Astrid is an artist who creates incredible masterpieces inspired by her dreams and visions from her vivid imagination. But lacking memories of her life before one ominous day in a forest, has caused her to live a disconnected life.
Only when she en...
Feet pounding, heart racing, thoughts swimming in deep darkness.
Pugnum ran from the Slànacus house. He was angry that he even saw fit to step foot in that place. The betrayal he felt deep, deep down was unfathomable. He could hear a faint voice calling his name in the distance, but there was no way that he was going to turn back. He just let his feet fly.
Suddenly the scorching pain in his calves and the nausea that punched his stomach caused him to slow down and collapse onto his knees. He fought his fighting body to get the breath back into his overworked lungs. Anger seethed through his veins and he struck the sharp, stony ground with a knuckle breaking fist. Fury's venom seeped through the gaps of his clenched teeth in every rasping breath.
"Pugnum," a deep growl uttered his name. The sound rumbled through his head like an avalanche of heavy boulders.
Still crouched on the jagged rocky earth, Pugnum saw the edge of a black cloak sweeping the ground before him. The darkness of the rippling material clawed at Pugnum's mind. It seemed to be the embodiment of fear itself. He curled into a ball and hid his face - scared for his life.
"Look at me!"
Pugnum was frozen, he dared not move, he dared not speak.
"LOOK AT ME!" The already booming voice, increased in volume and Pugnum could feel his whole world tremble.
He lifted his heavy head and let his eyes scan the mysterious cloaked figure that towered over him. His gaze rested on where there should've been a head, but what he saw instead was a crumbling porcelain mask, suspended impossibly over deep darkness. The permanent expression etched into this ancient face was one of utter disdain.
Black smoke twisted out of the eye holes of the mask and slithered down towards Pugnum like two coiling snakes. Pugnum, petrified, sat still and received the smoke- letting it enter his brain through his nostrils, eyes and ears. The excruciating pain he felt made his mouth stretch wide in a choked, inaudible scream.
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Pugnum fell like a ragdoll into a black, unworldly prison. Landing onto an unforgiving surface. He lifted his aching body, using the strength of his good hand, and took a glance at his surroundings. He was not able to see any walls through the shadows and purple smoke. Vertigo plagued his senses and he couldn't work out which way was up or down.
He felt around the cold surface that caught him and shakily got to his feet. He turned this way and that and he could see no way out. The purple smoke surrounded him in blinding clouds and he felt that he may suffocate.
"Where am I?" he choked out, fear making what little sound he could make tremble.
"Pugnum Draoicis-Lus, " a rumbling voice took over the air. Out stepped the cloaked figure, but this time he looked like a solid man, the porcelain face was whole again, no longer crumbling and flaking away. It also was no longer a mask, Pugnum discovered, but a face of flesh and bone.
