Halls of Splintered Souls (Wandering Souls #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

I did what I hoped was the right thing. I took Baekhyun's offer of running away. And I was betting on the idea that the Dark One wouldn't kill Ayn as soon as he found out Baekhyun had let me go.

I was running towards the school. Not long after Baekhyun left, an idea popped inside my head. My energy was slowly returning, so I might be able to perform a spell. If the power inside me was truly as strong as the Dark One claimed, then this might actually work.

The Dark One said his powers were sourced from the splintered souls. I have the ability to cross to the plane where all those souls were. If I could get all of those souls in the same place...

I stopped as I arrived at the front of the school. Closing my eyes, I channeled my own soul. I pictured all those other souls, trapped in here for years, centuries even. I've seen the white light before... maybe... maybe I could help them get to the afterlife. That way, the Dark One will lose the source of his power.

I recited the spell to get to the plane of the spirits. I closed my eyes as I called upon those souls with my own.

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer alone. In front of me stood hundreds of people. I gasped, half expecting that it would not work. But it did. I just hoped the next part would work too.

"You..." I tried, but felt my eyes well up with tears. "All of you have died because of the Dark One."

The crowd of souls stood silently as I scanned their faces. I wondered how it felt like to be in their position. It must have been so long since they saw another person. To be so alone for such a long time... how awful was that?

"Kenji? Padma?" I called out.

From the crowd, Kenji emerged with another boy. As he waved, I noticed that it was the boy from the lake. He must be one of Baekhyun's victims too. I waited a few more seconds, but there were no signs of Padma. I felt sick as I remembered her body, head snapped by the hands I thought to be the gentlest. All those times he played the piano...

I began to explain to the souls what I meant to do. "I know that the Dark One is using your powers as his own. He will keep doing so as long as he gets to keep you here. So, I'm going to help you cross to the afterlife. I will be your guide."

I knew the risk of doing this. The white light would call me to it. It was hard enough for me to look away the first time... if I were to guide these souls there, the temptation would be even greater. But it might be the only chance to save Ayn, to save the world from the Dark One, and maybe save Baekhyun... somehow.

"How would you do that?" the boy next to Kenji asked.

"I've seen the light before, I could bring you all until you see the light," I replied.

"Thank you, Aya," Kenji smiled.

Hearing Kenji and seeing the souls nod in response, I pulled at the seams of the planes until we arrive at the dark expanse. Turning around, I finally see the white light.

"Go straight to the light," I told the souls.

The souls slowly entered the opening of the tunnel. There were so many of them. To think that even this many conjurors combined weren't as strong as the power in my veins... how strong was I actually capable of being?

I resisted the urge to follow and tried to locate Kenji instead. When I did, he spoke to me.

"You're one hell of a conjuror, Aya," he told me, smiling sincerely, "it's a shame that I have to go now. I would have loved to get to know you better."

"I would, too." I smiled sadly. "And Baekhyun-"

The boy next to him cut me off. "He made his choices long ago. I hope he'd change... but I saw what he did in the forest. He's too far gone."

"Clement's right, I hope you kick his ass." Kenji gave me a thumbs up, then walked towards the light with Clement, waving goodbye. "In another life, Aya, perhaps we'll meet again."

I did not look at them as the last of the souls enter.

***

When I woke up, it wasn't night. I wasn't even outside. I was once again in the infirmary. It took me awhile to remember what had happened. When I finally did, I sat up quickly.

"Ayn!" I shouted.

It was then that I realized someone was sat on a chair, sleeping with their head on my bed. I sighed in relief. Ayn was safe.

But... what had happened? Did it work...? And what about Adrien? The Dark One? Professor Cain? And... Baekhyun?

I shook her awake. "Ayn? Ayn, hey?"

"Aya!" Ayn exclaimed as she saw me awake.

"What happened?" I asked her.

Ayn broke down as soon as she heard my question. She was crying so hard. It's been awhile since I saw her like that.

I held her hand tightly to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay."

"They're... they're all gone, Aya. I... I'm so tired," she sobbed.

They're all... gone?

Ayn continued her explanation as she tried to regain her composure. "You saw me lose consciousness, didn't you?"

That's right, I did. "Yes."

"When I opened my eyes, they were all dead. I don't know what happened. I thought you were dead, too. I... I used my magic to get rid of the bodies. I was so scared when I saw you unconscious in front of the school. When I realized you were alive, I charmed the teachers so they'd think you just got hexed. And I had to erase everyone's memory of Professor Cain and Adrien. And..." She cried harder, and I realized I was crying too. "I truly mean everyone. As in, anyone in the whole world who had ever known or seen them."

"You were able to perform that much magic?" I asked her, surprised.

She nodded, laughing bitterly. "That much power... and I had to use it for something so painful."

I cried on her shoulder. It must have been painful for her. Erasing the memory of someone close to her until only the two of us remembered him... that wasn't an easy task.

And Baekhyun, I didn't even say goodbye...

...but did he deserve my goodbye?

I held Ayn's hand even tighter, setting aside my sadness for another day. I will mourn later. Right now, I have only the gratefulness that at least... at least now we were safe.