Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 13-7

My gaze fell on a shelf, the highest of the furniture near the television screen. I went to get a stool and managed to find a little white box with a key drawn on it. When I opened it, I discovered a pile keys. I quickly found one more atypical than the others. I didn't take the time to close the box or put the stool back in its place. I went upstairs to my room at a run to put on sneakers. Once I had them on my feet, I rushed down the stairs and ran again to the front door, with Maria Callas pursuing me.

The Mustang started immediately, and my heart was in my throat the whole time. With the steering wheel in one hand, I searched with the other hand for my phone in my bag. In the rush, I dropped it on the floor. It was impossible for me to lower my head for a second and take my eyes off the road to pick it up. Several times, the car seemed to slip on the water, but it didn't make me slow down.

It was on the edge of the forest road that I took the trouble to moderate my driving. The vehicle struggled through the muddy ground. The charm of the place had suddenly disappeared. There was a terrifying, almost apocalyptic atmosphere. The thunder rumbled, with the impression that the sky was going to tear. I had to hurry to get the Callis to safety. Parked as close as possible to the entrance, I got out of the car without being able to protect myself from the heavy rain. I had my phone back and I was holding it tightly in my hand. Soaked from head to toe, I opened the mansion hatch, water dripping on my face. I felt like I weighed a ton, with my clothes sticking to my skin because of the rain. I tackled the stone stairs, first by taking them in pairs and then four at a time. Once inside, I pressed the switch to see more clearly. All the floors lit up at the same time. I noticed, frightened, that the Callas was also resonating everywhere in this place, with its unique acoustics.

I put my head in my hands. This wasn't fate. I was being played. What message did it want to send me? The Callis was kept in William's room. Before going upstairs, I took a sneak peek at my cell phone. An icy shiver coursed through my body. Eighteen missed calls from Faïz. My pulse didn't calm down. A bad feeling was running down my spine. The network only reached the top floor. I ran with all my strength up the stairs, without stopping or slowing down. I arrived at the end of my run without any more breath in my lungs. From here, I could only slightly perceive the songs of the diva. I dragged myself, head against the wall, to William's room. I could hardly stand, stunned by pain. I entered with difficulty. My eyes immediately landed on the desk, and the Callis was enthroned there. It sparkled faintly, like a flame about to be extinguished. My hands shaking, I began to dial Faïz's number on my phone when a whisper, in a voice I recognized, came to me from a dark corner of the room.

— "How good it is to see you again, Zoe!"

I froze, terrified.

— "That's...impossible. You can't...this place is sacred. The forces of evil cannot penetrate these walls."

I heard his footsteps, in his huge boots, advancing towards me. A sound of heavy chains scraped the floor. He appeared in a weak halo of light that illuminated the room. The Maestro, in his omnipotence, had just violated this sanctuary. His imposing and demonic build made him chimeric. It was difficult to stare down this deformed face, made of bits of flesh and crusts in some places. His eyes plunged us into endless darkness. At the end of the chains, his colossal black dog was impatiently waiting to throw himself at me. A terrible growl from it startled me. The beast, with prominent gums and rolled-up lips, showed sharp fangs. This thing and its master, motivated by hatred and destruction, seemed to enjoy a position of strength. The Maestro sneered.

— "But Zoe, I was invited."

His tone, impossible to describe, gave me a chill. That voice was anything but human.

— "You can't do anything against me. It's just you and me here, and I know for a fact that you can't touch me. You are only an insubstantial appearance."

His filthy hound started barking while trying to free himself from his chains. I backed away reflexively. The Maestro held him back by slamming the chains on the floor in a loud boom.

— "You have a good repartee, yet I can feel your fear sweating through every pore of your skin from here. Saturday night's little party was greatly appreciated by one of my little soldiers. He opened the door for me."

— "I came to get the Callis. I don't intend to leave without it. Your tomb, in the Nevada Desert, is about to be found. You will soon leave this world forever. I'll see to it."

His beast was doing nervous tricks in front of me, waiting to free himself. My pulse was ringing in my head, ready to explode.

— "You and I are alike," he added.

— "No! " I said.

— "Do you ever pray, Zoe? Do you believe in God? That's what I thought. You only believe in evil, since you see me. Why believe in the one who abandoned you? See, we're the same. Darkness is always easier to perceive, but you have your free will, like everyone else on earth. Nevertheless, humans fascinate me. They are able to destroy their fellows for so few reasons, to generate monsters, if we take the example of Leviathans. The hunting here on earth is delicious. It's an incredible playground."

— "Weakness is not part of me. If I believe in evil, then I necessarily believe in good, and things beyond my mystical belief."

— "Then you will need a lot of will and heart to forgive your God!"

— "To forgive him? For what?"

— "I'll tell you what's going to happen."

The Maestro paused for a moment and walked towards me, dragging his boots on the floor.

— "In a moment," he continued, "you will receive a call from the one who has been looking for me for so many years. Then you will have to make the choice to leave the Callis in its place, because a race against death will begin. You will begin to beg the eternal with all your strength, for it is always in the greatest distress that you implore his help, ready to give him your soul, if he fulfills your wish. Unfortunately, it is often too late."