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I should have run the moment my inventory changed. Why wasn’t I a coward?
The black matter continued onward. I couldn’t see past it. It was like no light reached this place. Still I walked forward, careful not to stumble. Growing dread instilled in my heart.
Then the light came.
Then the slightly open gates.
There were large yellow gates of such grand design, framed by the black of this place. The stone walls were so intricately built. Like they were meant for a king.
My feet slowly walked on, yet every step felt too quick. What lay beyond this place to have emptied a village? Who were they looking for?
Still I walked closer. Still my eyes scanned the walls.
Such a naive decision. Such a horrible mistake.
My gaze reached his own, and I froze.
A cloak of yellow that shielded his face and the rest of his body.
Hands devoid and still so full of colour.
They reached out to me. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move.
Those hands held my face. They slipped beneath my helmet.
They felt so cold. So warm.
So foreign. So familiar.
So comforting.
So terrifying.
“Who are you?”
There was no use asking.
I already knew.
I knew everything.
The King’s thumb grazed my lip, hands moving to gently hold me, to pull me closer.
“Join me. Don’t you want this part of me? Your mind hungrily feasts on my presence. Don’t you want all of me?”
I didn’t respond.
My mouth felt dry. I couldn’t possibly say anything when I felt like this.
“Aren’t you enjoying this, d3rLord3? Don’t you want me to hold you like this for what feels like your eternity?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know everything.”
“No one must find you. Not again.”
“You are special. You found me.”
“I need to leave.”
“You want to stay. They all do.”
They pulled me closer. Reached deeper. He wanted to pull me into a mouth of fangs that bore no blood on their sharp teeth.
I could have gone in without assistance. Why did a part of me wish that?
“Let me go. Please.”
“Stay with me. Step further beyond these yellow gates. Come closer. You know you want this.”
“Please.”
My voice was a whisper.
The smallest of pleas.
My hands are shaking.
I am absolutely terrified.
“I am not restricting you.”
I push the hands away. I long for the touch. To go beyond my armour. To venture into my mind.
I run.
Every fiber of my muscles are shaking. My lungs are breathless.
My heart is a mess of irregular beats.
My mind is in shambles.
Leave the odd black matter behind.
Break the cobblestone with your bare hands.
My knuckles are bleeding.
I don’t feel the pain.
The light isn’t blinding when I lunge for the chest.
I picked up the book and fought for control of my pen.
The words feel so jumbled up, held back by something that does not belong to me. He wants more. He hopes I am not the last. I hope I am.
I don’t know what Avery will do.
But with the words that I wrote, lines too perfect to be my own.
Whatever you do at the crossroads, don’t turn left.
Don’t be fooled, it’s listening.
You can’t outsmart it
It’s listening tom e
It’s watching me
It isn’t from this world
At the crossroads don’t durn left
At the crossroads DONT turn left
At the crossroads don’t turn left
ATt the crossroadsa dont durn left
At the crossroads don’t turn left
At the crossroads don’t turn left
At the corssroads don’t turn left
My warnings are futile.
I know they are.
I swallow my fear, and still I write one final caution.
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