-Julie-
I was alone in the library for I couldn't tell you how long. I didn't particularly know what to do, so I continued reading, after wandering around the castle for a bit. I was hoping to find those extra diaries, but no luck.
I didn't get to reading much because once I got settled in, I heard someone call my name. Vincent. It had to be him. I jumped up, throwing my book shut. I ran towards the voice, calling back. "Vincent!" I yelled.
"Julie!" It was closer this time. I rounded a corner and sprinted down the corridor. It felt endless, with worn tapestries and armor racks.
"Vincent!" I called again, hoping I didn't just imagine him calling me. That would be embarrassing.
I felt a hand grab me and I spun around. I had almost ran right past him. He was out of breath, sweating, and covered in blood. The blood drained from my face. "What happened to you?" I asked, starting to check him for wounds.
He swatted my hands away, but then pulled me into his arms. He buried his face in my hair and hugged me tightly to his chest. "Julie, I killed Analael," he said in a shaky, quiet voice, like he didn't even want to hear it himself. "She told me to rip out her eyes like . . ." he choked out, not finishing his sentence.
I felt uneasy, unsure of what he was saying, then the Powers in my own head showed me something. They can only show me concepts if I'm not totally unconscious. The only way to get out was for this world or our world to end. It was this world's time to go. I understood. I wanted to cry for Vincent, with him, but I would be strong right now.
Sobs racked his body and he shook from the effort of standing. We both sank to the ground and held each other. I didn't know how long we sat there before Vincent calmed down and was able to say something to me. He only pulled away a little bit to pull something out of his pocket. They were the bright blue pair of eyes that held this realm's Powers.
"I can't yet, though," he mumbled, closing his fingers around them. I looked up into his eyes. They were red from crying, but they held a very serious look in them. "I l-"
An explosion sounded in the distance. We both snapped our attention to the large window next to us, seeing the red and black mushroom cloud grow. Then the ground beneath us started to shake and crumble.
I turned back to him and took the eyes from him. "There isn't any time, Vincent, tell me back home," I yelled over the rumbling of the floor collapsing around us. He pulled me close to him and used his body as a shield so no stones from the ceiling would fall on me.
Er, now that I held them, I wasn't sure what to do with them. I opened my palm and just looked at them for a few seconds. Then they both turned their pupils to me. I gasped in surprise. Pain flared in my head, but I didn't look away. Not even when Vincent yelled in pain. The ceiling was caving in on us and he was shielding me.
"Come on!" I hissed.
Then the eyes melted into my skin, depositing blue light across my skin and up my arms. My vision was momentarily blinded by a blue light, but then it was over. My head hurt only slightly, but I could tell that it was just the two Powers merging into one cohesive unit in my head. I turned my eyes to Vincent and grabbed onto him.
"Julie! Your eyes!" he exclaimed.
"What?"
"The color changed."
I only had a moment to consider this before the Eyes burst with a cyan light. The surroundings whisked away and replaced by an endless ether. It reminded me of the first time I looked into his void chest. It was black, but there were little dots of light in the distance that twinkled and danced. Vincent looked like he was going to be sick though. Just as I was sure he was going to puke, we were suddenly back on earth, right where we had left. In the front yard of our little farm house.
