Chapter 12 The Descent 1
Eloise
I was wrong when I said Tina's footwear sounded like an earthquake when I had never experienced one. But at least, I could say I had experienced it now, because that's exactly what's happening.
The ground shuddered violently beneath our foot as if it wanted to open up. Several first years, including me, fell to the ground, while some still stood, like it meant nothing. Raihn and Aeron were part of those who stood.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers splayed on the floor, desperately searching for anything to hold on to, but I found nothing. I laid flat on the ground and wished it would stop shuddering.
My prayer seems to be answered as the shuddering stopped. I breathed in a sigh of relief. I had barely let the sound out when the worst happened. The earth beneath me split open and I was suddenly falling inside it. I screamed in terror, but the sound seem to be trapped inside me.
I couldn't hear anything except the rush of wind as I continued to fall, my eyes still squeezed shut. A figure materialized in the darkness. I felt it smile at me. The confusion of how I could see it when my eyes were still shut didn't last long as my back suddenly hit a rough surface.
I snapped my eyes open and was met with instant darkness. I squinted my eyes, trying to search for the golden figure I just saw, but I couldn't see anything in the darkness. I couldn't even see my own hands. It left me with an unnerving conclusion that I had probably imagined the golden figure.
I didn't understand how that was even possible when I have never seen the person's face. It was the second time I had seen it. The first had been the day I woke up at the Dragon Keep, and then now, the most inconvenient time ever. I had to figure out what it meant if I ever made it out of here alive.
I quickly banished the thoughts and decided to focus on the current situation. The professor hadn't mentioned much about the test except that we weren't allowed to use magic. Every other first year already knew what it was about. I was at a big disadvantage. That had to be corrected.
The first thing I noticed about this place was the unimaginable heat. It was so thick and now that I had noticed it, I couldn't stop noticing. I removed my heavy cloak and dumped it at a side but it didn't reduce the heat. I need to cool down.
I lifted my hand and began to summon a faelight, but the moment I started, a sharp pain sliced through my head causing me to yell. The pain seem to intensify as the faelight glowed brighter.
I fell to the floor and curled into myself as I screamed, but the pain didn't stop. It felt like my brain was on fire. Suddenly, my faelight flickered out and I felt someone grab my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I heard a masculine voice say. I nodded even though I couldn't see the person. With the faelight gone, the thick darkness was back.
“I need you to respond. Are you okay?” the voice said with a little more urgency.
“Yes.” I croaked.
“Good.” he said before dragging me up. “Try not use any magic. The place is warded so any magic used fight against the wielder.”
That explained why my pain increased as my faelight grew brighter. I was immediately grateful for my unstable magic that caused my faelight to die.
“I c..can't see.” I said as I tried to see through the thick darkness.
“Don't worry, I'll guide you. My dragon eyes can see through the darkness. Don't try to summon any faelight.” He said a bit sternly
“Yes. Thank you.” I muttered. The man did not answer me again. He held my arm and urged me to move.
I wanted to ask who he was and why he was helping. The only other person who could help me aside Tina was Raihn. I was more than certain that he wasn't the one.
“We’re trapped under the grounds of the school.” The man started. “The test is that we find the exit without using dragon or any form of elemental magic. There are a few obstacles hidden in the path that leads to the exit. Some of them are real, others are illusions. We have to figure out the real ones, conquer them, and avoid the illusion.”
Deep down in me, I knew the test was more dangerous than he was letting on. We were supernaturals. Denying us the ability to use magic was like denying our very existence.
“How are we supposed to fight the obstacles when we can't even see?” I choked.
My vision was getting adjusted to the darkness. I could make out the silhouette of the man beside me but I couldn't see his face.
“That's what makes The Descent so dangerous. Almost half of the first years die in this phase. The second phase, The Binding, is less strict anyway so we have two months of rest until The Severing.” he sighed.
“What are those?” I asked.
“The Binding and The Severing?” I nodded, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see me. But maybe his dragon eyes picked up the movement.
“The Binding is the second phase of the first year evaluation. It's where we learn to fight in a real life scenario. First years are asked to form a group of four or five and train together every day until the test. It is said to give us the taste of the real world. But it is relatively easier than The Severing.” he replied.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “The Severing is hardest?”
He hesitated before responding. “Well, yes. But that's because the events are unknown. Leadership change the events every year. Last year, the first years were asked to kill a restrained Hollowborn. Many still died but it was relatively easier than the previous year.”
I was tired of hearing ‘Hollowborn’ and ‘The Burn’ without knowing what they meant. I was about to ask him what a Hollowborn was when a feminine scream pierced the humid air.
My companion and I halted just as a faelight glowed at a distance. I immediately knew what was happening. Someone had tried to summon a faelight and their magic was fighting against them.
I was able to see the face of my companion in the dim light and realized it was Aeron. Of course, it made sense that he was the one that saved me.
Aeron’s face was tight as he stared at the faelight which only seem to glow brighter, the girl's scream increasing with the light. My feet moved before I could second guess my decision but I was yanked back.
“What are you doing?” Aeron balked.
I didn't know what I was doing. I just knew I had to get to the girl before it was too late. I didn't even know what I would do when I got to her.
“She'll die.” I said as if that was explanatory enough.
“People die in The Descent every year.” he said, but I could tell he didn't mean it. His fist curled like he was holding himself back from flinching at his harsh words.
I took a step towards him and stared at him directly in the eye.
“She'll die, Aeron.” I repeated with as much emotion as I could muster.
It was clear that people's lives didn't matter in this place. But I wasn't like them. I couldn't walk past someone screaming in pain like it meant nothing. It didn't matter if the person in pain was supposed to be my enemy. I would try to save them, just like Aeron had saved me.
He must have seen the defiance in my eyes because he released a breath and bolted towards the faelight. I didn't waste a second before running after him.
I wasn't terrible at running, Mae and I use to run around our estate every morning, but right now, I could barely keep up with Aeron.
The girl was curled in a foetal position on the floor, her hands clutching her head. Blood trickled down her nose as she sobbed. Her screams had faded into silent whimpers and I knew she was slowly losing her grasp on her life.
Aeron rushed to the faelight and placed his hand on it like he was trying to snuff out the brightness. I rushed to the girl and wrapped my arms around her. Her eyes snapped open for only a second before she shut them back, but I saw the colours they've turned. They were white.
Whatever wards in this place wasn't just making our magic fight against us, it was draining our magic from us too.
“You're okay. You're fine now.” I muttered to the girl like it would do something.
The faelight had dimmed but it was still causing her pain. My eyes flickered to Aeron as he worked to switch off the light but nothing seem to be working. If anything, it seem to be causing him pain as well.
An idea formed in my head.
“Let it go.” I said to the girl, hoping she heard me and that she understood.
“I can't. It's.. it's watching.” she muttered.
I didn't have time to figure out what she was saying. Aeron had started using his Shadowborn gifts, it was only a matter of time before he fell under the attack too.
“Let it go!” I said firmly.
“I can't.”
“Let. it. go!!” I didn't know if it was my scream or hers, but the faelight immediately disappeared and we were once again thrown inside darkness.
I could have sworn I felt something reared its head towards me.