Chapter 6: The Realm of Darkness

“We’re here…” Faye grabbed Aeliana by the hand as they at last arrived at the Realm of Darkness, right outside the outskirts of the Ethereal Realm.

This land was one of pure beauty and exhilaration – at least, in Aeliana’s eyes. For what it was worth and all the life she had left to muster, it was truly a masterpiece that she could not begin to fathom…

Not only because she had seen nothing like it, but also because she was yearning to be brought back to life, given the life-depleting nature of the wolf bite.

It ignited a sense of majestic peace and wonder inside of her. Reflecting on how she had mainly only seen the darker aspects of the Ethereal Realm, Aeliana especially reveled in the light that it showed.

In the meantime, Faye observed her surroundings as well.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to find you a cure for that bite in no time. I know just the magician who can save you,” Faye assured Aeliana as Aeliana groaned in agony over the excruciating pain of the bite.

It seemed as though Faye was ready to pounce at any given moment upon any intruder that made its way toward either of them…

And then, yet another wolf appeared out of nowhere. Perhaps a different breed, but nevertheless, a wolf all the same.

Faye pounced on him immediately, wings and all. She no longer cared about any lingering jealousy or animosity that existed between she and her friend.

“I’m going to kill you…” The wolf growled as he revealed his fierce, blood-red eyes to Aeliana specifically.

He knows… Aeliana groaned from deep within her mind. She no longer felt well enough to fight back, but she was deeply regretting the fact that she had in the first place.

So she nervously remained in the shadows, given that she wished to remain out of danger’s way.

The wolf made its way even more ferociously toward her, putting up a solid fight against Faye, in spite of her valiant attempts.

“Who are you?” Faye hissed and spat vilely at the wolf.

“You would be all too pleasantly surprised,” said the wolf in seeming amusement.

Raina.

Before long, a mysterious black cloud hovered over the place, enshrouding it in total darkness. It seemed as if Raina was making her presence known in quite a loud way.

I feel so small…Aeliana thought to herself, given that she believed she had shared so much with Raina in the Ethereal Realm, all throughout her growing up years – a seeming safe haven for both of them, a place where they could both be their true and authentic selves without conditions or judgments.

But it seemed as though she could not have been more wrong. That whatever she and her mother had shared in the Ethereal Realm was part of the past, and simply just that. Aeliana knew deep in her soul that it could not and never would be salvaged, but she still held on to faint shreds of hope, for as little as that was worth.

Turning around, Aeliana hid in the shadows as she observed Faye from a distance.

“In the name of the Lord in the heavens above, I command that the evil that has bound this place, that has overtaken my mother, and that has caused her to control all that surrounds her, be vanquished in the name of our Father.”

And suddenly, Raina clutched herself in a bind of complete fear and violent trepidation.

It seemed as if the holy incantation that Aeliana cast upon her mother had done its proper deed. As if she didn’t need to utter a single word further, and simply allow the heavens to take care of the rest.

Faye and Aeliana then scurried away quickly as they attempted to find shelter amidst the shadows. After all, it was only there where they could actually find solace from the true darkness that surrounded them.

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At long last, Aeliana and Faye arrived at a safe haven – out of sight, out of mind, of the true evil that Aeliana’s mother had proven herself to spread and to be.

Faye would have very much liked to use what was left of her magic to transport the two of them back to the Ethereal Realm, a place where all seemed so innocent, free, and pure in comparison. It was all that she wanted at that moment in time. But it seemed as if their journey toward darkness was never-ending…

Because no sooner than Aeliana could even so much as think about the remainder of her magic did she perceive Raina. Once more, approaching them.

How could she possibly have gotten free? I had her in such a bind… Aeliana thought to herself angrily. This is not how it was supposed to happen!

Aeliana and Faye’s entire world came crumbling down before them, for Raina was taking it over, bit by bit, piece by piece.

Bit by bit, wolverine demons began to overtake the entire realm – or at least, where Faye and Aeliana resided. The ground shook with a real sense of urgency, as though whispering to the two of them to run, run away, as fast as they could…

Faye, deciding to take on Raina for herself, used the terrible might of her wings to combat her, in all her vainglory. Pouncing upon Raina’s back, Faye surprised even herself as to just how adept she was at putting up a solid fight.

But just as Faye and Raina got into the thick of it together, one of Raina’s wolverine demons came to the rescue of Raina.

“You miserable wretch!” The wolverine demon snarled at Faye, jolting alive a force within her that seemed to work against her and the entirety of her being. She could not quite explain it, but it felt as though she was being purged of every single positive thought and feeling that had ever assailed her. Instead, she was being tormented and afflicted with pain and anguish of the purest kind…

Clawing and hissing at the wolverine demon with all of her might, Faye stood, standing against the almighty presence of Raina, as they both beheld her.

“Kill her,” Raina ordered the wolverine demon with a strong sense of influence, power, and control. She seemed to possess some sort of mind control over her legion of wolverine demons, which then began to suck the very auric life-blood out of Faye. She did not know how much longer she could possibly remain alive, without the aid or guidance of Aeliana.

“Aeliana!” Faye called out into the distance. She knew deep down that all hope must have been gone, vanished into thin air. But she still thought that it might have been worth a shot at trying again.

Faye considered herself to be quite different from most faeries, in that her speed and agility levels were far higher than most. They were, in fact, amplified to a level that seemed almost supernatural in nature.

And yet, in spite of how quick and witty she was… She simply could not bring herself to feel anything but alone. Cold, cruel, desolate misery that greeted her in the end.

Before she knew it, or could possibly bring herself to search for Aeliana a bit further-

Faye found herself being swallowed up by the very clutches of Raina. As she curled her claws and stretched them out toward Faye, her very presence metamorphosed, from wolf, into something more…. Perhaps a devil, or a satanic goddess. She did not know.

And before she could even attempt to escape the tight grip of Raina, a heavy downpour of torrential rain began to cry out from the skies above. As if to scold or admonish Faye for her tempestuous moods- or else, for the bind that she had locked Raina in with the cruelty of her bewitching spells.

The unsettling rain and mirthless clouds began to transform rapidly into a strange enigma of thunder and lightning, as well as a Zeus-like, godly figure. The figure initially appeared as something almighty and majestic, a true force to be reckoned with. Faye cowered in fear as her eyes scanned the figure for an opportunity to pounce upon its back, its limbs, its face, its arms. But all she could do was sink into the ground in quiet, contentious fear. For as afraid as she felt in that moment, she also desired revenge, with all of her heart, soul, body, and mind. She was the one who desired the victory, to chase after and destroy those who would annihilate the lifeblood of her dreams.

As the figure descended its way upon Faye, pressuring her to give in to the pure anguish that it had caused her, she shuddered, and continued to give in to further terror.

“You will never overcome me,” the Zeus-like figure bellowed, cackling mercilessly at Faye. “You are far too weak, far too small, far too disrupted in mind and heart to even begin to understand what it takes to lord it over all the Realm of Darkness, or the Ethereal Realm.”

It took all the might and power from within her to resist fleeing the scene altogether.

Suddenly, however… Raina made her way over toward the two of them once more. As if to throw in Faye’s face, how truly weak she was. Just like the unknowable Zeus-like father figure had said.

“I thought that you were already taken care of.” Raina bored her eyes into Faye with such intensity and darkness that it caused tears to begin trickling down her face. As if she were all too aware of her own weaknesses and pain.

It was almost as though some type of psychical force had triggered all the darkest parts of Faye to rise to the surface. For her to recall every mistake, sin, or trespass that she had committed, or had been committed against her.

Raina then began to transform, right before Faye’s very eyes, into what seemed to be some sort of demonic force. But she appeared so angelic, so very full of light, life, and peace.

And that was what drew Faye to her so strongly. She simply could not get enough of her. She was almost as a shadow, almost as a dream. And the closer she drew to her, the more difficult she found her to resist.

“We’ve all been dancing in the dark…” Raina whispered with seeming astuteness, wisdom, and soundness of mind.

But in the end, it was all a lie.

Out of seemingly nowhere, however, Aeliana snapped her fingers in Faye’s face. “Wake up! She has you under a spell.”

Scowling aggressively at Aeliana, this time it was her turn to bear the brunt of her mother’s wrath. She did all that she could to resist her to her face, but in the end, all she could do was turn in the opposite direction, and run.

Run. As fast as she could, for the refuge of her life.

“Aeliana, no!” Faye called after her, determined to not let her escape this time. Not from her sight, not once.

For she could not bear to be alone, not again…

Raina, however, was not fooled for one second. “Legion! Kill this… creature immediately. Now.”

Sending the wolverine demon off into the distance after Aeliana, Raina could not help but let out a sinister sort of laugh. I

Faye, terrified, cried out desperately toward Aeliana, “Aeliana! Come back. Please, come back…” And then, let out a sob of pure exasperation and pain.

It seemed entirely useless, entirely futile, to even begin to hope for the best. For hope, Faye had come to learn, was entirely in vain.

At least, for now.