A Romance Sort of Thing

Chapter 24: A Dangerous Path

[Zayden's Point of View] 

I've been traveling for what seemed liked days. My body exhausted and drained. The Dark Moon Pack was not easy to track. They hid well and probably were not very near to Nishiba. Climbing through mountains and rocks was beginning to take a toll on my body so much my wolf has gone silent. I will find her. I will not give up until I do, I kept repeating to myself.

Each step grew heavier, stumbling over the ground and pebbles. My knees buckled from underneath me and I crashed onto the hard ground at the top of the hill I just climbed. Finally. I saw what I was looking for.

Grungy dark ruins surrounded by heavy fog. Although I never been here myself, rumor has it that these ruins are the pathway to the Dark Moon castle. I relaxed a little, knowing I was near. Grabbing the last bit of food from my pack and eating it. If I am to fight and get Lillith back, I will need my energy. I will deal with my father once I have her somewhere safe.

I took my first steps into the path of ruins, it was like a maze. Each direction looking the same. This is not good. How are we going to find her if we are lost in these ruins?  My wolf whimpered. We will find her, I tried to comfort my wolf, whose silence had ended once we regained some energy. 

I stood there studying each ruin, trying to find something different from each of them. I had a bad feeling about this as my gut seemed to twist in a way that made me want to hurl. Something is telling me that these ruins were meant to get people lost for eternity.

I stepped up to one of the gray, broken down stones that had symbols carved within them. Reaching my hand out slowly. Don't, my wolf growled. Why? I questioned as the symbol seemed to start turning, spinning. Mesmerizing me as I felt like I was in a trance. Not able to move or think clearly. It's a trap, my wolf growled so loud it caused me to step backward. My foot caught on something tough and I was falling back into nothing.

My back hit a hard surface with force, making air leave my lungs as I gasped for air in pain. My vision blurred and I blinked a couple of times to see clearly. I was on the ground surrounded by ruins. Damn, that hurt.

I don't like this place, my wolf whimpered. Me either, it's creepy, I replied. Looking around as each direction looked exactly the same as the other directions. Is there not a single difference between these ruins? I got up and dusted myself off.

"You think I will ever forgive you?" a familiar female voice hissed behind me.

I whirled around and there she was, Lillith. My heart began beating rapidly.

"Lillith! I am so glad you are okay," I ran to her but she disappeared into thin air before my eyes.

"I will never forgive you," her words echoed in the fog.

My heart ached as I searched rapidly for her through the fog and ruins but nothing changed. It always looked the same. A laugh crackled through the fog.

"Do you think you can defy me without consequences?" my father's voice boomed.

"Father?" I looked around bewildered.

It's not him, my wolf growled. These are delusions. That was not Lillith, he whined. What he was saying made sense. I plugged my ears with my fingers to help void out the voices. Best to try and walk one direction until we find a way out.

I stepped through the ruins and fog that seemed neverending. Glimpses of people I knew appeared and disappeared. This is going to drive me insane. I had a feeling these ruins were cursed or built to destroy people's sanity.

Audience:

-Do you think Zayden will find his way? Or is he lost forever?

-How do you feel about Zayden?

-The next part is back to Lillith!

Thank you, everyone, for reading! It makes me super excited to see some readers continued this far into the book with me, it truly makes me feel special! (:

xoxo