[Music Recommendation: Paint It Black by Sebastian Böhm]
Madeline kept walking alongside Osvaldo who quietly led her down the lonely path where they would be safe. But just in case they were being followed, Osvaldo suggested they take the path that would lead them away from the people living around, whilst to ensure their safety.
Inna had joined them in escaping when Elian covered up for her so his brother wouldn’t trace their path. Just like Abbot had told them, she failed to grasp the meaning behind his words, unaware of the deadly creature that presently used his body as a vessel. But... How did it all happen? Since when did Abbot make such a commitment to the darkness??? She couldn’t say Abbot was a saint, he was never good to them, but when did it get this bad??
"Inna." Madeline, who looked relieved to see Inna heading her way, unharmed, hugged her quickly. Both of them were already tired and out of breath from all the running, but Inna’s worried gaze looked behind her, as if hoping to see the three men show up, but when she saw nothing, she realized how dire their situation had turned out in the end. But everything was going so fine, how did it all change in a matter of seconds??
"We can’t leave them behind." Inna finally found the energy to speak, whilst pointing at the direction she took. "We... we can’t leave them, they’ll die if we do, and it will be cruel of us to abandon them."
"Everything will be fine." Madeline, who wasn’t even sure of her own words, tried to assure Inna. "They’ll be fine, they’re just buying us some time so I can make the barrier spell. Listen, I know the steps, I just have to try harder and we’ll save all of them, okay?" She pleaded softly, hoping Inna would understand how difficult it was for her to even agree to this.
Madeline didn’t want to be the only one carrying this hope in her heart, she was also in desperate need of this assurance, but when Inna took a deep breath to regain her senses, she nodded her head, irrespective of the negative thoughts trying to cloud her mind. "You.... You’re right, they’ll be fine. I strongly believe you can do this."
"Thank you."
"Are you ladies done? We need to take our leave now." Osvaldo’s voice made them turn around to look at him, and he had made another swirling portal that was big enough to fit them.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"This portal will lead us to the high mountains," Osvaldo quickly explained. "It’s where the main heart of Whitebrige connecting with Carmarthen lies. I’ll explain the process to you when we get there. Come, quickly."
Urging them to go inside, Inna and Madeline quickly went through the portal. The least they could do is direct the attention of every darkness from the people of Whitebridge, and they didn’t need location to know where the heart of Whitebrige and Carmarthen were connected. They were coming, and the dark clouds above proved it.
With Osvaldo being the last to step into the portal, it closed behind them. The swift energy that came with passing through a portal was quite draining. Feeling her bare feet touch the flat solid ground, Madeline knew they had showed up at who knows where?
Opening her eyes, Madeline found herself standing on a jagged mountain. Cold, whipping winds made her hair dance around as she looked around in awe. The sky above was mottled in dark clouds, with signs of lightning streaks. The sight had left her mortified, she took a step back only to bump into Inna who moved forward.
"Inna."
"I’m fine." She assured Madeline before letting her gaze shift to study their environment.
Inna stood beside Madeline whilst surveying the area as she brought out one of the guns Elian made her carry with her. The stone ground was flat, and many rocks surrounded the place. There was a specific hill that stood high, nearly reaching the clouds, and Inna brought Madeline’s attention towards it.
"Maddie, I think you need to go there." She pointed at the hill mountain. "I feel a strange energy coming from there. Don’t you feel it too?"
Nodding her head, Madeline took a step forward headed towards the hill, but she immediately stopped in her tracks when a ghostly apparition appeared from behind one of the rocks and crags. They were twisted and nightmarish, with sharp claws and horns protruding from their head.
A startled gasp left her lips as she involuntarily stopped in her tracks.
Some of them had glowing eyes, and the monstrous sight led Madeline to take a step back. Her heart raced when she locked gazes with the apparition, even Inna had frozen when the giant creature towered in front of Madeline.
Panicking, Madeline took more steps back. The ghostly apparition noticed her movements and began to advance menacingly, its unearthly cries echoing around the mountain peaks.
Bracing herself for the hit, Madeline closed her eyes and looked away, but what she heard instead was the loud sound of a fired gun. Opening her eyes, Osvaldo was standing in front of her, and she took notice of the strange white energy that shot from his palm, disintegrating the apparition into nothingness.
The gunshot she heard earlier was Inna who had shot another apparition that advanced towards her.
"I guess we showed up late." Osvaldo muttered, his gaze flitting to the towering hill.
"You need to get inside." Osvaldo uttered sharply, turning to look at Madeline who just finished recovering from her shock. "Monica will guide you once you get up there. I’ll cover you."
"Uhm..... guys." Inna nearly lost her voice when she tried to gain their attention. Looking in the direction where her horrific gaze was fixed. Hundreds, No! Thousands of ghostly apparition descended from behind a rock, and Abbot stood in front of them, leading his ghostly soldiers and blocking the entrance to the hill.
"Surprise."
"How are you...??"