Chapter 40: Darkness
I frown and turn over with a groan. When I open my eyes, I find that I can't see anything. I blink several times, thinking I may have gone blind but when I see faint golden bubbles of light in the distance, I breathe a sigh of relief.
I reach out, fumbling. The ground is smooth, and everything is cold, but I can't feel anything else around me. I struggle to calm my racing heart as I try to focus on the golden bubbles of light. I slowly stand, keeping my hand out in front of me, trying to feel for anything but it's still empty.
I try to call for my magic, to call for some light but nothing comes to me. It's like I've been cut off. The thought threatens to push me over the edge, but I make an effort to calm down and slow my breathing. Wasn't I just in the room with Bolin? Where am I?
The only thing I can hear is my own breathing and a faint thudding sound. At first, I thought it was my heart, but my heart is currently racing with fear and uncertainty. Nothing like the slow thudding I hear. I swallow hard as I take an uncertain step forward.
I force myself to take another step, and then another as I try to walk toward the golden bubbles of light. They were like a beacon of hope in this endless abyss of cold darkness. It feels like no matter how far I walk; I never get closer to the lights, but the thudding sound was getting louder and louder.
I slow to a stop, too scared to move forward. The thudding was so loud, it felt like it was inside my own head. Right inside my ears. My own breathing trembles as I struggle with my own fear of whatever was happening.
Suddenly, I hear a female voice faintly whisper, "Come" It softly echos around me before dying off, leaving me trembling. When I hear it again, it's followed by a second and third voice. All female and all echoing.
Their voices echo around me, causing me to take another step. I keep going, wondering why I was even listening to the voices. Suddenly, I see what looks like a fire, but it wasn't normal. No, this fire was black!
My lips tremble as I shiver from the cold but seeing that it was a fire, I picked up my pace. The closer I got to the flame, the larger it got but it never became warmer. No, if anything, it was growing colder.
I fight to keep my teeth from clattering as I look up at the large wall of black flames, lost. What was this? Where was I? Why was I even here? I turn around, looking at the way I came but when I think of going back, my heart tells me no.
No, I was drawn to this black flame, but why? I turn back, looking at the flames with uncertainty and helplessness. I whisper out "I don't understand" I jump when I hear my own voice echoing around me just like the other voices.
It sounded just like them... Creepy.
"Come," they say again, echoing around me like eerie waves. This whole place didn't feel right, it felt otherworldly. They call out again, only this time it's a little louder and more urgent sounding.
Do they want me to walk through the flames? I stretch out a trembling hand, unsure if it was trembling from the cold or fear, probably both, but I'm going to blame it on the cold. The closer I get to the flames, the colder it feels. I suck in and pull my hand back, cradling it against my chest as I try to warm it.
My whole body shivers as I try to understand but I can feel my arms and legs growing numb. I can't even feel my toes and fingers. Will I die here? Is this the end for me? I always thought I'd go out with a bang, not by turning into a human popsicle.
I try to call my magic to me once again but just like before, I get nothing. I want to curse but my teeth were chattering so hard, I was scared to bite my own tongue off. "Come," they say again, urging me to move forward.
I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself in an attempt to warm myself but it was futile. I could feel it, I was going to die if I stayed here. I could feel death licking at my heels as I turn and look back at the black flames.
Die if I do, die if I don't...
I slowly close my eyes before forcing my numb legs to step forward and walk into the flames. SO COLD! It's so cold, my whole body tenses and I feel my heart stop. When I fall, I land on the hard but slightly warm stone ground.
When I hear the pop from a fire, I slowly look up to see a large fire. I cough, feeling my heart beating again as I force myself closer to the warm fire. I painfully drag myself until I'm close enough. I lay there, fighting for my life as nothing but the sounds of the fire can be heard.
My eyelashes even had ice on them! They were so heavy, I could hardly keep them open. I slowly close my eyes, too tired to keep them open. Before I realize it, I've drifted off.
Thud, thud, thud
Thud, thud, thud
My eyes fly open as fear races through me. What was that? I slowly push myself up, no longer cold and numb. When I look at the fire, I find myself surprised. It wasn't a fire! It was the golden bubbles of light!
As if sensing my eyes on them, they suddenly disperse! They fly out and around me before slowly drifting up. I watch them in awe, still confused as to what's happening and where I'm at but the same thudding sound has me looking back down.
What I see next has my entire body freezing. My eyes grow large in shock as I hold my breath. No way... no freaking way.
It was, it was a freaking dragon!
And it was huge!
I force myself to take shallow breaths as I look at the enormous sleeping black dragon. I rack my brain, trying to remember anything I can about dragons but it's very limited. Dragons are mythological creatures.
Some really old books claim that they were indeed real and alive at some point, but no one has seen one in, well.... forever. It was thought to be nothing more than a legend told by elders. But here I am, staring at one while it sleeps.
Its talons were as big as I am! I slowly crouch, afraid to awaken the thing. I dare not breathe too deeply as I slowly stand. This can't be real, it just can't. Maybe this was all an illusion brought on by the dark artifact?
The artifact!
My mind races as I try to piece things together, but the possibilities are quite literally endless when it comes to the dark artifacts and what they're capable of. When I sense something, I look up to find a large eye staring at me!
My heart stops as my entire body freezes. It's awake!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone