45 - Escaped my death

[Olivia's POV].

At the water-filled cave's dead end, where the walls meet, Cecaelia trapped me. It was pitch-black. A whirlwind of water surrounded them. In an instant, I grasped a Luminara to view Cecaelia's face. Little more than the size of a dewdrop, Luminara is a sly, elusive creature with translucent wings that glitter in the moonlight like opal. Its body, a tiny, iridescent blue spherical, glows softly and pulsatingly, like the faint light of fireflies on a summer night. They are blood-fed organisms that develop and live.

Cecaelia appears ferocious and ethereal in Luminara's light. Her platinum blonde hair gleamed in the dark, giving off the impression that a halo was emanating from her head. Her brown eyes peered into my soul, seeming more brilliant and black than before. A spectral grin crossed her face. She was surrounded by her eight tentacles, which acted as a shadowy cloak. She propelled me against the wall while holding me with one of her tentacles, causing the water to ripple around me. There was a loud splash behind me.

The sound of the waves crashing on the rock was the only other sound. Cecaelia's expression became closer. I noticed that my face was getting warm and damp as she leaned forward. It was her tongue, not a kiss. I tried to swim away because I was appalled, but Cecaelia caught me in the act and shoved me into the rock heaps. I landed awkwardly on my back, letting out a yell of pain. I sighed deeply as I reached for my twin blades, prepared to attack her, little realizing that doing so would only cause me more trouble. I am unable to utilize them underwater due to their ice and wind-prone characteristics.

Cecaelia's suction cup grasped my arm, causing my flesh to slide off of her arm. I made an attempt to push her away, but to no avail. Cecaelia took advantage of the creature's tendrils rather than swatting them away. I was unable to move my body because she had wrapped them around my limbs. Cecaelia was standing over me as I looked up. My wounds began to leak blood, which eventually spread across the pool. The water's red hue intensified. Cecaelia's face was so barely visible that I could see her tightening her tentacles.

When the creature bit down on my hand, I felt as though my heart had stopped for a full two seconds, and I was unable to breathe. I was feeling so little anymore. My eyes became glazed over. Now I thought Cecaelia was going to kill me. Still, she refused to release me and continued to suck my blood dry. I waited with my eyes closed. Before I passed away, my final wish was that Rowan would locate me and return me to heaven.

I don't want to die just yet, though. I begin to struggle once more to break free from her hold. I try to kick Cecaelia's tentacles out of me by moving her hands and feet, but I'm not very successful. I was already losing consciousness, and I was on the verge of passing out. As Arachnid had stated in the forest, "You are going to have a nightmare tonight," she said. Her pupils were slitted like a snake's, and her eyes radiated the same unsettling red color. Fearing for my life, I reached for something to strike her with. I used a stone that I had obtained during my battle to repeatedly strike Cecaelia in the back of the head until she lost control and fell. My vision blurs and my ears start to ring. My world seemed to have turned upside down, and I felt like my head was spinning. I lose all sense of hearing, my blood continues to flow, and the oxygen deficiency causes my lungs to become weak. She was experiencing headaches, dizziness, and difficulty focusing on anything. Everything appears fine until I hear a buzzing noise that sounds like a group is rapidly getting closer to me to attack.

The water began to lighten, and I noticed that several Luminaries were drawn to my blood and were approaching me. I could hear the sound of wood and metal colliding. My mind becomes blank and I can't cling to consciousness for another moment. She felt weird when I woke her up. Even though I was lying on an inflatable mattress with weights on top of it, my limbs felt heavier than usual. My throat feels empty, but my chest feels constricted. There is no more air in me. Anxiety starts to increase. My heart begins to beat more quickly, and I start to perspire cold sweat on my brow. I open my mouth, but the air won't come in. I started to tremble and tears welled up in my eyes as panic seized me. I need air and I need oxygen. Something feels dry in my throat.

I watched Iggy come into the room and sit quickly. My body reacted to danger because of my dread and worry, which was the only thing going on. I was trembling, breathing heavily, and perspiring profusely. "What took place?" Iggy approached me carefully, kneeling next to me and placing a comforting hand on my knee as he asked in his customary calm voice and manner. He saw that I was really pale. His worried expression, which I recognized immediately, helped me to relax a little and resume normal breathing. Luminarias was after me when I lost consciousness, and that's when I passed out.

"How did I come here?" I asked, checking to make sure as I looked about. It was in a massive cave where torrential rain had fallen. It was difficult to see much outdoors due to the waterfall. I saw shelves upon shelves lined with jars containing a variety of colored liquids and fruits. The floor is also composed of rock slabs and is blanketed in thick layers of moss. The entire area had a warm, welcoming appearance. In addition, lanterns suspended from the ceiling cast a soft glow across the area, including the cave.

"You were floating on the water when I saw you, I was really worried for you Olivia."

This unexpected remark made me scowl. How could I stay afloat while my own death was pursuing me? Who came to my rescue? I was ready to say something, but then I thought of the same man who had come to me in the forest dressed in black.

"When you dove into the water, I felt afraid. Olivia, I wanted to save you, but I was a bad swimmer. My physical body is still in paradise, but I arrived here by astral projection. I therefore cannot be seen by anyone and am unable to act normally." His tone included a hint of anxiety, I could tell. I smiled sadly at him and then gave him a hug. I felt him embrace me as well. "What happened inside?"

I straighten up so I can sit up straight and look at Iggy. My weight is supported by both hands as I lean my back on the hardboard of the bed. Iggy reached under his robe, took out a flask, and set it down next to me. "It's unbelievable. I got to know Cecaelia."

"Cecaelia? In this shady water? They inhabit deep oceans, don't they? Why were they at this place?" He scowled.

"When I saw her, I had the same reaction. "And she was identical to Arachnid," I replied, opening the flask. I drank a little from it. It tasted strongly of bitterness and was a transparent liquid. Iggy prepared me this powerful drink since it aids with my recovery.

I went on, "and she said the same words: Tonight you will have a nightmare." After putting it down my throat, I said, "One thing that is common among them is their snake eyes."

Iggy looked at me, perplexed, saying, "Olivia, I'm confused..." Lost in meditation, I rested my index finger on my chin. "So do I." "It's just that what the serpent says isn't always true," I hesitated. It appears that someone is doing it. controlling them for any number of reasons."

"How?"

"Well...I don't have an answer yet but we have to do something before something bad happens."

Iggy gave a nod. "Ok then rest for now, we will think about it when I come back."

"Returned? "Where are you heading?"

"I wanted Rowan to reaffirm what I had heard about this circumstance. We cannot behave carelessly." Iggy turned back to face me, but then he got up off the inflatable mattress and started to walk out of the room. With a little pill bottle in his fingers, he continued, "I forgot to give you this."

"What is this?" I frowned as I extended my arm to grab it.

"Arcana Exoterike."

I removed the lid and spread some pills on my hand, nodding sympathetically. Aetherium Leaf is a rare herb that ancient alchemists used to create this beautiful shade of iridescent pink. Her temporary ability to understand and speak human languages would be unlocked by this drug.

"No, don't take it now," Iggy stopped me as I was about to swallow a tablet. "You can't eat it like candy, it's a medicine and just take it in an emergency." I replaced the tablets in the container.

"After a whole day, you can only take one of its few negative effects. I believe you no longer need the barrier that I built around this cave. Iggy said, "Just wait for my return," and he disappeared.

I sat silently on the bed and lost myself in thought as I peered into space. With the exception of the one hole above where I was seated, there was no window or clock, so I had no way of knowing what time it was. All I knew was that it was sometime during the day. As I placed the bottle on the side table, something dropped to the ground and I moaned.