Kill the Light

20 - The Third Death

I stood paralyzed, the cold grip of terror tightening around my chest. As my mind was racing with the realization of the danger lurking just beyond the shadows, a sudden pressure against my lips jolted me back to reality. It was a hand, large and firm, clamping down to stifle any scream that threatened to escape.

My heart hammered like a drum, each beat echoing in my ears. I turned to see who had intervened, expecting to find a masked stranger or a guard rushing to my aid. But instead, I was met with the familiar face of Sir Gabriel, my history professor, his eyes wide with urgency and concern.

"Shh," he whispered urgently, his voice barely a breath against the tumultuous silence of the night. "Stay quiet. We must move. There's no time to explain."

His words sent a shiver down my spine as I realized the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, I allowed him to lead me behind a nearby bush, my senses on high alert as I strained to catch any sign of movement in the darkness.

As we crouched together in the shadows, the adrenaline coursing through my veins seemed to heighten my senses, every rustle of leaves and creak of branches echoing in my ears like a symphony of dread. I cast a nervous glance over my shoulder, half expecting to see the menacing figure of the killer lurking just beyond reach.

But to my immense relief, there was no sign of the assailant, no looming shadow waiting to pounce from the darkness. It seemed that Sir Gabriel's timely intervention had spared us from a fate worse than death, at least for the moment.

The courtyard was cloaked in darkness, with only the faint glow of distant lanterns casting eerie shadows on the stone walls.

As I caught my breath, my mind raced with questions, each one more urgent than the last. Why had Sir Gabriel been lurking in the shadows? What did he know about the killer's identity? And most importantly, could he be trusted?

Before I could voice my concerns, Sir Gabriel's voice broke through the silence, his tone hushed yet urgent as he addressed me.

"Clytie," he began, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency, "we need to stay hidden until we're certain the coast is clear. I'll explain everything later, but for now, we need to focus on staying safe."

His words offered little comfort, for I knew that danger still lurked just beyond the safety of our hiding place. But I nodded in silent agreement, steeling myself for whatever challenges lay ahead.

As we remained hidden behind the bush, Sir Gabriel's gaze darted around the courtyard, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. With each passing moment of silence, the tension in the air seemed to thicken, suffocating us in its oppressive grasp.

Finally, Sir Gabriel let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging slightly as he turned back to me, his expression grave yet determined.

"The killer is nowhere to be seen," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're safe now."

His words were meant to reassure me, to offer a glimmer of hope in the face of overwhelming danger. But as his hand brushed against my shoulder in a gesture of comfort, I was once again engulfed in a vision from Princess Elise's past life.

In that moment, the world around me was dissolving into a scene from a distant past. The scent of burning wood filled my nostrils, and the cries of a battlefield echoed in my ears. 

Sir Gabriel's face blurred and shifted, morphing into the image of a man from a bygone era. His features were hauntingly familiar, his eyes filled with a sorrow that seemed to pierce through the veil of time. Along with the vision, Princess Elise was standing before me, her eyes wide with fear.