AllFreeNovel
Share Us
NATALIE
My eyes fluttered open, and right away, I knew I wasn't in the God Realm anymore. The energy in the air was different and much heavier. When I raised my hand to my forehead, it took far more effort than it should have.
I was lying in a cave with a hole in the stone wall. I assumed that was the entrance and exit, but the corridor beyond it was too dark to make out, even with my heightened vision.
When I looked up, there was another hole in the ceiling. This time I could see what was beyond it—red, cloudy skies. The same crimson sky I’d seen in all my visions lately.
The clouds parted, allowing light into the cave from a source I couldn't see—the moon perhaps—and I looked left and right, noticing various drawings and symbols carved into the walls.
The drawings were of creatures I’d never seen before, and I couldn’t understand the writing.
I pinched my cheek, trying to figure out if I was having another vision, but honestly, I couldn't tell. Pain blossomed where I pinched, and I sat up. If this was a vision, it was the most vivid one I'd ever had.
Either that, or I'd been unconscious for so long, the God Realm had been destroyed, and I was somehow spared and left in this cave.
I hoped that wasn’t the case.
I looked around the cave. A red hue from the sky above colored everything in a strange glow.
Suddenly, I recalled what had happened during my meeting with Fate. I was infected, after all.
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Now I could feel it—I wasn’t alone in my body. But the way I’d felt before going to Fate and afterwards, the feeling of being sick… That was gone.
In truth, I felt terrific. Confused, maybe. But there was power flowing through me now—a power I’d never felt before.
From the moment I'd started to grow angry at Fate, I had felt my psyche slipping back while something else moved up to the forefront of my mind and body. I'd been so angry… and then I'd been unconsciously urged to relax, to give up control. And before I knew it, that was exactly what I’d done.
After that, I'd caught glimpses of what was happening, but my body no longer belonged to me.
I’d tried to fight it, but I’d only managed to regain control long enough to call out for help. Then I’d felt as if something was ripping me in two, and finally, I'd pushed forward.
I'd felt so weak, I honestly thought I was dying. The last thing I saw was Rumir and Lucian standing by the barrier, looking down at me in terror.
Then everything had gone black.
I stood up, brushing my hands down my pants as I approached one of the paintings on the wall. It was a dragon breathing fire down on figures that looked like humans or perhaps supernaturals.
I spun around when I heard whispers, and the hairs on my arms stood on end.
My claws elongated when a red fog began to drift into the cave. After filling the room, it stopped just above my ankles, but it was thick like a cloud.
When I looked up, I wasn't in the cave anymore. I hadn't moved an inch, but the cave had vanished. At least now I knew I was having a vision.
Fog was now all around me, obstructing my vision. I heard the voices again, but nothing else. Nor could I smell anybody, or anything else. I was utterly alone. So where were the voices coming from?
I was about to call out but decided against it when I heard chains. A chill went down my spine.
The sound only lasted for a few seconds, and I turned in a circle, listening for them again.
When I heard nothing, I pushed my hair back from my face and started walking, though I couldn’t see the ground beneath me because of the fog. Something told me it was smarter to keep moving here.
I only took a few steps before I heard the chains again. They were closer this time. And the voices were also louder, but they didn’t cause pain the way they did before.
Ahead of me, a silhouette appeared in the fog. The figure was tall, taller than any god I'd ever seen, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't tell if the person was male, female, supernatural, or something else.
Whoever this person was, they didn’t have a scent. All I could see was a figure contorted by the fog. But the sounds of the chains and whispers persisted.
I felt a sudden pull, and I took a step forward. Loneliness, regret, helplessness… All of those emotions slammed into me, and I staggered back.
