Argent Eye IV

63

I woke in a white space. One I was very familiar with, that I'd been to several times before.

I didn't see anyone at first, and stood up, confused. Was I dead? Again?

"Well, well, well." I heard, and quickly turned, only to see Haydn standing there. He had his hands in his jacket pocket, and looked like he'd just had a shower and put on clean clothes. His jeans were fresh and his leather jacket was tear-free.

I swallowed, terrified. Had I not just killed him? Was this the part when he started laughing and told me that I'd only fallen for his trap, and now he was on his way to kill everyone?

"Relax." He said, sounding a little fed up. "I'm dead."

"Am I dead?" I asked.

"Unfortunately not." He said. "The light brought you here. Brought us here, together." He paused, perhaps feeling slightly awkward, but then he smiled. But it wasn't that wicked smile I was used to- it was genuine. "You know, Millie, you continued to surprise me. At first, I thought that somehow the elements must have made a mistake, giving you power over all of them. It seemed utterly ridiculous, to have a child running round with all that power. And then, when you wielded the darkness and the light, again I thought it was purely accidental." He took a deep breath, and sighed. "But I was wrong about you, Millie." He said. "Yes, you're powerful, but in more ways than just elemental. You're head-strong and resilient and completely insane, but you're also kind and caring. Everything you do, you do for others. And... and I think that's where I went wrong in life."

Haydn started walking around, casually, not looking at me. "I spent a very long time trying to avenge my parents' death, and I really thought that the darkness would give me that opportunity." He continued. "But, actually, all I needed to do was to make them proud." He laughed. "I really can't believe that it's taken all of this time for me to realise that, but I have you to thank for that."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This wasn't the Haydn I knew. That Haydn was full of hate and anger. This dude... he sounded alright.

He stopped and looked at me. "Don't get too cocky." He said. "You may have killed me at long last, but you're still fucking annoying and you'll never hear me say those words ever again. That's it. What's said in the Otherworld stays in the Otherworld."

I held a finger up. "Surely you can't be expecting me to not tell everyone back at home what you just said to me?"

He sighed. "I guess I always did think too much of you." He said. "Anyway, it's not like anyone would believe you."

I shrugged, slightly amused. This was a side of Haydn I'd yet to encounter, and I never thought I would.

"But that ends our conversation." Haydn said. "I need to go that way." He pointed behind me. "And you need to go that way." He then motioned behind his shoulder.

I nodded, knowing that this was the end.

Knowing that I would probably see Haydn again one day, in this Otherworld, but in a completely different light.

I held a hand out.

Haydn seemed surprised at first. He looked me in the eyes, as if to make sure that I was being serious.

But, then he took it, and we shook.

"Goodbye, Millie Robinson." He said. "I'd like to say it was a pleasure, but it really wasn't."

I smiled. "Likewise." I said. "Goodbye, Haydn."

The corner of his mouth went up a little, before we walked past each other and went our separate ways.

"Oh, and take your friends back with you!" He called over his shoulder. "They look a little lost!"

I frowned, and looked around, before I spotted Anika wondering around in the white space, talking to someone else. I narrowed my eyes, not quite seeing who that other person was...

It couldn't be.

How?

Tina looked up, and our eyes locked, before she smiled and came running over.

"Tina!" I called, before running over to meet her.

We hugged super tight, and I couldn't believe that she was here, on this side of the white space. "Hey, Mills." She smiled.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "How are you here?"

She shrugged. "Dunno, to be honest. I don't remember a lot from when we last saw each other."

"Oh." I said, but I was far from disappointed. I then saw Anika, and grinned, also glad to see her alive, and hugged her.

"Was that Haydn I just saw with you?" Tina asked.

I nodded.

"And he's going the other way, which means that you won, right?"

I smiled. "Yep." I said. "So we don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Fucking spectacular." She said. "Although, it would have been nicer to have the pleasure of killing him myself."

I laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Ah, no worries, Mills." She said.

"Anyway, should we head back home?" I asked, eager not to spend longer than I needed to here. Just in case.

Anika smiled at that. "Yes, please." She said, relieved.

I nodded. "I was dreading having to tell your family that you weren't gonna make it home." I said.

Anika gasped, as if suddenly remembering. "I left them in the bedroom- are they okay? Have you seen them?

"Don't worry." I assured her. "I found them hiding in the wardrobe." I paused. "Besides, I think Dina has something she wants to show you."

"She does?" Anika asked.

I nodded.

"How do we get out of here?" Tina then asked after a moment, just as we seemed to step over a ledge. Neither of us saw the ledge, what with everything being white, so without warning, we began to fall.

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