Soul Ties

Chapter 13: Thysus

The hallway I walk down has ceilings so tall, I'm sure if a raindrop fell, it would echo throughout the entire place. Gold covers every inch of this place, but not in a way that would overwhelm you with its gaudiness. It's as if glitter and gold thread is traveling like veins throughout the walls themselves.

Every pillar drips with symbols similar to ones on the front door. I wish I knew what they meant.

I remember imagining butterflies flying everywhere before I got here, but the only moving thing is me. And Thysus, wherever she was hiding.

My palms begin to sweat as I make my way down the endless hall. Wiping the moisture onto my thigh, another opening appears in the distance. Was that where I was supposed to go? Would Thysus be waiting for me behind it, waiting to officially seal my fate?

My heart squeezes in my chest the closer I get to the high golden stone door. I can hear my bare feet echoing on the yellowish marble underneath them, making me more self-conscious than I already was. I shouldn't have been surprised that there were no guards, but the emptiness was extremely unnerving.

Though, I would have been more uncomfortable having someone watching me walk down this long hallway the entire time. I peer over my shoulder from where I had come from to see the front door still open. The thought of running right back through it and sprinting to the ship was tempting, but I figured I wouldn't get far.

I probably wouldn't even be able to leave Uthoria without going through with this meeting. I wonder if Barlow would sell me out, refuse to start the ship, and drag me in here himself. It wasn't likely, but how well did I know him? We had just met.

Halting in front of the door, I hold my breath for a moment. A prickly feeling takes root in the pit of my gut, picturing what could be in that room. Thysus shouldn't intimidate me. She wasn't vengeful or cruel. Yet the nightmares that I always had comes to the front of my mind. The image of her strangling me with that golden thread, laughing while I choke and gasp for air. Just me and her in that room, no matter how big or small it was, sends a rise of claustrophobia I didn't normally have.

I let out the breath I'm holding, releasing the nightmare too. I have to relax myself before I see her. She wasn't the bad guy here, she never was, and I needed to remember that. It was just a tradition that hadn't been broken yet. It was no one's fault. I shouldn't be afraid of her.

With shaking limbs, I reach for the door. It opens without me having to touch it. A rush of warm air hits my face, which smells like sunrise and burning tree bark. It's so comforting, making me close my eyes and take a big gulp of it in. For some odd reason it reminds me of home.

The door continues to gape wider, sending the smell and warmth all throughout my body. It feels almost like the mist outside. A weight wrapping itself around me.

At first, I think I'm walking on my own, but once I open my eyes, I realize the coziness and smell is the thing pulling me forward. Almost like it's beckoning me to come in. I can't fight it, I couldn't even stop my feet from walking into the room if i wanted to.

The feeling of panic doesn't come like it usually would've, which confuses me. Was I under a spell? I feel too calm over what's currently happening. There's nothing in my chest except a small sense of tenderness. I seemed more than okay, almost happy.

This was insane. What was this place?

With a steady heart, I glance around the room, which is just as big as everything else around here. The high ceilings are covered in stained-glass windows. The colorful glass above my head is a mixture of bright gold and transparency, pictures of stars and sunlight etched into them . A couple images of butterflies are scattered around, but what keeps repeating are two hands reaching for the other. Each pointer finger has a shining thread around it with stars floating in between their palms.