Chelsea did not know where she was and she did not care. She felt like she was falling down with her whole body going limp. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was dark as if she never opened them in the first place.
For the first time, she truly did not care. About her life that held no meaning, her family that abandoned her for being a 'freak' and her friends that did not see her nor hear her.
There was no sensation at all. Nothing but the searing pain that cuts through her back. The blade that had once defiled her, her shame hidden beneath her cloak. It would be wonderful if she would just…
End it all here.
There was a beat.
Then a thud.
Her heart thumped loudly–enough to wake her up from her stupor. She was no longer falling. She was lying in the cold grass that had been transformed into shadows as if it were always like this. She saw the sky was replaced by a crimson hue that looked like a deep ocean of blood.
Chelsea tried to stand up but her limbs refused any strength she gave them. Was this pointless? It was. She lacked the strength to be strong. To be strong enough to stand tall and stand by Halbin's side. She lacked the strength to hold out her hand when they needed her the most. She could not save them.
Chelsea's vision became blurred. The encroaching darkness was slowly consuming what little she could see. It was painless. She should just curl up and just…
"Wake up."
A voice, strong as steel. Cold in tone yet the hand that reached her shoulder was warm. The darkness recessed from her vision but it was still blurry. Not because of the shadows, but because of the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Allendis?" Her voice was quiet. Too quiet that it almost embarrassed herself but she did not care.
"Yeah. Good thing you're safe and sound, Chelsea." Allendis said, his cold voice was a tad bit warmer than he usually sounds.
Chelsea reached out to him, resting her hand on the shoulder that she once leaned on. Then her hand trailed to his face. Soft yet stern.
It really was Allendis.
She felt the tears that welled up broke into quiet trails down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry." It was the only thing she could utter. Her mind might be a mess but her heart felt relieved.
Allendis shook his head gently and helped her up to face him, letting her sit up with his arm around her back gently.
"You don't have to apologize." He said as he placed his hand on her head and messed with her hair. Gently. "Halbin and the others might drop down soon, we should stay here until they arrive."
Chelsea smiled. Allendis might be a capable ally but she just knew that he was making up excuses for her. If he wasn't then he would have given her some space. Instead, he was there with her, sitting beside her.
For years on end, she tried to find comfort in her life. Halbin might've been there but everyone comes and goes in this type of life. She was glad that someone took the time to stop instead of moving forward.
She was thankful for Allendis. He was unexpectedly brave. She always thought that he was too serious and logical to even do something reckless like jumping after her.
Her chest tightened.
Guilt crept in her heart as she tried to clench her chest. It was heavy.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me." She said, not looking at him. She was afraid that he might say something but most of all, she didn't want to see his disappointment.
"It's alright. The Hallow Ground does that to people. It affects the subconscious and makes you do things that otherwise would be unthinkable for anybody."
"I heard something…I thought that I just wanted to end it all."
"That's definitely the Hallow Ground. The Chelsea I know survived this long just to end it all." Allendis said as casually as he could with his stoic demeanor.
"You don't know me…how would you know what I am?" Her words coming out harsher than expected.
As soon as Chelsea said those words, she wanted to apologize again. The regret of letting those words slip out to Allendis made her feel even worse than when he wasn't here moments ago.
"I don't have to. You lived through terrible times. The past is haunting you yet you still smile and think about your future." Allendis said.
"Like it or not, you do want to live. So I know that you ending it all is just the Hallow Ground talking."
Chelsea didn't know what to say. Her thoughts were running around like horses on the field clashing into each other, but she didn't necessarily hate it. The thoughts weren't that of darkness but of hope. She smiled at him with a small chuckle.
"Thank you, Allendis." She said as she let her head fall into his shoulder.
Chelsea appreciated it when he let her do that. It was funny, out of all the people who would be there for her when she needed it, she would've thought that Halbin or even Nitha would be the one to bring her back.
She just laughed at the thought that this cold yet soft mercenary would be the one to give her the most comfort.
"Big sister and big brother? Are you here to play?"
Chelsea saw a child right in front of them. Shrouded in sheer darkness, skin that was turned into shadow and smoke. Eyes that were pure white yet looked like it did not attach itself to its head.
Allendis was already prepared to draw his sword even if he wasn't standing up.
So he did, and so did she, with a knife ready in case Allendis needs help.
"Who are you?" Alledis asked. Tense. It was the same man she knew for many moons past.
"My name is Yalpe. Nice to meet you." The boy shrouded in darkness said in a distorted voice. Layered on top of many other voices as he spoke. The darkness from the boy's body extended on his right hand. It formed into something that resembled a blade.
"Let's play hero, big brother!"