The Haunting: Destiny (FF)

Chapter 58

Armen's POV:

I'm not paying attention to where I run, branches brush my skin and make it itch as I keep wiping away tears and stumbling over branches. Finally, I reach an opening with leaves shading the ground, trees circle the area as burnt grass fades from the middle. Stopping, I feel my lungs burn as my throat threatens to close and send me to sleep. Catching big gulps of air I walk towards a wide tree and slide down the bark.

Sitting on the ground I look up at the sky, it's barely visible through the spotted leaves that blur and spin a headache pinches my mind as I look at something that's not there, at least I don't think anything's there.

"Stop crying..." I mutter, feeling the lukewarm tears run down my cheeks.

One final inhale helps settle my head and the world gets brighter. I don't know how far away I am, I don't know where I am, I don't... I don't understand why I'm here. My mind goes in circles as I try to figure out what happened or why I even reacted like that.

"I should go back, I should apologies." I claim, trying to stand up only for a spell of dizziness to force me to the ground, "Apologies for what? He's the one that caused all this shit..."

No he didn't, sure he did his fair deal of mean actions but he didn't get us captured, he didn't fail to save Luke, he didn't realise the truth until it was too late... wiping away my eyes one more time I look down at the ground, my left arm in the corner of my eye still in it's sling.

"If anything I probably take the cake for causing harm to other." I quietly chuckle, "That's why I should apologise, neither of us are in the right."

Resting my arm against the trunk I slowly stand up, taking deep breaths I keep the swelling throb in my head to a minimum. I look around for where I came from, a broken path in the grass show me the way... but I don't want to go back. It's stupid, I know I should I know what I did was wrong but I don't think it's worth going back yet, I'd probably just yell at him again and I'm sure Mia's going to be angry... I should still walk back but slowly, maybe that'll be enough time to cool off.

Then again, there's something in the corner of my eye and turning my attention towards it throws my head into a loop that quickly stops. It's familiar... shaking off the ideas I look back to my destination.
I take one step at a time, heading towards the grass when I hear rustling from above. Looking around I feel a chill run through my body. The rustling stops and a shallow breath blows behind my neck.

"You lied."

Jolting forward I spin around. The blur of black resolves to a detailed vision of a Nightmare, mouth spiked and fingers clawed whilst a cloak of black runs down the body revealing the boney shape of its body. The hood barely hides the skeletal face and it's dark eyes.

"I didn't, I just forgot" I respond not in English, though it sounds like it to me. They speak a different language that demons converse in and somehow I understand it like second nature.

"A poor excuse for a broken promise." Their voice isn't one, it's multiple combined but not in sync.

"Look, I was planning to free all of you-"

"You forgot us, you failed and when you remembered it was too late. So what will you do now?"

"I'm still going to keep my promise... it might take a while." I murmur the last part.

One memory I've relived a couple times now is the conversation I had with the victims of Hero's rampage. I was in a void with ribs that towered above me, on the floor was white and grey, cracks near the pillars. Between the ribs and the opening above me was a blue and purple void, dull stars littered it but threatened to go out. Surrounding me was the souls I... he killed, sadness, anger and hope was in their eyes as they talked with me.

I don't remember their words but I remember the promise, the same one I forgot but at least I know now, I'll keep it fresh in my mind until it's complete.

"We are stuck once again. Voiceless beasts that do his bidding, you have to free us once he's gone for we roam the lands whilst he sleeps, soldiers waiting for orders that never spell peace."

"I know... you were killed by him and I swear I'll free your souls. I remember the spell I remember the requirements but you know I can't free you now, I don't have the mana, I don't have the materials. I remember now so please can you just trust me to get it done when I can?"

They shake their head.

"Who are you to speak of trust when you'll happily discard your friends based on sporadic emotions dictated by your confused mind. How could we trust the word of a child?"

"I'm not a child-"

"Then stop acting like one."

The Nightmare towers above me, their shadow runs down my spine as their ragged cloak cuts against me. It's like my voice left me as my attempt to talk back fails.

"We wish for freedom we wish for release but if hate and anguish cloud your mind our souls shall forever stay intertwined. "

"What do you mean?"

"Magic is part of the soul as the soul is part of the heart. If one of them is tainted then it all will fall apart."

My eyes stare in fear as I have to keep reminding myself to breath, all I can hear is their words yet their quiet tone rings in my ears like an explosion. They're angry, it's justified, I shouldn't shy away from their fury... but I can't help but back away as they inch forward. 

"Rid yourself of demons for only then shall you be free."

I'm about to say I'm already free when I remember my dreams and how they're never a true reconstruction of the events that occour. After leaving hell, sure I didn't remember much of... well anything, but I felt free and so happy to just see green... but now as time's gone on and things have gotten worse, with each memory that returns I've come to realisation I've never truly been free.

Blinking a couple times I realise the Nightmare is no longer here, the looming shadow has vanished and the sun is still high in the sky.

"Demon or no demon, I'm not breaking my promise. I'm not going to give up and I will set them free." A spark of determination rises through me.

I've got a goal, I've got an end destination and I shall get there... but I'm not able to do it alone, I know little to nothing about how this world works and if on my own people would probably try to attack me and I doubt the Nightmares will save me a second time. I need Grayson and Mia. I need their friendship and yet all I've done is create a bigger rift between us...

"Alright Armen, you're gonna go back, apologies and then the three of you will... oh I don't know but we'll figure out a way of getting Drake back... I'm sure of it."

Taking one deep breath, I am finally ready to back. I take a look into the thick forest in front of me, the yellowing trees quickly change into towering trunks and bluer grass that makes the surroundings merge together.

"This is going take a while..."