Ava

17 - The Other Ava

Ava gradually got up to a totally dark room and was alarmed, not from the absence of light around her, but because of the rigidity of her body. Her muscles were stiff and unmoving despite her several attempts to move. Her body is totally not responding to her.  

“Is everything alright?” A familiar voice trailed off from a distance as a silhouette appeared and moved towards her.

She tried so hard to decipher who it was but failed. Her vision in the dark as a Zmeu is impeccable and so Ava wondered why she can’t make out the features of this shadow. With a distorted look, Ava sweat profusely as she desperately pushed herself to move.

“Ava, what’s going on?” The voice asked once more as she heard the footsteps getting nearer.

Ava was about to answer when suddenly she felt a piercing pain on her back. It started to tear her flesh apart and ripped it open.

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!” She screamed in immense pain as two enormous white wings emerged from her torn flesh. Ava’s body trembled in pain as both wings made their way out making her shriek in agony.

“Ava!!!” A worried cry broke out but all she can think about now was the pain.

Then an intense light suddenly oozing from her suddenly flooded the dark room until it disappeared as soon as the wings got out. Her whole body convulsed uncontrollably, her head spinning like crazy and her eyes filled with tears until it finally her completely flat against the ground as soon as the pain subsided.

“Ava!!!” The voice earlier called out and she felt warm hands on her shoulders, gently checking her. Then she heard a gasp from the owner of the voice. “You got wings!!!” 

She tried her best to open her eyes and blink her welled up tears away, allowing some clarity to her vision. By then, she was now able to move and she got up slowly and looked behind her back. True enough, her eyes widened upon seeing two huge wings arising from her back. They were scaly like diamonds beautifully put in together but at the same time, it was sharp as glistening blades.

“I…got…wings.” Ava blurted out, completely flabbergasted.

“What happened, Ava? You were in pain and then now you suddenly have massive wings?” The voice asked once more.

“I don’t know.” Ava replied and finally turned to look at the person who owns the voice.

Shifting her gaze, Ava screamed loudly as soon as her eyes clearly laid on the person in front of her. It was her.

***

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!” Ava yelled and bolted up right in bed, her sweat made her look like she had just finished running for miles. Her pulse was still quick and her breathing was unsteady when her companions came running to her side.

“What’s wrong?” Casix was quick enough to ask as soon as he reached her.

Ava was just silent as she calmed herself until Alvis came in with a cup of water in his hands.

“Drink this. It’ll help you calm down.” He said and Ava did so.

“What happened, woman?” Black asked the minute she finished drinking the water.

She then looked up and sighed. “I had another nightmare.”

“What about it?” Black asked curiously as he tried to read her and her thoughts but failed miserably.

“I woke up in this dark room and started growing wings. Then someone came to my aid but then…” She trailed off as she relayed her dream.

“Then?” Casix asked.

“She was me. She looked straight to my eyes and I saw myself.” Ava replied and wiped her tears and sweat.

“What? How could that be?” Alvis blurted out and sighed too. “Just don’t mind it, maybe it’s really just a nightmare.”

“I felt it in me, Alvis. It all felt so real. Like it really happened just now. I can even still feel the weight of my wings in my back.” Ava contradicted.

“It might be the black shard.” Black concluded. “Ever since you took and kept that thing, you started having more nightmares.”

Ava thought and knew that he must be right. Though she’s had nightmares before, it was never this frequent and worse like now.

“Let me take it.” Black then volunteered and opened his palm out in front of her.

She nodded and took the black shard from her inner pocket when she suddenly heard a whisper.

Death is coming. Never let him take the black shard.

That whisper made her stop herself mid-air and pull her hand back. “No.”

“You have to let me take it, woman.” Black insisted, looking at Ava straight in the eyes.

But she refused and shook her head. For many times in her life, these whispers she’s hearing saved her. She also whispered the same thing that night when she went with Eli and her friends in the border. That night they all died except her. The same whisper saved her from the humans who tried to sell her before. If she allows Black to the shard, something bad may really happen and she can’t allow more of her friends to die.

Ever since the Juno said that it was a shard of the Demon God, each of them had tried their best to destroy it but failed. The feline fowl then said that she must keep it until they find a way to destroy it, or else, it might find its way to a different owner and create more chaos.

“No. I can keep it myself.” She then answered and placed it safely back to her inner pocket.

“Tsk. Fine. Whatever you say.” Black blurted out in annoyance and walked out of the cabin.

“I think it would have been good if you let him keep it for a while, my lady. You no longer get comfortable sleep because of your nightmares and it will soon take toll on your health.” Casix commented. Then he also looked at her intently. “Would you like me to keep it for you instead?”

“Or me. I can also keep it for a while.” Alvis seconded.

Her hands went inside her pocket and touched the shard.

Death is coming. Never let him take the black shard.

The whispers said once more and so she shook her head at them.

“I think it’s also better for her to keep the black shard herself.” A voice from the widow seal said and they turned to see Juno. “The black shard is a cunning material which can easily penetrate your mind. Any creature with great power can be occupied by it to create chaos and it will not be good.”

“I don’t have power though.” Alvis commented innocently.

“Which makes you an easier target.” Juno added as her eagle eyes turned to the human who just formed an ‘o’ shape with his mouth. “The shard will promise you power that you didn’t have and you will crave for it. So humans are not safest keepers.”

“But can’t you see what’s it doing to her?” Casix asked with slight annoyance. “Can’t we just throw it away or bury in deeply underground so no one can ever find it?”

“You are wise, centaur. I know you knew the answers to your queries.” The feline fowl replied.

“Right.” Casix said and sighed.

Thinking about all the people who had died in the northern borders, he knew that they can’t just do that. It will take toll in their moral responsibility if there will be more innocent lives taken away just because they didn’t make sure that the shard is destroyed. Besides, he clearly knew that the lady will never allow that to happen.

“Are you sure that you can still handle it?” The centaur managed to asked the lady who’s deep in her thoughts at the moment.

“I should be able to. I’m sure we can find something or someone who can destroy it soon.” Ava replied and tried to smile. “It’s still a few hours away till the sun arises, please, you all should go back and rest. I’m very sorry if I inconvenienced you often.”

“No big deal. Really.” Alvis said and shrugged before smiling. “Go and sleep more too then, pretty lady.”

“I will.” She answered as they left her alone.

***

“Keep your mind empty, woman. Focus.” Black commanded as they continued their meditation trainings.

Ava shut her eyes tightly and did as he said. She focused on completely emptying her mind, clearing all of her thoughts. But right at the very end when she almost did it, her mind drifted over somewhere she doesn’t recognize.

“Are you ready?” The other Ava asked as she looked at her.

“Yes. I have already recovered I think and I was just waiting for you.” Ava replied before closing her eyes. As soon as she opened them, the whole room shattered into pieces, exposing them outside. Standing up, she spread her enormous wings wide and flipped it, making her rise from the ground. Smiling and excited, she looked down at the woman who looked exactly like her. “I’m flying.”

The other Ava smiled and nodded. But then lightning and thunder was seen and heard nearby which made her land back down.

“Quickly, we must leave now. I don’t think my shields are still working. I believe the enchantments must have damaged them already. Let’s leave quickly.” The other Ava said.

“Okay.” She agreed. 

Her other self then began whispering things and touched her necklace.

That necklace. She recognized that necklace. Ava’s hand automatically went to touch the pendant of her own necklace but was surprised to know that she has none.

‘Where’s my necklace?’ She thought.

Then a whirling pool of black liquid and gas swirled before them.

“What’s that?” She asked, quite surprised.

“A black hole.” The other Ava answered and smirked. “Let’s go.”

The she took her hand and held it tightly before she pulled her and started running towards it.

“AHHHH!” Ava yelled as her body jolted as if she was engulfed by the black hole. She then just found herself being slightly shaken by Black, who was obviously looking at her coldly.

“Woman, my patience for you is getting shorter and shorter. Don’t try to pull all of it.” Black spatted coldly before letting her shoulders go and standing up.

Looking down, Ava steadied herself. She was also shock to drift into that other world while doing her meditation. She thought those things could only penetrate her mind while asleep.

“You were lost into space, woman. I told you to focus and clear your mind. But where were you?” Black demanded, exasperation is clearly evident in his cold baritone voice.

“I was…I was doing what you said when I drifted off to this place I can’t recognize.” She answered honestly. “I swear I didn’t mean to. I felt the peace when I was clearing off my mind. But it just suddenly pop up.”

“That’s the point of our training, woman. If you can’t succeed in putting a mental shield in your mind, then I’m afraid your mind can easily be penetrated by that shard that you are keeping.” Black pointed and walked towards her, levelling his face on hers.

She can now see his pale and handsome face so closely.

“You said you don’t want the Demon God to use you. You said you don’t want to be used.” Black whispered, looking straight at her and she nodded. “Then you have to be able to do this.”

“I know.” She replied softly. “But Black, what if I tell you that these dreams I’m seeing. It doesn’t feel like dreams anymore. It appears like dreams and nightmares but it felt real. 

“What do you mean?” Black asked.

Meeting his intense gaze, Ava replied. “They felt like memories.”

***