The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 22

Reality peeled away. All that was, drained into a spec of light. As far from the warmth of the aether as one can imagine, and as vast and deep as the night's sky. This realm was beyond pleasure and pain. Beyond happiness and sorrow. A timeless, numb existence. The Abysmal Plane, a place into which Ahna sank.

She found herself sitting in this abstract darkness, staring at her hands. They were as empty as the world around her. Far in the distance she could hear some familiar panicked voices calling to her, it was all so confusing. The cacophony faded with the light leaving only one last sound – that of a heartbeat. It beat as though counting the passing of time, it slowed until it seemed to cease. Was this death?

She closed her empty hands. Not even by digging her nails into her palms could she feel a thing. Bereft of energy, she struggled to lift her head higher than an inch. In doing so all she saw was that spec of light, her world, vanish. All was dark, all was quiet, she was alone.

"Ahna," Came a meek whisper in her ear, as if from someone on her shoulder.

Ahna flinched from it, pained by the noise.

"Don't give up." It begged.

It was almost offensive. It hurt her to hear that voice. She was alone. That was it.

"I know it hurts," said the voice, "I'm sorry." A sudden and sharp pang of pain sparked from her chest, right from the heart. It rushed through her body, tip to toe. A few tears eked free from her eyes.

"I know it's not nice," it whispered, "But don't stop feeling, not yet!"

That voice meant too much to her. Another pulse of pain pierced through. Its strike brought back the beating of her heart; momentarily. She whimpered, quickly silencing herself with her own pride.

"Don't stay here." the voice implored, "It hurts. But you must come back."

Ahna was left to ruminate. Was all this time spent waiting for him a complete waste? Was it all for nothing? Was there anything to any of this? Or was it all just – this, she stared into her empty hands, over the never-ending void. Another wave of grief approached, but it did nothing. There were no more whispers, no more voices, no more beating of the heart. It was all empty and quiet, and the pain did nothing anymore. It almost felt comfortable, unable to feel pain and abandon – just at the cost of everything else.

After a timeless moment, this odd eternity was punctuated by a curious "Hello?"

Ahna looked up, having just enough energy to move her eyes and peek in hope. A glimmer of light illuminated a young lady, barely older than Syble. Dappled in freckles with a tussle of red hair, she stood out like a candle in the dark. She was plainly dressed, humble in nature and bore a friendly smile. She was the only other thing in this existence and was persistent enough to make her way to Ahna.

"Oh my. You look dreadful." She said, kneeling beside Ahna, "What happened?"

It took some time, an emotional aeon until Ahna eventually confessed, "He's gone."

"Oh," she said, almost knowingly, "I'm sorry."

"Grief is an awful, awful thing." Ahna had nothing to add, she simply melted further into the darkness, "Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?" Ahna did not respond, and so she sat in the darkness beside Ahna, "People make a place after all, and well, with you here this is now technically a place." She chuckled, with no response.

Ahna found the energy to lift her head an inch, she glanced into the distant darkness "Where are we?"

"I can't lie. I don't really know," confessed the lady, "Sorry, I know that's not helpful."