The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 64

Suddenly there was something new in the shadows. At the end of her, where her soul seemed to already have left the edges of her body, there was something else filling up the emptiness. The Dark Prince, it had to be. He was trying to possess her, and he was quite close to succeeding.

Hailey pushed back with all the strength left inside her. It burned for her soul to be in contact with the demonic essence ― for he had only a void where a soul should be ― but it was the only way. She would rather be burned than consumed by the flames.

He was so much stronger, and she almost gave up. Why would she even try to stop the demon if it was hopeless anyway? Why would she mind? She'd already suspected for a while that she most likely wasn't ever going to get home safe. What was the point of living now only to die later? Something at the back of her mind told her this was the demon's doing, that these thoughts didn't belong to her. She didn't believe that voice, even though it sounded like her own. She felt numb and then all feelings started to leave her altogether. It would be painless ― at least she hoped ― and she would never have to feel any other pain again.

But the people you love will!

It wasn't until Hailey heard someone scream this at her that she found some strength again. First, she strongly believed the voice was Ash's but then she realized it came from inside her head. It was coming from inside the demon. From that light she had seen in the demon's soulless eyes. It was the person that had asked her for help. The person who was least likely to have any sort of strength at all managed to give Hailey the hope she needed to go on even if it might mean sacrificing the last of his own strength.

Again, the demon laughed but it was much less confident. He knew what happened, of course he did, because he was right in the middle, but he didn't know what it would mean for him.

Hailey wasn't so sure either, but she knew one thing and that was that she wasn't just going to die. There was new strength to beat the demon. She focused on pulling the knife out, if she could do that, she would be free of him. She was still shaking though, and the demon's physical force was so much more powerful than hers that it was like an ant trying to fight off an elephant. Mentally however, there was a chance to overpower him. She could feel now, with the help of the mortal hidden within the demon, that she had more strength than she could've imagined. More than the Dark Prince.

Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her toes. Its presence reassured her, but the speed made her fear that she could still die if the thing exploded. Hailey had no choice but to ignore the rhythmic thumping that she could feel in every crevice of her body. The beating of her heart seemed to be painful to the demon, who probably had no heart himself and the boy's heart hadn't beaten in a long time, the demon's blood had poisoned it through and through. And yet the boy was still alive.

Hailey had to do this. She had to win.

The daggers moved, if only slightly but Hailey couldn't figure out whether the movement was outwards or further into the flesh. Either way it meant she still had the power she needed. The demon wasn't smiling anymore; he knew he had to be fast if he wanted to possess her.

She tried to conjure power up from something inside herself. She wasn't sure what exactly there was, but she could feel the presence of something strong. It felt like a core of light. Then there was a voice she had never heard before. A voice she recognized but at the same time didn't understand.

You can do this, Hailey, you can, said her guardian angel. It held so much power, more than enough for Hailey to push through. Every word strengthened her in a way she had never felt in her life.

But then Hailey thought this wasn't completely true. There had been one moment before that had given her similar strength like this. It wasn't quite a memory, more a sense of something from very long ago. There was a face bound to it, but she never could make out its features.

Until now.

She knew who the face belonged to and wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. Even though Hailey had only seen the face a couple times previously she knew exactly the person it belonged to as if she was as familiar with the face as with her own.

Despite of all the emotions that now filled her up she forced herself to concentrate. This was no time for opposition. Even if she had always distanced herself from this person before. She ignored her instincts and let the strength and the light of the voice consume her.

The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was the demon's eyes, full of fear, and the boy inside him, smiling. Then she only saw her own mind. It was empty now, except for the sense of light that seemed to emit from her heart.

The daggers moved very slowly but they moved outwards. Every millimeter took a minute at the very least. Hailey didn't mind, she knew the demon couldn't stop her now and she knew she had won. This would all be over soon. She would be completely free of him.

Just a dozen minutes left...

Half a dozen now...

A few more...

Just a few seconds...

And the daggers were...

Hailey opened her eyes to see her hands fly away from the demon and at the same time see the demon's hands fly towards her. He had a dagger of his own and his was more like the size of a short sword. There was nothing she could do about it, nothing to stop it.

It went right through her as if she was made out of water. She heard a scream but was sure it wasn't her own. She didn't feel any pain. Then everything was gone.

Even the sense of light had left her. She was swimming in an endless stream of oblivion. There were no shores, there was no darkness and there was no light. There was only her stream that carried her lifeless body onwards.