Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

6: Ora

6/28/3028

Darkness.

The vortex itself was somehow silent, but incredible noise reverberated in my mind.

The racket pulsated in my head, and my ears throbbed. I almost wanted to scream, but at the same time, I was afraid to because I somehow felt that if I did, something important would be sucked out from within me.

We were falling fast, changing direction at incredible speed. We would fall straight and then make sharp turns, left and right.

Then I felt something strange. The ropes that tied me to Keiran and Jarek were loosening. Immediately I felt them both gripping my hands even tighter. I felt colder as we continued to fall endlessly, as if the wind penetrated through my clothes.

The loudness in my mind stopped and I felt warmth all around me from a light that was so bright, it was noticeable even with my eyes shut. A blanket of tranquility fell over me. We were no longer falling at the same speed as we had been; rather, it felt as if we were floating.

"We're almost through. Keep your eyes shut," Ilta said, her voice now clear and audible. I did as she said, but not without difficulty. Either there was a force trying to pry them open or I really wanted to see what was happening around me.

A sudden jolt went through my body like a rising surge of electricity, and I hit something hard beneath me. No longer falling, and no longer holding onto anyone's hand, I wasn't in the vortex anymore.

I opened my eyes. My vision was unusually blurry, so I squinted as I looked around me. The first thing I noticed was that I was crouched on the ground naked.

Before I could react, a haze of a man rushed to me and covered me with a blanket.

I tried to stand but realized that I was forcibly being held down by him. If that wasn't startling enough, the man pried my mouth open, put a large pill in my mouth, and held my nose. I tried to fight against it but clearly the person was stronger than me. I swallowed before gasping for air.

Then, I lost consciousness.

***

I had no idea why she was there and why anyone would even want to be in a dark murky forest at night.

She walked deeper and deeper into the threatening forest, unaware that I was following her. In one hand, she held an orb of light and with the other she brushed aside any jagged branches in her way. The trees in this part of the forest grew extremely thick, as if they were helping her conceal a secret. I maneuvered carefully, avoiding the frost covered branches rather than brushing them aside-I couldn't risk any of them snapping.

The woman wore a long, red robe with a magnificently embroidered hood of silver, and golden cuffs around her sleeves. As much as I tried, it was impossible to see her face.

The night was tranquil and the cold bit at my nose. A gust of wind blew my way and I shivered. The abrupt sound of wings flapping overhead was startling and it took all of my willpower to keep me from letting a scream slip out.

The woman stopped abruptly. She glanced up in the direction of the noise but was unable to see anything clearly-just the expanse of crooked tree branches that hung overhead.

After a moment of absolute stillness, she continued ahead. I maintained a safe distance. When we arrived at a clearing in the forest, she pulled back her hood to reveal a head of coiled blond hair. I hid behind a thick tree-far enough away so that if I needed to, I could escape.