Only Darkness Lies

Chapter 2

She had stumbled over a leg, a human's leg. She walked a step back and looked at the face. Her face paled and heart beat increased as she saw it, it was Aden's body, covered in blood, lying breathless and  unresponsive on the dry fallen leaves that covered the cold forest floor.

She was terrified, unable to utter a word. She quickly kneeled before Aden and shook his body as if trying to wake him up. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks while she continued to shake him vigorously, the truth was hard for her to face. Aden's body was cold, he was dead.

The storm of her feelings and emotions seemed to shatter her mind. What was she supposed to do now that he was dead?

She felt like her emotions of despair were growing and spreading like wild fire, destroying all her dreams and happiness. Everything she knew seemed to have lost. Why does life have to be so cruel to her? She asked herself.

She took Aden's hand in her own, sobbing inconsolably and then lifted his body and leaned it on her shoulder. She didn't speak a word to the people on her way back.

Few asked her how it all happened while some others tried to console her. She was grief stricken and while performing the funeral rites she felt like drowning in an ocean of darkness, one from where no one could help her get out.

But it wasn't the end but the beginning of something sinister. Everyone has a breaking point and after that one snaps. The person may change because they had learned something from the experience. Elvira had reached that breaking point and the thing she experienced was pain of losing someone.

She was calm, kind and considerate but it was all in the past now, she had changed because of the circumstances and the only thing she sought-after now was revenge for the loss in her life.

Life seems meaningless without a purpose and she felt the same way. Aden's presence gave her life a purpose, to protect him and be happy together. That purpose was now lost along with Aden.

It was as if a change came over her, she thought to herself, if life without a purpose is meaningless then one should find a new purpose in life.

Without wasting anymore time in thinking, she went straight to Mr. Shim's residence and asked him about the people who had came to talk to Aden on the day he went missing.

Mr. Shim was startled by her sudden change in behaviour and said that he didn't knew any of them.

Elvira asked him to come with her to describe their features to a professional painter. She was determined to hunt down those murderers and that was her new purpose.

Mr. Shim first denied her request saying that he had some important he needed to attend to but Elvira continued with her request.

Her constant requests started a commotion around his residence and a few passerby started to gather around the house out of curiosity. Seeing people gathering around, Mr. Shim got a little afraid and finally agreed to help her.

He told the painter about their looks after taking a lot of time to remember their looks. The painter finally drew the paintings after many hours of constantly painting and correcting it because of Mr. Shim.

After Mr. Shim approved that the paintings were correct Elvira took the three paintings and set out on her journey to find them to know what happened to Aden that night and who are his murderers.

She began her search from the woods because that was were she had found Aden's body. The sun had set and darkness had already covered the entire place but nevertheless she moved inside the dense forest, though she was afraid at first.

As she made her way through the thorny bushes, a strange air seemed to envelope the surrounding and she heard someone say "Come closer".

She stopped on her heels, afraid to make a move. Was it the murderers? Were they still hiding in the forest? She was afraid to move but considering that it might all be a trap to scare her away, she gathered courage and started running towards the direction of the voice. It continued to say "Closer, come closer".

Before she realised it, she was surrounded by a thick fog. She began to feel dizzy and lost consciousness.

She woke up in a small cottage, white fog covered her whole body. She heard someone's footsteps, coming closer to her.

She quickly turned around."Amazing.. beautiful!"she said in awe as she saw a man covered in bright light.

He asked her in a sincere tone "What did you come here searching for? "Well..I came in search of my brother's murderers. Do you happen to know anything about it? She replied.

"And what will you do once you find them? You probably couldn't do anything for you may have determination amd courage but you lack something very important."  He said in a seious tone.
"What is it?"
"It's power, that's what you lack and you cannot possibly do anything without it. Power makes a person strong, you seek revenge bit you can't get it without power."

His words seemed to have a hypnotic affect on her. Everything he said seemed to be right and Elvira believed his words.

"Then how can I attain that power, one which can bring justice to my late brother?"

"I shall provide you the power you seek but power can alter your mind, it can make you the villain in other people's eyes for deep inside you lies darkness along with light."

My life is meaningless if I can't avenge my brother because that is my purpose now. I may be consumed by darkness until only darkness lies but that's a sacrifice I am willing to make."