He Stoll My Heart - Connor Stoll.

Ch. 16: Light and Blood.

(Trigger warning: mention of blood)

"This place is so dark," Katie mumbled, holding her celestial bronze dagger in front of her and squinting to see anything through the faint bronze light.

Rose didn't answer, observing the rainbow trail in the darkness of her camera.

They'd found out that her green sword didn't radiate any kind of light, which didn't help their situation much.

"They put torches literally everywhere but the place we need to go," Katie continued.

"It helps keep the passage hidden, and they don't really need light when they already have their fire hair," said Rose, turning to the left, Katie beside her.

Katie huffed. "Okay, Miss Logical," she said. "Anyway, I can't believe—"

"That we're about to rescue an important goddess?" Rose said.

In the faint bronze light, Rose saw Katie knit her eyebrows together.

"Uh, no, what Travis said... well, you were there," she said.

Rose huffed. "You really couldn't say it first? Now I'm forced to go on a date with an idiot."

"An idiot you like!"

"I don't like him."

"Yes, you do!"

"Don't."

"Do too!"

"I get it, stop now," Rose laughed.

Katie shrugged with a soft laugh. "But you do!"

"Okay, okay, maybe just a little bit," Rose said softly, "but it will never amount to anything!"

Katie raised an amused eyebrow in the darkness. "At least you admit it!"

They kept walking down the dark tunnel.

You may find it funny that two girls, who were sneaking around a vampire lair, were laughing and talking about boys, but with the upcoming challenges, talking and laughing like normal high-schoolers felt very comforting. Well, as comforting as it can be in the almost complete darkness.

They stayed silent for a little moment, with the only sound being their breathing and their echoing footsteps on the smooth, dark stone.

"Do you think they got away?" Katie finally said quietly, breaking the silence that had settled in the tunnel.

Rose's eyes dropped to her camera, where the rainbow trail shined brightly.

"I... hope so. I'm certain they can," she said.

She wouldn't say it, but her mind kept replaying the last verses of the prophecy.

As two sons of the wing-footed god,
Protect them with their own true blood.
But be warned, for with too many tears,
You may not return among your peers.

May. May is an uncertain word. It doesn't dictate the future. Right?

"So, so dark!" Katie mumbled, squinting. She could barely see her own hand in the darkness.

Just as she spoke, a single word appeared in Rose's mind.

"Lux..." she whispered unconsciously.

The moment the word left her lips, a bright light filled the corridor, blinding the two girls.

Katie yelped and jumped back, hitting her back against the wall.

Eyes wide, Rose pulled her sword from her belt.