Once upon a Midnight | BOOK I

Twenty-five

I sighed. I had no idea where I was, other than the fact that I was underneath Blackstone school of sorcery. The darkness I was plunged into was like an eternity, never ending. It stretched far around me, enveloping my surroundings in total darkness. I considered my choices. I could either create a source of light and risk attracting whatever might be in the darkness with me, or I could just use my shadow eye. I first reached out to my magick and summoned my sword; Fury. I would feel safer with it. But nothing happened. It was as if I'd been blocked out from everything above me. It wasn't until I used my shadow eye that I understood why I couldn't reach the magick above me. The entire walls of the cave were made of blackstone.

The single element that could nullify magick was all around me. The walls smoothly curved to the floor, and the walls above arched tens of feet up to giant stalactites from the shadows above. I wondered how deep down beneath the castle I was. I decided to start moving around. I wasn't going to find the rosary by lazying around. My mind became plagued with all Sofie said. Now that I knew I was the blood of darkness, I had a feeling that there was more to my recurring nightmare. More than Mum and everyone around me were refusing to tell me.

The temperature dropped as I proceeded into the massive underground chamber, sending a violent chill down my spine. I had no idea where I was going, but I would feel a compulsion to turn right and left on several occasions. It was as if I was being pulled towards something. My only companion through the dank chamber was Midnight, and the only sounds I could hear were the echoes of my footsteps, the slow drip of water hitting the ground from the roof, and the occasional arguments with Morgana. I wasn't sure how long I kept moving, but it was long. I stopped a while to rest and bond my hair, silently cursing Sofie, before I continued, allowing the darkness to guide me through the dark chamber.

A sigh of relieve escaped my lips as the sounds of water dripping on ground changed into the sound of water dripping on water. I hadn't realised how thirsty I was until I found myself quickening my my pace and following the sound. The sound led me to a wide chamber where I saw something almost gleaming ahead of me. On closer look, I realised that it wasn't giving out light, it was reflecting it. A huge pool of water reflecting golden sun rays around it. I couldn't believe how much time had passed. Far above the lake was an open circle which allowed light to pass through. The sun was already up, and I realised that I was inside the well all along.

I dipped my hand in the water and drank. A wave of refreshment hit me and I decided to take in my surroundings. The floor was damp, and jagged teeth of rocks shot out of the ground in various places. I would've very much appreciated it if Sofie had just directly teleported me here, or perhaps at the opening of the well above me. The sense of attraction was stronger now, and it came from inside the water. I guessed it could be the rosary attracting the celestial magic within me. I tried to read the magickal current to confirm, but I couldn't. The blackstone below the water wasn't allowing my magick senses to scan the lake. I decided to go get the rosary.

But I still had to prepare for everything. If I witnessed any disturbance down there, I needed a quick way out. "Any ideas on an escape plan if things go to shite?" I turned to Midnight.

Meow!

I thought about it for a second. "That makes sense. The moment I call out to you, you pull me out, is that understood?" I smiled at the cat's response. "Okay then. That's settled," I said as I began to pull off my black jeans.

I kept my white T-shirt on and pulled off my flip-flops  I checked myself out a little, observing the beauty of my navy blue underwear and my gorgeous behind. I trailed my hands over my laps and hoped my curves would live to see another day. With my jeans neatly folded and my flip-flops beside it, I started walking towards the lake. My feet felt the dampness of the floor, and as I reached the edge of the lake, I took a deep breath before diving into the lake. Swimming wasn't new to me. We had a pool back home in Chichester that I and my brother would constantly play around in. But I had to hope I could hold my breath long enough.