The Final Hope: Awakening

Chapter Nine

Alive, I stood dumbfounded in a scene of carnage. How is it possible for me to be alive? I was at the heart of the explosion. Looking around, there was dust everywhere, blocking my vision. As the dust cleared, the answer was revealed. Standing in the exact same spot was the draith. He had raised a transparent shield around us. Still, we should have died since I was holding the crystal. Even if he had created a shield, the crystal should have fallen inside as well.

I tried to see what happened to the crystal. It wasn't there anymore- and neither was my right arm.

It was gone!

In its place was exposed muscles and bones bathed in a red liquid. My blood. Spewing out of my body. I didn't realize it before but pain now shot through my entire body as I dropped to my knees in agony- I was going to die! But the bleeding stopped. The skin around my shoulder started growing, patching up the hole, causing the pain the stop.

Stupefied, I stared at my shoulder. What the hell? That shouldn't have been possible, it wasn't natural. My head turned towards the draith. It was him, he had stopped my attack, retracted the shield and closed my wound as if it was nothing. He was truly a monster.

"Take care of them," he ordered; and then vanished. Just like that, he was gone. Without him, I could see the ruins. The magnificent building which had once been a home to me, which had protected me and saved me, was now reduced to waste. All around me was rubble, pieces of furniture, building materials and utter destruction.

I could not believe that our home had transformed into this. It had disappeared in a moment. All the memories, all the time I spent in that house, it was all gone. Just like all the other places in the apocalyptic world. And it was all my fault

Nothing had worked out the way I planned. I had underestimated the draiths too much. He protected us from an explosion of this magnitude without even breaking a sweat; he was not something I could beat. Everything was over the moment he appeared. I had tried to put up a fight but it was useless. I was too weak.

No, you're not, whispered a voice. Come to me, find me, take me. I did not know where the voice was coming from, but my body had begun moving in response automatically. Like a sailor drawn to the sirens' music, it was hopeless for me to resist. I didn't want to resist.

Yes, that's right. Come. Come closer. Closer. I am your hope. I am your salvation. I was walking over the rubble as if it was nothing. Only a moment ago I had been traumatized by what had happened to the building and everything else but now I didn't care. I just wanted to find the voice. I needed to find the voice.

Here I am. Take me. Take me with you. It was coming from a book. It was a book I recognised from the hidden room, probably the only one that survived. Demonic magic. That was its title. For a moment I stood there, startled. How did this book manage to survive in perfect condition? And what did it have to do with demons?

I didn't want to take it; I didn't want to get involved in any of this any more. But I didn't have a choice. My body moved on its own. I bent over, reached out and took the book with my remaining hand.

Yes, I belong to you. Keep me with you. I am yours and yours alone. I didn't want to believe it- was the book, talking to me? How was that even possible? However, even if it didn't make any sense, I knew that the voice was coming from the book. I knew that I had to keep it safe.

As soon as I thought that, the book disappeared. Maybe I should have worried; it was supposed to be my salvation. Yet, I somehow knew that it was safe; that it would answer me whenever I called. It was on my side.