Home beyond the portal

Walking Through Hell

Asher's POV:
"Hmmm," I hum aloud as I sit on my bed and think. Ever since the other night when I told Aiden my story she's been acting more strange than usual. She's become more rude, barely talking or eating, and she has been in her room a lot. She's mainly become more distant and when she does come out she's like a zombie; lifeless and violent.
*Flashback*
When I woke up the next morning (at five in the MORNING!) I noticed I wasn't in our gaming room, but instead in my bed wrapped up in my blankets. Aiden must have brought me in here late last night. I'll thank her later. I got out of bed and hopped into the shower. After I had showered and brushed my teeth I got dressed and walked out of my room to say hey to Aiden. I knocked on her door but didn't get any response so I knocked again but harder this time. Maybe she didn't hear me I thought as I knocked.
'KNOCK KNOCK' Still no answer, maybe she's already left, so I head to the mess hall but notice she isn't there either. After I eat I head to the training grounds to see if she's there but she wasn't so I just ignored it, thinking she was sick or something and just continued to train.
A Few Hours Later:
"Whew I'm beat." I've been training nonstop, so I went to the mess hall to grab an apple and a bottle of water. Once I was finished I went down to the library to read a book. I know what you're thinking, and yes I am a book worm, it's not my fault I like reading. Anyways, I started to look through the shelves of books trying to find something interesting until I came across an old book that looked like it was about to fall apart, and I took it off the shelf.
What is this doing here? All the other books around it are new and unused (probably because no one here reads, such a shame) but this one looks like it's 100 years old. I turn it on it's side to read the title and blow the dust off of it to see it more clearly. Once I can see it I notice the letters are in a language I've never seen before. As I continue to stare at it I am shocked when I start to understand what it says.
Apparently the title is "Domus," which I translate somehow to mean home but I don't even know what language it's in. I open it to find it filled with the same weird language and I look around to see if anyone is watching me. Quickly I close it and stuff it in my bag as I rush out of the library. I don't think that book is supposed to be in there and I am not taking the chance of someone taking it from me.
I want to know how I understand this language and I want to know what this book is about because I've never heard of it before.
After I left the library I went back to the training grounds to finish my daily training. After I finished training and ate dinner I started walking back to the dorms. As I was walking in the hallway, I heard some students talking, so I stopped to listen.
"Aiden didn't show up for training today, I wonder what's up." One student said.
"Yeah, she never misses training, something bad must've happened." Another student says.
As soon as I hear that I start walking away towards our dorm again, but this time I was jogging more than walking. As soon as I got there I dropped my books off in my room and knocked on Aiden's door.
"Aiden, you in there?" I call through the door but get no response. "Is something wrong? You can talk to me if you want." I call again as I start to get even more worried. Still there is no response. "Just know I am here for you, I'll be in my room if you need anything." I sigh as I walk to my room to take a very much needed shower.
As I take my shower I think about Aiden and what could be wrong with her. I hope she's ok but is she ignoring me because of my past? I wish she would talk to me because we are stuck together so we might as well get along. As I finish my amazing shower I step out and dry off.
Just as I'm done drying off and getting my clothes on I hear a cabinet opening and closing then I hear the kitchen sink running. I tiptoe out of my bathroom and creak open my bedroom door to peek outside. I see Aiden in the kitchen finishing off a glass of water. Once she's done she puts the cup in the sink and heads back to her room.
I sigh and close my door again as I walk over to my bed. I pull Domus out from under my bed and sit down. I open the strange book and start to read.
*End Of Flashback*
This has been going on everyday for the past week. Sometimes she'll just snap at me for no reason, and other times she'll just flat out ignore me. She's been skipping practice as well which is not normal behavior for her.
I got up off my bed to get a glass of water and walked out of my room to find Aiden on the couch watching TV. She looked horrible, her hair was super messy and greasy, she had huge bags under her dull eyes, and her face was all red and puffy as if she had just been crying. Her baggy black hoodie and shorts concealed most of her body as she sat there, hugging her knees to her chest while lying her head on them.
"Hey." I said as I carefully approached her. That got her attention and she slightly tilted her head to look at me.
"What do you want?" She croaked out as she turned back to the TV. Well then, I guess I have to be more demanding.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing, I haven't seen you in a long time and you've been missing training." I state confidently as I sit down next to her on the couch.
"I'm fine."
"Ok well then why haven't you been coming to training lately?" I state as I raise an eyebrow, slowly growing irritated with her attitude.
"That's none of your business." She growls. Damn, what crawled up her ass and died?
"Oh ok." I state as I try to not snap back at her, she already looks upset and I'm pretty sure she was just crying. I might as well ask her if she has been because we're obviously not getting anywhere with this conversation.
"Have you been crying?" She stiffens as soon as the words leave my lips. When she doesn't answer I get even more irritated.
"Listen, I just want to know what's up, I mean you've been acting very strange and when I was upset I trusted you with my secrets and problems. The least you could do is be the same way, and from the looks of it, if you don't open up to someone your problems will destroy you." I rush out as I try to get through to her. She looked up at me and huffed.
"You do not tell me what to do." She spat out at me. I scoff and roll my eyes.
"Look, I'm not going to force you to do anything. I'm just trying to help you, because when I told you what was bothering me, it made me feel better so at least give it a try." She looked up in my eyes, searching for something and I guess she found it because she sighed and turned back to the TV.
"Fine."
Aiden's POV:
(Start music here)
"13 years ago on January 1st, my mother gave birth to me. She loved me, cared for me, and was always there for me when I needed her. My bastard of a dad on the other hand is a completely different story." I say as my voice raises a little. "He left when I was a baby, and all I have to remember him by is this necklace." I stated as I pulled the old necklace out from inside my shirt, laying it flat on my chest for Asher to see.
"One day me and my mom were at the park because it was my third birthday. She was pushing me on the swing when the atmosphere changed, it was chilly and eerie. I remember being scared and looking up to see this beast on the other side of the playground. I looked around to see that everyone else in the park were frozen, as if time had stopped. As it started walking towards us my mom tore me from the swing and put me behind her." I whisper as a tear slips down my face.
"It stormed towards us and stopped a few feet away from my mom. My mom asked who it was and what they wanted but it just chuckled darkly and looked up at my mom. She gasped and I peeked around her back to see the beast's eyes were glowing red, and it had a snout and long canine teeth protruding from its long, and horrific smile. It's voice sounded like hundreds of horrifying voices speaking at once.
"'What I am does not matter.' it stated. 'Then answer my other question, what do you want?' my mom asked it. All it did was chuckle again and then it was right in front of me and my mom. 'Why don't I just show you?' then he grabbed her by the neck and began to rip her limbs off one by one as I sat there and watched." I whimpered as more tears flowed down my face.
"All I could hear were her screams, blood splattering, and her flesh and bones being torn into small pieces. I just sat there and watched as her blood splattered on my face. I just sat there and watched as that thing ripped her head off of what was left of her body and tossed it at me and rolled to a stop at my feet. As I looked at it I started to cry, I picked it up and hugged it into my chest. Then, just like that, the beast disappeared." I croaked out.
"And then all hell broke loose. As time resumed a woman screamed at the sight in front of her. Everyone started staring at me with horror. Apparently they thought I killed her." I let out a humorless, dark laugh at the memory. "Then I ran, still carrying my mothers head. After that I was left in the streets for 3 years. I was always getting into fights with other kids and stealing food to survive. Oh and I forgot the best part, when I was 6 these 'Scientists' found me and started doing these experiments on me." I spat as I felt anger coursing and boiling through my blood.
"I escaped when I was 10 and that's when I met the headmaster, at the time he was 15 and was just starting the guild so naturally he invited me, and naturally I accepted. I rose to the top of the girl class in a week so he put me into the guys class, but after another week I was at the top of that class as well. I am the strongest member of the guild aside from the headmaster now." I sighed as I finished my story and looked over to Asher who had tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry you had to see such horrible sights and I'm sorry you had to go through all that." She whispered.
"Tch." I scoff as I get up off the couch. "Why are you crying, you didn't have to go through that pain." I spat as I walked back into my room and slammed the door shut.
She cant relate to me, I have faced horror, death, and pain and I have come out on the other side stronger than ever before. I have walked through hell and I didn't give into it, and for that I will never trust anyone or anything. I am alone in this world and no one can change that not even her.

A/N:
Hey guys I'm so sorry for not posting any I had testing and I got sick as well as some more problems. I just want u guys to know I'm going to be putting my book on hold it's only going to be until summer break which is like in a week and after that I'll be posting a lot more. I'll also be starting a new book during the beginning of summer break I just don't know which one to do first. Anyways I hope u like this chapter and I'll see u guys next week.