Renaissance

XI

Heph's P.O.V.

"Oh dear god," I don't even realize that the phrase is pouring out from my mouth like a wavering waterfall of disbelief. I hear Donnie and Eterna trying to get my attention behind me, faintly feeling their hands tugging at the sleeves of my sweater but I can't look away. The runes pound through my head, physically making me wince each time; it gets faster, and faster, and suddenly I'm on the floor against the wall sobbing my eyes out. Those goddamn eyes gouging holes in my head.

Donnie's at the window I had just teleported from, bo-staff in hand as he tenses. Eterna's got my hands in hers and she's trying to get me to breath just like old times.

Why does it hurt so much when he looks at me? It's only him, only the Harbinger whose eyes I notice. I can feel them through the goddamn wall; I can barely breathe anymore. I choke each time I try to take a deep breath on stale air and the stench of dirt. I'm gripping onto Eterna's hand so tightly, tiny pale indents are left in her skin from my nails. She pulls her hand away to hug me but her attempts–actions that have put me at ease so many times before–fail to calm me.

"Let me call the guys; maybe, uh, maybe they can help." Donnie's already got his phone to his ear, stepping away from the window to pace the hall. I feel relief briefly, letting out a relieved squeak of breath as my lungs greedily suck air in.

The air freezes. I swear. It's so cold both me and Eterna jump up from the floor and Donnie curses from the hall, fumbling with his phone as he rejoins us. He looks up at us, glancing between me and Eterna as he's about to say something.

A crooked hand smashes through the glass of the front door, and this is where all hell breaks loose. Or so I thought.

Eterna grabs my hand, poised to run but something keeps my feet from moving with her. The door flies off its hinges, smashing into the soda machine with the fury of a thousand angry bees. I gulp, sucking in a sharp breath at their lop-sided, limping gait. The Harbinger, flanked by two other Hollows, slowly lower themselves into crouched positions. It's unnerving how in sync they move.

It's deadly quiet. No one moves, not even the beady-eyed rat perched on one of the Hollow's shoulders.

"What the FUCK?!" Thank you, Eterna, that was extremely unnecessary. They all look in our direction, three literal skulls snapping to look at us with fluorescent white eyes. The Harbinger's gaze stings. As if Eterna was the gunshot signaling the start of a race, the menagerie start towards us, scrambling on all fours.
"Donnie, run!" We both have to shove him into the kitchen to get him going, sliding around prep tables and the sharp corners of badly placed water fountains. I feel pain explode through my hip as the edge tears through my jeans. I can't stop to baby it now.

I hear the Hollows right on our tails, the skulls tied around their necks with dirty, frayed twine jangle in mocking cacophonies of hollow on hollow. No pun intended. We explode out of the restaurant from the back, sliding through rain puddles as we nearly collide with the wall opposite the door. We're left in shocked silence as we stare at the swinging door, heaving with short breaths as me and Donnie stare at the empty space.

I look at Donnie and his face pales drastically.

Eterna.

It feels like all the blood has been drained from my body as I wobble towards the door, peering inside to an empty kitchen.
"Eterna?! Oh god, ETERNA!" I run back in, my legs carrying me past the prep tables, past the dishwasher; I'm throwing the door open to the bathroom, the back office; Oh my god, they have Eterna. What the hell am I going to do? I can't, I don't, I---What do I do? I run my fingers through my hair, pulling on strands as I mumble under my breath and nearly send myself careening into Donnie. He looks distressed, there's lines in his face that should not be there. Exhausted lines. I feel myself wilt.