Timeless - Mark Tuan

Chapter 27

Year 1700s

"Ack!" I make a loud and ridiculous sound when my bottom hits the hard ground. I look down at myself, really shocked as to how I'm still alive. Just earlier, I thought I was really gonna die. It's true that when you're in the verge of dying, your whole life appears before you and you reflect on everything you've done. In such a really short period of time, the years that passed by all come together in a quick summary of events. 

Yet ... there was something more. Not only did I see my past .... It's like I've been brought to the future ... or so it appears to be. The images I saw were not as clear though. However, it left me ... guilty.

I furrow my brows as I try to remember what I saw.

"You ok?" The man is standing in front of me, offering his hand as he looks down with that smile I've always wanted to see. 

NO! I press my temples as it starts to throb. I hear a different voice, maybe my own, telling me to run. 

My eyes quickly divert from his face to my shaking hands on both sides of me. I push the ground and jump up on my feet. "I'm fine." I say all too fast before turning around and running off back into the woods. 

"Hey." I hear him shout from behind me. "I didn't even get your name."

I let my feet move as fast as they can, using whatever power I can summon to help me get far away from that place. There's another presence after me and it's gaining fast. 

Is it him? I don't think so. It's the first time I sense it. For the times I've been around the boy, I haven't noticed any other magical presence. Just now. Who is it?

I want to turn around and look. But, the magic is getting stronger, that means it's really close now. I can't even stop and do a mantra for me to freeze it. 

Instead of going to the village, I turn to the right, to a path I never dared to thread before because of the warnings I was given by Mako when she was still alive. She said it leads to a place infested with people who want to get rid of us ... hunters. But, I can't risk leading this entity back to my village. It would be too dangerous for the others if it were here to do harm.

Speaking of which, is this the stronger power Mako told me? The one that would destroy me?

"Listen, beautiful one. I saw a bit of what is coming. Be careful, Arnisa. A spell is gonna come your way and it's big. Even bigger than what you can do now."  

A spell. For years I've thought of what she was talking about. I tried to avoid having enemies during my travels. 

But, if it's fate, could it be completely avoided? Could I really change that?

It seems like hours, the sun is almost down and I know I have to find a good hiding spot soon. I stop when I hear noises ... really loud noises ... coming from ahead. The entity after me slows down as well, but, it's still coming. My feet move forward hesitantly. I still can't look back. Closing my eyes, I brave towards the tunnel. As soon as the darkness inside engulfs me, I sense the one behind me move faster ... approaching me again in such speed. I quickly run to the speck of light ahead, knowing that it would use the absence of light to its advantage. 

I start breathing again when I finally reach the end of the rather long passage. The moment I step foot outside, into the light, it retreats.

Dang! What was that?

The thought of what was after me soon disappears when I look ahead and notice that I've just entered a different world. There are giant huts ... houses ... structures .... and people ...  a lot of them, clad in fancy clothes that shimmer when the rays of the sun touch them. There are sparkling jewels on their hair, their neck, their arms ....