BEYOND THE RED SKY

20. FROM THE LAND OF FAIRY TALES TO THE LAND OF MORTALITY

20. FROM THE LAND OF FAIRY TALES TO THE LAND OF MORTALITY

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Everything happened suddenly. When the scenes I saw in my nightmares turned into reality, I wished I wasn't the one who gave that order. But it wasn't as I wished. I became the end of the Halfbloods, the salvation of the immortals.

A few hours ago.

It was dark everywhere. I was floating in a pitch black void. There was no pain, no worry, no panic. I was completely free of my emotions. I took a deep breath and swallowed.

When I opened my eyes, I was in my bed. I looked at the lights on the ceiling; the sunlight coming through the curtain next to me had created a moving pattern in the room. When I scanned the room with my eyes, I felt a stench surrounding me and I felt the need to cough. I didn't feel well. The room was spinning around my head and I felt the need to hold on to something.

It took me what seemed like hours to get up. I was frozen in place.

When I stood up and got into the shower, I still had the same troubling feeling. There was a feeling of dread surrounding my heart, as if something bad was going to happen.

I got out of the shower, got dressed and left the room, leaving my hair untidy. I tied my hands together as I walked along the empty corridor. The castle was quiet; I did not see any guards or inhabitants. When I entered the dining room, the table was not set, which surprised me. The table was usually set at this hour. I walked to the terrace, where Arlen often went to linger. It was the first time I had woken up to a different day after several weeks of feeling the same every day. It was strange. For the first time I realised that the sun was appearing and disappearing.

When I went out on the terrace, I couldn't see anything until my eyes got used to the light for a moment. When my eyes got used to the light, I saw a terrifying sight. The city was burning in flames in the middle of a chaotic war and crowds. People were fleeing in all directions, chaotic in smoke and fire. The size of the fire was so great that the flames were rising into the sky, partially illuminating the skyline of the city.

I watched in horror as screams, explosions and the noise of chaos in the background. Everything appeared before my eyes in an instant. I lost perception. When I came to my senses, I could only realise what had happened.

The city was destroying itself.

I put my hand to my heart and cried out in terror. "Arlen!"

I had to find out where Arlen was. I looked around and wondered what to do. My heart was in my mouth as I walked hurriedly up and down the terrace. I couldn't pick out Arlen in the crowd on the battlefield, or any of the others. I had to go there, to the square. They had to be there.

"I wouldn't want to go there if I were you."

When my feet were fixed on the ground, I saw him. The elf prince was in front of me with his green eyes and handsome smiling face. When I noticed his snow-white shirt, I wondered if he had travelled through the city. I didn't know how he got here, but it certainly wasn't in good faith. As I stepped back and leaned back against the terrace, the elf came to me and touched the railings. His eyes were on the battlefield below. He waited silently for a while. I watched him, and the sly smile on his handsome face made me think he had something to do with what was happening here.