❇ 𝔗𝔦𝔩𝔩 ℑ𝔱 𝔈𝔫𝔡𝔰 ❇

Chapter 9 - Artemis

This was set when she had walked out of the door after the argument.

Artemis POV:

My emotions were all over the place and I had to clear my mind. There was tears pooling in my eyes and I rubbed them away. I was walking away from the cabin and into a small clearing which I hadn't noticed before. This was a chance to find a piece of the Prophecy and I wasn't going to pass up on it.

I had my hands in my pockets and I was shivering slightly because of the cold. I was only wearing a thin shirt and that didn't help keep me warm. Thoughts of Mallory and the argument threatened to come back and I pushed them to the back of my mind. I had to stay focused on the task in hand. Even if that meant running away from my own emotions.

I probably wasn't going to run into any monsters because it was still early in the day. I didn't have anything to check the time (I left my phone at home) but I had woken up early and I'm sure much time hadn't passed.

The small clearing had led into a denser forest filled with dark towering trees. They got taller as I kept walking and I wrapped my arms around myself. The air was colder here and I was getting goosebumps. I knew I was probably walking around aimlessly but I couldn't bear to go back after I screwed everything up. I just wanted to waste as much as possible so that when I went back, things might have cleared up.

Twigs snapped under my shoes and occasionally bridges groaned with my weight. I didn't know where I was going but I had a feeling it was the right way. I
trudged foward, not daring to look back.

Maybe that was a mistake.

All of a sudden, the sky around me got darker and the air became chiller and it was like I was swallowed inside the clearing. There was a large oak door in front of me and I pushed it open, praying for good luck.

I gasped out loud when I saw what was inside. A piece of the Prophecy was in a glass case and it was only a few steps away from me. Before I reached for it, I stepped back to get a clearer view of the vast room. The shelves were filled with ancient gold treasure and I couldn't belive what my eyes saw.

This was the acursed treasury...

The words chilled me to my bones and cold sweat washed over me.

I was probably standing in the same place as those adventurers when they unleashed that unforgiving curse.

That thought didn't bring much comfort at all and I shivered again.

I was still in awe looking at the glass cabinets reaching from the ceiling to the floor, filled with ancient treasure. I now understood what they must have felt like looking at this ethereal like place. It was like standing in a royal palace or something as important as that. For some reason, my hand was lingering dangerously close to a piece of the treasure and I quickly pulled it back. It was like I had been in some sort of trance.

Maybe the treasure was enchanted to make you feel like that. It wasn't uncommon anyways; many people would curse their jewellery or other valuables so that others would get hurt or feel a certain way. But this was strong magic. I could sense it. I mean I had grown up with my mother, the most famous sorceress so I was used to these things. My heart felt a pang of sadness and I closed my eyes.

I tried to imagine all the happy events in my life leading upto now. But they wouldn't come. No matter how hard I tried to conjure them, they slipped away further each time. Like a rubber was slowly erasing all my good memories until there was nothing left.

I felt like screaming until I couldn't anymore. I felt like punching the glass so much I couldn't anymore. I felt like hurting myself so much I couldn't anymore.

Why?

I don't know what I was asking and what I was expecting in return. I just wanted someone to be for me. Someone who could tell me what to do next.

The oak door swung open and about 6 creatures limped in, armed with guns. How the hell had they found me?

My hand instinctively reached for the guns on my belt before I realised I didn't bring them. I cursed my former self loudly before backing into a brick wall. They shot multiple times and I managed to dodge them all but scarcely as one narrowly whizzed past my ear.

I may have been unarmed but I had spent countless years on my fighting skills and they had not gone to waste. Soon, 5 of them were on the ground, unmoving and somehow their guns had disappeared. It was strange but I didn't question it as the last one closed in on me. It's weapon was broken so I did have the upper hand but it's claws represented sharp knives so I wasn't sure.

It produced a dagger out of it's pocket and my movements stilled. Great. This is just what I needed.

We carried on battling each other. Me throwing punches and kicks whenever I could and the creature trying to constantly stab me. It got in a harsh kick because I was trying to dodge the dagger and I fell backward harshly. My head took full impact of the fall against the brick wall and I could feel blood pouring down the back.

As I was recovering from the fall, the creature crawled towards me and managed to stab the knife into my stomach. I groaned in pain and kicked it away, managing to finally knock it unconscious.

My head was spinning and my eyes were becoming heavier with each blink. I had to get the piece of the Prophecy and I tried to push myself up with my hands. I was unsteady on my feet and I stumbled before catching myself.

My ankle was twisted and I limped towards the glass case. I kicked it with my foot and it fell to the floor, breaking into thousands of tiny shards. Carefully, I picked the piece up and pocketed it before cursing as my head throbbed with the sudden movement.

I had to get to Mallory.

At some point after trekking through the endless forest, I found her and my pieces of the Prophecy glowed brightly. I was about to call her name before I noticed a creature looking at her from a distance. It was about to shoot and so I tackled her to the ground and rolled into the bush. I couldn't cover her mouth to stop her shouting so I covered her eyes instead, trying to let her know it was me.

She stopped struggling and rolled us over, accidentally pushing the knife further inside me. A loud gasp escaped her as she raked her eyes over my broken state.

The rest of what happened was a blur and I only rembered passing out before I could stand up.