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I hear a threatening growl in Yoru’s throat. Something’s approaching us, and judging by my fox’s reaction, it’s not Frida.
I scan my surroundings and continue to concentrate my odeon. I need to keep trying for as long as I possibly can. Frida, come on! Where are you?
I hear claws scraping across the ground. Wheezing breaths coming out of the darkness. And then I see them – two of the fallen approaching us at once, their hideous teeth bared.
“Damn it,” I hiss. Neither of them are Frida. I slowly retreat, at the same time searching in the darkness for some sign that Frida might still show up. She has to.
Nothing. There’s no one here except these two creatures, which have no intention of letting their prey escape. How much longer can I wait? The answer comes when one of the fallen launches itself at me in a giant leap.
I jump back in fright. Yoru pounces on our attacker and bites into its neck. I send him more odeon, which he instantly uses. A fireball explodes under him. I hear a loud howl as the monster collapses to the ground. It whimpers, shakes its head as if to shake off the pain, and then it’s back on its feet.
The other creature is now primed to attack too and bounds after us with a loud snarl. The first one follows it, and I can see the merciless bloodlust in their eyes.
“Come on,” I say to Yoru, turning and running as fast as I can. My fox follows me. As I run, I send him more odeon and command him to send out a big vortex of fire. The air becomes searing hot as the hex blasts at our pursuers. They clumsily leap out of the way to avoid the full force of it. At the same time, they turn their backs to the flames, and their thick skin seems to protect them. I see the insatiable hunger in their eyes as they start chasing us again, hot on our heels. The dark smoke swirling around them becomes thicker. It slowly drifts toward us, and I hate to think what will happen when it reaches us.
Yoru and I keep running, but one of the fallen is so fast that I can’t outrun it. It lunges at me, and Yoru throws himself between us. It knocks him out of the way, and he skids across the ground. I’m short of breath and have no time to check if my fox is alright. I throw myself sideways to dodge an attack from the other creature.
I know I have to get back on my feet fast. I can already hear their terrifying growls. They’re closing in. They’ll soon be close enough to grab my legs. I jump up and start running, but I can already feel the rush of air. I turn my head to see one of the monsters launching itself at me. I’m not fast enough. It’ll knock me to the ground and shred me with its teeth.
But then it lets out a surprised howl as something collides with it. It flies through the air and lands on the ground. Something is standing over it.
“Frida,” I whisper. I’m so relieved I could weep. She did come. She moves her head in an unambiguous gesture, making it clear she wants me to follow her.
Yoru is back on his feet, and together we run after my great aunt. But the fallen continue their pursuit. They’re not about to let their prey escape.
I keep looking over my shoulder. The fallen are closing in. I exchange a quick glance with Yoru and command him to hurl several fireballs. They rain down on our pursuers, but they dodge them and continue the chase.
“Frida, where are we going?” I ask. “We need to stop and fight.”
She keeps running without a backward glance. Although I’m pretty fit these days, I’m running out of energy. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.
I’m about to call out to my aunt again when she increases her pace even more. I can’t keep up with her, but I see her dashing toward a door. She stops in front of it and turns to face me.
I immediately understand. I sprint the last few yards, grab the handle, and tear it open. Frida runs through, and Yoru and I follow her. I slam the door closed behind me and slump to the ground, waiting for the fallen to charge through the door. But it doesn’t happen. I slowly look up at Frida standing beside me. Can the fallen not come through here? Then how could Frida?
As I catch my breath, I slowly look around me at my new environment. This world is a stark contrast to the gloomy place we just left. Warm sunlight beats down on us. There are plants growing all around us. Some of them resemble palms, and there are lush trees with branches that stretch far above our heads, their leaves gleaming in the sunlight. Soft green grass covers the ground, and I wish I could lie here a while longer.
This is a completely different, separate world with its own rules and marvels. How else can I explain the thousands of soap bubbles swirling through the air all around us? No, they’re not really soap bubbles, but their mother-of-pearl shimmer reminds me of soap bubbles. Utterly fascinated, I reach out to touch one. It feels firm and cool, like glass, and similarly light and fragile. I pull it toward me and discover a picture inside it. It’s a human face. Startled, I let go, but continue to stare at the bubble. I marvel at its pearly sheen and the way it moves, bobbing up and down, turning – and suddenly, I discover the faint outline of a keyhole on one side of it.
I look questioningly at Frida, who’s watching me closely.
“Where are we? What are these bubbles?”
But my great aunt can’t answer me. There must be some reason she brought me here. If it was just about escaping those monsters, then we could have taken one of the other doors we passed. No, we’re here for a reason. Is this what Frida wanted to show me the first time we met?
I turn to my aunt and look into her eyes. Once again, I wonder how I could ever have been afraid of those eyes – so open, clear, and undaunted. Why did she lead me to this place? What does she want to show me?
I turn and look at the shimmering bubble hovering in front of me. It’s worth a try. I take out my key, grasp the bubble again, and try to insert my key in its keyhole. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t fit. I slowly open my hand and let the small sphere float away.
Frida stands up and takes a few steps, then turns her head and looks in a specific direction. I follow her. Where’s she taking me? She walks a little farther and then stops at a spot where several bubbles are clustered together. She sits down and looks up at them. Have we arrived? Countless pearly bubbles swirl above and around us. Suddenly, I stop and do a double take. Could it be? Yes, this bubble is different from the others. It has no keyhole.
I exchange a glance with Frida. She nods almost imperceptibly. So I reach out and touch the delicate glass-like object and pull it toward me. I peer inside and see a picture – a woman who looks familiar to me. I instinctively bend closer to it and feel as if I’m sinking into the image.
Chapter 25
I’m still standing in the meadow with the bubbles and still aware of my surroundings, but only distantly. The scene inside the bubble is more immediate, as if it’s my new reality. I can hear voices, feel the wind on my skin, and even smell car exhaust and sea air. Part of my mind is inside the bubble, and it shows me Frida – the way she used to look. She walks down a street and into a building that I know well. My great aunt opens the door to the hunter wing, walks down a corridor, and arrives outside an office door, where she pauses and takes a deep breath. Then she goes inside.
“Good morning Arthur,” she says in a friendly voice.
