The Shadows Within

The corridor was darker than the night sky, and I couldn’t see past a few steps down. Taking a deep breath, I cast a simple spell I had learned—one to brighten a room when there was no light. Rizak taught it to me, and it was one of the few ones that worked for me on command.

Even a three-year-old can do it; it would’ve been embarrassing if I couldn’t.

“Lighty, light,” I mumbled, snapping my fingers. I formed a small light orb in my hand and placed it inside a small lantern I always carried.

Even though they tried to light up the castle for me at all times, some places didn’t brighten enough with the candles they had. The spell Firefly would last four hours, enough time to find the runaway pup. Hesitation swelled within me as I didn’t know what awaited me, but I couldn’t let him be.

Slowly, I made my way down the web and dust-filled corridor, only to hear my exit close up when I went down a few steps.

Crap… Really?!

I gulped, looking back to see that there was no way to return to the room I had been in.

“Solas?! Where are you?!” I called out, but there was no response.

The blanket of silence that surrounded me left me shivering where I stood before I took another deep breath and descended the cramped steps. The debris from my movements made everything more challenging to see and breathe.

Coughing, I tried to wipe my eyes, but dirt fell on them.

“Solas! You better hope there aren’t any bugs down here, or I might just not let you eat my carrots anymore!” I huffed, noticing how my clothing was covered in webs, too.

Again, no sound came from the corridor depths, leaving me to move forward as my sole choice to find the missing pup before trouble found me.

Surely… Nyla already knows I’m not in my room! Arg! I’m going to be in so much heat for this!

Perhaps because the walls were so cramped, it felt endless no matter how much I went down. Yet I knew there was always a way out at the end of the tunnel, and I found mine in a room I had never been to.

“Solas!” I mumbled, brushing the webs and dust away from my clothing.

Again, there was no response.

Arg! Finn’s going to kill me if I lose Solas!

Walking into the pitch-black room, I could barely see two steps ahead of me, yet I froze when an eerie sensation filled me, making the hair in my body frizz.

I’m not supposed to be here, am I?

However, Solas was still not in view as I continued into the darkness surrounding me. The room was ginormous, and my tiny light couldn’t see anything other than the floor a few meters before me.

“Solas… please come out. This isn’t funny.” I tried to keep my voice down, peering around, hoping to find him and a way out.

Finn always made fun of my lack of danger, yet it was blazing with every step I took. This room almost felt like it was suffocating me.

The miasma is too concentrated here!

My breathing quickened as my heart climbed up my throat, leaving my eardrums rumbling.

“Please, Solas! Where are you?!” My voice quivered much like the lamp in my hands.

Again, there was no response. However, something fell within the shadows, startling me and prompting me to squeal as I backed away from the sound, only to hit what felt like a wall. Turning towards it, what I saw left me with eyes wide open.

“What the fuck?!” I gasped, staring at the giant crimson crystal in front of me.

The moment I touched it triggered a bright hue from the core, but that didn’t keep me in place. No, what froze me was the bare girl inside with a hole where her heart was supposed to be. Her eyes were open and soulless, while on her body, there were multiple wounds.

Who… are you?!

The crystal's color couldn’t hide that she had white skin, pure black hair, and blue eyes resembling the demon king I had come to know. When I stepped back from the gem before me, the light within the lamp flickered wildly, almost blinding me, before escaping the lantern and darting towards the tip of the crystal.

In a second, it lit up the entire room even though it wasn’t at my command, revealing every horror surrounding me. Old stains of blood were splattered on the walls, pillars, and the only tile floor in this castle, as remains of human skeletons were scattered along with ripped clothes and destroyed decorations.

Nothing that wouldn’t have decayed with time remained, as this room wasn’t exposed to the outside.

What the fuck happened here?!

Although most of the bones were dust, as the skeletons around were incomplete, the different sizes of skulls lying around meant there were probably children in this massacre, too. The decorations that used to be white long ago were stained with old blood, ripped, and burned.

There were rusted swords, spears, and parts of old armor on some skeletons and the floor.

What the… did you do this or…

Before I could take another step, a voice echoed within me.

Come closer… please…

Startled by it, I peered around, unsure where the source was.

“Solas? Is that you?” I mumbled, unable to find it even though the room was well-lit.

Crap! I really shouldn’t be here! We need to get out now! Where are you?!

Shivers ran down my spine, and my fingers and feet ran cold.

If you want to reach him, come closer to me. The same female voice resonated with me again.

What?!

My heart was about to erupt, yet something glued my eyes to the broken girl inside the massive red crystal.

“Are you speaking to me, or am I going crazy?” I asked, taking a step towards her.

Come closer… Touch me, skin to skin. She was a gust in the wind.

Her voice was so eerie, turning every fiber of me upside down.

By him… Do you mean Finn?

That was a question I didn’t want to voice, yet I knew there was no choice but to listen to the known source. The malicious demon I had witnessed outside was a side I had never seen before.

If I don’t take the chance, I’ll never truly know you. After all, the you, I saw outside is nothing like the one I know.

Standing before the vibrant crystal, I gazed around one last time for Solas, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. A soft sigh left my lips, fully aware I was about to do something I probably shouldn’t have. Every fiber in my bones told me to turn and run away from this place.

But… if I listen to my instincts, then…

Shifting my glance toward the girl, I slowly touched the shimmering red glow with my fingertips, leaving them tingling before pressing the palm into it. In an instant, I felt a throb course through me before everything went blank.

The moment colors found me, I was no longer in that dreadful scene but in a red room decorated with many fresh white flowers.

Are those carnations?

In front of me stood the girl inside the crystal, fully clothed in a black dress that fit her curves so well.

“Haha! I finally got to meet you! You’re the first living being I’ve seen in so long! It’s been such a lonely slumber, but now that you’re here, you’ll shine the light onto us, won’t you!” she beamed the biggest smile, clasping my hands.

This girl was jaw-droppingly beautiful, much like the king in this world.

Why am I seeing him so much in you?

“What?” I mumbled, incapable of following her.

Is this even real?

“Oh, you must be so confused. Sadly, we don’t have much time to explain everything. This is the only chance I’ll ever have to speak to anyone, so please focus!” The girl frowned, shaking her head.

Her hands were warm, even though the crystal I touched was as cold as ice, alerting me that something wasn’t right.

“Who are you?” I asked, gazing around to see some of the flowers turning red on the far end of us.

Her eyes glossed before squinting them. “That doesn’t matter. We don’t have the time to discuss me, and I can’t hold you here for long. So, you need to listen to me carefully, understand?” She puffed her cheeks, clasping my hands tighter.

Even in this red space, her heart was missing, and the dress had a hole where it should’ve been. My mind could barely keep up with her or anything else. First, Finn showed me his psychopathic side when he ripped through those knights, and suddenly, I found myself talking to what appeared to be a ghost if anything at all.

My mind wasn’t making the links it needed to understand her.

“Sylvia, you need to save him. I know you’re the only one who can.” she pleaded as I tried to make sense of the situation before me.

Is your soul trapped in the crystal? Rizak mentioned being able to trap mana within vessels, but could a soul get stuck within one?

Whenever I searched for explanations, I always had more questions.

“But you're dead. How can I believe anything you say if you don’t tell me who you are? Just tell me what the hell happened here?! Was this Finn’s doing?!” I asked, triggering her to shake her head.

“What happened here is a past that you can learn about later! Listen to me now! What I’m focusing on is the future! You can’t let him kill the rest of the humans! Please help him find his soul again! If this continues, he’ll become a true monster, and I don’t want that for him! He’s the best person I know, and I love him. Please save him from his nightmares!” Her tears streaked down her cheeks.

What? Nightmares?

“Are you talking about Finn?” I confessed, remembering his cold eyes every time he gazed at me.

“He can’t hear me, so you must find a way! You can reach him; I know you can! You have to—” She tightened her grip on my hands, eyes widening.

That was when I noticed most of the flowers had shifted crimson. The ground under us also turned into a liquid, prompting our feet to sink.

Is that blood?!

“Oh, no…” her voice quivered, shifting her eyes onto me.

All her skin color faded as her eyes dilated, alerting me that something dreadful was coming for us. It wasn’t long until the white flowers all turned red.

“Crap! He’s coming! We’re out of time!” she gripped my sweater, pulling me close to her. “Please, you’re the only one that can help him! So don’t you dare give up on him! But for now, run!” she shoved me, triggering me to open my eyes back into the room filled with horrors.

“What the…?” I mumbled, unable to handle the transition.

Nothing makes sense. Who was that, and why are you pinning all their hopes on me? I don’t even know half of what I’m doing!

My head felt like it spun in place, unable to keep up with the changes happening.

He’s coming! You need to run and hide! The girl echoed before fading away completely.

“Who’s coming?!” I mumbled, shaking my head before turning to try and find the runaway pup. “Fuck, this! Solas, where are you?!” I called out, voice quivering.

Luckily, this time, he responded, coming out from behind a broken desk before whimpering and running into my arms.

“Oh my God, there you are. Thank God, let’s get out of here before trouble finds us.” I hugged the whining pup.

“Trouble, you say?” A voice colder than a winter storm erupted from behind, dragging my gaze towards it.

My heart dropped as I saw a Finn I didn’t know. His eyes and aura were crimson, dripping onto the floor below him, much like blood would. The wings on his back spread widely, leaving me feeling tiny in his presence. He gripped his shirt with a wicked smile, tilting his head slightly towards the side. His horns shimmered brightly, and every feather on his body frizzed, ready for anything to come.

The man I knew had lost touch with his humanity, leaving behind only the beast within him. Like a deer staring at headlights, I froze before the dragon, who was about to consume me right where I stood.