The Dawning

Chapter Five

The hallway stretched out before me, it was the same hallway that I had walked through many times before. I don't think I could ever forget this hallway, where at its end laid my Mistress. I was always afraid when I had to come here, you would think that throughout the years that fear would have gone away by now but no, fear always tried to take hold of me but I settled it in my stomach, acknowledging its presence but not allowing it any control.

That fear took hold of me once more, clinging on with cold fingers, like an unseen being that whispered behind my ear that I was in trouble. Big trouble. It was cold here and the hallway lay empty, the castle silent. A foreboding feeling tugged at me, and I held myself closer, trying to hold on to the warmth of my body. Charles' promise of safety distantly echoed through my mind but seeing where I was, I knew he had been wrong.

I was back here.

Figured.

I knew they would take me back eventually. I knew that I wouldn't be able to escape. I had ruined what little chance I had by helping Tommy.

And yet? I couldn't find it in myself to wish I had done something else. If it hadn't been for me, Tommy would have disappeared along with the students to the caves beyond. If he had reached that safe spot, he would have been the Clan's. He would have been Lilith's.

I didn't even think that that John guy would have known what to do if I had let Tommy slip by me. Thinking of John brought him to mind and I saw him in my head, tall, that no-nonsense look in his face, and that clear voice that asked if I had been okay.

I had lied.

And I was sure that he hadn't believed me. He just glanced back to the road and promptly ignored me from then on. In the end I had fallen asleep, hadn't I?

So why wasn't I waking?

Were we attacked? Did something happen while I slept and was I brought back to the Clan? No. No no. Please no.

I couldn't breathe, my chest was hurting and the hallway seemed to loom in front of me. I tried to pinch myself awake but pinching myself seem to do nothing.

Then something clicked.

I froze.

Turned my gaze a little to the left and looked all the way towards the end of the hallway. The doorknob turned so slowly that if I hadn't been staring at it, I wouldn't have noticed. A low creaking sound came, painfully slow, and I watched as the door opened.

I held my breath, waiting, as the seconds tick by, one by one, until a voice called out from the depths of the door.

Lilith. The Mistress.

I knew it was her that called out for me. Only her voice sound both sweet and deadly. A chill went down my spine and I found myself walking towards the end of the hallway. Inwardly I screamed, trying to stop the pursuit, but my legs strolled on, a little oomph in my walk. It only took mere seconds to reach the opened door and I saw Lilith standing in the middle of her room.

Her long locks of golden hair curled around her body which was surprising dressed in a beautiful black dress where lace covered her arms and breast. Her violet eyes were bright and a little red, almost as though she had been crying, but I doubt that. Lips were red and pursed downwards, displeased.

Displeased with me.

I had stopped by the doorway and had been watching her, as she's been watching me. Something flashed through her eyes, too fast for me to see and she parted her lips.

"Why?"

A simple question and yet so complicated.

Was this real? I've never heard of dreams that felt so real. And yet, everything in me told me that this was really happening. Lilith was here in front of me, asking me questions. Asking me why, of all things.

"If you're real, you know why." I told her, still by the door, my heart still hammering against my chest, fear's voice telling me to run away, to get away from her. But I stood there, unable to move even if I wanted to.