Infirmitate

| PROLOGUE |

~Previously on Fortitudine~

I don't really know what compelled me to do so, but, I ran back into the woods like the devil himself was chasing me. A more human, blue-green-eyed version of him might actually be behind me, for all I knew.

As I ran, I used my powers to cover myself in a dense fog as dark rain clouds followed me overhead, but no rain fell. Now was not a time for tears. I was in the middle of a Trial that would decide if I lived or died.

Like Jacob.

A single tear fell down my cheek and lightning struck a nearby tree. I flinched at the abrupt flash of light and wiped the tear away as thunder roared through the forest trees. I stopped running and fell to my knees.

A dark chuckle rang into the thick fog that was surrounding me. I gasped for air, out of breath from running, and got into a defensive position. "Who's there?" I called out into the unknown.

"Death." A deep voice breathed coldly into my right ear from behind me.

I screamed and turned around only to see light gray fog. "Where are you?" I gasped out while steadily turning around in circles, trying to find the owner of the all-too-familiar terrifying voice.

"Everywhere."

That's when Thanatos stepped out from the fog and used all his inhuman strength to punch me in the head. I fell down to the ground with a soft thud and watched with fading unconsciousness as my twin brother kneeled down and brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

He bent down to kiss my forehead with surprising gentleness. "One weakness down, one to go." He whispered as I was swallowed into darkness.

~IΠҒIRMITΔTΣ~

My eyes slowly blinked open and I found myself looking up at a light gray sky. I looked around me and saw that I was in the center of King's Tomb surrounded by my people, the entire clan. Most were either crying or frowning.

Where have I seen all this before? I thought to myself as I tried to sit up, but ropes were tied around my limbs restricting my ability to move. I looked up to the sky in a silent prayer against what I thought was going to happen next. This was my actual nightmare coming true.

My prayers were in vain. I could see Thanatos walking up to me with a sword raised high above his head. If only this were another dream... A chill ran down my spine as I closed my eyes and I began to shiver uncontrollably, yet, I wasn't cold.

I suddenly heard gasps and decided to open my eyes. My breath left my lungs as I looked above me. An icy, blue fog crackled, jumped, and gently flowed above my head. The blue fog-like substance made a sound of roaring water and continued to expand above my head.

"No!" Whispered Thanatos, the sword still raised above us.

I shuddered at his voice, immediately feeling even more scared than I already was. If Thanatos was scared of this fog, then I should've been terrified. But I wasn't. I watched silently as Thanatos began to take labored breaths.

I was confused at what he was freaking out about. It was just a blue and white cloud of fog with ice-like shards crackling and expanding.