Redemption Run

Chapter 22

When I opened my eyes again, I was exactly where I expected to be; the middle of Redemption's camp. What I didn't expect was that the whole camp was razed to the ground, with smoke from fires still clearing out. My stomach dropped and I couldn't swallow for a second before I managed to compose myself, especially when I remembered that people were watching back home.

"Riley?! RILEY!"

I turned and was nearly tackled to the ground by none other than Daniel. I managed to get my arm around him, and we stayed like that for a couple of seconds before he let go.

"I... I thought you were dead!" Daniel babbled out, "I heard what happened, to you, to Rhys... what the hell happened?!"

"It's a long story," I said, "But I don't have time to go into it now. We have to get back to the castle, and stop Rhys!"

"What's going on with her?!" Daniel said as I started walking, with him lagging behind, "Why did she suddenly turn evil?"

"She... that thing, isn't Rhys anymore," I said, "It's the Essence Cleanser."

Daniel's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped.

"There's no way," he said after a moment, "That thing... Rhys can't be..."

"Look, it's a long story," I said, "But what matters right now is that we have to get back to that damn castle, and we have to beat the Cleanser before it can destroy the whole damned world! Is there any way we can get there quickly?"

"The horses were all killed in the raid," said Daniel, "But I think I have some endurance potions around here, with those we could sprint all the way to the castle and not lose a breath."

"No, I'm going alone." I said, "Daniel, you need to help as many people here as you can, and get them to safety. We have no idea what to expect when the Cleanser is defeated, and we need to be prepared for it."

Daniel nodded to me, pulled some glass bottles out of his bag, and threw them to me. I downed one without a second thought, the thick awful taste completely ignored, and took in a deep breath.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I was off to the races, sprinting through the burned-out camp and to one of the main paths, keeping the castle in sight as I started sprinting towards it.

Like when I had taken the potion before, I didn't lose a breath, or really even need to take one. I just ran, full speed ahead, straight for that damned building that a small part of me still wished I could just blow it up and be done with it.

The trees, paths, villages, and people passed me in a blur, all getting out of and keeping out of my way, aside from the occasional member of Easton's guards, who didn't stand a chance against Felice and I when we had to stop and deal with them.

Usually when something like this happened, my mind would race to come up with a plan, something that I would try when I made it to my immediate goal. Not this time. My mind was fixated on one thing.

"Rhys." Felice said, saying what I was thinking out loud.

"I don't want to give up on her." I said, "Rhys might still be in there, and if there's any chance I can get to her, pull her back, I have to take it."

"Moor-acu, normally I would one-hundred percent agree with you," said Felice, "But that Cleanser... it's not Rhys. It's the creature I left behind."

"That creature is still your daughter!" I said, "How could you say that about her?"

"You don't know what it was like when I left that thing behind!" said Felice, "All those years ago, when I froze her in one of the cells deep in the dungeon... it wasn't Rhys, it was a broken soulless husk that barely even acknowledged me when I tried to help it!"