AllFreeNovel
Share Us
No, this is something else, something I haven’t seen before.
I reach into my loincloth pocket and take out the golden gemstone. Its shimmering surfaces cast flickers of light over my face. I wait, and a moment later, the gemstone disappears, replaced instead by a regular rock.
No, this can’t be…
I wave a hand in front of my eyes and I see that same flicker — between the real world and some other one. Was it part of the Malquarans’ Games? Some kind of psychological torture?
Maybe.
Or maybe it was caused by something else, something…
The realization hits me like a bolt of lightning. It’s not my imagination playing these tricks on me. This is the work of Mindflares — those creatures I saw high up in the tree limbs before I made my ascent.
They are cunning and malevolent beasts known for their ability to manipulate perceptions and thoughts.
The knowledge brings a new kind of fear, but also a renewed sense of purpose. Mindflares are a different kind of enemy, one that attacks the mind rather than the body.
Understanding this, I feel a flicker of hope, a chance to outsmart them. I realize the only defense I have against them is rapid healing. It not only mends wounds but also overcomes the the effects the mindflares have on my consciousness!
As I grapple with this revelation, the terror of facing the mindflares morphs into a strategic challenge. I need to find a way to use their mind games against them, to turn their strength into their weakness. It’s a daunting task, but not an impossible one.
I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves. The path ahead is fraught with danger, a mental battlefield where perception is both weapon and shield.
With the knowledge of what I’m truly up against, I prepare to leave my hiding spot. The mindflares won’t find me an easy target.
I have something to fight for — something far stronger than their illusions. I have Zoey, and the love and determination she inspires in me.
That’s a reality no mindflare can distort.
Zoey
Trapped in the hourglass, every second is a ticking clock, a countdown to drowning in this sand. It has reached my hips now. I try to crawl on top of it but it keeps sucking me down.
My captor still hasn’t appeared. I know he could come around the corner at any moment, his monstrous form a constant threat in this twisted game. But right now, it would be a release.
My heart beats rapidly, adrenaline assaulting my veins. But I can’t afford to let fear paralyze me. I need to act, to use this unique ability that’s awakened within me to escape.
I focus on the plants and flowers around the glass, connecting with them as I have learned to do. I encourage them to grow, to entwine, to breach the glass, to form cracks and destroy it.
The plants respond to my silent call, their movements almost imperceptible at first, then gradually becoming more pronounced.
The foliage around the cage begins to shift, the plants andflowers weaving together to form a breach in the enclosure. It’s a slow process, requiring all my concentration and will.
I coax the plants to move faster as the sand is up to my armpits now, urging them to create a crack large enough for the sand — and me — to slip through.
The vines assault the glass but it’s no use. Perhaps they could infiltrate the glass, given more time. But right now, they are powerless.
The sand rises to my chin. I raise it and bellow at the top of my voice:
“Help! Somebody! Help!”
They’re the last words I speak as the sand overtakes me.
It’s like being underwater, in a way. I fear to open my mouth and take a breath in case I drown.
My breath is quickly running out and I can feel my lungs grow desperate and hungry for a breath. I struggle to keep my mouth shut, but it’s no use.
Thump!
