Chapter 29: Gods of Darkness

Veretta didn't need to wait to be told again. She scrambled to her feet at once and rushed out of the room. As she reached the dark hallway again, she was certain she heard a stifled scream but didn't look back. Her heart was racing as she reached her room. It wasn't just the general's anger that had shocked her. It was as if something of that cold darkness had followed her. She was still shaking uncontrollably and she couldn't stop the sensation of creeping dark hands upon her.

That night Veretta didn't sleep a wink. She remained rocking herself in one corner of the room. What was this feeling? It was as though every dark emotion she had ever pushed down was coming to the surface with a vengeance. She had never felt so afraid in her life.

The next day, Veretta didn't leave her room at all. She stayed within the dark cool confines still wrapped in her thoughts. She had no appetite nor did she feel tired. Although the initial feeling of that dark magic had horrified her, she couldn't stop thinking about it. What was that place?

The hours passed quickly, till Veretta heard the bell toll for the late afternoon classes. She heard the rush of students outside until it died down as classes began. It was then, she heard a light rapping at her door. Veretta inhaled sharply and went slowly to the door, opening it apprehensively.

She stared out into the empty hallway. For a moment, the bright umber afternoon light caught her off guard. She blinked temporarily stunned. Suddenly, a flutter of shimmering red passed her line of sight. Veretta's head turned abruptly chasing after it as it disappeared around the corner. Without knowing why she began to chase after it.

Once more she reached the end of the hallway only to find it disappearing beyond the spiralling staircase. Veretta started after it. She ran up the stairs chasing it breathlessly. As she passed through the stream of light and shadow under the tower windows, she felt a sense of urgency. What was it?

The answer came sooner than she expected. She was a few steps below the headmasters' office at the top of the tower when she caught sight of a figure turning the door handle above. Veretta looked up and her eyes widened.

Charlotte glanced back down at her. Her shimmering red hair was caught by a beam of light burning like a flame. Her soft dark eyes smiled with an unfamiliar expression. Veretta stepped slowly up the remaining steps.

The headmaster was nowhere to be seen. The lofty high ceiling room was still stacked with books and artefacts as the day she had first seen it. Only there was Charlotte sitting in the window seat staring sadly below.

As Veretta entered the office, a breeze rushed in from the open window. She turned to Charlotte with wide tearful eyes.

"Charlotte," Veretta breathed, "is it really you?"

Charlotte's eyes panned up slowly. "You must be Veretta,"

There was something about her dark eyes that seemed unnaturally fixed. The softness was gone and Veretta felt a chill meeting her gaze. Charlotte's gaze slowly returned to the open window.

"How sunny it is here," she commented with a forlorn stare.

"Charlotte," Veretta knelt down in front of her, "You've come back,"

"No, you took me back," Charlotte looked down with an exceedingly cold gaze, "you've pulled me from slumber. How selfish,"

Veretta began to shake her head, "I didn't mean it!"

Charlotte tilted her head back lethargically, "I know,"

"Tell me how to fix it and I will," Veretta faltered. "Just tell me you forgive me Charlotte! I'm so sorry for what I did,"

"I can't accept your apology," Charlotte sighed, "I'm not her after all,"

"What?" Veretta looked up confused.

"This is just a soul I borrowed," Charlotte replied with the same indifference, "The real Charlotte isn't here. You called upon her though. Whether you meant it or not. Since you've been causing me a lot of trouble, I came to see what manner of person has been interfering with my realm. To think it was just a girl like you,"

"I don't... understand," Veretta stuttered. Her throat felt dry and there were tears in her eyes.

Suddenly, Charlotte leant down and clamped a hand around Veretta's throat. Veretta clawed at it desperately.

"Charlotte..you're hurting me," Veretta cried.

"How many times do I have to tell you, human?" the cruel words came from Charlotte's lips but Veretta felt they were entirely foreign, "Your friend is dead. Now you get me instead."

As the grip tightened, Veretta was pulled from the ground and hoisted up to the window. She could barely breathe as Charlotte's dark eyes stared up at her.

"Who are you?" Veretta spluttered.

"Me?" came the reply, "My name is shallow. I am the one who you've been stealing souls from,"

"I'm sorry!" VEretta sobbed.

"Sorry?" the creature wearing Charlotte's face drew up an eyebrow.

The tightness around Veretta's neck finally broke. She let out a gasp trying to catch her breath. The figure was still standing in front of her with a blank expression.

"Are you really sorry?" it asked again.

"Yes!" Veretta spat. "I didn't know I was stealing from you! I didn't know !"

"I accept your apology," came the reply.

"You do?" Veretta stared up apprehensively.

"Mmm, but I wouldn't be much of a god if I didn't punish you nonetheless,"

Charlotte's hand thrust out and slammed into Veretta's chest. She flew out through the window with a scream. The last thing she saw was Charlotte staring down with cold dead eyes then everything went black.

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When next Veretta woke, she was staring up at sterile white walls. She expected to feel a rush of pain as she attempted to move but she was strangely unharmed. Veretta sat up quickly and looked around the room. It looked to be the infirmary. It was a small room lined with beds half-covered by curtains. Veretta felt a cool breeze filter through the room. She turned in the other direction. The window was open a little and it was dark out. Standing beside looking out at the starry night sky, the general wore a distant gaze.

Veretta attempted to speak but her throat was raw and sore. As she coughed lightly, the general turned back and set a glass of water in front of her. Veretta accepted it cautiously and sipped it quietly. It didn't take her long to guess how the situation had played out after she lost consciousness.

" You saved my life? " Veretta breathed with difficulty.

" So it seems," the general replied briskly and turned to leave.

" Wait!" Veretta looked to him earnestly, " Why... did you do it?"

" Hmm, good question, " he tilted his head to one side," I guess because you remind me...of who I used to be and because this is partly my fault. I shouldn't have sent you away that night. Dark magic takes a toll, I should have guessed there might be some ramifications,"

Veretta raised an eyebrow. For the first time, she felt like she was hearing sincerity in his words but she still felt some hesitation.

"I still don't understand why you helped me," She said quietly. "I know that you don't like me."

The general turned back. His expression was a mixture of melancholy and something else Veretta couldn't put her finger on. Just for a moment, the intensity of his dark gaze abated and he just looked like a lost child.

"Did you know the black wizard pushed me from this tower once?" He replied at length.

Veretta shook her head sadly.

"In one of his rages... I don't think he intended to kill me," the general said softly, " it wasn't about me. It was about the person he hated. The one I loved. Our passion wasn't so different. He would have done anything to kill them and I...would have done anything to save them. I would have died for that person. The black wizard pushed me off the tower to punish me for it,"

Veretta swallowed uneasily, " then why do you want to help him?"

" Because even though I hated him at that time, I understood him," the general answered with a grave expression, " I think you understand as well. That feeling when you have nothing...and how much you want to punish the people that took from you and safeguard the things you have left, but you can't. Not really. This world doesn't allow it. Our gods are cruel. Yet we try anyway. We desperately try and it slowly tears us apart,"

Veretta's eyes blinked slowly and her jaw clenched under the strain, "don't you resent me for bringing Errik back to life?"

For a moment, the general just stared at her, his expression unreadable, "No, I don't, "

As Veretta looked up at his forlorn black eyes, for the first time, she believed him.

"Then please," Veretta inhaled with difficulty, " help me save him,"

The general smiled warmly, "I will, but before that, you need to get some rest,"

Veretta blinked slowly, "Okay,"

"When you're better come and find me. You fulfilled your end of the deal, I will do everything in my power to restore Errik, " he added.

"General...I mean Ace," Veretta hesitated, "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Ace glanced down with a small smile.

"Do you know of a person called shallow?" Veretta asked somberly.

There was a flicker of unease in Ace's expression, "Shallow?"

"Yes," Veretta could barely make sense of the flash of chaos that had taken place that day but the words were engraved in her mind, "a person appeared before me, they said they were god, but that can't be possible right?"

"A long time ago, humans worshipped many gods," Ace replied gravely, "gods of rain, gods of power and gods of darkness. It is not so common to believe now. I think only some of those old religions exist in the west but not here anymore. Shallow was a god of death,"

Veretta let an uneasy breath, "but who I saw, they couldn't really be a god right? I mean the gods aren't real,"

Ace gave a sad smile, "I'm sure many people think demons aren't real either. Humans have short memories. They forget easily but I haven't. I can't tell you whether the person you saw was truly a god, all I can tell you is this: I have seen a wicked god once in my life. It was a being of power and destruction like no other and it tore this world in two. Never have I ever seen something of such wickedness and depravity in my entire life. I cried tears of joy when they killed it,"

"A god can be killed ?" Veretta looked surprised. "But how?"

"Only by another god," Ace answered with a restrained smile, "but let's not talk about this anymore. You need to rest. I'm sure what you saw was nothing more than a figment of darkness. There are many evil things that lurk there. They probably just used it to scare you,"

He turned his face away and left the room without saying anything.