━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

CHAPTER 27

━━━ ꧁ད ✶ ཌ꧂ ━━━

I was completely unaware of the possibility of eavesdropping on the memories of shadows, but it was also feasible. I had witnessed Ashton's father handing the medallion to Reidar. I saw how this shadow poured alcohol into the tent, which later caught fire. It had become intoxicated and escaped with the medallion in its hands, despite being the cause of the blackout that led to Ellinor's death. Who was this shadow in life? Why had it carried out all those actions? Unanswered questions swirled in my mind as I continued to fall.

I was surprised that only a couple of seconds had passed since I started seeing those memories, and I still hadn't lost consciousness. The shadow moved away, suspended in the air, seemingly inspecting everything carefully. On the other hand, Ashton evaded a couple of humanoid-shaped shadows that were chasing him. He tried to reach me, but they were fast and moved differently from the one who pursued us in the gymnasium. None of them were as spontaneous or agile in the air; in fact, they were clumsy. From this, I deduced that the trapeze artist was the one remaining still above me, and it was his memories I had seen moments before.

Ashton swung gracefully in the air, insisting on trying to reach me. However, the smell of burning filled my nostrils, and I heard a crackling that made me scream at him not to come closer. Ashton came to a halt and stared at me. In that deep and expressive gaze, I could see the mix of emotions flooding him: fear for my safety, anguish for what was happening around us, and, at the same time, a genuine determination to protect me at all costs. It was at that moment that I understood both how much I meant to him and how much he meant to me.

The heat increased behind me, and I felt increasingly suffocated as I entered a tunnel that seemed to be made of magma. The fire approached Ashton rapidly, illuminating everything around him with its astonishing glow. He didn't move, and I screamed in even greater desperation. The wave of heat closed in on me, and it was surprisingly blue, but my fall was slowed by something cold that stuck to my back. After what felt like a long minute, I landed gently on solid ground. Though I was scared, I managed to get up immediately. I looked back and saw that the object that had saved me was a wheelbarrow.

"Damn!" I exclaimed. "How many times have I been so close to death?"

"Don't judge the carriage in which you arrived unconscious, princess. Because it just saved you too," Reidar quipped. I directed my gaze to his worn-out shoes and kept it fixed there. They had transported me from the village to here on that construction materials wheelbarrow. That much was clear, but I was also sure that it was Reidar who had just saved my life. From his vantage point, he had a better perspective of the situation, and unlike Ashton, he wasn't being chased by the shadows, nor were his hands occupied with conjuring up a spectacular fire.

"You came with Mikkel," I assumed when I spotted the man and his monkey struggling to maintain the incandescent barrier above our heads. At the feet of the monkey was the lit cigar, the source of the whole blue inferno.

Still, I dared not look up from the ground. I didn't want to invade more memories, vomit from lingering nausea, or, worse yet, faint.

"Now they have us together and cornered," Reidar emphasized. "For all those years, they hunted us, so we stayed apart."

"But now they don't seem to have a specific target; they attack anyone, just like what happened at the station," Mikkel intervened with a growl. He was exerting himself, and no wonder. The blue fire was the structure keeping us safe.

It was also true that the shadow that leaped at me didn't show the same intentions as at the beginning when it almost tore my head off. Instead, the medallion was still in my pocket. Its light was flickering again, so I assumed it was its way of warning us of the shadows. I preferred to keep it there. It had been lucky that it didn't fall out during the fall.

"This shadow moved away from me," I thought out loud, unable to understand the reason.

"Rarely do they stay so close to a being with energy, unless they wish to eradicate it. They are usually meticulous and organized. But this one, in particular, was very careless and got too close without any apparent purpose," Mikkel explained.

"The shadow enveloped you as you fell," Reidar seconded.

"I also saw several of its memories. What if that was what it wanted to show me?"

Sparks rained down on us, vanishing just before reaching our heads. Due to the fire, I couldn't check what was happening or if Ashton was okay.

"They were being controlled, and now they're not," Mikkel stated firmly. "You are allowed to see only one memory or aspect without consent, unless the person, or an entity, grants you authorization to delve even deeper into their being."

"Controlled?" I asked, daring to take a glance at the crackling cloak above us. Then I looked at the steps that had turned into debris scattered all over the ground and the wooden door that still had holes through which we could peek at the night outside; that last one was the lighthouse exit.

"It's as if they momentarily regained their humanity. The shadow allowed you to see more and didn't harm you either, which leads me to an important aspect." Mikkel's voice faded amid a new crackle that duplicated a firearm, expelled by the same fiery mouth that had swallowed me. "They always attacked us with fatal intentions, and the fact that they're acting so carelessly tonight makes me think that someone or something managed to bring two medallions together. If all three are united, only then will the shadows cease to be what they are. And this one regained a part of its humanity because instead of killing you, it granted you access to several of its memories."

Reidar coughed, seeming to have choked on his saliva. And he wasn't the only one affected. That small hypothesis unsettled all three of us. Silence enveloped us for a moment, while flames danced around us.

Who, and for what purpose, had brought two medallions together?

If this idea turned out to be true, it also meant that they were seeking the last piece, which was the one I had.

Soon, another firearm hit the ground as sparks jumped like fireworks, prompting me to step back. It then struck the wheelbarrow, sending it flying toward the wooden door. The exit was free now, and the winter air rushed in, feeling refreshing.

Mikkel's fire, unlike the last time I saw it at the station, appeared even more energetic and powerful. As if they had come to life, the flames danced and contorted with astonishing agility. It almost seemed to have a liquid consistency, flowing with mesmerizing sinuosity that held one's gaze. It could be true, and the union of two medallions was the cause of this impressive manifestation of fire.

"Go and find Ashton," Mikkel ordered. Once again, he intended to take care of the shadows. "We'll leave soon and catch up with you." He made a gesture that directed my view from his broad back to the ground. The cigarette was almost finished. It didn't guarantee anything. Mikkel needed a source to assist him. As a result, it was likely that once the cigarette was consumed, things would get out of control.

Feeling unable to fulfill what Vincent used to say and knowing that I always had to escape, I consciously decided not to take the risk of staying to see what happened.

I jumped on the wheelbarrow, while part of me was convinced that Ashton would be fine. He was fast, but the fear of admitting that I too was vulnerable resurfaced.

"Wait!" Reidar wanted to stop me; however, Mikkel stopped him with the excuse that the shadows would follow us, increasing the risk for me. Only one of them had noticed my presence, so it was better if I took advantage of that and moved ahead.

Outside, I stopped to look around. Tall and dense trees loomed overhead, swaying with every gust of wind like the limbs of people at a musical concert.

It seemed to be early morning when I heard the singing of a group of birds coming from the thicket.

I put my hands in the pocket of my hoodie and found the medallion nestled in the fabric as I gazed at the night sky. The clouds and lightning gave it a spectral appearance, illuminating everything intermittently.

I mentally cursed. I knew Ashton wouldn't appear that way. He would have to find a dark place to manifest himself. And how do you do that in such exposed terrain?

I looked back at the lighthouse one last time, but it was still terribly illuminated. I wouldn't find Ashton there, and I didn't want to wait for the shadows either.

The only option was to follow the path to the village. But venturing into the woods at night was like throwing myself into a dark and infinite maze. And if the shadows weren't chasing me, the medallion would stop glowing, and I wouldn't have a source of light.

All that was left was to be careful and not lose track of the path surrounded by trees.

With determined steps, I entered the darkness of the forest, hoping to find Ashton hidden somewhere among the shadows soon. I didn't want to be alone during the night.

"I wish for a little light," I sighed as I took my hands out of my pockets and noticed that my right hand was glowing. The light emanated from the white oval of the ring. It emitted a powerful light, creating a circle of illumination like a lantern, but it was so intense that I had to point it downward. My eyes couldn't bear so much brightness.

I was glad that it served some purpose, whether it was good or bad consequences later. In any case, it provided what I needed.

I resumed my descent with more confidence, always keeping my right hand forward and illuminating the path.

It had rained recently, and the path was covered with mud in all its splendor, making my shoes sink into the muck with every step. It was challenging to maintain balance on the uneven terrain.

The path narrowed, and tree branches entangled chaotically, scratching and tangling in my hair and clothes. On the other hand, the darkness and lightning that illuminated eerie figures added a disturbing and oppressive touch to the atmosphere. I felt like I was being watched, which increased my insecurity to almost alarming levels.

My breathing quickened, mingling with the sounds of rain dripping from the leaves. Each step echoed in the silence of nature. I felt trapped in an endless forest, surrounded by trees and vegetation that seemed to close in on me.

The sounds of my footsteps blended with other noises, creating an atmosphere of paranoia. The shadows of the branches seemed to elongate and move like skeletal hands, ready to grab me.

My mind began to play tricks on me, creating terrifying figures that dissolved into the darkness. Nothing seemed normal in this place.

The worst was seeing a silhouette hidden behind a tree. I couldn't make out who it was or if it was real, but I knew it wasn't Ashton. The presence of that silhouette filled me with unease, so I quickened my pace, stumbling over my feet and anything in my path. The feeling of being pursued pushed me to run without looking back.

"Don't imagine that they are chasing you, because then they will be... The power of the mind. Don't think too much. Don't remember or reason or one of the rings might decide to turn that terrible thought into reality."

Something fell from the treetop and crashed into my shoulder, pushing me off the path entirely. I deviated from the trail and, terrified, resumed my march, running aimlessly.

The forest was lush after the meticulous rains that fell in the area. Grass, ferns, plants, and moss were everywhere.

My mind raced, trying to make me understand that what had bumped into me had fluttered, and when I looked back, I could see it. It was a bird three times the size of my head, and it was so black that its pair of red eyes shone with vivid brilliance. The bloody color brought back memories of that first night and of the horse in my room.

It flew over me.

Without taking my eyes off the bird, I observed the exact moment it slipped through a group of tightly woven branches and emerged from them as a whirlwind of sand and shadows. The vision was eerie and mysterious. But in the blink of an eye, it dissipated, and the bird's feathers reassembled, returning to their original form.

Because I was still looking at the sky, I hardly noticed my rapid descent toward a tree. I managed to slow down almost entirely in time and jumped to the side, slipping down a muddy slope.

Mud burrowed into my nails as I tried to stop myself in any way, but it was impossible to break as I descended at breakneck speed and sometimes rolled, like on a slippery slide.

At the bottom of the slope, I came to a halt, exhausted and gasping for breath. I looked for the bird, but not seeing it anywhere did nothing to calm my nerves. Its mysterious appearance and disappearance had left me restless, and I wondered what it could mean.

Behind me was the trail I had marked with my fall, and fortunately, the medallion, which must have fallen out of my pocket at some point, had appeared next to me. I put it back in its place.

I shook my hands and got up from the ground. My feet were buried in the mud, and it was hard to walk to a grassy area.

Ahead of me was the gorge; I had to go back since the village was on the other side.

I dragged my feet to remove the mud from my Converse, and the almost imperceptible splatter resonated in the silence of the night. I raised my head and noticed the presence of the weeping willow on the edge of the lake. Its leaves danced provocatively, caressing the water's surface. The ring's light was barely enough to illuminate the surroundings due to the mud covering me, but the intense lightning that thundered in the sky provided fleeting moments of clarity.

With caution, I approached the edge of the lake.

Using the willow as support to avoid immersing myself in the depths, I plunged my right hand and felt the earth peel off my skin.

The contraptions left to me by the guy named Dallas, submerged in the water, glowed with faint flashes, and their colors merged, creating a peculiar aura. The medallion I had in my pocket unexpectedly joined that internal glow, but before taking it out, a little voice shouted:

"Hei!"

The branch on which I was resting shook, throwing me fully into the lake. The impact of the icy water left me breathless, and I shivered as I struggled to stay afloat.

Once on the surface, my teeth chattered from the cold, and I looked up at the branch that had been my refuge. Another medallion glowed on the hand of someone I couldn't identify.

✶ ✶ ✶