A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

05 | Eh? (edited)

Auras manifested as radiant beams of vibrant hues, each colour holding significance and revealing insights into an individual's thoughts and emotions. By the age of six, Ada was already aware of her ability to see auras. With focused intent, Ada could single out a person's aura, avoiding the overwhelming sight of a multitude of neon bulbs.

It first happened in the form of a golden halo around her beaming brother Auden, who had just received his first bow and arrow set from their dad. Although it was a play set with dull sticks for arrows and a loose string, the tiny fella was thrilled to be included in his big sister's training sessions.

Ada was an early bloomer, unlike many great mages Crepusculum had birthed. Although Ada was quite young to manipulate her abilities, the elders of Crepusculum were delighted to see their heir bloom early.

Her grandmother, the Head Magess at the time, became her mentor, guiding her through the process of understanding and interpreting these colourful energy fields.

As time passed, the practice of reading auras grew wearisome for Ada. She hadn't delved into the energies that surrounded others in a while, choosing to keep her focus inward. The encounter with the man devoid of aura rattled her to the core.

He defied everything she had known about auras and their connection to life and vitality. How could someone exist without this vibrant essence, especially if they appeared alive and unaffected by impending death? She could not think of an answer.

It wasn't in her plans to peer into his. In fact, it wasn't in her plans to meet him this evening at all—an evening that could have been fine without that stranger and the night walker both.

Her lungs burned with each gasping breath, the exertion of the impromptu sprint taking its toll on her body. Finally upon reaching the familiar doorsteps of her apartment, her trembling hands fumbled with the Keys , struggling to find the right one amidst the panic that gripped her. The door seemed to taunt her, prolonging her agony as seconds stretched into forever.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, the lock clicked open, and Ada stumbled inside, collapsing against the door in sheer exhaustion.

It wasn't the fear of ghosts, beasts, or others from the Dark Side that gripped her. The true fear had already materialised within her life, leaving her with nothing more to lose. Left dumbfounded and shaken by the impromptu run, Ada sat slumped against the door for a good thirty minutes, her pulse gradually returning to normal.

The unsettling encounter had left her feeling vulnerable and exposed. She had believed that the past she left behind would dissipate once she arrived here, only to discover that the malevolent tendrils were stealthily creeping toward her, defying the barriers of distance and the passage of time. Maybe she should have gone far from that place. The thing was she could not have made up her mind.

Sighing she willed herself to calm down. Gathering herself from the cool tile floor, Ada was trying to regain her footing when a sudden crash echoed from the back of her kitchen. Any form of relief she was longing for was cut out even before it could reach her.

Frozen in place, she hesitated, her mind racing with thoughts of what could be lurking in her home at this hour.

"What the–what's it now?" she muttered under her breath, her heart pounding in her chest like a wild beast trying to escape its cage.

She lived alone, without any pets to blame for the noise. And her humble abode was a rat free zone for good. Could it be possible that whatever she encountered earlier had followed her here? The idea sent shivers down her spine.

She armed herself with a decently weighing flower pot which she managed to snatch from the coffee table nearby. Taking a deep breath, she mustered some well needed courage, and cautiously made her way towards the kitchen. Hugging the cool ceramic weapon she had just acquired tightly to her chest, ready to strike if necessary, she stepped down the dark hallway to the kitchen and flickered the kitchen lights on.