Chapter 58: Escaped

**THE DEMON’S LOVE**

*Chapter 58: Escaped *

Amari’s

When was it when my vision became hazy and blurry? Was it before Rymond finished his sentence or was it right after? Nevertheless, I got out of that illusion, and I had to say it was difficult, mush elusive that I thought it was. Had it not been my first time stumbling upon this play given by the Darkness itself, I wouldn’t have reacted strongly or belatedly.

In the process though, I got hurt since I was overwhelmed and panicking. Was it the fear of losing all those I love? I don’t want to lose them again, really. I clutched my arms, staggering to get up and told Zaren.

“Just a little wound, I’ll be fine after Rymond heals me.”

I said my sentence while huffing in between. Despite being in the Illusion barrier, I still got hurt from my own sword while fighting the debris of whatever they were. Other than exhausting, it overthrew my sanity for sure as it knew totally where to hit me. It even relived my moments with Arvhin, Zhiven and even Rymond. I don’t know how Darkness found out about it, it’s not that I care, instead it was surprising how something I never had any memories with, had known my past, Amari’s life before and my life now.

It felt unsettling.

Zaren panted in relief, but his expression said otherwise, and I weakly smiled at him, “Don’t fret, this is not the first time I got hurt like this. Though, encountering that Illusion drove me crazy.”

He helped me stood up then I noticed Bal, who’s having a worse circumstance than me. I looked at Rymond, “What happened to him? D-did you hurt him?”

Rymond shook his head, “More like he hurt himself like you did in the barrier. First timers will of course be devastated by their own emotions or moments but what Darkness really want was for you to believe that inside that barrier is your life. And before you knew it, it had already corrupted you and you’d have no control over yourself.”

I sighed, understanding him, “I… I think I heard that before… I was surrounded by that… wriggling trees or whatever.”

I heard Zaren let out a soft sound to my ears then whispered, “If ever you got into that Darkness thingy I’d really kill it whatever it costs me.”

I smiled at him, “I should have not come out then.” I teased, then his expression turned ugly. I knew he wouldn’t want me to be in that situation but hearing him going to destruct all of these felt heartwarming.

He then revealed with reluctance, “In fact, I was about to march toward that mountain over there. As we have calculated, the den of Darkness is inside that, I was about to bomb it.”

I shook my head, “Your wife is powerful so lessen your worries, otherwise I’d think you don’t trust me.”

He gave me a gentle smile, agreeing to my words. I was truly terrified inside that barrier, as though I was being strangled by someone while other person was stabbing me to my heart and pulling out my head from my neck. This kind of pain was alive at the moment I was fighting the Illusion. It was terrifying. I even assumed it was my last moment, fortunately, it wasn’t, and I saved myself.

Not only that, I saved other knights from the trouble.

“Duchess, are you alright? We got you clean water from the lakeside we had a last stop.”

I smiled at the knight, accepting the water, and drinking for it. I then handed it over to him, thanking him. Rymond approached me, held my arm as his power slowly reached it and I slowly winced as the pain slowly subsided but the effect it had to me was quite daunting. Receiving healing power was a foreign thing to me.

Rymond slowly presented me a faint smirk, “All done. Let’s have a momentary break.”

Hesitantly, I nodded my head at him.

**

I looked at Zaren who nodded his head at me. After a while of the break, we went to the mountains and dismounted from the horses. I couldn’t tear off my sight from the overwhelming aura of the Dark Magic. It felt creepy and somehow odd. I opened my hand, looking back to how it felt reigning over the Dark Magic. Surreal and… natural.

“Is something the matter?”

Zaren asked me, rubbing my shoulder with his big hand while I consciously shook my head. I don’t want him to get concerned of me in any way and I have to make sure I don’t get carried with my emotions just like Rymond told me.

“I just feel quite uneasy of this Mountain. It’s just a second of confusion, I’ll be fine.”

He nodded his head and I felt nothing but more worries shrouding inside my head. We’re really near and close of the Darkness. I don’t know what hit me to think that my body or Amari’s soul was related to this Darkness. Somehow I felt like something was amiss, but I just couldn’t dare to point it. For some unknown reason, something was pushing me to know and see Darkness as if it was something I had known since then.

I only knew folklores of Darkness. I had my doubts and upon learning Zaren fought with the doppelganger of Darkness, I didn’t know why I felt nervous. I need to make sure I had nothing to do with Darkness or else I’d die out of guilt or regret not knowing what will happen to me, for real.

With Rymond, Zaren and the knights determine and genuine help of hand, I could finally sense that they are helping me to unravel what was really me, what was my identity and what had happened to me.

I clenched my fists. “What should we do now?”

“There are two paths, the front and the back. For the back, I will go with the knights and for the front’s security, I want you and Rymond to be with a team. Gather a 15 of knights along and I’d have the rest.”

I grabbed his hand, “What do you mean? Then you’re left with five knights.”

Zaren held my hand, grasping it tightly and assured me. “I’ve fought with it and I knew tactics that would defeat it. Trust me.”

His last two words made me gulp and I nodded my head slowly. I want to trust him, and I will trust me. He saved me back then, so I’m sure he’d save me, too.