When Darkness Falls

Chapter 51: Stay or leave

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. I felt stronger and more confident in myself as Nyx guided me through the transition, teaching me to use my powers properly and to always be the one in control. There was a time or two when the magic had taken hold of me and twisted my insides into something dark and delicious, a feeling that was too enticing to ignore. But Nyx explained that if I lose control, the magic will only consume me in time, and twist me into a shell of the person I once was, so she showed me how to control those urges.

I had gotten to know almost everyone here during my time, and I felt like I was where I had always belonged, feeling more at home here, in the realm of the dead, than on earth.

Today had been unusual, as I had hardly seen Nyx, and she never showed earlier when we were supposed to train, which is very odd for her. So I began to wonder if something was wrong or if I had done something to upset her.

When Nyx didn't show, I went to help the others finish the chores in the garden before joining everyone else by the fire. We were all gathered around the dancing flames, soaking in the heat and conversing peacefully amongst ourselves, when the ground began to rumble.

The air went stale, and any noise was swallowed up by the growing mist rising from the ground. Everyone froze, glancing at each other with confusion, but no one could explain what was happening. Then, suddenly, figures cloaked in darkness rose from the dirt and swooped down upon us.

The mysterious figures attacked mercilessly, taking everyone gathered around the fire and immobilizing them with a single touch. I tried to follow their movements and stop them before they could reach their next victim, but each time, I failed.

Everyone around me was lying lifeless on the ground, powerless and vulnerable. The rage boiled inside at the sight of my friends being harmed, and my ears began to ring with a high pitch.

I closed my eyes and held out my trembling hands. "STOP!" I roared out, then opened my eyes to see that the figures had all frozen mid-air.

I looked down at my hands and remembered everything I had learned these past few months. I stepped forward, my gaze set on the figures lingering above the trees and raised my hands, calling the unknown beings to me.

They stopped mere inches from me, and I dropped my hands quickly toward the ground. The figures whooshed back into the earth and were gone in an instant.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. A moment later, the others woke up, slowly coming out of the trance the beings had put them in. Then, suddenly, Nyx emerged from the darkness, a wicked smile on her face.

Nyx stood on the other side of the fire, her hands resting lazily atop her staff. "Well done, Ramona. Be proud of what you did here tonight, as it was no easy task." She said proudly, and my brows creased together with confusion.

I tilted my head with curiosity. "Wait, you did that?" I asked her incredulously, and she nodded in response.

She rounded the fire and stopped in front of me, a cheeky smile spreading across her features. "A test to see if you believe in yourself and your abilities as much as I do," Nyx told me with a sly tone, and I blinked rapidly at her.

I blew out a sigh of frustration. "What if I had failed," I asked Nyx in a shaky voice, thoughts of my friends lying lifeless going through my mind.

Nyx lifted her chin and tsked at me. "You know, in all this time, I had truly hoped that the one lesson you had taken to heart was to believe in yourself the way I do. Ramona, if we never believe in ourselves, then we can never move forward." So she told me, and I frowned at her words, knowing she was right.

I looked to the ground, pursing my lips. "I know," I told Nyx softly before gazing back into her warm eyes.

Nyx nodded toward the river. "Come for a walk with me." She said in a firm tone, then spun on her heels and gracefully strode toward the river.

She led me along the river's edge, a solemn expression on her face, and I knew something was wrong. We walked in silence for a moment before Nyx came to a stop and turned to face me. "You have come far in your training, and your powers are flourishing to life. With that in mind, I believe you are ready, Ramona, and I am now giving you a choice to stay or leave, but only if you believe in yourself." She told me, and my face fell as I looked into her eyes with disbelief.

I cleared my throat and looked into her eyes. "I don't think I can," I told her truthfully, my voice cracking slightly.

Her chest rose and fell heavily with remorse before turning to glance down the flowing river. "You must, Ramona, for this is your only chance. Because you are not a primordial or a god, you don't have the option to come and go as you, please. Tonight the red moon will grace the earth's skies, and it is your only chance to cross through the portal back to Darius before it closes again for another century." Nyx explained in a grave tone, her once soft features hardening to match the seriousness of her words.

I stared down the river, watching as the current drug the lost souls rapidly down the stream, like a shark dragging its prey down to the briny deep. I didn't know how to make this decision because, deep down, all I wanted was to stay here with the people I had grown so close to, but at the same time, my desire to see Darius again was gnawing away at me.

Nyx turned to look at me and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I know the choice is difficult, but it is one you must make of your own volition, and you need to decide before nightfall if you are going to make it to the portal before midnight," Nyx informed me with a heavy heart, then retracted her hand. "I'll give you some time to think." She told me in a low tone before turning around to leave me by the river with my thoughts.

I watched as Nyx walked into the distance before turning back to the river, staring down the stream with indecision. This was the moment where I had to decide whether I wanted to stay with the people I had grown to know and love or choose to return to Darius, the man that had quite literally stolen my heart.