This is not treachery.
This is freedom.
In the middle of Heaven and Hell, the days of rain and mist are long gone. Now, the Gap World is a kingdom of light and darkness, goodness and evilness, sunshine and clouds. When clandestine forces weave toget...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
EVEN IF ALL THE ROADS had led me elsewhere, I would have still chosen the most treacherous path to get me where I needed to go.
The small cabin in the middle of nowhere, where I'd seen Denfer four days ago, was the only place I could go to. I just needed four walls and a few minutes of complete silence to gain back a sense of security and secrecy.
I still remembered what Denfer had told me during one of the first weeks I'd spent in the Gap World: magic could destroy someone if they couldn't control it. The thought wasn't reassuring at all, and the emerging headache limited my ability to concentrate on the lingering glow and the mud-splattered path ahead of me.
Running through endless fields of wheat, I kept wondering how long could this mystical light last, how long could I last without passing out and no one finding out.
The sound of flowing water was enough of a warning sign that the stream was near, the cabin as well. I just needed to push myself and run faster; I just needed to get a glimpse of the wooden warehouse to know that I'd made it to my destination.
A chill ran down my spine at the thought of winding up ensnared into my magic forever, withering and withering until I was nothing but dust. I was still amazed by how quickly I'd been forced to get familiar with the idea of practicing magic. So quickly that I hadn't even had the time to decide if being known for the power I possessed---but couldn't perfectly control---was something I wanted. Now there was no going back. Sadly.
Before I could start worrying about not making it to the cabin, I was already a few feet away from it. I debated stopping for a second, since no one was hounding me this time. But the glow had started burning my hand, like I'd put it in a spring with scorching water, so I couldn't wait any longer. I had to make it stop.
The howling wind; the sound of crickets; open space. I could do it. I could make the glow fade away and never let it be rekindled.
I breathed in and then out, noticing a light in the cabin, probably a candle slowly burning, an indication that someone was in there.
Taking a few steps closer, I didn't bother with caution, and didn't care about the fact that I'd just stepped on a bunch of fallen leaves and disrupted the silence. Staring in through the open window, I was relieved to find Denfer sat on the wooden floor, his back against the wall, a book in his lap, and no one else around him. His eyes were closed, but I was certain he wasn't sleeping.
For a moment, I wasn't sure if I should go in and ask for his help. I'd been the one pushing him away for that exact reason; he didn't have to deal with a mess that wasn't his. But my pride had been shredded a long time ago, and even though I didn't want him to see me like that, I willed myself to call his name.
The word was nothing but a whisper. He didn't open his eyes.
