Hellwalkers

The Truth

Again, I apologize for taking so long to update. Don't worry. Like I said before, I intend to finish this story, especially on my brand-new MacBook Air! 

—*HB*—

When Octavia opened her eyes again, she found herself in a small prairie. Lamien's walls were nowhere to be seen; instead, she recognized the crystal and ice walls of Uncle Andrealphus's vacation palace in Wrath, a few hours away from the Hellevator. Still, it was located near a forested area next to a lake. Its icy blue palette and architecture sharply contrast Wrath's palette of oranges and reds. 

Childish laughter drove her attention to a nearby camp of tents, each of a different color representing a different branch of the Goetia family. Guards were posted at specific points around the camp, constantly looking for potential threats. Moving through the camp as an unseen specter, Octavia looked for her younger self. Most of them were clad in their hunting regalia, a few showing off their hunt of the day. 

It didn't take her long to find little Octavia—her six-year-old self—playing with the other Goetia children a bit away from the camp, oblivious or uncaring about their parents' hunting games. Then, the red ball they were throwing up in the air was launched too high and passed over Octavia's hands into the forest.

"You were supposed to catch it, Via!" 

"You're the one who threw it too high!" Little Octavia retorted.

"We should tell one of the guards to go fetch it. There are lots of hellbeasts in the forest!" 

"Big deal, my daddy can buy us a new one."

Little Octavia didn't accompany the rest of her friends back to camp. Instead, she searched the forest for the lost ball, prompting Octavia to follow her younger self deeper into the woods. 

The more she watched, the more the void in her memory space began to fill. She'd accompanied her parents to the annual hunting tournament hosted by Uncle Andrealphus in Wrath. The ball they were playing with was accidentally thrown into the forest, and she'd gone to retrieve it. She looked in the woods for hours, and then—

SNAP!

Little Octavia and Octavia herself jumped at the sound of a branch snapping from the bush to the right, briefly catching a glimpse of glowing gold, ringed eyes. Her younger self ran down the trail with the creature in hot pursuit. Eventually, they reached a clearing with an opening in the trees' foliage, bathing the scenery in comforting moonlight. She saw her red ball was in the middle of a patch of grass.

Little Octava ran to pick up her toy, but then it dawned on her: she had no idea where she was.

A warm, gold glow caught Octavia's eye: her 'spirit guide' coming out of the bushes. It didn't pay her any heed, instead moving toward Little Octavia. The closer it got, the more the glow dissipated, revealing a pale hellbeast with dark hair strands and black horns instead of a mane. Little Octavia stepped back but tripped and fell on her back with a rock as it moved closer.

"P-Please don't eat me...!" her younger self stuttered in a whisper.

Little Octavia stood there, frozen in fear, as the creature bent down its neck to take a sniff... then it quietly moved past her and towards the bushes. It stopped and looked back at her, motioning to follow. 

Octavia and Little Octavia followed suit. The hellbeast would make brief stops and look back to ensure she was still following. Not long after, Octavia heard voices calling out her name. She recognized Dad, Uncle Andre, and some guards' voices. Up ahead, she spotted the lights of torches and flashlights through the foliage.