Rosie's Games

499  Dark Substance

One hour ago,

Rothley Estate, Wugari

"You are here?" Rosalind was taken aback when she learned that Lachlan Blaize and Josephine had come to visit. The earthquake had just subsided about an hour ago, so she was genuinely curious why they were here instead of assessing the earthquake's aftermath. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Josephine has something to discuss," Lachlan promptly stated. As always, he did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point. But Rosalind could easily discern that he appeared troubled, conflicted, perhaps even a tad angry.

"Did something happen?" Rosalind shifted her gaze toward the woman sitting next to Lachlan, who had been staring at her since she walked in. "Magda, please serve them more refreshments," Rosalind instructed, noticing that the food in front of the two had disappeared. She knew it was Josephine, but she did not dwell on it too much, as the woman seemed to have a penchant for eating.

"The earthquake..." Josephine began, her voice carrying an air of unease. "I saw something unsettling. A barrier is on the brink of breaking, and something is triggering it. Only you can assist us."

"Huh?" Rosalind furrowed her brow. "The barrier in the Howling Mountains?" she inquired.

"Yes."

"So... how can I help you?"

"You should be able to sense the source of the disturbance," Josephine said, her expression dead serious.

"I cannot feel anything," Rosalind replied.

"Not here... you should be able to feel it in the Howling Mountains. Near the barrier."

Rosalind pursed her lips as memories of her past experiences in the Howling Mountains flooded her mind. She had a strong aversion to revisiting that place.

"I don't think I—"

"Only you can sense it. Only you should be able to sense the darkness," Josephine interjected.

Rosalind clenched her jaw. In her previous life, she had never experienced such quakes, and she wondered if they were a consequence of her rebirth. If so, shouldn't she have more knowledge about them? Did she bear any responsibility for them?

Rosalind was not naive enough to believe she had to solve every problem arising from her rebirth, but she thought gaining more understanding might be the least she could do.

"Alright," Rosalind finally agreed. The teleportation portals made it convenient for them to reach Rakha Kingdom, where they could rendezvous with Lucas and journey to the Howling Mountains.

"You have been to that place?" Lachlan inquired.

"Once," Rosalind admitted.

"I have heard that many can enter but few can leave," Lachlan added.

"You are mistaken," Rosalind recalled the circumstances from that time and chose to withhold any further response to Lachlan's questions.

After their arrival in Rakha, they promptly requested an audience with the King, who, naturally, granted their request. However, this time, the King was not alone. The Crown Prince and even Princess Isadora accompanied the elderly monarch.

As Rosalind stepped into the study, memories once again inundated her senses. This time, a vivid image unfurled before her eyes: a woman with long, white hair and a hauntingly familiar face.

Rosalind had encountered this woman countless times in her recollections, but on this occasion, the woman appeared strangely distant. Her gaze remained fixed on the battlefield before her, her arms raised in a commanding gesture as bolts of lightning and various elemental forces rained down upon the demons attempting to wage war against humanity.

The scents of sulfur, fire, and various elements assailed Rosalind's senses.

This time, she chose to calm herself, to steady her racing heart. She wanted to see, to understand more...

…..

Present time, Rakha Kingdom

Rosalind squinted at the island, which now resembled a colossal mass of flames in the distance. The cracks surrounding the island were growing wider right before their eyes. Nestled in Lucas's embrace, Rosalind squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to dull the pain assaulting her senses.

"You should be able to sense something dark and heavy," Belisarius's words echoed inside her head. "Something... sorrowful. Emotional."

For a moment, Rosalind couldn't discern anything beyond the throbbing in her head. The memories persisted, images flashing in her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. However, this time, she resisted succumbing to them. She concentrated on her emotions and followed Belisarius's guidance.

She needed to uncover something significant to help out. Something... steeped in melancholy and darkness.

Before long, she began to sense what she was searching for. A wave of melancholy washed over her. It felt as if a heavy blanket had descended upon her soul, casting a shadow over her thoughts and senses.

With her eyes remaining tightly shut, she could now sense the palpable sadness and darkness emanating from the island of flames. It extended beyond the fiery spectacle before her; it was an intense and mournful atmosphere that saturated the very essence of the place.

The fiery exterior of the island appeared to conceal a deeper, more somber reality. As the cracks in the continent pulsed and the flames flickered, Rosalind came to the realization that she had indeed discovered what she sought—something profoundly sorrowful and obscure, concealed beneath the fiery facade.

Yet, amidst the overwhelming melancholy and darkness, Rosalind sensed something else—an elusive presence, like a thread weaving through the fabric of emotions, distant yet unmistakable.

It resembled the rhythmic beating of a heart in the far-off distance, a faint but persistent pulse that beckoned her to explore further.

"In the south!" Rosalind exclaimed. "It... is there..." She pointed in a direction.

"Isn't that the direction of the Black Forest?" Belisarius inquired. "Shall we go ahead and check it?"

"You are going to check it. Can you not see? My wife is currently weak," Lucas stated firmly. Without waiting for another word, he disappeared right in front of everyone, leaving them to their own devices.

"That—" Josephine blinked and looked at Lachlan then towards Huig and Belisarius. "I— I think he is angry."

"Thank you for speaking the truth, sorcerer," Belisarius smiled. "Shall we proceed and explore the south on our own?"

Before long, Belisarius and the others ventured southward, plunging into the heart of the ominous Black Forest. To their astonishment, the scent of sulfur and a dense dark mist already engulfed the forest. What was more unsettling, another layer of mist seemed to be rolling in from the west, enveloping the landscape in an eerie haze.

Upon closer inspection, their worst fears were confirmed.

Demons—hordes of them—had ruthlessly laid waste to the once-proud Edepes Kingdom. Belisarius's alarm was palpable.

"Where did they come from?" Lachlan inquired, his gaze fixed upon the viscous, black substance encircling the borders of Edepes Kingdom. If his suspicions were correct, this ominous substance had not only consumed Edepes but continued to spread, leaving devastation in its wake.

The group exchanged anxious glances as they surveyed the desolation that had befallen Edepes Kingdom. The once-thriving city and its surroundings now lay in ruins, a stark contrast to the grandeur that had once filled their memories.

"We need to find out where these demons came from and how to stop this spreading darkness. There's no time to waste," Belisarius declared, though he had a clue as to their origins, he couldn't confirm it just yet.

"Can we not just destroy them?" Lachlan suggested, attempting to use his fire abilities against the dark substance. To his surprise, the substance appeared to absorb his power. "This—"

"None of the elements wielded by humans in this place can touch that substance," Belisarius explained, his expression grave. "We need to destroy the heart, the relic used to summon the demons."

"Summoned them?" Lachlan questioned.

"Those demons... they cannot breach this place as long as the barrier is intact. The only way they could be brought here is if someone... summoned them," Belisarius added, turning toward the sorceress. "Isn't that correct, Sorceress?"

Meanwhile, as Lucas and Rosalind arrived at the estate, Rosalind braced herself for what she expected to be a lecture from him regarding her visit to Rakha. However, it never transpired. Instead, he guided her to their room, gently tucking her into bed, and inquired if she needed anything.

"I know what happened," Rosalind suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Lucas inquired.

"I have seen it," Rosalind disclosed.

Lucas's expression changed, his eyes narrowing at her. "What did you see?"

"The past. I saw that woman... I witnessed her delving into dark magic to protect the humans." She had pieced together these events after months of experiencing these visions. Combined with the information from Belisarius, Lucas, and Atior, it all started to make sense.

"I also know why she shared her abilities with her friends."

"She did not share her abilities with her friends, Rosalind," Lucas countered, his face impassive. "They were stolen from her."

He was mistaken.

Rosalind knew differently. That woman couldn't contain her abilities, so she chose to give them away, or at least that's what she had gleaned from those fragmented memories. However, she chose not to disclose this information. Whatever had transpired in the past held little relevance to the future now.

"Aren't you going to reprimand me for being so curious?" Rosalind asked.

"Is that a sin?" he retorted.

This time, Rosalind smiled. "I do not think so."

"Then no..." Lucas replied. "Do you think I am that shallow?"

"Well..."

"You needed to know certain things to make informed decisions," Lucas interrupted her. She nodded and smiled. Somehow… she felt something warm in her chest.