Fates Intertwined

61. | Dark Soul

They followed in silence for a long while until they approached an area with four large, rock statues towering over them. They didn't know what the place was, but Esme seemed to recognize it.

Esme heaved a sigh. "Dead Man's Graveyard. Great."

"What's Dead Man's Graveyard?" Zyran asked, brows furrowed. His brother looked the same, confused.

"I told Aurora about it, in case she ever wanted to figure out who her parents were. But only the purest of hearts can enter." She explained.

"Someone didn't get the memo." Evelyn murmured, taking notice of the men lying on the ground.

"Are they—"

"Dead? Yes." Angel answered. Then she stepped onto the dead grass. "This place reeks of light magic." She grimaced.

The others followed, stepping over bodies as they made it to the entrance. "How can you smell magic?" Eric asked.

"Gods and goddesses can smell all magic. It's a weird sort've gift." She shrugged.

"You're a goddess?" Zyran asked, stepping over a body with a grimace.

"Should I be bowing?" Eric asked.

"You sound just like Nara."

"It's a genuine question." He shrugged.

Evelyn began coughing. "God, whatever that smell is is horrible."

"What smell?" Esme asked.

"The toxic smell." She answered as they made it to the stairs. Angel went first, walking down the stairs and kicking the men off of them. "Why are their eyes burned out of their heads?"

"Aurora." Angel answered simply.

They finally made it to the bottom and looked around. They spread out, shivering against the cold air. There was nearly no one in here, not a single body.

Except one.

Zyran stepped toward it, stepping onto the platform, only to immediately drop down to his knees when he realized who it was. "Nara? Nara!" He began calling.

Eric was beside him in an instant. "Oh, my god." He whispered, eyes wide and growing glossy.

Evelyn walked over to them, stopping on the opposite side. Then she was crouching. "She's been dead for a week."

"Oh, my god." Zyran whispered before he was falling back on his ass. He brought his knees up and dropped his head in his hands.

"It's cold in here." Esme murmured. "Guess it's a good thing. Doesn't look like there's much decay."

"And you complain about me." Angel murmured. Esme threw her hands up.

Eric turned to Zyran, stuffing his face into his shoulder. Their best friend was dead, one had betrayed them, and their other best friend was stuck in a coma, her soul in limbo.

They didn't know how to cope.

Angel walked over to the platform, picking up a bloody arrow. "Solic." She announced. "The arrow must have gone through her and she bled out while being poisoned."

Eric pulled away, taking a deep breath to try and recollect himself. "Then how did Aurora get to the castle?"

Evelyn turned to Angel. "That's a good point. Dead Man's Graveyard is outside Solaris barriers."

"She's in the coma because of her magic. If Nara was here with Aurora when she died, it's possible her magic overloaded and that's why all those men are dead. Then she slipped into the coma but because her magic knew she wasn't safe there, she was teleported back and that's when Maddi and Zyran found her." Esme offered the best possibility. "Only question is, how did she get through?"

"And we don't know who her parents are to distinguish just how powerful she really is." Angel sighed.

Zyran inhaled, wiping his face. "We need—" He swallowed, giving himself a second. "We need to take Nara's body back so she can have a proper burial."

"Evelyn's the only one who can open a portal back into Solaris." Angel said. "We can take her back and I'll do a spell to preserve her body until we can bury her."

"While she does that, we'll work on getting Aurora back." Esme assured, nodding her head.

"Hey, look, a bag." Evelyn announced, picking up a bookbag from the side of the platform. "Filled with weapons... That bitch stole my weapons." She scowled.

"Evelyn." Angel and Esme both called in warning.

"She could've at least asked." She threw her hands up.

Allison appeared then, her face contorted in worry. "Hurry. Aurora is running out of time."

Eric pushed himself up, and the others looked at him confused. They thought he was just staring at a random wall. "What do we need for the spell?"

"A personal object of Aurora's for the summoning. Then you'll need to mix some of the herbs found in Evelyn's garden. I'll give you the incantation once you get the ingredients." Then she disappeared.

Eric blew out a breath and turned to them. "We need to get back to the castle and get Aurora back before she runs out of time."

Zyran pushed himself up. "Time?"

"Something's happening on the other side. To Aurora." He explained. "Allison says that the anger and hate in her body is turning her into something that she can never recover from."

"A Dark Soul." Angel sighed.

"I thought Dark Souls were only the free-souls that rebelled." Evelyn commented, brows furrowed.

"Not if they're in limbo. Dark Souls are born out of anger and hate, and if Aurora has so much of it, then she'll turn into one. That's what Allison means when she says she will never recover." Angel massaged the points between her eyes. "We need to get back to the castle."

Evelyn nodded, and opened a portal, allowing them entrance to the castle.