Finding Them

Chapter 18: You're Not Real

Elryria

I stride ahead of everyone, almost running. The walls blurred past me and I tried to remember if we had been down this path before. There was no way of knowing. It was more confusing than the Underground but less messy. It didn't smell either. In fact it didn't smell like anything. The flowers that grow off the wall have no scent. They must be fake. Or they are god plants. Which wouldn't be surprising. Magic energy filled the place. It was ancient and powerful, the kind of magic that only the gods knew how to use. There was no doubt the magic is coming from the temple above us. Klaus sneezed and rubbed his head against my cheek

"You need to slow down" He said "You're leaving them behind"

"We need to move quickly" I snapped "We need to get the hell out of this place"

"You're right but we also need to stay together" I ground my teeth together and slowed down

"I hate you when you are right" I growled

"Then you must hate me all the time" He said "Because I am right all the time"

"I'll make you walk" I threatened

"Mera would carry me"

"Shut up" He headbutted me again and I growled at him

"So scary" Lun said rolling his eyes

"Fight me" I said turning to him and glaring

"No thanks" He said shaking his head. I squinted at him and then turned to see Mera. Her face was still pale and I could see her hands shaking slightly. The vision really hit her hard unlike Lun. He seemed more motivated since seeing it if I am being honest.

"Why have we stopped?" She mummered

"You guys are too slow" I said as if that answered her question

"More like you were too fast" Lun muttered

"Fight me!"

"Is that your answer to everything?"

"It might be!"

"It's pathetic"

"Fight me!"

"We need to get moving" Mera said quietly pushing in front of us "No time for bickering"

"Sorry" Lun muttered looking away guiltily

"Yeah so sorry, Fangs" I said rolling my eyes. She flinched and walked ahead. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I can't believe I just said that. Lun glared at me and then he punched my shoulder. Hard.

"I can't believe you fucking said that" He said glowing at me "Even I'm not that much of a asshole"

"Shut up" I muttered rubbing the spot he hit. His eyes glared daggers at me and then he stalked off. I sighed and cursed under my breath

"Why am I such a fuck up?" I muttered

"I don't know" Klaus replied

"I wasn't asking you" I said rolling my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~

The labyrinth had no end. I was convinced that we were going to die in here. We walked and we walked and nothing. No way out. No way back. We were going to die. I kept this information to myself though I am sure everyone was feeling the same me. Until we came to another door. Just like the other two it stood, looming over us

"Might as well get this over with" I said walking up to it and pushing it. It wouldn't open of course and once again we were trapped. The walls closed around us and a black fog filled the space blocking our sight. But something was wrong. Where was the blood? The hatred? The fear? Lun's and Mera's had been blood ridden, why was mine calm? It was dark. Empty. Maybe there wasn't a vision for me. Maybe it didn't work on magic users. Wait. Something, no, someone was moving. I could see a silhouette. They were small, a child probably. No.......no! It couldn't be! but it was. His body came into the light, small and weak. Black hair messy and brown eyes looking at me. He was wearing my old jumper and scarf. Bray. He looked just like he used too, all smiles and laughter. Always happy...and dead! Bray is dead! That isn't him.

"Hey Lrya, is that you?" his voice sent a chill up my spine. He was not real! He was dead! He's not real...

"I miss you" He smiled "Are you coming home soon?"

"Of course I'm coming home soon, silly" a voice, no my voice, said echoing around us "I always come back" A memory of me saying goodbye filled my sight. I am messing his hair up and he is giggling. It's gone as quickly as it came

"Sometimes I'd worry that you wouldn't come back" Bray said staring right at me "Sometimes I'd worry you wouldn't be able to get home"

"Don't be silly, I'm fine" my voice echoes and another memory comes forth. Me, laying on the floor with a black eye and Bray looking down on me. It faded away

"You'd come back all bruised and bloody, but you'd smile at me anyway"

"Don't worry Bray, the other guy looks way worse" 

Memories flickered. I'm looking down on Bray when I first found him. Small and alone

"From now on I am going to protect you" I heard myself say

"And you did" Bray said looking up at me "I always came first. You'd go days without food"

"I'm not hungry, why don't you eat my portion?"

"You never asked for anything"

"Are you cold? Take my jumper"

"You always took care of me"

"I'm going to save you"

"But you couldn't" He looked at me, as if he could see my soul, and then blood started running from his mouth. It dripped down and bled into the jumper staining it crimson. Bullet holes filled the jumper adding to the red. His skin slowly turned grey and started decaying. His eyes were no longer bright. "You tried. You really did, but you couldn't"

"You couldn't save me" He whispered his voice soft and gently. There was no accusation. Just fact "You could now. It would be so easy now but you couldn't then" It hurt. His words were like knives cutting into me and I wanted them to stop

"Don't worry Lyra. When you die we will be together again" He smiled "After all I am the only one you care about" And then Bray was gone, as if he had never been there in the first place. I didn't realise I had been crying until Klaus rubbed against my face

"I'm sorry" He rumbled

"Not your fault"

"Not yours either" I nodded and then shaked my head and then dropped it. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. The door was open and inside there was no more hallway. There was an opening with three doors. They had our names on them

"Come on guys" I said swallowing "We've got a lot more ahead of us" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suffering! 

-Lily