The Creatures Series

Ninth Mist

Ninth MistCreatures of the Mist

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##### Ninth Mist #####

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In the depths of mist, a lost soul is waiting to be awakened. It's bound to bring disaster. It's bound to bind destruction. But a new pair of wings will always reborn.

It has been a while since the last time we saw each other. After all the sacrifices, hardships are not simply enough.

Then, some secrets just don't stay buried underground.

Desires of the dead open the gates of all realms when I’m awake from the illusion.

I open the book that Lelouch gave me as a birthday gift again once I'm alone in my old bedroom.

The book was hidden inside one of my dark shadows. Raion has returned to his room a few minutes ago after I promised him that he can come and read again tomorrow. Only by that I can use the book, because no one else can know that I have it in my possession. For a book so old and rare like this, creatures will kill for it. That's why it's best for it to stay hidden.

Cadaverous. The papers are all now pale and still clean from words, as I examine one by one starting from the front. Perhaps it’s because I used it that the magic inside the book renewed itself. I activate the book by closing the cover. It snaps open instantly and the pages turn fast until it reaches the center. Black blood starts leaking from the middle and soon covers the whole two pages that's open to my sight, not a drop falls from them. My bedroom starts to turn darker and darker, and eventually swallowing my consciousness along with my body.

I feel the pull. Dim. It's cold on my skin, and piercing through my skull. So cold. The painful memory is about to start.

Sierra was once a normal werewolf. That is until Claude found her and turned her into one of them ─ a hybrid ─ against her will. She has to obey him, not just because he's stronger, but also her maker. She has no choice but to kill anyone Claude ordered her to do.

I am her human friend. Or at least when she was still a normal werewolf. Nothing is normal about being a werewolf to a human, but I'm pretty open and less judgmental than my parents. We first met at school. Sierra was the new girl, and I was the straight A's student. I was appointed by the teachers to show her around and help her adjust. We became friends instantly because of her cheerful personality and positive attitude.

One day though, when Sierra suddenly stopped attending school, I became worried and started to look for her. I accidentally witness a supernatural scene I wasn't supposed to see, finding out the reason about my friend's absence.

I wanted to help my best friend. When I knew that Claude was about to take Sierra away across the country, I drove to the airport as fast as possible even though I couldn't drive properly. I even left my parents in the middle of a party during their business partner's celebration, which I could care less than nothing about.

The problem was, when I started driving, I ended up getting lost and failed to catch up. I had no choice except to get out of my car and wait for my parents to find me, while watching the lone sight of evening sky. It was then Claude decided to suddenly appear in front of me.

I wasn’t prepared for such shock when he put a palm in front of my face and I suddenly got dizzy.

It was a long way from the element of darkness after then. I had no idea what exactly happened when I found myself waking up on the ground, next to my car, near the way to an airport. My parents found me soon and brought me home, a little bit worried with the fact that I didn’t even know what had made me leave the party to the direction of the airport. Then the next day, some students and most of my teachers ask me about some girl name Sierra. I told them that I didn’t know anything about this Sierra person, and then they replied to me by saying that I was joking and didn’t know that I was that type of person, when the truth was I didn’t even joke to them then.

I guess he erased Sierra's memory as well after that, because there is no further notes from the images that enter my mind. But now, I do believe that parts of their memories are already back. Not completely, barely a piece of sense. Although something must have triggered the memories that crossed in their minds again.

And I know just how to revive theirs.

The problem is, I don’t even know where they are now, and whether if they are still alive or not. This could have happened a very long time ago, or even just a few days ago. I can’t tell because the images of the memories that the book gave me were always so vivid, it was as if I was reliving their experiences. I’m not even sure whether I should have laid a finger in their lives. My interference might create a more complicated matter.

What rivet my attention the most is the fact that a human’s memory could get inside this collection of memories. I first thought that this book is only limited for creatures only. Who knows that a human could also get her memory inside the book that is so old and rare? Perhaps the girl is not even the only human that has her memory inside it. Perhaps there are more. All of these humans must have their lives interacted with creatures such as Sierra the werewolf hybrid to have their memories inside the book.

Interesting.

A knock at the door made me hide the book inside one of my shadows quickly.

“Come in,” I say.

The door handle is pulled and from the other side of the door comes Trace. He’s wearing his thin, white shirt with a neck collar and long sleeves for the top and dark sweatpants for the bottom. A few of his top buttons are undone while his hair is a bed-head mess.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m too excited being here that I can’t even sleep for tomorrow,” he says, walking in and closing the door behind him.

I chuckle at his confession. “Well, at least I did warn you for more than a few times about coming here.”

He pouts out of chapfallen as a protest for my reaction. I pat the bed next to me, signaling for him to come and sit there. He comes obediently even though he’s still looking annoyed.

“So, how do you think of this place?” I start a little chat to ease his tense nerves.

“What do I think? I think it’s super amazing here. The wizards here are strong and powerful. The castle is too wide and too awesome to be true. There are so many treasures kept in this palace. I can’t believe you never brought me here.” He goes on and on about how excited he is in here. “And then there’s the guest room you appointed for me. The bed is so big and soft, I can barely sleep on it. It’s part of the reason why I just can’t seem to sleep it off. Being here is just like a miracle.”

I arch an eyebrow. “You think being here is nice?”

It’s great here,” he corrects me.

“This proves me that I should have brought you out more. How can you say that Noirmelns’ castle is great? It’s like a living hell at here. No, forget that. Hell is better than this place.”

Trace gives me a look. “You’re speaking as if you’ve went to hell before.”

“Technically, I did.”

And he replies to me by showing that shocked expression with his mouth hanging open enough for flies to fly in. I closed it for him. I know by the look in his eyes that he’s pleading for me to tell him about it inside, so I end his misery by recounting the event.

“It happened when I was still a child, around eight. My parents were chosen to become the representatives of the Noirmelns family. By that time, my cousins were already aware of something called jealousy. Some of them attempted to murder me because they didn’t like the idea that I was way stronger and more powerful than they were. Some were even serious about killing me since I was small, like Raion’s mother, Eleanor. She was older than me, so she had the chance. But that’s beside the point. My parents were worried that I would get killed while they were away, so they decided to bring me along.”

I explain to Trace about the new things I discovered, which I would never find them in this dimension or even at other dimensions. There were creatures, way scarier, and some were even made to bring nightmares come true. Hell was my new interest then. I never saw a place to full of cruelty and savagery, yet so full of freedom at the same time. It was a week full of wonders and formidable adventures ─ a one of a kind first experience to go to a completely different underworld.

“Then, can you take me there next time?”

I stop at his question.

“ It ’ s not that I don ’ t want to, Trace, ” I explain carefully. “ But that place is dangerous, as you may know. Hell is not the place for living beings to visit, let alone stay. We can ’ t just go there and get back to this dimension as we like. We need permission to do that, and not just from any demon ─ ”

“ ─ But the Devil himself? ” He cuts me. “ Yeah, I ’ ve read about it from one of the books you gave me to read ─ the ones that aren ’ t just for practice. ”

“Well, I’m glad you did and understand the situation. But if my family does get another invitation in the future, I’ll make sure to take you there.”

“Does that mean you’re going as well, then?”

“Of course. Someone has to take care of this little trouble maker,” I say knowingly while shaking his hair.

He grunts as a response, but that’s all. He goes back to bed after that without any protest, feeling a little tired already from all the chatting. Not before asking one more question, though.

“There will be no more lessons for tomorrow, right?” I look at him. “I just wanna make sure that I really get that vacation,” he says quickly.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“You’re free to do whatever you want under this roof for the entire week,” I tell him. He’s ready to jump and shout when he flashes a happy smile. “ Just make sure you stay out of trouble,” I advise him before he leaves my room.

“Oh, and one more thing,” I mutter before he opens and closes the door of my bedroom. He sneaks his head back in my room so that it is the only part of him that enters. “I really mean it when I said that last part. You really have to stay out of trouble, Trace. Or you won’t go anywhere else for the next five years of your training.”

He doesn ’ t really give him a straight answer even though he knows that I ’ m serious about this. Instead, he flashes me another smile ─ a wicked one ─ before swinging the door close and lets go of the handle. That means he still won ’ t guarantee that there will be no trouble. I shake my head.

It’s later before midnight when I got up and came down to the underground room. As expected, my grandfather is still down here, reading one of his old books on this throne. But even despite his old age and the dim lighting in the room, he’s still able to read the book just fine.

“Good evening,” I greet him.

“Evening. But not for long.” He’s right. It’s only a few minutes before sunrise.

“Can’t sleep?”

“You’re the same?” He replies to me with another question. He then closes the book and place it on his lap. “So, have you considered it? Or how else should I take it when you walk in here by yourself?”

He’s talking about accepting the title.

“You have chosen the correct wizard to take over, Grandfather,” I start. I see him. I see the glints in his eyes. Proud, happy and satisfied. “But I’m afraid there are still complications.”

“Such as?” He wants me to elaborate it.

“There are some things that even you don’t know about me, and I can’t show you unless if that is the time that you reach your end. They are secrets that I must keep until I meet my own grave, no matter how crucial things can be. And even though by words you can approve my situation, time will eventually break and push me to the limit. You can order the entire clan to agree to my standards, but even they will betray me one day. Nothing lasts forever, yet we’re still as greedy as humans when it comes to expectations. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but will you take my vow?”

Tonight, I see a different side of him. Grandfather breaks down and cries right in front of me, a member of the Noirmelns family, and shows me his weakness. But the tears indicate more of gratefulness rather than sadness.

“Oh, Arsene, you don’t know how much this means to me. You grandmother would be happy in Nirvana if she could hear this. We always wanted you to be the one that leads this family,” he exclaims between tears. I reach his side and put my hand on his.

I’m sure she will.