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| chapter 15|

|where fears come to play (part 2)|
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Only Rune and Aiden was left. It was their chance to bind her again. Either Rune or Aiden has to do it. They turned anti-clock.

It was Aiden's turn. He gulped and started chanting. He heard the whispering of people talking. It was getting louder and louder with each passing second. Aiden's head started to ache. Due to the noises, his eardrums started to vibrate in fast pace making it heard within his own ear. His blood seemed to start gushing in his veins.  He was not able to cope up, when he shouted, "stop it!" Keeping hands on the ears.

The void appeared again. He screamed when he was dragged in.

Only Rune was left. Now she was the only one who can bind her. Abigail started laughing. The fear started to build up within Rune. She was scared that is she wasn't able to continue the chant, she will die like others and Abigail will succeed in being Arnold back to life.

As per the rule, she turned anticlockwise. The moment she was in the other corner, started to chant loudly. A large spider appeared in front of her. She ignored and kept on chanting. Then she felt someone pulling her leg. She ignored. After a while, She felt someone scratching her back. She ignored. She was trying hard not to get distracted.

This time she felt weird as the image of her parents started to appear in front of her eyes. She tried to ignore it too but the urge to run and hug them was so high that she stopped. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. The void appeared and dragged her in. The last words she said before the void could appear were, "Mom!... Dad!..."
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Rune finds herself standing in the woods. She fell on her knees and started weeping. When she heard a familiar voice calling her name, "Rune?"

She lifted her head to see Aiden standing in front of her. She ran and hugged him making him fall back. Aiden balanced and hugged her back tightly.

"Are you ok, Aiden?" Rune folded her arms around Aiden's neck.

"Yes, yes I'm. And you? What about you Rune?"

"I'm not good, Aiden. Everything is over now. I failed to bind her. Now she will bring that person back to life." She started crying.

"Shuu... shuuu... Rune don't cry. Nothing is over. Look we are in woods. Maybe we can do it" Aiden tried to calm her down. They break away from the hug. Aiden wiped her tears.

"Do you think others will be out there too?" She asked.

"Maybe, I guess. If you and I are alive then they too might be"

"Hmm..." Rune sighed.

"Come on Rune, we can't just stand here. We have to do something." He pulled Rune's hand leading her through the woods.

As they were moving forwards, Rune felt someone or something following them.

"Aiden...I think we are being followed." Rune pulled on Aiden's shirt.

They both turned around and noticed their friends coming towards them but it just did not feel right to Aiden.

"Rune, what are the odds that all our friends are together?" Something seems off about them. They were their friends but negative vibes where emerging from them. 

"I would say...impossible." Rune confirmed Aiden's feelings.

"This is not good." Aiden turned to Rune.

"This is it. We fight or we die."

"I understand. We have to work together, Aiden. If we get separated they will overwhelm us." Rune began to plan their defense.

"Come on, we need to lead them into and area we can reduce their numbers to one or two coming at us at a time."

"Right! Can you run?" Aiden understood exactly what Rune was thinking.

The two ran from the group in search of a grouping of trees or rocks that would help defend themselves against the oncoming ferals of their friends. The two came to a clearing and ran to the middle to search for anything that would help them. With their hearts now racing they frantically looked around.

"There!" Rune pointed across the clearing to the peak of a rocky hill top. "That is the place we make our stand, AIden!"

"Okay, it's our only hope!" Aiden agreed. Rune began to ran as Aiden took a deep breath and followed his friend.

The group of five were close. As Rune and Aiden disappeared at the far end of the clearing Dylen noticed the tree branches come to rest. "There. They are not far now." With confidence the group hunted Rune and Aiden across the clearing and back into the woods.

Rune and Aiden found the base of the rocky hill and began to ascend it. The climb was becoming more and more difficult. Then Rune had and idea and turned to her friend. "We can get at least one here." She looked up the hill. "There, between those two boulders."

"See that ledge, Rune? We can make our stand there. We have nothing but what nature gives to us." Aiden pushed up the steep hill side his feet slipping with every step. "It is hard for me. It will be hard for them."

"Quickly there is little time, Aiden!" Rune rushed Aiden ahead so she could loosely gather small rocks between the boulders to help slow the group behind them.

Aiden made it to the ledge and wondered were Rune had gone and in a hushed voice he called to her. "Rune! Where are you?"

"Right here! I just set a trap for the first one through the boulders." Rune looked beside Aiden to see a few short stocky branches and smaller rocks that are meant to be thrown. "Think you can kill with those stones?"

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but it is all we have Rune."

"It will be enough." Rune tugged on Aiden's shirt. "If not, it has been a wild ride, Aiden!"

Aiden smiled and tilted his head into Rune's then softly asked. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh." Rune replied in a soft voice. Then an intensity can over her and when Aiden looked at his friend he knew she was ready for battle.

Dylen led the way up the rocky hill side but felt his footing give way as he slipped and eventually fell to the ground. The four that were following continued upwards as Dylen regained his feet. As the group approached the boulders, both Rune and Aiden were ready with stones in both hands.

It was now time and no one had to say anything as the two both raised their hands and began to unleash their fury on Callen and Jan at the head of the group now. The first rock hit Callen's shoulder but the next hit his throat which brought him to his knees grasping his neck. Rune and Aiden reloaded and pummeled Jan with stone after stone until she laid there with blood oozing from her temple.

Ariadne and Ivy were very leery of continuing seeing the two lay silent in front of them. But Rune did not give them and option to stand around and think. She was throwing every stone she had. Callan was furious and quickly tried to push through the two boulders but fell right into Rune's trap slowing the young man down considerably.

Rune looked to her right but Aiden was not there. He had taken a sturdy branch and made his way back down the rocky hill. 'That was not the plan Aiden' she thought to herself and continued to throw rocks towards Callan and Ivy.

Callan's feet were beginning to loosen from the loosely piled rocks but not before Aiden arrived. Aiden swung the branch wildly and Callan had time to react and duck from the attempt. Rune saw this and grabbed a solid branch for herself and joined the fight, It was now or never with Aiden and Callan locked in battle she needed to get there to handle the other two.

Rune quickly made her way down the rocky hill side and slipped on a loose rock sending on a rough journey feet first down the hill. Ariadne thought she had Rune in her sights and grabbed a rock that was just a little too big. Rune's momentum sent her right into Ariadne's legs, crumpling her. Rune stood and with one swing death fell swiftly upon Ariadne.

Dylen was proving to be very difficult for Aiden to control and actually lost the heavy branch to Dylen. It was time for Aiden to think quickly. As Dylen raised the branch Aiden used both hands to stop Dylen's arms from descending onto him. Then used the top of his head against Dylen's chin. That blow stunned Dylen and he fell back against one of the large boulders. The heavy branch came free from his grip.

Rune made her way directly to Ivy. But Ivy ran towards Rune surprising her knocking her to the rocky ground. Ivy climbed aboard Rune and grabbed the same branch Rune sought to use on her. Ivy raised the branch but Rune's right hand found a stone and before the branch could come down on her she struck her foe with a quick strike directly to her temple. The teenager slumped and rolled off Rune.

Rune stood and took the same branch in her hand and made her way to Dylen and Aiden. With each step she wanted this to be over. Dylen gained the upper hand over Aiden straddling the struggling teen. Dylen quickly grabbed the branch they fought over. He breifly paused before striking Aiden. This gave Rune just enough time to step forward and swing and land the blow just under Dylen's right ear. instantly killing the last of the five that hunted them...

They kept on moving forwards till they found themselves in front of the cabin.

"Do you think we should go in there?" Rune turned towards Aiden.

"This is the only way we can stop her and bind her again," he pressed her hand.

"But do you think we can succeed this time?" She questioned him.

Aiden leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Yes, Rune. We can do it. We are together now." She nodded.

They entered the cabin to find it empty. No one was there. "Aiden I think everyone died..." She sighed.

"And why do you think that?" He asked.

"Because we find no one on our way also this room is empty,"  she said, leaning against  Aiden's shoulder. He wrapped his other arm around her.

"But where is Abigail? She is also not here." He said brushing Rune's hairs with his hand.

"Aiden, we are in the dimension" she claimed.

"What? I didn't get what you are saying" Aiden gave her a confused look.

"Think of this, we both were pulled inside the void and suddenly we find ourselves in the woods. We have not found anyone yet. I'm sure we are in a dimension" she explained.

"Ohkk... But how are we supposed to get out of it?" He asked.

"I don't know. But if we think like this, Jonathan told us that we have to face our fears in the void. So I think, if we are able to face them, then we can be able to get out of here." She exclaimed.

"What do you think might be our inner fears?" When Aiden asked, someone entered. They were in shock seeing her. She was Jan.

"Jan?" They asked in chorus looking at each other.

"Guys! It's good to see you after a long time." She came running and hugged them.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too." Aiden laughed awkwardly.

"Jan, we thought you were dead but now I'm happy to see you" Rune smiled holding her hand.

"I was not dead, just stuck here," Jan said.

"Ohkk," Aiden said.

"So, what's up? Jan asked.

"Nothing, we are trying to get out of this. You in?" Rune said.

"Okay, but how are you suppose to do that?" She asked.

"Play that game again, simple" Rune shrugged.

"What? No, I'm not playing it again." She said moving back a little.

"Yes, this is only a way to get out of it. We came here by playing it. So, we have to play it to get out" Rune tried to convince her.

"Okay, okay, let's do it"

They took their places. As Aiden came before Rune, he started chanting. This time both of them were happy as there was no one to stop them in the middle. There was no clue of Abigail. He was chanting when Rune thought to turn around to look at Aiden. As this time no one was that ninth person, she will not be disqualified and punished.

Rune's eyes widen at the sight she was seeing. Jan was standing behind Aiden. The difference was, now she had green veins swelled through her ripped skin. She was about to attack when Rune shouted, "Aiden look back" but he was too in chanting that he didn't bother. He thought this was again a trap to stop him. "Aiden, please! Look back" she shouted again. He ignored.

Jan opened her arms wide revealing clawed hands.

Rune ran and stopped her from attacking Aiden. She was so strong that she pushed Rune on to the ground making her shriek. She moved towards Aiden again. He was chanting the last verse. His voice was echoing in the room. Rune ran towards Aiden, tumbling. When Jan raised her hand to attack Aiden, Rune came in front of her taking the attack upon herself. Aiden completed the chant and turned around to see Rune covered in blood and a creep looking like Jan with her claws in Rune's neck.

Jan started to fade away in the air. Rune fell on the ground. Aiden lifted her head and kept it in his lap. "Rune! Aye Rune! What did you do? Rune answer me" he said.

"Aiden,... Now you... can get out from here..." She smiled keeping her bloody hand on his cheeks. "No, Rune. No! You are coming with me too. I can't let you go. Please hold on" he cried.

"No...Aiden go... I won't make it... I'm happy that you...are safe..." She said.

"I can't leave you, damn it! I just can't. Will you leave your best friend and go? Will you, ha?" He shouted.

"I'm not leaving you...I'll be there forever" she pointed at his heart.

"No, Rune! You have to come with me. I have many things to tell you. Please Rune, for me. You have to live." He said as tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"I too have to say...something...but I think...I won't be able to make it...so I'll not tell you..." Her eyes started to close slowly.

"Rune, tell me what it is?. And hold on. You have to live for me! Please, Rune I beg you. Don't close your eyes. Hold on." Adrian shook her up to make her open the eyes. But it was too late. She passed away.

Adrian collected her in his arms and started to cry for his life. His eyes landed beside Rune where it was written: ILY with blood. Seeing that he shouted in pain. "I love you Rune. Please open your eyes. Please!" He was not able to take it that his best friend, his love, died in his arms saving him.

He fainted over Rune, crying. When he opened his eyes, he found himself alone in that room. It was not dark anymore. The sunlight was beaming in. He was back from that dimension and was succeeded in binding Abigail again. But the price he paid was unthinkable. He lost his friends.

The words remained unsaid. The feelings were not shared. Trying to bind Abigail and bring light to the forest, Aiden lost the light of his life. This is what happened when they met again...

The story came to an end.
Thanks a lot for reading it till here.
If you like it, then please share it with your friends.

I wanna cry because I'll miss Rune :'(