Radiant

Chapter Eight

Once we entered the portal, I expected to feel like I was hurtling aimlessly through space. But instead, it was actually pretty smooth. We were in a strange place that was all different sorts of colors, and I'd see the occasional star or galaxy floating around. There wasn't any air exactly, but I could breathe, see and hear perfectly fine. Just like before, I still had no idea where I was going, but at least I didn't have to walk all the way there.

Suddenly everything began to shake, as if there were an earthquake. "Hold on tight!" Ezekiel said unexpectedly. "This last part is going to be a bit shaky!"

I really didn't want to get closer to him than I currently was, but I did it anyways. I do not regret doing that, because the moment I held on to him more tightly everything around us began to tremble uncontrollably. Eventually it became too difficult for me to focus on anything, and we slowly began to start rotating. It was worse than being on the world's largest rollercoaster.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." I said dizzily.

"Oh no, don't even THINK about it!!" Ezekiel protested loudly.

I forced down the food in my stomach that was threatening to come out. That would not have been a pretty sight, especially since there was a good chance my puke would float around to and end up hitting us both. Eww. Why did I have to put that image in my head? I thought with disgust.

We kept spinning, faster and faster, and it felt like everything around us was going to shatter into millions of tiny pieces. I screamed at this point, disregarding the fact that Ezekiel was right next to me and I was probably screaming into his ear.

Oh, god. It's all over, It's all over! This is it for me! I'm going to die by getting crushed or blown up! It's all HIS fault! Ezekiel, you big jerk!

I was both furious and terrified at that moment, terrified for my life and furious at Ezekiel for even considering that going with him was a good idea (ok, it was my own fault for that, but I wasn't really thinking straight).

Finally, I managed to see a bright light coming towards us, or, more like we were approaching it. I was blinded by the piercing light once we got closer to it, and I couldn't see anything at all.

And then, everything went black.

***

Flames, as bright as the evening sun tore through a village. Young Tamila, merely a baby, was trapped within a familiar looking house as the fire threatened to envelop her. Suddenly, her parents appeared in blinding speed, and her mother wrapped her in a blanket made of golden silk. She grabbed her daughter tightly, and began to run once more, with her husband at her side.

"We can't let our only child die! I refuse to let this happen!" Her mother exclaimed.

"I know, Elodie. I know you won't leave her, or anyone else behind. That's why I love you." Her father said with a big smile. She looked into his eyes with a loving gaze and kissed him on the cheek.

"Orion..."

At that moment, the house began to tremble, and the front door was destroyed by falling debris. The two parents gasped in horror at the realization that they might not make it out alive. Then they both looked down at their child, the one they had named Tamila. A strange name, rarely used, but they picked it nonetheless. To them, Tamila was a perfect name for their beautiful child. They looked up once again at where the door once was, but this time in defiance, while flames of their own danced in their eyes.

"Orion... You know what we have to do."

"If we take her to the other world, she might never learn about this one! Her abilities, her culture... They will all be lost to her!"