New Dawn

Chapter 29 | The Abyss

The black dog wandered in a circle around the young woman. Her paws left a perfect, binding loop around her apprentice as images appeared around them. Enigmatic, blue light streamed from their corners as they pulsated with the force from other worlds.

"Focus", Juniper exhorted.

The beige fabric of the woman's garb wavered around her legs, the cool winds not enough to keep streams of sweat from traveling down her skin. Her eyelids were tightly pressed together, her head twitching from exertion as she channeled her inner visions.

"Your mind is but the extension of a branch. In order for it to grow, you must free your mind", her mentor spoke while she watched the images that had been obtained grow brighter around them. "Good."

The aurora's danced brightly through one image, its electrical particles leaping out of its glowing frame. It frizzled before it left a black mark upon the auric sand. Juniper flashed her teeth as one of them nearly burnt her paw.

"Perhaps less vividly", she snarled, "we don't want another rift on our hands."

The young woman clenched her fists as she tried to contain the power flowing through her. Steadily, and in a more controlled manor, images from the past began to appear before her eyes.

Juniper studied them curiously.

A young man, not much older than herself, often reappeared in her visions. The memories were often cold, filled with pain and torment.

There were, however, times when they vibrated with a strong, orange glow that filled her with warmth to the very core. The sensation was only obtained when he was with a girl with pink strands in her hair.

But there was also a great darkness tied to the girl, one which only grew as they aged. She was puzzled, for as the memories slowly faded they turned into dark clusters of strange energy. The emotion was strong, filled with passion - but also with grief and tragedy.

She couldn't help but to wonder what had happened. Nor did she know why she felt so drawn to the man's past, or why he always reoccurred in her visions.

Exhausted - she let go of the energy. As she fell to her knees the images dissolved, leaving only the sweeping sand dunes to accompany the desolate landscape. The sand felt cool beneath her hot skin, and when she looked up, she met Juniper's stern gaze.

"Who is he?" She asked under her breath.

It was not the first time that she had asked the question. Yet, she never received a satisfying answer.

"He's an echo from the past, a call from the future", the dog said and sat down in front of her, "you are bound by destiny."

The girl raised an eyebrow. She had never believed in destiny, but the word weighed heavy when spoken by the dog.

"It's only through practice that you will learn", Juniper snorted and got on her paws. "Keep going."

***

Later, as she lay gazing at the stars, her mind was occupied with the visions of the young man. She felt a strong connection to him, and she pondered if they really were tied by destiny. But there was something else that worried her, and it kept her laying awake. It was no more than a feeling, but it was a feeling that she couldn't place. She only knew that it made her terribly anxious.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, diving into the ever extending tree that was her mind. She followed the silver branch as it grew within her mind. She followed the feeling of torment and loss, as it was the strongest, and therefore shone the brightest.

The glow guided her through the dark, leading her to the source of the strong emotion. It appeared as a blue, pulsating aura. Slowly, she reached out a hand with the deep desire to touch whatever waited on the other side.
A jolt shot through her fingertips, and if it weren't for the strong worry that had overcome her, she might have let go. Electrified energy streamed through her arm, yet she was determined to push through to the other side.

Slowly, an image began to take form. The resistance was strong and the connection was weak. She had to focus all her power into maintaining it, yet she wasn't strong enough to hold it stable. Despite of knowing the risks, she preceded to establish a link between herself and the physical world.

Then, she stood eye to eye with the man from her visions.

Time had not served him well. The black raven cawed across his neck, his skin grey and tight over revealing bones. Still, his eyes burned brightly, holding the warm shade of amber.

At first, she thought that he was staring at her. That was until she realised that his gaze was fastened on something behind her. She turned around, finding herself staring down the barrel of a gun. She recognised the woman who held it from her visions, and she knew the cruel motives that drove her. With the desire to protect, she ripped the gun from her hands and threw it aside.

She screamed from the pain that bolted through her hand. Shadows approached, revealing vile creatures whispering in an ancient tongue. She knew the danger of upholding the link, yet she was unable to let go.

And when she turned around she understood why. The young man was staring at her, his eyes as wide as glass marbles. She didn't know how, but somehow he upheld the link between them. She hoped that he would let go before it was too late.

Charlie?

She heard the name spoken in her mind, the familiar voice echoing through her head. She needed to warn him, and so she whispered; "Run."

He blinked, and the image dissolved.

She sat upright, her fists filled with sand as she stared out into the desert. The red moon appeared larger than ever before, and she felt a strong wind blow through her hair.

The black dog watched her with narrow eyes.

"Look at the mess you made", she muttered.

A tear had appeared below the sky as if someone had cut a hole through a sheet. Bright light bled through from the other side as malignant energy pulsated through the rift.

"Shit."

"Shit indeed", Juniper sighed.

The ground shook beneath them as another sand dune was sent to its demise...