When Darkness Falls

Chapter 48: Where I belong

My gaze flickered between Nyx and the river, questioning whether or not I would make it without her help. I knew nothing of this place or the things hidden within the darkest corners of the forest, and if I were to go on my own, the safest path would be through the woods.

I swallowed my pride, and my shoulders slumped with defeat. "Ok, I'll stay," I told Nyx, my voice small and hesitation clinging to each word.

She gave me a comforting smile and her vivid eyes beamed with satisfaction. "I promise you won't regret your time here," Nyx told me with assurance, and I nodded in agreement with her, my lips forming into a thin line.

Nyx turned away from the river and bent her arm out, gesturing for me to link with her. I placed my arm in hers, and Nyx led me back toward the small medieval-looking village. "Welcome to the underworld, where supernatural creatures of all kinds come for their eternal rest." She told me, and I glanced around at all the different structures and curious faces that walked the grounds.

The buildings were crooked and dull in colour, aside from the few homes decorated with bright purple flowers. In the distance, I could see a large field that was home to a variety of fruits and vegetables, with numerous people working together to gather the produce. Upon first glance, one would think this was an ordinary place, but as you look deeper behind the mask, you realize it's anything but ordinary.

I started to wonder why only supernatural creatures were residing here as I always believed that there was nothing after death, and even if there was, I thought everyone went to the same place.

My brows furrowed slightly. "Why just supernaturals? And why here?" I questioned her, and she chuckled at me.

Nyx looked around with admiration in her eyes. "Because I am the mother of darkness, and all supernatural creatures have a little piece of me burned into their soul, marking them as mine in death." She told me, an odd twinkle in her eyes, and I reared back at her haunting words. "And this realm has the strongest ties to magic and all of its creations," Nyx told me, and I pursed my lips with understanding.

The sound of thunder boomed in the air, and the ground beneath my feet shook violently. I whipped my head to Nyx, and she was looking up with a bright smile. "Hello, Balor." She said in a cheerful greeting tone, and I followed her gaze, looking up toward the grey skies.

My mouth fell open, and my breath hitched as my eyes landed on a massive giant. The man had to be 20 feet tall, with one large eye in the centre of his forehead that was closed tight and crooked teeth resting on the edge of his bottom lip. The giant's clothes were dirty and torn, barely covering his body. His hair and beard were as bright as the sun, masking his dark features with a glowing brightness.

The giant came to a stop in front of us and grunted. "Mother." He said in a deep overbearing voice, and I sunk into myself a little as my spine stiffened with fear.

I looked at Nyx, flabbergasted and horrified; she turned her attention back to me, giving me a comforting look. "Ramona, this is Balor and Balor, this is Ramona." She introduced us, and I blinked rapidly before turning my attention back to the towering giant.

I swallowed thickly, my hand trembling at my side from the sight of such a creature. "Hello, Balor." I choked out, and he remained like a statue for a beat.

Balor's chin was tilted downward, and it felt like he was staring into my soul, even though his eye was closed. He nodded shortly, then huffed, seeming to give zero shits about my presence, and I nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he turned away from us.

He continued going about his business, shaking the ground with each heavy step he took. I turned to Nyx with a look of astonishment on my face, and she chuckled. "Balor was once the leader of the Formorians, a group of malevolent beings, and he was truly feared by all, especially when he opened the eye of destruction." She said, pointing to the middle of her forehead, exactly where Balor's closed eye was. "But if I'm being honest with you, Balor is nothing but a big baby." She said in a joking manner, and I snorted at the idea of such a terrifying creature being anything but.

Suddenly, I noticed another giant making its way toward Nyx and me. This man was dressed more formally compared to Balor and walked with sheer confidence. He wore a golden suit of armour and had a dragon's tongue clipped to the side of his belt. His white curly hair bounced with each step, and his rosy cheeks brightened his scary demeanour.

The giant approached us; his eyes focused on Nyx as he bowed his head in greeting. "Mother." The man said in a kind voice.

Nyx gave the giant a curt nod. "Haymon." She said shortly, her tone different than when she spoke with Balor.

Haymon's eyes met mine, and I stilled under his gaze, finding his presence a little more tolerable but his stature still made me weary. "And who is this?" He asked Nyx, and she turned to look at me.

She gestured toward me with a wave of her hand. "This is Ramona, and she will be staying with us for a while," Nyx told him, and his face lit up with excitement.

He clasped his hands together, the sound echoing off the trees, and a brisk wind brushed past my hair. "How lovely. I look forward to getting to know such a beautiful creature." Haymon said in a flirty tone, and my brows shot up.

Nyx waved him off and grasped onto my arm tighter. "That's enough, Haymon. I don't need you scaring her off before she has even had the chance to settle in." She said, and Haymon's face turned serious.

He gave her a curt nod. "Of course," Haymon said respectfully, then continued following behind Balor.

Nyx turned to look at me. "Haymon means well, but he can be a bit much at times." She told me, and I nodded my head in understanding. "Come now, Ramona; I have many others I want you to meet before tonight." She told me, and I furrowed my brows.

I cleared my throat. "Why, what's tonight?" I asked her with curiosity, and she turned to look at me with a devious smirk stretching across her face.

Her eyes glistened under the light. "Tonight, we celebrate your rebirth," Nyx told me, and I had no idea what she meant by that or what was in store for me.

Everyone Nyx had introduced me to was nothing but welcoming and made me feel like I belonged here. They greeted me with kindness and opened their homes to me as if I weren't a stranger. They didn't judge or befriend me based on my supernatural abilities; they accepted me for who I am as I am, something only one other person in my life has ever done. There was no violence or rivalries here; everyone was accepted for who they are and treated as equals.

Sometime later, Nyx led me to a massive firepit, burrowed into the ground and overflowing with dead wood. I stood in the centre, watching with interest as the others gathered around the roaring fire, chatting amongst themselves.

Nyx stood before the crowd and raised her arms in the air, silencing the chatter. "Tonight, we celebrate the rebirth of our sister, Ramona." She announced, pointing in my direction and my eyes widened when all everyone turned to look at me.

Everyone began cheering, and music filled the air around me as the celebrations began. We danced around the fire for hours and ate some of the weirdest food I had ever seen, but I couldn't deny that I didn't enjoy it. I laughed so much that my cheeks started to burn, and I revelled in the feeling, never wanting this to end.

Suddenly, everyone stilled, and I turned to see Nyx holding her staff in the air. She held out a hand and waved for me to approach her. "Join me, Ramona," Nyx said in a soothing voice, and I felt my body unwillingly move toward her as if being drawn.

Everyone watched in silence as I walked toward Nyx, and my heart thumped in my chest when I stopped mere inches before her. "Tonight, you will walk through the fires of death as a human and when you emerge, you will be reborn as your true self." She said in a booming voice, and I froze with fear.

My brows shot up, and I looked at her incredulously. The seriousness on her face didn't falter, and my stomach churned. I shook my head in denial, and she leaned closer to me. "Trust me," Nyx said, and I looked into her eyes with a pleading look.

She gave me a reassuring smile, and I turned my gaze back to the fire, my eyes following along with the dancing flames. I sucked in a deep breath as my chest tightened with apprehension, and my heart skipped a beat. Again, I turned my gaze to the fire and took a deep breath before stepping into the flames.

The embers burned the bottom of my feet, and the fire consumed me, the scorching heat wrapping around my body like a blanket. Then, suddenly, I felt nothing, no pain, no burning, only a calming surge of electricity coursing through my veins, and I looked up to the sky as I felt the powers clinging to every fibre of my being, sparking to life beneath my skin like lightning.