Chapter 74: When the Shadows Dance, Auburn Falls

Chapter 74: When the Shadows Dance, Auburn Falls

Chapter 74

When the Shadows Dance, Auburn Falls

A slew of emotions, fear chiefly amongst them, danced like framed silhouettes in Sylas eyes as he raced down the cold, dark corridors of the castle. The sound of his hurried footsteps and the flapping of the loose clothes were all drowned out by his gasping breath, and by the beating of his heart. Though he knew that Valen was on his wing, he hardly was aware of the man; in his mind, only an innocent smile hovered.

He distinctly recalled one loop where he heard something like thisa disease ravaging a group of people. However he had forgotten. Truthfully, he had forgotten many things and had forgotten twice as many of things others knew at this point. He had so many conversations that changed his outlook on the world completely or his relationships with other people that all of them weaved indeterminately in his mind, hugging. And yet, everyone forgot most of those conversations, most of those moments. Only he rememberedbut he didn't remember what others remembered.

Ryne had been taken to the same room he once found himself in, when he was encased within a feverish dream of dark shadows and voices and realities. He kicked the door open and found Tenner, alongside a vaguely familiar face of the castles doctor standing around the center, conversing. He stopped, panting; he didnt know why he ran so hastily. It wasnt as though his arrival marked any meaningful difference in the outcome. And yet, raced he did.

His eyes gingerly scouted the rest of the room and saw the bulge on the bed, a blanket coming up to her chin. She appeared asleep, snow-white in the face, and was shaking.

How is she? Valen broke the silence, walking past Sylas and approaching Tenner and the elderly man draped in robes.

As others, the old man replied, sighing. Feverish still, getting worse.

Nothing helped?

No. I have tried everything, Your Highnessfrom kot leaves to draining her feet. Fever simply wont subside. Shes also begun to shake. I fear I fear she wont last the night.

How how did this happen? Valen grunted while Sylas finally managed to recover. Being stuck in a hazy limbo was hardly helpful. He first had to figure out what she was suffering from and, most importantly, when she caught it. It was likely recently, which was a good thing as the reset would undo it. Nonetheless, something this deadly appearing in the castle in the middle of the brutal winter was not a good thing. Sylas, Sylas! Wait! Dont walk too close! Valens voice warned him, causing him to pause.

how long has she been like this? he asked.

S-S-Sylas? she mumbled.

Aye, its me, Sylas nodded. Itll all be fine, kiddo. I promise.

R-really? I I wont die? she asked, part in terror and part in joy.

No. I wont let it happen, Sylas said, smiling lightly. Im afraid youre stuck with me still. Sleep now. Rest. The next time you open your eyes it will all be better. Painless.

y-yes. Thank you, she mumbled, her fingers grasping his tightly. Thank you her voice drifted, as did her consciousness. Sylas felt beyond humbled by her trustand beyond scared. Gritting his teeth, he let go of her hand and took a deep breath before standing up. Glancing at her, he was just about to reach toward his belt and handily end the loop when he saw something that made him pauseframed around her fragile figure, he saw shadows. Like smoke from a fire, they arose, dancing and tangling together like lovers unmet.

They looked like terrible, impish hands grasping toward her, like claws reaching for their prey. Terrified, Sylas woke from his stupor, wanting to move forward yet realizing he was unablelooking down, he saw that his legs were pinned by the very same shadows. They were holding him down like chains, and they cut into his skin like parasites.

Shit what the fuck is going on?!! he cursed, trying to yank back but failing. Another change once more fixated his eyes toward Ryneamidst the swirling shadows that seemed to have consumed the world in their wake, Sylas saw a faint shimmer. And then another. And then another. Before long, Rynewho had ceased being visible a long while ago, hidden beneath the blanket of the shadowschanged the world around her. It was like a cloud hiding lightning of the thunder within, glowing ever so often, showing its brilliance. But all soft things snap. And so did the shadows.

It was as though a megaton bomb went off in that momentbrilliant, azure light blasted off with Ryne as the epicenter, burning away the shadows immediately as the wisps and cries and screams of a thousand choirs blasted off into the night. The light, however, didn't stop thereit formed a dome, a shield around Ryne, and continued outward at speeds imperceivable.

The entire castle went up into pieces, like a slashed painting, while a pillar of brilliant light shot up into the sky, alighting the world. Sylas was knocked off his feetor, rather, his feet were knocked off of him as the sheer force had kicked him back before killing off the shadows cradling his legs, separating him from them as such. Entirely ignoring the pain and horror of losing his legs, even while midflight through the raining rubble and debris of the castle falling apart, he couldnt look away from her.

From within her chest, he saw a tiny pebble emergea pearl, brilliant in its cascading gradient of blue, rotating unto itself, spitting out light like a star. It lifted her, dyeing her hair in tangible auburn, healing her, changing her, before shooting back into her. The time seemed to slow down to a crawlthe sounds stretched out, unusual, grating. The castles bits and pieces were everywhere around him, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of smaller chunks flying away. And Sylas was among them.

He stared with horror and awe at the sightall for a moment before the darkness was swallowed and before the light birthed the dawn. The shadows screeched and danced and they died, and in their place, a beauty beyond beauty was born. And for that singular moment, he could only see a flash of her eyes opening, shining in resplendence that was distinctly not human, before a large chunk of what was once a fireplace splattered into his head, killing him on the spot.

You have died.

Save point Pups Blood has been initialized.

Holy shit he mumbled, still reeling.