The Mirrored Souls

28.

Moribund starts to crumble as its owner no longer lives having all the creatures of the night, including vampires, to leave and go into hiding like the olden times. Darce's body is drained of all color leaving a vessel of who he was for the time he stayed secluded in this dark hole he made home. The sign flickers off, the walls peel and everything else ages like fruit that has been sitting out in the sun for too long. Not being able to stop it while also grieving over his brother, Neriah takes Darce's body and the key Oriana handed him. Finding the doors him and his brother once fought side by side inside each of them, he tries the key in the first door but it doesn't open. He moves to the second one and when it unlocks the lock inside he takes hold of his brother, getting him past the door.

Auras in floating cloaks swirl above both brothers then letting this huge spark of light rain over them.

Darce's body gets taken, being shipped somewhere Neriah couldn't go.

"Your brother is of demon and vampire blood," The floating cloaks say.

Neriah, baffled by the place, the talking cloaks and rain of lights, has him  stutter as he says, "Y-Yes but what does that have to do with–all of this?" The cloaks surround him, taking in his angelic energy. "As he is your Yang to your Yin, you are the same with Oriana. That is why her mother chose you. You are a very special being Neriah." Twirling now, they chuckled in amusement. "It was you or your brother, sadly your brother died in the crossfire of blissful ignorance." Neriah squints his eyes in confusion, burrowing his eyebrows at the same time. "Can you explain more," Feeling the air shift constantly, they float still looking down at Neriah, "It's better to give you the gift of sight," They all come rushing towards him but vanish before actually touching him.

****

Oriana walks past the negative mirrored souls as they all try to nibble on her energy, reaching her mother who is levitating in an invisible forcefield, guarding her from anything that might consume her power. "Alright mom, here goes nothing." Touching the forcefield, it brings Aella down into Oriana's arms and has her mother awaken. "Na..." She coughs out touching Oriana's face. "Yeah mom it's me," Smiling Aella hugs her daughter tightly. "I'm so proud of you...you did it." Crying tears of joy, both women make their way out to be met with their garden. Aella looked around happily seeing that her rose bush was blooming naturally. "Where is Neriah?" Aella asks, taking a rose holding it up to her nose to smell its light fragrance. Oriana has her mother sit on the stone bench, holding her mother's hands in hers. "He had to find some answers concerning his brother and him." Aella raises her eyebrows, "Brother? He finally made up with him?" Oriana sighs low, "They did and then something came up." Aella confused looks to her daughter wanting a better explanation seeing that it was very vague.

"What happened?"

Oriana goes on to tell her mother what she's missed leading up to Darce's death.

"So it's just us?" Aella asks, watching her daughter stand going into the house.

"Yes, mom."

Aella stands a little bit after going behind Oriana and fixing her hair that's out of place, then moves in front of Oriana,"Perfect..." Aella wraps her hands around Oriana's neck making her look into her eyes as it flashes with panic as she tightens her grip like a noose. "M-M-M-" Oriana struggles to get the word out while trying to remove her mother's hands off her. "Oh sweetheart...it's all love." Getting ready to snap Oriana's neck, a familiar presence drifts in attaching itself to Aella. Pulling them apart, Oriana coughs getting air back into her lungs, alarmed her mother would even do such a thing.

"W-why?"

Aella fights with the presence that's protecting Oriana, unable to say anything.

"What are you!" Aella screams out.

The presence reaches Oriana's mind saying, "That isn't your mother," then keeps attacking Aella with shoves and finally the entity that's occupying Aella's body starts to show itself. "I am your mother!" Aella yells out but Oriana steps back knowing no one could hear her thoughts unless it was something malicious. Touching the wall as she gets ready to bolt out of there, Aella lunges at her breaking free from whatever was holding her back from getting to Oriana. "Don't run from me!" Aella tries to snatch Oriana's neck again until she locks herself in her bedroom. Banging continuously happens as Aella uses her hands, feet and head to have Oriana open the door. "Who are you! Where's my mother!" Oriana cries out. The banging stops, everything is silent, too silent. Oriana goes to press her ear against the door to hear where Aella has gone but only hears glass and draws opening then breaking.

"Your power Oriana, use it."

Shaking her head she answers back, "No! She's still my mom even if something is in her!"

"If you don't do something you both will be dead."

Banging on the door makes Oriana fly to the side but she quickly presses her back towards it, stopping it from opening.

"It's now or never Oriana."

Gulping, Oriana moves, letting the door swing open with her mom covered in her own blood from using her fists and head to try and break in.

"Sweetheart," Aella's voice distorted, reaches for Oriana's hands until Oriana closes her eyes reciting a incantation while touching her mother's bloody forehead.

"What do you think you are? A priest." Aella asks with a deep voice snarling, having her breath like the creature Oriana had encountered.

"A Soothsayer," Oriana dominantly says now making eye contact.

Aella snarls more, releasing the black ooze that Oriana saw on the walls in the creatures home.

"It's you isn't it?" Oriana asks, still touching her mother's temple.

The creature now sheds Aella's skin taking it's true form smiling wide looking at Oriana.

"I don't like my guests leaving without a proper goodbye."

"Where's my MOTHER!"

The creature zips its lips lunging at Oriana again until she actually traps both of them in a realm she just created with her mind.

"If you won't answer then you'll wish you have."

Making the room fill with its black ooze, Oriana stands unaffected glaring at the beast in front of her.