How do you run from your own mind?

Take it back, what have I done?

There's this new kind of poison and it's starting to spread

No one knows what goes on inside my head

But I'm scared of myself...

39 - Sisters

The monotony of our hurried footfalls distracted me from replaying the four worst-case scenarios in my head. I knew there was little to no chance I was going to make it out of this alive, but still, I couldn't help but hope. I couldn't help but think about Vincent's promise. I kept picturing us together in a summer getaway. No worries. No immortals to run away from. No world to save. Just us.

Vince and A all the way.

Right now, even imagining it seemed absurd.

"To the throne room," Belial ordered as we reached the vast courtyard of what used to be Pilgrim's castle.

The giant double-door entrance was gone. As we stepped in, I saw nothing but rubble and ruins. The roof had caved in. Some of the broken pillars were pushed aside to make for a narrow path along the dark hallways.

Mechanically, I followed them, my apprehension slowly rising. My temples were pounding by the time Mei pushed open the door to the throne room. Cairo and his familiars were waiting at the very back of the room. They had already made the preparations.

A triangle was drawn on the floor. In the middle of it was a Helcium shard placed over the infinity insignia also drawn on the floor with blood.

"Where do I put her down?" Amyr asked warily, his lids halfway closed. "I think she's burning my back."

A goofy smile painted his face before his knees crumpled. He hit the ground out cold. Mei was beside him before anyone else.

"Wake up!" she panicked.

Byron Flynn nudged Amyr's arm over his back, motioning for Mei to do the same.

"It seems the Woman had absorbed an awful lot of his life force as we travelled," Vlad explained.

Mei shook Amyr whose head just lolled backwards. "You imbecile! Why did you not say anything sooner?"

Amyr opened his eyes for a second, still with that goofy smile on. His shoulders shook a little as he mumbled something to Mei. I think he was laughing. I didn't hear what he was saying, but Mei's brows pulled together.

"I am not," she muttered under her breath. "Do not flatter yourself."

The two of them stood Amyr up and set him at a corner as far away from the Triangle as possible.

Belial was already behind the table, checking the ingredients she had requested. She seemed very edgy since we left Halja. Every now and then, she would reach inside the pocket of her robe where she always kept her flask of liquor, but then, she wouldn't take it out anyway.

"Everythin' seems to be in place," she noted glancing up at Cairo and his familiars who were watching as she started the ritual. "What're you standin' there gawpin' at me for? Move your good-for-nothin' asses and lug the Woman inside the triangle!"

Two of the familiars scrambled to Adrianna, hesitantly nudging her before they carried her to the middle of the triangle. I joined her, kneeling near the Helcium shard.

Vladimir's Binds were slowly breaking. Belial must have noticed it, too, since she was haphazardly mixing her ingredients in a hurry. The moment she was done, she scattered the powdery mix around the triangle.

Cairo gave me a long hard look. "If you fail, escape and stop the ritual. Save yourself. I command you."

"It's not your call to make, Cairo," I answered, mustering a sort of smile. "Not anymore."

Cairo shook his head before he began reciting the enchantment; something the old Alessandra had taught him hundreds of years ago. The powder Belial had scattered around us burned spontaneously, its flames growing until Adrianna and I were completely surrounded.

When she finally struggled through the last of the Binds, she rolled flat on her back to catch her breath. Still groggy from the SirenSoul we gave her, she tried to push herself up, only to fall back again on the cold hard floor.

I picked up the Helcium shard and crawled to Adrianna. I ran the tip of the blade on my palm, drawing blood.

Taking her limp hand, I could already feel the multitude of souls inside her, struggling to push out from under her skin, trying to tear her apart so they could be free. It was a wonder how she could keep them all inside her while keeping what sort of sanity she had left. I should know. I almost lost it back when Alessandra was trying to take over my body. And that was just one tainted soul. Imagine millions. How could I possibly deal with that?

I cringed at the thought. That was exactly I was aiming for in doing this ritual. And now, I was starting to doubt myself.

"Oh, bummer," she sneered at me. "We wanted to see your face while our Beast rips your friends to shreds. Too bad you left the fight."

"Don't worry, Adrianna." I tightened my hand around her wrist and pulled it up. "We'll have our own little fight here."

Her eyes widened when she saw the triangular marking on the back of my hand. She let out a shriek. "You! We know what you're trying to do. But it's never going to work! The Beast will keep doing our bidding! How many times have we told you? There's no Adrianna here! She's gone! Gone, we say!!!"

As I aimed the shard onto her palm, she tried to tug it away as much as her deadened limbs would allow her. One look in her eyes and pity welled inside me for the sister I couldn't save.

"We'll see about that."

I cut her palm and pressed my bleeding hand against it before the tainted souls could start escaping out of her. Once I did that, the flames swirled around us, forming a cylindrical barrier that slowly ate away the remaining oxygen in our little space. The heat made my vision blurry. And soon, the lightheadedness came.

Adrianna moaned weakly before her eyelids fell.

Biting my lip, I fought to stay awake.

"Together," I kept mumbling over and over.

The flames shot at the ceiling, blinding me. I shielded my face with my free hand. When I opened my eyes, it was suddenly dark.

I blinked quickly, letting my eyes adjust. The only source of illumination were the patches of dim light from the full moon passing through the branches of the trees surrounding me. Dried leaves clung to my skirt as I got to my feet.

Once I got over the disorientation, I gave my surroundings a 360-degree look. Somehow, I found myself in the woods.

"So this is what it looks like inside Adrianna's mind," I muttered.

I couldn't help but compare it to Alessandra's cave. It seemed, every person had their own secret hiding place inside their minds. Or soul to be exact.

Belial had warned me that trying to link with Adrianna's soul could be dangerous. Especially since Adrianna's soul was home to millions of tainted souls. A lot of things could go wrong.

I could die. Or worse, my soul could get trapped inside Adrianna and have Legion as my next door neighbor for the rest of our damned lives. But I would have to take that chance if I wanted my sister back. If I wanted her on my side.

"Adrianna?" I called out, my eyes shifting every which way.

No one answered. All I could hear was the soft whooshing of the autumn breeze as it swept through the trees.

Before I could take a step, I saw something dart from behind the trees.

"Adrianna, is that you? It's me, your sister."

An odd gurgling noise was what I received for a reply. That didn't sound the tiny least bit like Adrianna. Or any human for that matter.

Slowly, I backed away. I tried to summon my weapons to no avail. Turns out, this was dangerous indeed.

I started to run. Unluckily for me, even draughting wasn't working here. I could already hear something lumbering after me. A quick glance backward confirmed my hunch. The creature had a bald misshapen head, eyeless, kind of like a wraith but with shark-teeth and clawed feet--a ghoul. And it brought some friends.

My calves burned as I quickened my pace. Gasping for air, I looked around for a hiding place. Obviously, there was no way I could outrun them, plus I didn't know how long I could keep running.

Not too far ahead, I saw light flicker from some house's window. And not just any house. It was the Sinclair mansion.

Using the last drop of adrenaline to fuel my steps, I had somehow crossed the yard while skirting the hole in a matter of seconds. Upon reaching the porch, I waited for the creatures to retreat as they approached the boundary of Vincent's barrier. But there was no barrier and they kept coming after me.

I started to wonder why and reminded myself that this was Adrianna's world. Back when she was alive, Vincent was still a mortal and thus, had no ability to create barriers. Perhaps, everything here was the way she remembered it.

With my breath caught in my throat, I fumbled for the double-doors behind me. Luckily, it swung in. I slipped through the gap, slammed it shut before locking all four dead bolts. I ran to the windows and locked them, too. Although, I doubted any kind of lock would keep those ghouls and wraiths for long.

I stepped away, dread filling my chest as they banged repeatedly on the door.

From the little gap between the curtains, I could see swarms of wraiths approaching. It wasn't rocket science. The door wouldn't be able to hold much longer. And I was probably surrounded now, so I had no time to waste.

"Adrianna!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Hurriedly, I scoured the hallways, opening every bedroom on my way, cringing as the loud banging noise became louder and louder. I regretted not knowing where my sister's room was.

Alessandra simply didn't ask. She hated this house. I, on the other hand, was too busy being jealous of Adrianna to care.

I kept calling Adrianna, but my voice just kept bouncing on the walls. When I reached Rosario's room, I couldn't bring myself to open the door. Finally, I noticed the sliver of light cast on the floor. It was coming from the open door next to Rosario's room.

"Adrianna?"

I heard muffled whimpers.

Feverishly, I ran to search the room. And there, curled in a corner was a girl with straw-colored hair, her face buried onto her knees. A small lamp sat at her feet, casting shadows behind her.

Quietly, I knelt in front of her. "It's me, Adrianna."

As if she hadn't heard me, she just kept whimpering.

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I'm sorry I came too late. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. But, I'm here now."

Again, no response.

A crashing sound startled me. It came from the entryway. Soon, the tainted souls would get to us.

Adrianna lifted her head, her eyes wide with fear. She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I tried to meet her blank gaze, but it was as if terror had already blinded her. Desperately, I reached for her hand. "Please, Adrianna. You have to help me. You have to help Vincent!"

Only after hearing Vincent's name did she look at me from behind the veil of fair hair covering her face. With trembling hands, she held onto my arms, her eyes pleading for help.

"V-vincent?" she said in a harsh unused voice I thought I would never hear again.

"Yes," I managed a smile. "He needs our help, Adrianna."

Growls and shrieks echoed from the hallways. The noise of approaching monstrosities made my skin crawl, but I tried to keep my calm.

She shuddered, hugging herself. "I am... afraid."

I pushed aside the hair covering her face. "It's alright to be afraid. From now on, I'll keep my promise. So please... let's go back."

I offered her a hand. She stared at it for a while, then at the door behind me and back. I could hear the rhythmic taps of clawed feet against the marble floor.

Hesitantly, she reached for it. "Together?"

"Together."

The moment our palms had touched, a hint of realization showed on Adrianna's face. Slowly, her wide brown eyes fixed on me. With her free hand, she reached for a lock of my hair and caressed it with her trembling fingers.

"Sister?" she choked out.

"Yes! Yes, it's me."

Despite the growling sounds approaching us, I chuckled and pulled Adrianna into an embrace. My eyes turned misty when she began bawling her eyes out onto my chest.

"Sshhh... My delicate pumpkin of a sister." I rubbed her back, remembering how her fragile frame used to fit in my arms, feeling sad for all those years I hadn't been there to comfort her.

As much as I wanted to prolong our little reunion, I could already hear the gate crashers coming in. Forcibly, I stood her and trained my eyes on the door. The wraiths came first. Some of them whizzed past us, disappearing along the hallway. A couple, however, hovered into the room.

"We have to get out of here," I told Adrianna.

She shook her head. "I do not know how."

Protectively, I pulled her behind me. We backed away from the wraiths. From the corner of my eye, I searched for a way out. They were blocking the door, though so I guessed going through the mansion's front entryway was no longer an option.

From behind me, I could feel Adrianna trembling uncontrollably. I could only imagine how hard it had been for her to be locked in the same body as these monsters. Hell, I had only been here for three minutes and I was already sick of them.

"The window," I murmured to her. "Open it."

Stifling a cry, she fumbled for the shutters. The second I heard its hinges creak, I grabbed Adrianna. Then, I hurled the both of us out the window.

As we tumbled onto the front yard, the wraiths' bloodcurdling screech filled my ears. One after the other, they swooped out of the window. When I saw the first one fly out toward me, I dropped onto my stomach, the wraith's claw missing me by a few inches.

Adrianna wasn't as lucky, though. When I looked for her as soon as I was able to regain my bearings, she was already rolling towards the hole. Crawling after her, I managed to get a hold of her leg as she tumbled to the edge. I got up as fast as I could and pulled her to her feet. As I did, I saw the bleeding claw mark from the side of her forehead across her left eye, down to her cheek.

A moan of pain scraped out of her throat, but there was no time to tend to her wound at the moment. All I could do was half-drag half-carry her.

"I-it hurts," she cried as we ran.

"Endure it, Adrianna," I panted, tightening my arm behind her waist. My eyes were shifty, searching for any nook or cranny, for any clue how we both could get out of this nightmare. "Just for a little longer... W-we... have to... find a way out... first."

She swallowed the sob she was about to let out and focused her good eye ahead. There was a hint of determination on her face now.

The shrieks and growls were growing louder behind our backs. As much as I wanted to get away, my calves were already burning. It was getting hard to breathe.

All of a sudden, Adrianna slowed to a stop. She pulled on my arm, her expression bleak.

"Don't stop now!" I tried to drag her forward to no avail. "They're coming!"

Again, she shook her head. "E-even if we run, we cannot escape. We are trapped here!"

Gritting my teeth, I fought the urge to look at the silhouettes quickly approaching us and met her misty gaze. "This is your soul, Adrianna. Yours! If anyone knows the way out of here, it's you. So don't you dare give up on me now!"

Wiping the blood that had drenched half her face, she stared past me. "I... can't remember. It has been so long since I had left my room."

"Come on," I urged. "Think."

Her eyes roamed around frantically. In the end, she shook her head.

"It's okay," I told her. "But we have to go."

"There is no escape for me."

"What?"

She stood still, eyes blank. "As you've said, this is my soul. Therefore, I cannot escape. However... you who do not belong here can."

"I am not getting out of here without you, Adrianna."

"Do not worry, sister," said she, closing her eyes, a strange look of peace taking over her stillness. "You have reminded me of something of utmost importance. This is my soul. Therefore..."

The wraiths won the race with their flight advantage. Shrieking hatefully, they circled overhead.

"This really isn't the time to meditate, Adrianna."

The moment she opened her eyes, she trained them on me. Or more specifically, behind me. As I risked a glance over my shoulder, I was surprised to find a white door that had somehow appeared out of thin air in the middle of the forest.

"W-what? How--"

Before I could translate my dumbfoundedness into a series of words that didn't make any sense, I felt Adrianna's hand on my chest. With one easy push, she threw me off balance. My back hit the door. Without any resistance, it opened and swallowed me whole.

In my last strand of desperation, I managed to grab her arm. "D-don't--"

With something close to a smile, she pried my fingers from around her arm. "This is my world. Therefore... I can control it. Or at the very least try to, yes?"

She let go of me and I fell into the door in what felt like a slow motion. The scream I let out was soundless.

It felt like Halo all over again.

As Adrianna was closing the door, I thought I saw her touch the Bind mark on her neck. Her scythe had barely started to form before it shut on my face.

"I promise to see you on the other side. I hope," was what she last said to me.