Chapter 31

Emeric slowly blinked his eyes open as a soft groan left his lungs. He gazed around in confusion. Even though his eyes were wide open, he couldn't see a thing.

He slowly go to his feet but frowned slightly. It felt as if his body weighed nothing at all, as if he was drifting through empty space. He turned around in wonder, but still he couldn't see anything.

His breathing started to pick up as he felt dread wash through him. He remembered the battle and the injuries he had sustained...the pain... 'Am I dead?' he wondered fearfully.

His unasked question was met with silence...

Emeric blinked a few times and waved his hand in front of his eyes, he could just barely make out the movement in front of his face. He swallowed nervously as he gazed into the dark unknown all around him.

It was then that the voice met his ears...

"Emeric."

Emeric spun around in the direction that the voice had come from, but he couldn't see anything. He turned around again, searching without success for the person who had called his name.

"Emeric." It said in a calming manner.

Emeric recognised the voice. It was the voice that had comforted him when he had been a boy and had later raised him to become a young man. The voice caused his throat to feel tight with emotion, "Dad?" He asked uncertainly, but he couldn't find his father in the blanket of darkness.

"Dad?" he called almost desperately as his breathing picked up another notch.

"Emeric, calm down." The voice instructed. Emeric shut his eyes for a few seconds and tried calming his hasty breaths. "Where am I?" he asked, still keeping his eyes clinched shut.

The voice didn't answer. Emeric opened his eyes fearfully ,"Dad?" he questioned softly with an evident hint of fear in his voice.

He got no reply.

Emeric turned around, his eyes hunting through the darkness as he searched for his father, but all that met his vision was utter blackness. "Dad where are you?" he called into the darkness as emotions started to overwhelm him.

He felt tears build up in his eyes when he got no reply, but he refused to let them show.

A few moments of silence passed before the voice reached Emeric's ears, "Turn around, Son." The voice instructed softly.

Startled by the sudden reappearance of the voice. He spun around and froze when his eyes fell on the figure who stood illuminated in the dark. "Dad." he said, his voice breaking with emotions as he raced forward to embrace his father...

However, as he wrapped him in a hug, his father disappeared into thin air. Emeric blinked, confused beyond words. 'What the...' Emeric thought uncertainly.

"Emeric..."

Rayhan said from behind Emeric. Emeric turned slowly this time and made no effort to approach his father, fearful that he might disappear again and that he might not return.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he realized that it really was his father standing in front of him.

"H...How is this possible?" he questioned uncertainly. Rayhan looked at him with deep, knowledgeable eyes, but gave no reply. The young Etreshian was about to ask another question, but Rayhan spoke first.

"Emeric, you have to listen carefully now, our time is limited." Rayhan instructed quickly.

Emeric frowned, "What's going on?" He asked, but once again Rayhan gave no reply, and so Emeric waited for Rayhan to speak, certain that he would explain later.

"You have to make a choice Emeric." Rayhan instructed. Emeric frowned at the blunt words, "What choice?" he questioned.

"If you want to go back or not." Rayhan simply replied. A dark, haunted frown crossed Emeric's face, not the usual one of confusion, "You mean I have to choose if I want to return to the Dome or not."

Rayhan nodded as his eyes met Emeric's. Emeric shook his head almost desperately, "No, I won't go back there...I can't" He had a haunted look in his eyes as he remembered all the terrors of the Dome.

Rayhan took a step closer, "You have to think about it before you decide, Emeric, you can't just decide at a whim." Emeric shook his head at the prospect, "Unless you force back into my cell, there's no way I'm setting a toe in that place again."

Rayhan gazed at him with a thoughtful look in his knowing gaze, "So, then you've considered everything you'll be leaving behind? Or should I rather say, everyone you'll be leaving there?" he questioned after a while.

At this Emeric lowered his own gaze. Kedo instantly sprang to his mind and he shuddered at the thought of leaving the kid alone in the domes.

"That's what I thought." Rayhan stated as if he could read Emeric's mind. Emeric lifted his tormented eyes and waited for his father to continue.

"So you see Emeric, you will have to consider this very carefully. Are you going to fight, or are you giving in?"

Emeric lower his eyes, "What do you want me to do?" he asked barely louder than a whisper.

"You know how I feel about cowards, however, this is your choice to make, not mine."

Emeric winced as his father put it in those words. Giving in would be nothing short of cowardice, which left only one option for Emeric.

"I'm just so tired. That place drains every part of my inner being. I'm not sure if I'll make it even if I chose to go back." he explained hopelessly. Rayhan nodded his understanding. "I know," he said as he took another step towards Emeric and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"That's why this choice is for you to make and not me. You need to decide if you have what it takes to go back there and survive long enough to get out."

Emeric gazed down at his father's hand which rested on his shoulder. In his reluctance he knew what his choice was. He just simply couldn't leave Kedo...He had to fight...After all, it was what he had been trained to do his whole life.

Rayhan seemed to know what Emeric decided, "I'm proud of you, you know." The simple words seemed to be a life line for Emeric that he clung onto with all his might. "Thanks Dad." He said as his eyes started to become heavy. A sudden tiredness betook him.

Rayhan instantly noticed and shook Emeric awake, "We don't have long anymore..." his sentence trailed off as Emeric's legs gave way and he fell to the ground. Emeric gazed fearfully at his father as he felt himself fading,

"Will we see each other again?" he asked desperately.

Rayhan put a reassuring smile on his face, "One day, perhaps." he replied softly as he pulled his son into a heartfelt hug. Emeric clutched onto his father as he faded further.

They didn't share any more words, they simply found comfort in each other's presence.

Without warning, Rayhan once again disappeared and Emeric found himself alone in the complete darkness once more.

"Dad?" he asked fearfully as a horrid pain started spreading through his body. It slowly grew in intensity becoming worse by the second...

Suddenly, the pain he had experienced in the Dome, at his last battle, hit him like a battering ram. A cry of pain was harshly torn from his lips as he lay on his back, writhing in agony.

"Dad." he called out in heartfelt desperation, but he got no reply...The pain only grew worse. Another cry of pain escaped his lungs as he lay alone in the suffering darkness.

"Dad..."