The Overlord Trilogy: The Darkness

18 • A Call For Action

Amber: I look around the room, I am alone except for an elderly man across from me. He smiles and gently waves towards me.

"Hi." I barely manage to croak out a measly 'hello'. My throat feels like it is on fire and I have a slight headache that seems to be receding, thank God.

"Hi. My name is John. Who are you?" I can't help but smile at him.

"I'm sorry but I need to find my friends and I do-" I almost jump out of bed when I realize what happened since I last saw the light. The man took Zoey, her brother, Liz and me to somewhere... "Where are we?"

"We're in a hospital. I've been here for three months. I have terminal can-" he coughs before continuing, "cer." This breaks some of the ice around my heart.

"I'm so sorry... Do you know if I can contact someone to talk to?" John shakes his head and then motions to the door.

"A doctor should be in here in a couple se-" the door electronically unlocks and Kali walks into the room.

"Kali!" I get out of bed and run to her but fall to my knees before reaching her. Need to get used to walking again... I rub my knees and laugh a little before looking up. "I'm so sorry for being mean to you earlier!" Kali kneels down in front of me and looks me in the eyes. I've never seen her this serious before...

"How's it going, Amber?"

"Pretty good, you?" Neither of us move while we talk.

"Good." Kali leans in close to my face. "Be ready in three days." She is gone before I can even respond or react. Be ready? For what? I feel a chill go up my spine and I quickly go back to the floating hospital bed. There are no windows in the room and there is a single, digital clock on the wall. I lay back in the hospital bed as John talks about his life, not that I cared about it. His talking actually helped me fall asleep so I'll give him that.

"Wake up Amber Lyrane." his voice penetrates into my dream. I am pulled from the darkness and thrown into the blinding light of the hospital room, if this place is a hospital. "Awake now?" I rub my eyes and sit up, facing a man in a cloak. He is standing at the foot of my bed, smiling.

"Where are my friends?" I pull the blanket up to cover my freezing body, leaving my face exposed to speak.

"We found you and your friends knocked out in the woods. Seemed like you were all attacked, the boy was pretty banged up." I wince as an image of Zoey's brother crashing through the tree comes into my head.

"We were ambushed." I don't take my eyes off of him, afraid of what he is capable of doing within a couple second time frame.

"Oh, I see... Why were you heading to Bridge Haven?" I shrug and let out a small laugh.

"We were just heading in that direction and then saw the city in flames. Then we got ambushed and now I'm here, which reminds me of something," I look at him dead in the eyes. "Where are my friends?" he nods and leans forward.

"I will let you see them on one condition."

"What's this 'condition'?" I see his smile widen as he leans back and claps his hands together.

"The condition is that you must help me with something in return."

"Help you with what?"

"We'll just have to wait and see Amber."

"Fine. I agree, just let me see my friends." He nods and walks over to the door, unlocking it. I stand up and walk over to the door, following him out. "Who are you?"

"I am a close friend of someone you know." He stops in the hallway and turns to me.

"Who are you a 'close friend' of exactly?" He leans in, his eyes bright.