhausted, the physical depletion mostly attributed to her nightmares. But again— these felt like memories.

In Haerin's vivid dream, she found herself standing alone in front of a massive, ancient-looking door, its weathered surface with mosses and lichens overgrowth. Instinctively, she knew she must guard this door at all costs, though she could not fathom why.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a horde of dark beings emerged, their eyes gleaming with malice and their forms twisted and sinister. With a swift and fluid motion, she drew her katana, the blade glinting in the dim light as she assumed a defensive stance.

The first attacker lunged forward, wielding a wicked-looking sword with deadly precision. Haerin parried the blow, the clash of steel ringing out in the stillness of the night. Their blades danced in a deadly duet, each strike met with a countermove as Haerin fought to hold her ground.

But the odds were against her, and soon she found herself outnumbered and outmatched. Arrows rained down upon her from above, forcing her to dodge and weave as she fended off attacks from all sides. Despite her best efforts, she could not evade them all, and a sharp pain bloomed in her side as an arrow found its mark.

Undeterred, Haerin fought on but as the battle raged on, her strength began to wane, her limbs heavy with fatigue. Just when it seemed that she could fight no longer, she felt a searing pain in her chest as a sword plunged deep into her heart.

As she falls to the ground, the world around her seems to warp and shift, the air crackling with otherworldly energy. And then, in a flash of blinding light, Haerin undergoes a startling transformation.

Her limbs contort and elongate, her fingers sharpened into deadly claws. Fur sprouts from her skin, covering her body in a sleek coat of shimmering silver. Her teeth lengthen into razor-sharp fangs.

In mere moments, Haerin was no longer human but a magnificent feline creature, her eyes blazing with feral intensity. With a primal roar, she lashed out at her attackers, her claws slashing through the air with lethal precision.

The dark beings recoiled in terror at the sight of this. In a whirlwind of claws and teeth, she tore through her enemies with savage ferocity, their cries of pain and terror echoed through the night. 

And then, as suddenly as it began, the onslaught comes to an abrupt halt. The last of Haerin's enemies lay vanquished at her feet, their lifeless bodies littering the ground around her. She stood victorious amidst the carnage, her chest heaving with exertion as she surveyed the aftermath of her ferocious onslaught.

And as she gazed into the still waters of the nearby fountain, her reflection stared back at her —a picture she had never seen.

*****

In the soft light of the morning, Haerin sought refuge in the pages of Minho's book, grateful for the distraction it offered from the hauntings of her dreams. Meanwhile, Dani remained ensconced in meditation.

Haerin's curiosity piqued as she reached for another tome peeking out from Dani's bag—a journal adorned with strange, ancient writings. Strangely, she found herself able to decipher its contents, despite their unfamiliarity. It seemed like a journal and she read from a page;

Elin is angry with me, she thinks I have been hiding things something from her. Little does she know that I plan to surprise her on her birthday. I will go to the Malfaus River and get her the beautiful Pluto flowers, funny how I hated them at first but now I've grown to love their nutty flavor. I have to figure a way to get her to the Twins Rivers because I've prepared a beautiful picnic, a roasted kajil with...