Hush

Chapter Twenty-Five

As soon as Hush entered, he could feel the darkness swell up around him like a breaking wave, and as soon as it did, Hush cast out light all around him. What was once a long, mind-numbing hallway of darkness was now a three-meter long hallway of light. Hush felt new, rejuvenated, free. He felt powerful, powerful enough to take down the source of the darkness and turn it into light, making it a safe haven for Magi. It's been far too long since they've had one of those.

Once at the end of the hallway, Hush looked up at the mass of swirling, breathing, living darkness. The very thing that had grabbed him away from his friends was now not even able to touch him. In fact, it moved away from him. What was fuelling this thing? This much darkness, wherever did it come from? Centuries of deaths, of magic, of negativity? Or maybe there was simply something at its core?

Well, there's only one way to find out.

Hush jumped up an into the mass of darkness. At first it pushed in on him, almost diminishing the light he was still giving off, the magic that surrounded him. Then, slowly, the light around him grew and the darkness hissed and pulled back. It was rather disorienting, being surrounded by so much darkness while your eyes are open.

Hush sent out tendrils of light in every which way, the darkness shrinking back from them. Hush could feel how aggravated the darkness was; thoroughly displeased that the light was so painful to it.

Surely, there must be a stone somewhere that's fuelling it... somewhere...

And that's when Hush saw it. It was such a quick flash, right in the corner of his eye, but he definitely saw it. He turned and headed towards the flash, slowing when he felt something cold and smooth. It burned his fingers as soon as he touched it, causing him to immediately move away. Though he couldn't see what it was, it gave off an air of something forbidden, forgotten.

He removed his shirt and reached for it again, his fingers just barely touching it through the cloth. He felt it move slightly, and there was no sign of the burning sensation coming back. It couldn't really be that easy, could it?

Hush lifted the thing from whatever was holding it. Only seconds later did the darkness start screaming, a high-pitched, bursting wail of agony, louder than Hush thought possible. He kept a firm grip on what he guessed was a stone, though it seemed to be trying to pull down, like a magnet. He brightened the light around him as the darkness started to disappear.

That simple? Though... the house had stood here for centuries, obviously. If it was that easy the house would've been turned into a haven ages ago. How many people died here, Hush wondered, trying to get rid of the darkness? How many innocent people? Careless humans? Children?

The darkness around him was almost completely gone. A few wisps floated here and there, but nothing else. Hush could still feel it writhing against his skin.

Something very peculiar was to be noticed. On the walls, fine white marble, were runes, hieroglyphs, and various other symbols. Hush hadn't realized how big this room was.

It was shaped like a perfect sphere, only hollowed out and with a large hole in the top and a small one in the bottom. On the wall of the chamber was a platform with a metal pedestal. Hush figured that's where he must've gotten the-- what was indeed --stone from.

He couldn't linger. He had to find his friends, free them. The place could still very well be alive.