All the powers of hell

Having collected the key so easily and successfully, we made our way out of the valley, I thought it had been easier than Logain explained it'd be and I was so over the moon without realizing Edward was the reason it seemed so. The rock was disrupted when I took the key away and whenever that happens it surely must take a soul or souls if the folks there are not careful. Edward knowing what would happen placed his hand on the rock, giving his soul to the spirit who ruled there, Duroca. If he hadn't done it, none of us could have left there alive.

"Ed, what happened to you?" I panicked.

"Run Nardin." He responded.

"I'm not leaving you behind."

"You have to. You can't save me."

"That's not true. Remember that whatever voices or things we saw in there are all lies. This thing happening to you may also just be a lie." I said.

"It's not a lie."

"I saw my mother and sister in there, and they are both alive. Doesn't that tell you this valley does nothing but play mind tricks on people?"

"It... It does." Edward said weakly. "It does Nardin, no doubt but, the illusions could never take the form of living beings. Nardin, this is my fate." He spoke as he continued to fade gradually. It was just his upper body left.

"No. Don't say that Ed. It's not your fate, I brought this upon you." I said.

"You didn't. Nardin, please never let go. Hurry and..." He started but before he could finish, his entire body faded away and its dust returned to the valley of death.

"Edward" I cried deeply. I just lost Ed. He would've been in his tent, living his best life but I dragged him here to die.

My spirit was crushed and my strength drained. After I mourned Ed, I could barely walk properly. I staggered till I was finally able to get far away from the valley of death to the garden of shadows. But, if the only illusion there are those of dead people, does that mean my sister and mother are dead? I was wondering when my eyes shut and I fainted.

It started to thunder and rain heavily that night. Queen Charlotte and Esmeralda had succeeded in wiping Liam's memories of me and so he had no idea that I existed. She made the entire royal court even forget that I ever existed. Queen Charlotte always had her way with everything. The only case she could not handle was her son's extinction but turns out she already handled it. Queen Charlotte stood by her window looking at the rain. Something about it interested her but she couldn't get her mind to understand what.

"I already fulfilled my own part of our deal Charlotte. You better not cross me again this time." Esmeralda said as soon as she appeared.

"I didn't cross you. You committed a sin and were exiled from Olympus. Accept it and never blame me again." Queen Charlotte responded.

"Hmph. You were just a girl but yet so cruel." Esmeralda said.

"Cruel. You were a goddess who loved a child, and when that child was dying, you stole the scroll of the gods just to keep her alive."

"And she would not hand it over in the end. Other gods found out it was missing and... It was against our rules to make physical contact with humans except on assignment more seriously use what is meant for the gods alone on them, so I was exiled. I begged you to give me back the scroll and I would find another way to save you but instead, you prayed to the gods to send me into non-existence."

"I was only a child."

"At fifteen."

"I'm so sorry Esmeralda. I was selfish. All through my life I've done nothing but make bad decisions to ruin people's lives. I'll give it back." She said.

"What about you?" The goddess asked her.

"I think I've done enough. I've slyly caused more destruction than restoration. I'm ready to die." She responded then dipped her hand into her pocket and brought out the glowing scroll.

"The secret of the gods. Sorry, I snooped but having been with it for so long may have made it quite impossible." Charlotte said.

She gently placed it into the hands of Esmeralda.

"Apologize to the gods for me." Queen Charlotte said, then went to her bed and lay on it. She gently closed her eyes and her breath stopped. She was dead. Esmeralda stared at her and almost broke a tear but it had to happen. She was a goddess and being in non-existence had been one of the greatest punishments she ever had to face but she still loved Charlotte.

The rain that night continued till the next morning and it was my saving grace. It revived me and so I opened my eyes after the whole time. I was no longer at the spot I found myself yesterday, I was now at the borders of the garden of shadows and the isle of the unseen but how I got there didn't bother me.

didn't know what I was conflicting with. The realization that Gwen and my mother may truly be dead? Or the realization that Edward Hunter died because of me? The valley sure claims a soul and that means it would've been me if not for Ed's intervention. I was angry and could not bring myself to forgive myself at that moment. I looked at the key in my hands and didn't even know what to do with it. I could just throw the key away and let fate take its course but that would be very insensitive of me. It would mean that Ed's sacrifice was for a useless course. I braced up, put the key in my pocket, and made my journey.

Soon I got to the Isle of the unseen but nothing seemed to be there. It was just an empty field, or was it why it was called the isle of the unseen?

I looked around and almost got exhausted but I remembered Logain's words: The key has its powers. So if the key has its own powers and this was the isle of the unseen then it's gradually adding up but how?

I sighed and pulled the key out of my pocket. I placed it in my palm, inhaled, and closed my eyes. I felt a wave of energy in me that came from the key. When I opened my eyes I saw a door in the middle of the field. The door only had hinges and nothing else. It stood on the ground.

I observed the door for a while before I slowly moved toward it to notice it had a keyhole, strangely without a handle. I looked at the key in my hand and slowly put it into the keyhole that perfectly fitted it, and when I turned it, the door clicked and opened up on its own. I swallowed hard and took a step into the dark room. The room was indeed dark but not too dark that I couldn't find my way. I kept taking steps without seeing the ground and so I had no idea a pit awaited me. It was the pit of hell.

I fell into the pit and it was really hot. I screamed until I landed on the bottom and came face to face with a demon…

While waiting for the next chapter, please read NAYA'S BLADE. It's currently serializing. Written by me (Rita), you can see it in my bio or more books by this author.

Thank you 🙇