Another Dreary Hunt: Forbidden Studies

5 O'Clock: Tranquility

We were running, our breath turning to mist in the chilly break of dawn. The blue sky had begun to turn a fiery red, washing over the shredded arm of Rom. She held it tightly with tears in her eyes, gaunt and panicked she glanced behind her the see the scrambling beasts struggle to hoist themselves over logs to get to us. I stayed by her side, spinning once or twice to shoot at our pursuers, nailing one in the side of the head which caused it to stagger. For a second. It immediately continued to chase us down the narrow road towards Byrgenwerth.

The sunlight blinded us as we came upon the gravestones, the threshold of sanctuary. With the slightest twinge of relief in our hearts we darted through, muddy water splashing onto our clothes as we ran. Rom stopped and turned as the white monsters stalked under the archway. I looked back at her, just about to shout before she quietly spoke. "I'm sorry, you two. Maybe I'll get to see you again." she smiled before the book began to glow, her wounded arm rising as a strange blue dust began to drift into the air. Suddenly, from the parting clouds, two blue rocks crashed down into the arch causing it to collapse atop the beasts with a mighty rumble.

As the rocks faded into nothing, and the blood of the creatures began to ooze into the mud, I saw something strange between the scarlet on Rom's arm. Small flowers, like hairs running up her, small white petal glowing in the shade. She covered herself with a cloak and looked back to me, dark eyes locked with mine. "Come on...Let's get inside."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Chess. Come on, we're so close."
"Is it the book?" I asked when she walked past me. She did not respond, simply walking towards the wrought-iron gates of the building. I followed, blade still in hand as I listened to the unsettling moans around us.

She opened the gate with a creak, looking around for any stray Gardens wandering the grounds. "Coast is clear." She whispered and gestured for me to follow, I rushed past her and took the lead. We pressed against one of the walls, unable to see much as a large hill was now blocking the sun from us. We only caught a small glimpse of three figures in the lantern light. Two were hooded, blue skinned and adorned with rags. Both held a student in their grasp, he looked limp as blood dripped onto the ground. The sounds of slurping and squelching sent chills down my spine, Rom shuddered behind me. As I tried to ease around the corner I saw one of them stop - So did I. It turned around to reveal small blue tendrils hanging from its face, like a sluggish beard protruding from the burlap hood. I held my breath, Rom followed suit, and we observed the creature. One large tentacle stretched from its head and was jammed into the temple of the corpse, I could see it feasting as bulges of grey matter were sucked into it like it was feeding through a straw. I felt the bile rise in my throat but I kept it down, kept staring ahead as it turned and went back to feasting.

Slowly I continued, holding Rom's good hand as I approached the double doors to the library. We drew closer and closer towards the creatures, their alien sounds deafening us as they now turned their attention to his blood; lapping at it like dogs.

One step, two steps, the handle was right there. One tug, one pull. I did it. The doors swung open as a student ran out screaming, her eyes dilated and crazed. She grabbed onto me, yanked at my blade, "So many eyes! TOO MANY EYES!"
"Get off!" I pushed her back, only for a nightmare to leap from the entrance and pin her down. Hundreds of pale green eyes scanning her as the claws of the Garden sank deep into her flesh. Rom pulled me into the room, my eyes only just seeing the two Brain Suckers now invested in us. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust to the library, blood and chemicals littering the floor as we heard the Suckers crash into tables and glassware. "Upstairs, quick!" Rom ordered, dragging me to the spiral staircase near the end of the room. We slalomed through the corpses of friends and acquaintances, study partners and professors. I felt Rom weaken at the knees but I kept pushing her up as I heard the horrific patter of those creatures' clawed feet. At the top we saw a huge set of doors, some unfortunate soul had tried to unlock it yet was now cold to the touch. "Through here." I grabbed the beautiful silver key and twisted it. Pulling it out before bursting through the doors with Rom, not even checking what was on the other side before locking it again.

I turned and saw it, the balcony. Ahead of us was nothing but an endless, flaming lake. Basking in the  red sunrise it was unchanged by the night, still as beautiful and serene as when I had saw it that evening. I walked to the railing, holding onto it with bloodied and shaking hands before crying. Was I safe now? Is it over? The night was long, so please whatever gods exist out there please grant me mercy! I felt warmth, a figure hugging me from behind. Rom, a comfort. A mercy. She dragged me through that hell, she saved my life, brought me from the brink of death. She was my guardian, my god. I smiled, taking solace in that fact.

Bang! The metal doors shook. Bang! Me and Rom turned to them and saw the heavy dents, listened to the pounding of gods knew how many monstrosities. Bang! Creak! The lock bent. I looked at Rom. "W-W-W...What now? What do we- Are we-?"
"I dunno! We're trapped here, I didn't think they'd be able to-" She panicked, scanning through her book.

Crash! The doors swung open, and there they stood. Eyes, thousands of them, glaring, the insect-like clicks of those disgusting creatures eating away at my mind. I felt he sharp pains in my head, the spears of frenzy, the daggers of madness clawing and eating at my conscious. I fell to my knees, screaming out for help. "Make it stop! Make it all stop!"

A moment passed, before I felt Rom's hand on my shoulder. "I will." She whispered, before lifting me up, falling back over the railing. Weightless, I blissfully fell into the void.

A/N: One more chapter, one more insight into the night of the hunt. Before the finale I just wanna say thank you to my readers, sticking with me through my first story on here! 😙 Love you all, and I hope you enjoy...