The Burden of Destiny | Sequel to The Aura Within

15 | Puppet Master

The melodious singing became dominant, pulling Levi even more rooted in his trance. He felt as though he had been walking for miles just to see her again. Why waste the effort for that backstabbing wench? He didn't even know it himself. His body simply started moving all on its own, and he couldn't gain back control.

Eventually, Levi spotted a familiar head of strawberry blonde up ahead. Her voice was just as beautiful as he remembered. The singing suddenly came to a stop. She stood with her back facing him, but she was well aware of his presence. The moment she turned around, and his eyes met with her green eyes, his heart stopped.

"Alma..." he breathed out.

This couldn't be real. None of it made sense. The last time he saw her, she had escaped the region along with her corrupted father. And yet, here she stood like a nightmare disguised as a daydream.

A daydream in the form of an illusion. A poisonous flower that almost led to his destruction.

When he emerged from the thick fog that clouded the dirt path, Levi arrived at the infamous cemetery that led to the disappearances of many people. The trees around the woods were dark, almost black, with no leaves growing out of them. Chipped iron and rusty chains surrounded the cemetery except for the entrance. The broken pieces suggested that someone had broken into it, opening a gateway for people to enter another world the moment they enter.

Perched on the tallest tombstone of Infernus Cemetery was a hooded woman. On the palm of her hand was an active rune that powered her spell that lured innocent souls into her trap. A sinister smile was plastered on her lips as the auburn-haired man drew closer. She found it quite amusing that people were always falling for her illusions. By the time they realize what's going on, it's too late. All because they decided to take one more step.

"Come closer, my dear," her sultry voice beckoned him. "It's time for you to go to paradise."

The rune engraved on the ground glowed and dimmed the closer Levi got. Once he stepped foot into that rune, it would all be over for him; he'd forever stay in that beautiful illusion for all of eternity. Just the thought of his demise evoked a delighted series of giggles from the culprit. Her smile grew as he was only less than seven steps away from becoming a walking corpse.

Five, four, three, two--

"Get away from him, you witch!"

The woman let out a gasp before jumping off of the tombstone, causing her spell to deactivate. Chunks of stone collapsed onto the ground after two Shadow Ball attacks blasted it. Her lips curled back into a displeased scowl. Whoever interfered would certainly not come out of this alive.

In Levi's eyes, he saw Alma smiling sweetly at him. That smile had caused a lot of trouble for him in the past. She reached out a hand for him to take. However, before he could get one step closer to her, something within him snapped. Everything around him changed, and Alma was no longer there.

Levi blinked in confusion. His back was against the ground, and he was looking up at the indigo sky. Had he fallen asleep without realizing it? It's the only way any of what he saw moments ago made sense. Either way, he managed to snap out of it somehow.

"Thank goodness you're alright."

The auburn-haired man looked over to his right. Hope was kneeling next to him, her forehead wrinkled with worry. Seeing that he was physically unharmed eased her up a bit, letting a relieved smile grace her lips.

"What happened?" Levi asked as he sat up.

Hope instantly frowned. "You were about to step on a rune that was ready to extract the aura out of you! I managed to get you out of the way before Espeon and Riolu attacked the culprit and deactivated the spell."