Alchemy Of Abyss

Chapter Eight~3

"Should I wait for him to come? Or should I go there and introduce myself?" Theia said. Eleni sighed and stood.

"You are not listening! We need to go back." Eleni grabbed Theia's arm, aiming to move her from her seat.

"I should go right." Theia jumped from her seat at the exact moment the waiter was coming with their order. He lost his balance from Theia's sudden and absurd movement and the two cups of their drinks spilled on her standing body. Theia jumped even harder when her t-shirt soaked all the coffee.

The cashier gasped, along with the terrified waiter. The cups were still in his hand as he looked at Theia. He tried to reach the small towel on his shoulder to wipe her t-shirt, yet the cups slipped and crashed on the floor. The café went deadly silent as everyone was now watching Theia, slightly moving to prevent the hot drink from burning her skin.

Eleni watched quietly, as this scene was just like in her comic, yet the main character didn't stand. The waiter slipped and fell the drinks on her while she was sitting. Eleni's eyes moved from the nervous waiter who was apologizing and a bit shaking to Aaron, who came running from the back.

He looked at Theia, who was busy cleaning her shirt, and didn't notice him. "I'm so sorry! Let me help you with that in the kitchen," Aaron said. Theia looked up and blushed. He smiled fondly at her with a small glimpse of blush as well. The cashier told the waiter to check the other orders and the cleaner would handle it.

The waiter apologized again and left. Theia chuckled and said, "It's okay, really."

Aaron looked nervous and insisted on helping her. Theia looked at Eleni and left with Aaron. The cashier was the only one with Eleni. He smiled at her and said, "Pretty cute, huh?" Eleni muddled. He leaned a bit towards her and whispered. "Always liked that part." He pointed at the window showing Theia and Aaron. The cashier looked again at Eleni and said, "We need you back." Eleni frowned and before she said anything, the cashier held her hand squeezing it. "It will hurt, but you need to get back now!"

He smiled again and walked back to his place as a new customer was ready to order. Eleni felt her body desperately collapse. As she was squatting to sit on the next chair, she glimpsed the shadow outside again. She sprinted back and saw it standing right across from her body with the café glass wall separating them. The shadow figure slightly moved, and it became the figure of a human.

Eleni sprinted out to follow its sudden speed. Running on multiple minor roads. Tall buildings ate the sun rays that reflected perfectly through the shiny buildings leaving a stray of colors on them. Eleni was following the shadow figure like a maniac.

The enormous building changed as the shadow turned left. Ancient-looking ones like in Florence. Eleni cursed under her breath at how small and creepy the road she created, even though it was based on an old neighborhood in Florence, annoyed at how realistic it felt. The whole situation was getting on her nerves. The more she followed the mystery figure, the more scared she felt.

The figure went faster than her and turned right into a narrower road. Darkness and a chill wind came from it, hitting her body, shivering every cell in her.

A small dot of light at the very end of the long-looking road. She shifted her head and looked again at the absolute opposite side of the road and sighed.

She strolled into the darkness. A strong aromatic smell penetrated her nostrils, almost ripping all clear air from her lungs, forcing her to shut her eyes. A smell she recognizes within her soul. All her senses roused, feeling weightless and timeless. The smell slowly faded into a stable, more relaxing one.

Eleni a female calm voice called to her. She slowly opened her eyes and locked eyes with the woman standing in front of her. A beautiful woman in a blue navy and white spring floral dress. She had long wavy dark ginger hair in a high ponytail. On her right forearm was a tattoo of a dark red arrow with a swirl of white Kazan cherry blossom petals. Eleni's eyes moved from her eyes to the tattoo, and the petals slowly moved around the arrow. Darkness fades slowly, revealing the surrounding place.

They were standing in a small forest with tens of Kanzan cherry trees with white, gold, and red petals. A striking feeling of home sickness hit her in her throbbing heart.

She eyed the woman again with lost eyes. Eleni the woman said without opening her mouth. The voice echoed in her head, disturbing her loud thoughts. We need you back.

A bright light came from her forearm tattoo directly from the white petals running through her arm till it reached her fingertips. She reached Eleni's right wrist with the feather rose-golden bracelet. The bracelet slowly changed when the light touched it.

The bracelet silently vibrated and turned into floating golden dust. Forming a quill sort of shape, resting under Eleni's skin, settling into its final shape.

A tattoo of a white dove feathered quill and a swirl of golden Kazan cherry blossom petals resting on her right forearm. Eleni's pupils dilated as her body was adjusting. A small gasp escaped her lips as the pain of the tattoo batted her flesh.

It took a minute for the pain to stop. Eleni caressed her forearm. "I forgot how painful this thing is," she whispered. The woman put her hand on her mouth, shaking her head.

Don't use your voice. He will listen. The woman moved her hand and tapped twice on Eleni's forehead. The mark of her fingerprint stayed on her forehead, glowing in white color. "We need to go back! He lied to us! We must end this."

"What do you mean? Rosalia, I have done nothing yet! And Theia is still —"

"This is not our Theia! He was lying!"

"What?! Who is lying?"

"He is playing everyone! We can't get Meritamun's memories back! we need to go now!"

"Wait! I don't understand! I thought we should get her memories back to save the universe!"

"Doomed either way! Chan-mi will get us all back." Rosalia pointed at the far-right tree where the dark shadow walked from behind, still in the female figure.

It changed to turned to be a young woman dressed in black skinny pants, a white plain blouse, a long black French coat, and black converse. She had jet black wavy bob hair with bangs. She slightly bowed to them with a smile that seemed forced yet polite. Eleni bowed back and eyed Rosalia. "Don't ask."