Vin Xander And The Inner Circle

Chapter 12: Ghost in my Eardrums

25th December 2016

It was dark when I opened my eyes. I was quite aware of where I was. I remembered the rocks falling over me and the magma falling over it. Luckily, it didn't get through the rocks to me. When I woke up, I realised there really wasn't any magma. It couldn't have solidified in just a matter of hours... or days (unless I had been in there for years). Although, I couldn't see, I was aware I was in a dome of igneous rocks. It would take a miracle to get me out.

I couldn't move. I realised that fact when I tried and failed to raise my hand to touch the rocks that roofed me. After a series of hard tries, I was only able aim my finger at the wall and wish for it to come down. It didn't. I don't know if it showed but that made me smile.

I couldn't even get my hand down. I tried leaning foward, wishing that, maybe it's sticky said and any kind of force would get the dome to fall off. That didn't seem very credible to me but I still had to try.

Drool fell down my chin at the time I had reached it. I leaned foward with all my might and when I touched it something amazing happened; nothing. I had my index finger on warm igneous rock and I was going to die in it.

I had completely gained control of my body and was seated in the very small dome. (It was so small that, even at the centre, I couldn't sit straight.) I had been there for (what seemed like) hours and I didn't really care about the oxygen I had consumed and what I had left until I realised it was getting hard to breathe.

I stretched my sweaty arms and hang on to the dome because I was feeling dizzy. Obviously, I wasn't going to fall but I had to focus, and maintain some sort of balance. I looked around, hoping I'd be lucky, that time, to find something that could get me out buy I believe that required a lot of oxygen because my pupils weren't used to the luminous intensity anymore.

I gave up, at that moment. Seated at the centre of the dome with my eyes closed, I didn't even hold my breath. I had no doubt that I was at the end of my life. Then fresh air filled my lungs again. I didn't even realise it because I thought it was the brief relief one feels after death before Purgatory. It was when I continued breathing that it hit me. I opened my eyes and what I saw was incredible.

The dome was falling off and green rays of light were hitting me. Almost immediately, I was in the air surrounded by a green ball of light. I kept breathing till I was on the ground and standing in front of me was Shennel Serafin.

14th February 2017

I woke up feeling a little worried. I had spent the previous day at interrogation and in my room and so I hadn't really seen the others. It was cold, but not too cold for me. I got up from the bed and left the headed for the door. I was quite surprised when I found out that it was locked

"Isn't this precious?" It was Clarissa's voice.

I shook when I heard it because I thought it was her ghost.  I looked in all directions but she wasn't there. My relationship with Clarissa didn't end well but she'd never haunt me.

As I tried to convince myself of that, I heard her voice again.

"Your own people don't even trust you." She said. "Take my advice: run away the second you get the chance because they know. They know you really killed those Peacekeepers. It won't be long before they find out about what you did to me."

After a moment of thought, I concluded that she was right. I mean, there was no way they would find out that I had killed Clarissa. As far as they're concerned, she's been turned into stone inside a volcano. That secret could be kept. What they can use to get me is the fact that I had disappeared for two months and my accountability of the events were inaccurate.