Darkness in the Shadows

CHAPTER 38

Alana waited patiently for Lares to return, determined not to move until she knew he was safe. Eventually, she heard footsteps in the distance and looked around the corner into the darkness.

"It should be okay now. Give it a try," Lares said, his voice out of breath.

Alana stepped into the tunnel and felt no change. She closed her eyes and sensed the presence of the darkness around her. She smiled at Lares. "How did you do that?" she asked.

Lares smiled back. "The symbols form a spell when they're linked. I just scratched off the link," he said, holding up a knife.

"Thank you," Alana said, smiling gratefully.

"You going to tell me what your power is?" Lares asked, curiosity in his eyes. Alana looked at him, puzzled. She had assumed he already knew, given his gift of knowledge.

"I thought you knew?" she replied, her tone questioning.

Lares shook his head. "I can absorb information and seek it out with little to no failure. I always know where to go. But I don't know everything without first obtaining the information. And your information has always been hard to get," he said, a smug grin on his face.

Alana smiled. "I don't want to scare you," she said as she walked down through the tunnel.

Lares raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I doubt anything about you could scare me now."

She glanced back at him, her smile fading into a look of determination. "In my world, I believed I was controlling the shadows. But here, it seems I've been controlling—"

"The Darkness," Lares finished her sentence. Alana nodded in reply.

"It's taken control once. I've been keeping a hold of the memory of my world to avoid it happening again," Alana said softly, feeling ashamed that she had let it take control. Lares nodded.

"Yes, it would want you to forget who you were," Lares said knowingly. Alana looked at him in confusion.

"Here, the darkness is strong. It is feared. In your world, it could be something completely different, perhaps merely a shadow you can control. For it to thrive here through someone, it would need you to stay here," Lares explained.

"So, the creatures who left here and went to my world might not be the same as they were here?" Alana questioned. Lares nodded.

"Everything is influenced by its environment. Juna and Lacet hold a lot of the required energy. The Prignat has definitely helped extend the lives of many. We only have that thanks to Juna and Lacet," Lares spoke as he gestured to the sky as though it was visible through the marble tunnel.

Alana pondered his words, understanding the complexity of the forces at play. "So, controlling the darkness here might be different from controlling it in my world," she mused.

"Exactly. The essence of powers can change depending on where they are," Lares confirmed. "But that also means you have a unique ability to bridge the gap between the two worlds."

Alana nodded thoughtfully. "I just hope I can use that ability to find a way home and help those I left behind."

"You will," Lares said with quiet conviction. "You've already proven your strength and resilience. Whatever challenges lie ahead, I believe you can overcome them."

Alana smiled at his words. As she spoke, things began to make sense. Jai appeared in her mind. "So the werewolves here are always wolves," Alana said, piecing together the differences. Lares nodded as though it was obivious. Alana smiled at him.

"The werewolves in my world only become wolves on the full moon and are normal during the days and other nights." Lares seemed surprised. "Nights?" Lares questioned Alana laughed. As they walked through the tunnel, Alana explained to Lares the differences between her world and this one.