Chapter 296: A Golden Sheen (4)

Holding my breath, I watched in disbelief as that light I had grown to hate covered the entirety of the Pillar replica.

"What's going on?" Aoife asked, her eyes wide open with confusion. "Kai?" She asked, glancing at me.

The light brightened, an unnatural wind shook the trees in the Gallagher Mansion's premises. Then, a single figure stepped out of the blinding light. A figure I knew too well.

"No!" I shouted moments before the figure raised their hand and the TV feed cut off. "No, no, no!" I stepped back and grabbed my phone. I had to let Inspector John know! He had to stop her before it was too late before the others came. 

My hands trembled as I unlocked the screen of my phone. I called the inspector's number. "Come on, pick up damn it!" I hissed. 

'User busy' The mechanical voice said in a monotonous manner. 'Please try calling again later or leave a message.'

"It's me, Kai. I need to talk to you!" I shouted into the phone before the beep indicating the massage was recorded sounded.

I felt Aoife grasp my arm as I motioned to run outside. "Kai, what the hell is going on?" She asked, her brows furrowed. "I need answers – now." 

Her words were what brought me out of my panic somewhat. I stopped and forced myself to take a deep breath. "Explain, please?" Aoife asked in a calm voice.

I pointed at the TV. The reporter was saying somethings, but I ignored her words. "The figure you just saw." I said, my voice trembling. "She is an-"

My phone rang, startling both of us. I scrambled to pick it up, and was met with Inspector John's panicked voice.

"Kai, somethings are headed towards you! Hi-" His voice cut off. 

"Inspector?" I shouted. 

"… I said hide," The phone line was barely functioning. "I'm on a chopper, we're coming towards you, until … -de now!"

"Hide?" I asked. 

"Yes, hide!" The line couldn't last longer – it broke off, leaving me shocked. I turned my gaze on the screen. Nothing but white noise remained on the TV.

Aoife glanced at me, then gulped. "Mother is not here." She spoke in a low voice. "And neither is uncle."

I nodded. "Aoife, get the people to safety." She didn't hesitate. She was out the door faster than lightning. I remained still for a moment before glancing at the shadowy figure at the corner of the room. He was a lot less visible than before, like his power couldn't reach here very well.

"You were trying to warn me, weren't you?" I asked with a bitter voice. "This isn't some horrible dream, or another game, is it?"

The Keeper's shadow didn't move. Those purple eyes peered into my soul as I fought with that lump in my throat. "We don't have the power to hold them back." I whispered. "We don't have magic, or a vast world filled with danger to keep them away. All we have is guns and bigger guns."

I knew they'd do nearly nothing to figure I had seen. "We're doomed, aren't we?" I whispered. 

The shadow slowly disappeared, almost as if it had given up on me. 

"Right, you don't care anymore." I whispered before turning my back on the room and heading outside.

Inspector John's words came to mind. Hide? I wanted to laugh – hide where? They had magic, they had wings and worst of all, she knew me. 

I heard the distant sound of a chopper. High up in the sky, I could see it as a black dot. What the hell was Inspector John even planning? What did he think? That I'd be able to a repeat of before?

"Kai!" I heard Aoife's voice as I walked out of the settlement. The chopper approached, and as it landed, a pale faced Inspector John jumped out of it. As he stumbled towards me, I could see how terrified he was.

"I know who that is," I said once he was close enough to hear me. His eyes widened and, surprisingly enough, I saw a sliver of hope in them. "Who?" 

Aoife had arrived at our side by now. "What's going on?" She asked, her eyes widened with fear. 

"The Divine Matriarch," I spoke in a low voice. "Aelith."

Silence followed my words. I covered my eyes from the bright sunlight coming from the west. 

"Who is that?" Aoife asked.

"Their leader," Inspector John spoke. "Kai, we need to get you and the other players to safety. Then we can-"

"… do nothing." I said, not even a sliver of hope in my voice. "There is nothing you can do against her. The others, maybe. If you're lucky. But Aelith?" I laughed. "No, not if she's as powerful as she was back in Baile Chailce."

Despite the sun warming my back, why did I feel so cold inside? It felt as if there was a block of ice in my chest that no sunlight could melt.

"Back in where?" Aoife's confusion was almost comical. It was natural, of course. She knew nearly nothing about the world I was stuck in.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't believe in you when you said you felt something was off," Inspector John's words pulled me out of my pessimistic thoughts for a moment. That was right, I had warned him, almost begged him even to stop the construction of the Divine Pillar.  "But you can't give up, I'm not letting you."

I narrowed my eyes. Why was the sun so bright? "It's not about whether I give up or not," I began speaking.

"Why are you squinting so much?" Aoife mumbled as she glanced behind her. "Huh? …Two suns?" She whispered.

It took me a split second to process her words. Then, it hit me. I was covering my eyes because of the sun in the west. But it was morning still. 

My eyes widened. I grabbed Aoife and Inspector John by the arms and started running back, away from that unnatural light. "Run!" I shouted as a pain jolted through my skull.

Behind us, an explosion sounded, mixed in with the screams of the agents in the chopper. I found myself in the air as the shockwave shook the earth.

The Ereth had arrived.