Chapter 13

     When I woke later, I was still a little cold, but I felt much better.  I was alone in my room and my clock read one-thirty a.m.  Everyone else was asleep, while I was wide awake.  I groaned softly and tried going back to sleep.  After tossing and turning for an hour, I sighed and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling.  I shut my eyes, listening to utter silence.  At least, until I heard footsteps walk passed my room slowly.  My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed.  The footsteps passed my bedroom and continued down the hallway.  It was probably a teacher on a night shift, but my instincts told me it was something else.

 

     Usually, I don't listen to my instincts, but I was wide awake at one-thirty and couldn't go back to sleep.  Who knows, maybe walking will help me sleep.  Yeah, right.  Changing into a casual outfit, I opened my door as silently as possible and slipped into the hallway.  It was pitch black, so I waited a while for my enhanced eyes to adjust.  It was still difficult to see so I clung to the wall.  I was about to turn a corner when a voice made my blood turn to ice.

 

     "How much longer do we have to wait?" A voice questioned impatiently.  It was Ian Finradi.  His aura felt darker and colder than before.

     "Not much longer.  Master will give us the signal soon and--" the unrecognizable voice stopped. "Well, it seems we have an unwanted guest listening in."

     I flinched and spun on my heel, running as fast as I could away from there.  Although I couldn't see anything, I still looked behind me to see if anyone was following me.  I slammed into someone in front of me and staggered slightly.  Hands grabbed my forearm and I struggled to break free but I smelled a familiar cologne and stopped.

 

     "Dialla?" Dimitri's Italian voice was bewildered. "What are you doing?"

     I looked behind me and there was nothing but darkness.  No voices and no Ian.  Had I just imagined it?  Dimitri cupped my chin and I could barely make out his face as he forced me to look at him.

     "I was sleepwalking," I lied, hoping he would buy it. "Sorry about that."

     His hands were removed from my arms but when I tried to step past him he blocked my path.

     "What is it?" I asked innocently.

     "I may not be able to see your face very well, but I have a feeling you're lying to me.  What's going on?"

     "Nothing.  Now if you don't mind, I need my sleep unless you want me to fall asleep during practice."

    

     Dimitri was quiet for a moment.  Not because of what I said, but because he was trying to see if anyone was nearby.  Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to my room.

     "Go back to bed," was all he said before he left.

     I shut my door and his presence lingered here for a minute before disappearing.  That was when the feathers appeared.  They were pure white, angelic, and reminded me of pillow feathers.  They were scattering all around my room and my eyes were starting to droop.  I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the hypnotic spell engulfed me and I collapsed on the floor.

 

 

     I was tied up and suspended in the air a few feet by a rope.  My hands were tied behind my back and a rope was wrapped around my arms just in case.  The rope holding me up in the air was tied to a metal drafter.  I looked around, trying to figure out where I was.  It looked like some kind of abandoned warehouse as I perceived hundreds of crates positioned everywhere.  Moonlight shown through the windows and hit my face.  I struggled with the ropes, causing them to dig into my hands.  I bit down on my tongue to stifle a gasp and a door opened up and I stopped moving.  Footsteps approached me and I feigned to be asleep still. 

 

     There was a soft whistling sound which my ears registered was a knife being thrown.  The rope had been cut and I fell.  Though I was only a few feet up, the fall hurt and I groaned.  I struggled with the ropes for a few seconds until someone grabbed me by my hair roughly and pulled until I was on my feet.  I howled in pain and my arms and hands were free.  In front of me stood a figure hidden in the shadows.  I didn't need to see his face to know who he was.  There was a black aura around him and my mark hurt just looking at him.  He was Akumu.  My mark was throbbing like crazy and it began to spread across my body.  A purple aura spun around my body as the red marks engulfed my skin.  They covered my left side of my body and all of my face before settling in.  I raised my hand at him and was preparing to use a spell when he stepped into the light.  My eyes locked with a pair of crimson eyes that belonged to a man in front of me and I saw images.  The sky was red while everything else was black.  People were dying.  No, not dying.  They were being murdered.  Right in front of me.  Elderly people and even children.  People were being beheaded and stabbed over and over.  Knives, swords, anything you can think of and it was being used.  It was horrible.  I didn't know any of the people, but that doesn't mean I wasn't affected by it.  I was screaming, screaming and crying.

 

     "Stop!  Please!  Don't show me this!" I begged, my hands on my hand.

     It felt like days had passed by when the spell was finished.  My mark receded and the aura and power faded away.  I sank to my knees, clutching my head.  I was trembling and it felt like I couldn't breathe.  Footsteps approached me and I flinched and looked up, my eyes filled with fear.  It was Ian, and at first, I was happy, but then I saw a ominous, black aura swirling around him and my mouth was open but no words came out.

 

     "I-Ian... my God... you..." my eyes widened. "You killed him.  You killed Jason."

     "Oh, yeah.  That.  Well, it was the only way to become an Extended and serve Master Akumu," Ian crouched down so he was my level. "Now, listen to me, baby doll.  I'm here to make you an offer, and it's a good one, so don't dismiss it too quickly.  Why don't you calm down, and work with us?  Please.  It is in your best interest.  Master Akumu can help you with your mark.  The Cursed Seal is an incredible mark.  It gives you unimaginable power, but at the same time, the power will corrode your mind, drawing you deeper and deeper to the darkness.

 

     "You will lose your former self.  Never again to return.  However, if you join us, Master Akumu will help control you.  If you don't come with us, your mark will destroy you and the people you love.  You don't want that to happen, do you?" I stiffened and shook my head.  It was probably because my mind was still fuzzy, but it did sound like a good deal.  I didn't want my friends or family to die and just now when the Cursed Seal was activated the power flowing within me was incredible.  I wanted more of it.  I opened my mouth to speak but a firm voice opened my eyes to the truth.

     Dialla!  No, don't!

    

     It sounded like Dimitri but he was no where in sight.  I blinked, startled.  When I looked at Ian again, I hoped it was all a dream.  That he wasn't an Extended who was working for a man that wanted to kill me.  It wasn't a dream.  The black aura radiated around him and my eyes were clearer now.  He was lying and I wasn't going to fall for it. 

     "Dialla," he whispered seductively in my ear, making my heart race, "please.  If you don't, I'll have to kill you.  You're wearing such a hot outfit, I'd hate to see it get covered in blood.  Please, I promise, nothing bad will happen you."

     I nodded weakly. "Alright, I'll come with you."

     He smiled. "That's a good girl."

     Ian helped me to my feet and as I got up, I surreptitiously used a spell to make a knife appear in my hand.  I waited until I had a good angle before plunging the dagger into his chest.  His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then he chuckled.

     "You didn't really think that would work, did you?" he asked skeptically.

     Honestly, I did.

     Ian's fist connected with the middle of my face hard, sending me flying through the air.  I did a couple of back flips before landing hard on my stomach.  My hands flew to my mouth as I lay on my side, whimpering and moaning in pain.  Blood started seeping through my hands and as I took in the pain, Ian and Akumu exchanged glances.  Akumu nodded shortly.  They both waited patiently for me to get to my knees and I coughed, blood falling onto the floor.  I slowly got to my feet, staggering a little.

     "Dialla, Dialla, Dialla," Akumu shook his head, "You made the hugest mistake in your life."

     "Bull.  I'd rather die than work with you!"

     "That can be arranged," his eyes flickered back to their usual color.

     A light brown identical to mine.  My mouth fell open but before I could make any sound Ian appeared in front of me and backhanded me in the face.  I spiraled into a crate which, thankfully, contained a soft couch.  But it still hurt like hell.  I wiped the blood away, only for it to continue flowing.  Somehow, I still had a grip on the knife.  I leapt off the couch and slashed at him.  He simply leaned away from me and brought his knee up to my stomach.  I coughed as the wind escaped my lips.  I'd never been hit that hard before and I struggled to regain my oxygen.  He elbowed my neck, then followed with  a knee to the chin, a punch in the stomach and then in the face.

     Blood spewed out of my mouth and I hit the ground hard, rolling onto my stomach.  The knife lay in front of me and I reached for it but Ian kicked it away.  His foot crushed my left wrist and I screamed in pain.  He kicked me in the face and I hit the wall.  I coughed up some blood and slumped down.  When I looked at him again my eyes felt sharper now.  I materialized another knife just as Ian brought his fist down on me.  I lifted my body up to the left quickly, despite being in pain.  His fist sank into the ground, leaving a hole and I dug the knife into the ground to keep me still.  Remembering what Dimitri had taught me, I quickly took out his legs.  My left leg was over his neck and my right leg was over his right arm that was gripping my chest.

     My hand was holding his arm but that didn't stop him from slamming his fist onto my chest.  I cried out in pain and he rolled away from me.  I could still see his movements but that doesn't mean I could do stop him.  Not wasting any time, he stepped on my chest brutally, as if he enjoyed my screams of pain.  After a minute, the pressure was released from my chest and I took in a couple of breaths.  With all these deleterious attacks to my chest, it was becoming difficult to breath.  Blood was trickling down my chin, mixing with the blood from my nose.  Then he grabbed a fistful of hair, jerked my head up and slammed it against the pavement.  He reiterated the process and I felt blood pour down my head.  Just when I thought it was over, a sharp piece of metal intruded my stomach and an airy gasp escaped my lips.  I no longer had the strength to scream or moan, but I writhed as he dragged his sword across my  stomach, starting from the left and all the way to the right.  He moved slowly and painfully.  If I survived - and I really doubt I would - that would leave a nasty scar.

     Suddenly he was knocked off and new figures appeared.  Ian was tackled off in the same direction he was moving the sword, making it rip out of my body.  I emitted a short yelp and let my head fall against the ground.  Hands lifted my head up gently and I tried to focus on the person holding me.  Vaguely, I heard people talking rapidly nearby and someone yelling far away.  My eyelids fluttered and I was able to see Dimitri's appalled face.  His hands were covered with my own blood and there was a faint glow of green light.

     "Dimi... tri," my voice was hoarse and strained.  I took a few breaths before trying again. "Dimitri."

     "I'm right here, Dialla.  it's going to be okay, I promise." I never heard his voice sound so scared before.  His hand found mine and I gripped it tightly.  I coughed and blood flew from my mouth.

     "Dalia!" He turned away from me. "Hurry up and heal her!"

     "She's losing too much blood!" a female cried. "At this rate..."

     Her voice trailed off and I coughed again.  Dimitri looked at me again and I thought I saw tears in his eyes.  I forced myself to give him one last smile.

     "I'm glad... you're here... with me, Dima," I said, my eyes shutting. "I..."

     My eyes shut and my body went numb and cold.  I never heard Dimitri call my name out in anguish.  I never saw his horror-struck face.  I never felt the drops of water hit my cheeks and as I drifted into a bright light, I realized  I was leaving with so much regret in my life.  I regretted not being able to tell Tyler and my mom that I love them.  I regretted not being able to be with my friends one last time.  But the one thing I regret the most, the thing I should have said when it first hit me, the one thing I should have said in my dying breath...

     I love you, Dimitri.