Broken soul

Dear Availeh... Where are you.

Shibito spoke to me, but he did not make any attempt to step anymore closer... Did he know I was scared?

"Nathan, I am aware that you are frightened, but now is not the time for such mortal emotions." He said, sounding the exact same as before. I looked to the ground, a vacant feeling growing within my chest. He spoke on, but I paid little mind to his words, all I could think about was Satrena. If I would ever see her again and if she was still real.

Then, my thoughts were broken by the little girl tapping my chest. I looked at her, feeling as if though she had some strange connection to me. For a moment, she only stared at me with her red eyes. Her dark hair looked soaked as it stuck to the sides of her face. "You can talk you know. And I'm sorry about her..." She said, looking down at the ground. I felt my heart quickly sink and I stepped back, her hand dropping next to her.

"How... How did you know?" I shudder as my voice creaked, feeling overwhelmed and panicked. Tears threated to spill from my eye and I felt my strenght start to fade. Then, within seconds I fell to the ground and I covered my head with my claws as I curled into myself. Tears started to flood my eyes and I felt weak, helpless and lost, all over again. I tried to stop myself but all my strength had left my body and I could only weep.

Then, I felt a pair of small hands, placed upon my claws and a pitched voice, bearly audible, filled my mind. "She's still here you know. And she is waiting for you." She spoke. I felt my chest ache and I cried in agony, my thoughts were filled with the broken image of Satrena's lifeless body. I wished that I could die and be with her, not here... not alone... My soul was broken without her, without her to hold. I felt the girl set herself down next to me and embrace me. "Please, this isn't the end for you." She said, calmly and her voice was setting my mind at some ease.

We stayed in silence for a bit of time and I could feel my mind ease slightly as those vile images faded from my thoughts. My body felt cold once again, I hadn't felt so distressed in an awful long time. I slid my claws away from my face, resting my head on them. The little girl was still planted next to me, softly stroking my neck as I focused on my breaths. The silence was peaceful, but dread hung in the air.

"Losing a loved one must be hard... I do sympathize for you Nathan and I understand that you are denying the reality of your situation," Shibito spoke, but I only lifted my head to face him, "becoming a Shadowhound is not something you can deny."

"A Shadowhound? How could I have become something I didn't even know existed?" I questioned, hoping for some sort of answer.

"A Shadowhound... Creatures that resemble the body of a black dire wolf but covered in leather plates, head cover with a horned crow scull and two tails that fade into nothingness These creatures aren't meant to be seen or even to exist outside of the Nightmare realm," he said, stepping away and deeper into the centre of this broken town, "the mere sight of you would drive any human to insanity, whether it be murder or even suicide. No human will be themselves after seeing you. It is only night crawlers and the dead that are unaffected by you. You are not the only one, there are others and other spieces like you."

"But how? How did I become this?" I pleaded, standing up and aproaching him.

"Darko... The little girl carries a curse. The Veredares curse and you had fallen victim to its aftermath. You see the little girl never meant to harm you, she wanted to save you. But she could only save your soul." Shibito said, sounding almost regretful. I looked back at the little girl, she was standing back and holding her hands behind her back while looking at the ground. My mind was far from focused and then, the questions filled my head.

I turned back to Shibito, "Who the hell would curse a little girl?" I asked, my voice cracked in a sudden rage. But Shibito had bearly any reaction as he stepped aside and towards Darko. I felt my blood boil, but I didn't understand this sudden anger. My mind raced for some sort of answer.

"Queen Faith," he said, not turning to look at me, "Darko's biological mother. The one who said her 'daughter' had passed due to some foreign disease." Shibito chuckled, I could only stare and listening in disbelief and disgust, "Ironic... Her kingdom was wiped out by a plague that started from her castle."

The Black Blood plague...

My stomach sank as reality settled under my skin and my body froze in place. The thought of how many people had died that year was terrifying. It all happened so quickly, then I remember how me and Satrena had ran away before that plague started. I stared at the ground, old memoties filled my mind, How we planned it all, went through with it and actually made it to Faith's Hill. Then, a question arose in my mind.

"Why was Faith's Hill never struck by the plague?" I asked, looking at Shibito. He rolled his shoulders, loudly emiting a popping sound from his joints. "Faith's Hill was on the outskirts of the kingdom, never truely apart. And the black blood plague was never contained, it only grew in the towns where her servents lived, as they were the ones who brought it from the castle. Of coarse, they did not know." he said, turning his attention back to Darko.

After a few minutes of silence, Darko look up at me, not saying a word before running at me and embracing me once again. Shibito turned, looking at Darko for a moment before turning toward the forest. "I promise, I will always keep you safe." she whispered, before letting go and running to Shibito's side.

"W-Wait!," I called, quickly jumping closer but still distancing myself from them, "What am I supposed to do here?" I asked, feeling a sudden loneliness burrow within me. Darko looked back and then turned to Shibito. He said something, but I couldn't quite understand what he had said, then, Darko jumped and turned, running to me.

"I'll take you to her. I promise, she's safe and waiting for you." She said, almost jumping where she stood. I stared at her for a moment before hesitantly agreeing and Darko jumped then pulled me into her embrace once more. I leaned into her shoulder, a sense of warmth filled my chest and I felt safe.

Then, she pulled away and patted my shoulder, "Come on, let's get you home." she said, smiling brightly. I looked at her and felt hope flooding into my body. She turned back to Shibito and nodded at him, then she looked at me again, tilting her head in his direction and walked to him. I quickly followed the small girl, stopping next to her and she put her hand on my shoulder as a dark mist started to surround us, but I didn't feel panicked or frightened.

The mist quickly thickened and soon, everything around me was pitch black, but I still felt Darko's hand on my shoulder. Suddenly, I felt dizzy then my balance faltered and I collapsed into the dark mist, sinking like the ocean engulfed me and my limbs became even weaker, as I couldn't find my voice...

Was this the end?..

No... it couldn't be...