The Creatures Series

Second Dark

Second DarkCreatures of the Dark

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##### Second Dark #####

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Those faces. Those names. Why are they so familiar, yet foreign to me?

I’m just getting out from practice room when I walk a separate way from the rest of my friends. I need to go back to Aunt Marylin again before joining them for dinner. If the fruit from the red sakura trees proves to be dangerous, then she has to tell the other members of the Rainfold clan not to consume it or else there might be death awaiting to some of us. I know that Aunt Marylin is very sensitive towards these kinds of life-threatening things. But she’s tired now. She might also forget about the importance of this case due to her old age. I must re-warn her specifically before everything is too late.

As I walk towards her house, a sound interrupts me. No. Not just a sound. But sounds. I’m alert in an instant. I don't move like how the red sakura petals fall from the trees, landing over the calm water. I can hear the slightest impacts, which echoes loudly in my ears. I can hear the sound of the wind....

.... When suddenly, there are movements.

I can barely see their figures. Can't even hear them. They are like the wind: so faint.

Once I realize where they are heading, I try to catch up with them. I run past the other track of the bridge, walking past Aunt Marylin's house. It is a coincidence that she's looking out from the window when I pass by her, having eye contact with me in a certain glint. There's no surprise, obviously. But no innocence either. It looks as if she's playing a game, and she's winning. What does that look means?

There's no time to think about that matter any further. Because they are near. They almost reached the back door....

No!

I dash in a flash speed, landing on the porch first. The porch is cover by red roof. There's no wall, but there are many pillars that help balance the roof. The ground is brownish grey and the pillars are red. The intruders are blocked from the entrance right now.

I stand straight with fierce look in my eyes and I glance at them.

They are seven of them; all spread around the fence and pillars like they're theirs, with looks in their eyes indicating how arrogant they simply are. They all look mostly very thin yet muscular, not physically ugly but not good looking either with those kinds of expressions on their face. Plus, there are those dark lines under their eyes that are just creepy.

They must be entering the Yitzh Champion as well. And they're here to give us a warning, telling us not to get cocky just because we were already accepted by the competition's administrator. That they're much more experienced in this game, because they've entered the Yitzh Champion before. It's always the same plot. This might not go to shake my courage. But I'm not sure it will go the same for my teammates. And I'm not going to let them crush my friends' spirits. Mentally or physically.

"Leave. This place is Rainfold's property,” I say with a firm tone.

Mutters and laughter echo in the air with cockiness. But I stand still. I extend my hand a little, as if the gesture can prevent them from going inside. I know them: they are the Hollsworth, the clan whose land just right outside from this manor. They are the ones who our ancestors took their land from. And they clearly not allies of my clan. So there's no wonder about how they look at me.

"Leave,” I repeat at the same tone as I step forward.

They all seem to be ready to attack me at the moment. That's why I position myself ready to fight. Something is building inside of me, ready to get out and lash everything out into dust. My chest feels narrow, but I never feel this.... good before. Inches by inches of my body start to numb in a good way. Though deep down, I just have the feeling to stop this. Before everything is too late. Thoughts start to fill my head; ones that I never have before. They are free. Roaming. And dangerous. I never thought that I will think of killing someone before. This is unusual of me....

But when they just relax and step back, as if I'm not worth to fight with, they all leave me in confusion. I watch as they take the same track back to where they came from in a flash, with uneasy and aware feelings beating inside my chest. The grip inside of me is so... tight.

I'm not feeling really good after the incident with some of the Hollsworths’ clan members. Not just my thoughts, but also my body feels uncomfortable. Everything's so rigid. And I know that I'm losing it.

My self control... is falling.

Everything becomes dark soon, leaving me only small space to actually look clearly. It feels as if my eyes are covered with dark fog. Everything is so dark. I can barely walk anymore at this rate. But I keep moving, never stopping. I feel really uneasy if I only stand here. Like I’m in a rush for some reason that I can’t understand.

Haylen. I need to find her.

I head towards the inside of the manor, walking into the hallways that look like they never going to end. Everything is hazy and half-blurry. My sight almost fail me, yet they can still show me complete view of the outside of my body. I can still see my surroundings, although things are not that clear. Everything is so dark and in deep color. Even the pale walls.

I step into the stairs, hands grabbing the edge so that I won’t fall and hit the bottom. My legs almost crumble to the sidestep, but somehow still manage to keep going. The next view I got once I reach the top of the stairs is the family pictures. Lots and lots of small-framed paintings cover the whole walls. There are so many faces. But every single one feels alien to me. Somehow. It’s weird. Even though I know every single one of them. Not personally, though. But from their family profiles and records.

My gaze falls on the floor, where I use it to trace the location of Haylen’s group room. Weird. Even though I’m not breathing hard or tired, I still have this feel as if I’m about to fall to the floor. The steps are slow, too. I look at my shoes as a hard feeling follow my every step. Where is Haylen’s room? Why am I not there yet? It’s suppose to be around here....

....And just as my feeling is right enough, I hit the floor. Hard.

Inside the darkness, I can see faint faces float in front of my sight. They all look very familiar, yet alien to me. I know their names like they are written in the air. But when I’m about to call them, I can’t even remember one phrase of their names. It’s so weird. I feel like I know them, yet I can’t acknowledge any of them at all. Every time I’m so close to break this confusion, it always catches up to me. My head spins in pain.

The next thing is that I’m conscious again when my eyes are still closed. I blink. But everything remains dark. I can’t help but start to feel a little panicked. There’s no light. For some reason, I always fear the darkness ever since I was little. I start to move, feeling something soft underneath me. Yet hard at the same time. What is it? I travel my fingers to try to identify what I’m touching. But all I get is something as soft as silk and patterns over the surface. It’s also large, considering that it can sustain my whole body.

“So you’re awake.”

A voice states from out of the darkness. But I can recognize it like the back of my palm. That ’ s ─

An orange golden light flicker in front of me. It starts out small, but eventually grows bigger until it burns the wooden blocks inside the fireplace. The lighting inside the room is not that good, but now not that poor as well. The first thing I see are legs, covered with a pair of bronze jeans. The next is the upper body. He’s wearing a white shirt that goes to his wrists. His light skin looks darker right now. His long neck travels to his head, lining forms of dents. The lips are in pale pink, as light as his cheeks. His long nose crook in a fine shape. I notice some of his faint curliness. And his eyes.... Those eyes are burning. Like the fire in the hollow of the fireplace. With so much passion, they show anger and dislike.

─ Anthone.

I ’ m more aware than the infiltration of the Hollsworths when I stand up from the bed. But getting out from the middle of a king-size bed is not that easy. I almost trip when I try to stand so suddenly, but eventually manage to let my feet touch the ground. But I ’ m only five meters away from him. Blocking his future attacks from this range will be risky and hard to do. If I can just find somethi ─

“Don’t need to be so alert. I’m not in the mood for a fight today,” he mutters with a tired sigh. Then, he walks towards a sofa to place himself tiredly. He crosses both of his arms under his chest and lays his head to the side, closing his eyes. Just like that. I can’t believe someone who hates me will do something like that. This must be some kind of a trick. And that he’s going to launch his attack very soon.

I wait and wait. But nothing comes. After a few seconds of staring at his sleeping figure, I dare myself to ask him. “How did I manage to end up in your room?”

He doesn’t answer directly, but there’s still a reply later after some minutes of silence. “Technically, this is Ludwig’s room. I was only passing by and have his key with me,” he breathes lazily. Okay. This is weird. I never see Anthone act like this before. There’s definitely something wrong here. Not just about today after practice.

“What is this? Some kind of a joke? A hallucination? If this is it, then it’s not funny. Whoever you are who’s playing tricks in my head. Because each illusion you make is based on nonsense,” I mutter angrily while stomping my foot.

It takes Anthone quiet some minutes later before he open one of his eyes and asks, “You think this is not real?”

“ Well, of course. You will never act this calm and relaxed around me. You ’ re always mean to me. And you ’ re not doing it right now. Plus, what ’ s you passing by and have your friend ’ s key have anything to do with why I ’ m here? I can ’ t really guess that you would have been so kind to carry me in here when you spotted me lying unconsciously on the floor. So there must be some more valid reason. More over with the earlier penetration in the backyard ─”

Anthone sits up to a straight posture immediately. “There were intruders in the Rainfold’s Manor?!”

“Yes! Seven of them. They’ve entered the Yitzh Champion for a couple of times before. Probably planning to brag about their never-become-a-winner-but-had-last-for-a-couple-of-rounds-before achievements. And this conversation between you and me is not real!” I say, more to myself.

“I need to report this to the elders,” Anthone mutters, obviously ignoring my last words. But instead of getting up from the sofa, he let himself fall back to it.

“I thought you’re going to tell them.” My voice is so low that I don’t think he’s going to hear me.

And again, he proves to me that he’s not what I thought he is today. “I said I need to report it, but not now,” he says with his eyes close.

I look at him hardly, before I walk out of the room, closing the door behind.

Outside, I can hear faint and hoarse voices calling me from the darkness of the hallways. Grave. Severe. Whispers of dark desires, which leave my entire body to chills.

˙ǝ u ǝ─

˙ǝ u ǝ─ɹɐ

˙ǝ u ǝ s ─

¿ no ʎ ǝɹɐ ǝɹǝɥʍ ˙ǝ u ǝ s ɹɐ─