The Soul Devourer

I:

-------- six months earlier-------

I watched the waves of the ocean crash against the rocky shoreline, thinking how it depicted the emotions I felt inside. Inner turmoil was twisting like a serpent inside me, consuming every waking hour of mine. Thinking all the time, why, why, why?

To free my mind from the clutches of dark thoughts that threatened to drag me under, I leaned my face towards the chilly breeze of the ocean. I leaned against the metal railing, glancing at the jagged rocks below to see a sign for any policeman or guard who restricted entrance in this area. Finding only a lone, haggard beggar with a cigarette dangling from his lips, I threw one leg over the railing.

I often came here, to let the sound of waves crashing and lapping over each other overpower the echoes of shouted voices in my memories. I had just been about to place my other leg over, when the piece of metal railing creaked under me. I froze momentarily before pulling my leg over it but as I gripped the railing to balance myself, it broke free and I skidded on the steep slope, towards the jagged rocks below.

With only moments to live, one might have flashback of his or her entire life, remembering all the good and bad things in one moment. Me? The only thought that temporarily overshadowed the thought of me dying in a way that seemed like a suicide, was the regret that I hadn't been able to fulfill my dreams, my aspirations. That there were adventures out there that I hadn't tasted, all the secrets I still hadn't discovered, all the experiences I hadn't yet lived, all the feelings I hadn't felt.

My thoughts were abruptly halted when a hand gripped my wrist, pulling me upwards. With my other hand, I reached to grab something, but the only thing I found were sediments of earth.

"There's a dagger in my boot. Take it out and use it to climb upwards", a deep voice shouted at me from above.

I raised my gaze to stare at the one holding my wrist captive, the one who had saved my life. It was a boy with prominent cheekbones and his dark hair were ruffled. With his other hand, he had an obsidian dagger embedded in the earth, which was the only thing keeping us both from crashing to our deaths. That's when I comprehended what he had said, and reached for his boot with my free hand that was shaking badly.

The hilt of his dagger was barely visible between his dark jeans and matching combat boots, but I grasped it and pulled it out.

The boy yelled in pain and my head shot up sharply, worried that I might have accidentally cut him with the tip while pulling the dagger out, but a grin stretched across his face. "Just messing with you."

I would have smacked him, had he not been the one who had saved me from falling. And also, because both my hands were occupied. This dagger was also made from obsidian stone, and it glinted in the light. I don't know if it was the dusk haze, or my edge of mind due to being so close to death but the obsidian dagger gave off a black hue, and holding it, I felt powerful.

"Princess, I don't want to rush you but we are trapped in a life and death situation. Pun intended",the boy said, smirking while raising an eyebrow.

I smiled despite the circumstances and brought down the dagger to the sedimentary slope with force, so that it stuck. Then, I pulled myself upwards, while the boy guided my other hand upwards so that I found a handhold. I did this again, only this time, with my other hand, I gripped the hilt of his dagger. He had found two footholds and his other hand came around my back.

"In the next move, make my dagger your foothold", he spoke, his voice strained.

"I'll squash your hand, though. Will you be able to hold on?", I said, trying to slow down the hammering of my heart and trying not to glance down at the jagged rocks below.

"Don't worry, just do it",he replied, his voice muffled.

I took a deep breath before stabbing my dagger in the earth as far above as me I could, and my left foot came in the hole my dagger had just dug, and as I pulled myself upwards, I placed my other foot on the boy's dagger. With my other hand, I reached out and found a solid portion of the railing and praying that it won't fall under my weight, I grabbed it and pulled myself on the edge of the road. I took in a few deep breaths before I gazed down at the boy, leaning my hand as far as I could with the dagger. He grabbed it and used both the daggers to haul himself upwards, before I pulled him to the side of the road too. We sat there in silence for a few moments, panting. I noticed that the black daggers had the head of serpents as hilt, something that I had somehow managed to miss in my panic before.

"Thank y-you", I murmured, gazing at his dark eyes. My heart was still rapid staccato in my chest, my breathing heavy.

"It was not a problem, Princess",the boy replied, getting up and dusting his black jeans before offering me a hand up.

"Who are you?", I asked, since I couldn't believe he'd risk his life to save mine, someone he didn't even know. Also, I hadn't seen anyone around me when I had fallen so I didn't get how he appeared so suddenly. However, I was grateful for his presence.

"I'm your guardian angel. And I'm here to save your life." He said it with a chuckle but the dark glint in his eyes made me think there was some verisimilitude to his words.

I poked at the fresh cut on my palm. "No, but really. Who are you?"

When I got no response, I looked up and saw no one. I stood up abruptly and looked both directions from where I stood but there was no sign of the boy. Had I hallucinated the whole thing? But no, the burning cut was a physical reminder that I hadn't.

Strange.

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Short, I know but lemme know what you think ;). And the next ones will be longer.
Love, H.