"Hah that was delicious except that nasty concussion, why do we still take those things?" Kealor said, plumping onto his bed, Kira took a seat at the edge. Sapphire sat with Nirro on his bed opposite Kealors.
"We have no other choice but to" Sapphire said as Nirro offered Kira his pillow, Kealor scotted over so she could lie down.
Then lucian stepped in, and all breathing and conservation seemed to seize,
Lucian went directly to his bed and laid down not answering anybody."Lucian, are you okay?" Sapphire asked but no response came out, only his back to them.
At the same time other children were already coming back from the dining hall taking their respective spots, some had already formed groups like Sapphire's, talking to each other as there was nothing else to do in the large expanse of the courtyard and so many restricted areas.
"I'm glad we ended early but I wonder what will happen tomorrow. The instructor seemed out of it ever since that strange man showed up" Kealor said,
"Maybe they don't like each other" Sapphire replied,
"Say Kira, do you know that man?"
"No," Kira answered.
______
Noise ruptured the background as Lucian laid down on his bed, more exhausted than he usually is, wanting rest but couldn't in fear of what happened the night before to occur again, vividly playing in his head.
After Kira's fall, the healer was sent for, a warrior carried Kira to the tent and the training continued like nothing happened. The moon was already up by the time they touched their bed, eaten and refreshed they went to sleep. Unconscious and unalert, grey mist spread throughout their sleeping area covering the floor along with a wailing noise that bounced from a human cry to a cry of something else.
Lucian's restlessness grew. His head felt heavy and hot. The noise – a persistent hum – grew louder, and eerie moans followed. His eyes snapped open. Grey mist swirled at bed level, shrouding everything. He could only see his arm and part of his upper body. Panic set in as he swiped at the mist, but it did nothing. The wailings outside distracted him, and he forgot about his missing legs.
He decided to get up from his bed, removing a bed cover that wasn't there but mind refused to comprehend, though he couldn't see his legs, he believed he could walk with the hope that he still had legs, squeezing his eyes, he came down. He couldn't feel anything below, the ground or his feet on the ground but he stood neither the less, he tried raising his leg high up, must the mist just covered it. with only hope and blind trust that he had legs, he moved forward.
Turning to the other beds around him, The mist had covered everything even when he came closer to the bed next him but he only saw mists with no sign of a body or anybody sleeping there, then he looked at other beds. It was the same thing. Realization hit him like a spear, he was alone.
Another wailing hit his ears, stronger than the last. He had to cover his ears but the wailing seemed to pass through his hands as he felt something trickle down from inside his ears wetting his hand. He brought his hands down and saw his hand stained with blood. Fear began to battle with his rationing. His hands began to shake, he walked towards the exit of the sleeping area.
Eventually finding himself standing in the large courtyard. The grey mist clenched everything in its cold, damp grip. The air was heavy with the scent of decay. Lucian's voice was swallowed by the mist, echoing back to him like a mournful sigh. 'Is there anyone here?, can you hear me?' he called out, his words lost in the void.
An unearthly silence, followed by what looked like a figure appeared out of the corner of his eyes but disappeared as Lucian turned to look in that direction, it began happening frequently with the eerie mourning, paranoia was hitting Lucian like a wave.
"What is happening?" Lucian said, grabbing his head in pain, blood trickling down his ears steadily, unbeknownst to him a ghostly skeleton hand figure rested upon his shoulder. Lucian instantly felt his body temperature drop, he began to feel cold and his shoulder feeling head, ridden with fear but brave to dear, he turned his head slowly to where his shoulder was heavy, but froze as he saw the hand, he slowly looked beyond the hand and saw a bare skull without a trace of flesh soaking in the grey mist, its empty sockets stared at Lucian.
Lucian's heart pounded in his chest as he stumbled backward, his mind reeling with terror. 'This can't be real,' he thought, but the skeleton's bony fingers seemed all too real. He couldn't look away, transfixed by the empty sockets staring back at him. His legs gave out and he fell, scrambling to get up. The skeleton loomed closer, its jawbone hanging open in a silent scream.
Barely putting up a good distance before pausing, he started hearing eerie moans behind him, then he felt his body begin to feel heavy, he looked from the skeleton before him to his hands and saw many other skeleton hands were already latching onto him. With no thoughts whatsoever, Lucian ran, no direction, refusing to stop.
Trees looked foreign distorted by the mist or his fear; they seemed everywhere, moaning and wailing increased, blood dyed his shirt continuously, his head throbbing with pain but none of it was greater than the thought of wanting to end this nightmare.
Lucian vision began to dance, his movement as if he was drunk. He was losing consciousness, thinking it was over just as he was about to fall to the ground. Something grabbed him.
"Dont think of dying on our watch, kid" A warrior growled, his grip like a vice on Lucian's collar. Lucian's eyes looked dead, his face pale as winter, then felt warmth touch him, his dead eyes finally shifted, regaining life as light poured in, the sun had begun to rise. Though he hadn't slept, he was grateful it was over. The warrior's scarred face twisted in a scowl as he hauled Lucian back from the cliff's edge, dragging him back to the courtyard but Lucian seemed not to care.
The children were already lining up in front of the instructor when their heads turned to a warrior pushing a boy forward, as they came closer, Sapphire and Kealor faces had worry, both of them along with Nirro wanted to step out, but a voice cut them.
"Stay where you are" the instructor said, increasing the pressure on them making them unable to move. When they reached the instructor, the warrior kicked Lucian's back legs forcing him to knee the ground hard.
"Where was this one" instructor Ryven looked at Lucian hard, Lucian gaze remained on the ground.
"Saw him at edge of the cliff, caught him on time, seemed like he wanted to kill himself"
The last words from the warrior felt like an electric current zapping through them, Lucian wanted to kill himself?, they couldn't believe it.
"Next time, maybe he will be faster" The instructor said, as he stood in front of Lucian. "You may go now" Instructor Ryven said to the warrior, the warrior nodded and left, Lucian remained kneeling.
Instructor Ryven paid no attention to him, resuming the training of the other children whose eyes were drawn to Lucian from time to time. from burning sun to the chill of setting sun, Lucian's knees had lost feeling and he was unconscious while still kneeling. Sapphire and Nirro had to carry back to the healer tent for treatment before carrying back to his bed.