Blinding Light (BLS Book 1)

Mila

“Nothing anymore!”

I bolt awake to yelling in my room. I groan and sit up.

“Shit!”

Huh? What?

It was so dark but I could make out two dark figures at my door.

“Who—?”

They both dash out of the room.

What the hell?

I frown and rub my eyes. Neither of them was there anymore but the door was not closed, signaling that it wasn’t a dream. I stand up, almost falling from the lack of sleep. I slowly creep towards my door before something sharp stabs my foot.

“Ow!” I gasp, clutching my foot. I hop on one leg until I fall back onto my bed. I squeeze my foot, but the pain had already subsided. It’s like touching a hot pot. Careful to avoid that area, I light a candle and see a dark scorch mark on the floor.

What is that? Did something catch fire?

The mark made a line across one floorboard onto the curtain, which at the end, it was burned off.

But how did I not wake up to this before? The smell would’ve been horrible.

I don’t think there is a fire anymore, but I should check to make sure.

The party is still going, so I should be fine away from whoever that was in my room.

I grab a cloak and drape it over my shoulders, pull the hood over my head. Sticking my head out into the hallway, I made sure there was no one there before I rush outside. People were drinking just the same, less than before, but still there.

I don’t see any evidence that there has ever been a fire, so I take an open spot by the railings.

The anchors are down, and open water surrounds it all around. Someone bumps into me, interrupting my thoughts. He holds a cup in his hands and smiles sheepishly.

“Bonjour, bonsoir, whatever, Madam-moiselle…” he mutters as I swallow.

“Would…hiccup…you like a drink...?” He holds out his cup.

I hold both my hands up in front of me, “Non, merci.”

He doesn’t seem to hear me though.

It’s not long before a pained look crosses his face. I dart out of the way just in time for him to flash the hash (vomit) overboard.

I can still smell it even with it going into the ocean. My stomach rumbles from the smell, and I walk away before I puke too. The walk soon turns into a run before I could stop myself, trying to keep my steadiness in the flimsy dress.

Deciding it was best not to be disturbed, I head to the dungbie (rear end of ship). There’s a nice lobby inside. I pour myself a light drink before heading to the very back with the sky in view. The stars have faded away with the upcoming morning, and the atmosphere is coated with a light fog, making it misty.

“Good morning, Miss.”

I turn and see a man with a big, lopsided grin on his face. The man stands with eyes that strangely glow in the dark, a hazel, almost like yellow.

At least he doesn’t seem drunk.

“Good morning.”

He looks oddly familiar.

“It’s a lovely sunrise, isn’t it?”

“Oh, I’m sure it will be, but it’s still too early.”

I take a sip of my drink, looking away. Though, as I say that, I see the orange glow popping up in the far distance.

“How…?” I glance back at him curiously.

The man chuckles. He watches me with such intensity that I feel a blush creep up to my face, keeping my cheeks warm from the wind.

“A beautiful sunrise for a beautiful lady,” he bows. “My name is Silas. A pleasure to meet you.” He extends a hand.

Silas?

My memory spikes and I remember the notes written by someone named ‘Si’.

“Mila Hayes,” I drop my hand in his and he kisses the back of it. “Do you happen to go by the name Si?”

“I don’t believe how you came to know my sister but I go by Sil.”

Before I could say anything, he shouts, “I deeply apologize, Ms. Hayes, but think fast!”

He runs to the edge and flips over the side of the ship.

I shriek, covering my mouth with both hands. I rush over to the side and see Silas floating in the water, ever so close to the ship. I sigh in relief as water splashes on my face. I gape at him.

“How did you…?”

He waves a dismissive hand and calls, “Pure magic.”

I chuckle.

The sun is now rising, casting a warm glow on his golden-brown skin. He grabs a rope nearby shimmies up like a cat. He’s next to my side within seconds and I stare up at him.

His shirt clings tightly onto his body, and he pushes his dark hair back with one hand.

“As I said before. Pure magic.”

I laugh lightly. He narrows his eyes, “Watch this.”

He dives overboard again and making a splash so huge it looks like it was about to swallow me but only sprinkles on my arms. I look over the railing to see nothing.

“Everyone hurt…”

A few seconds pass but nothing resurfaces. No body, nothing. Panic seeps across my heart.

Why do I have a tendency to hurt others…?

I shake the thought off.

Now’s not the time, I need to find Silas. I search around before something catches my eye in the water. It’s a shimmering, long oarfish, the sunlight reflecting its scales. Its fins travel and float gracefully in the water, making it impossibly beautiful in the blue, ocean water.

It makes a sound, an almost sweet song. I didn’t know oarfish could make noises. I skim around the deck; no one seemed to have heard anything, nor are they close enough to. I can hear the distant music from the band at the front of the ship, but the song underneath grows louder in my ears.

My body sways to the song, making me dizzy. I feel a smile tug my lips as I spin in a circle. The floor fades away beneath my feet and I fall, deeper and deeper into the water. I don’t scream, I just sink.

***

I open my eyes to the white room.

No…!

It’s gone, it shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here.

I remembered the oarfish’s song. Its eyes reminded me of someone, someone familiar.

A person…?

“Oui…getting closer…”

What…?

No, not a person. Yellow…

Midnight! I think.

Wait, what…?

I clutch my head and wince in pain. I grab the needle on the side of my head and pull it from my skull, whimpering as the spasm hits. There was another needle in my right arm, that was connected to a skinny tube that I pull out without hesitation.

Other than the two needles I pulled out from my head and wrist, there are no cuts, no bruises on my body. I shudder when I remember what happened the last time I was here, but none of those injuries seems to be too severe to have caused scarring, which didn’t make sense, considering how much suffering I was in.

I glance down to see my legs are perfectly healed. I feel my arms, they’re all perfectly intact. I lift my…whatever that I’m wearing and find no wounds, I’m in perfect condition.

I let my legs drop off the bed, let them dangle, and wiggle my toes. They curl and bend the way I tell them to.

I stand, and to my surprise, I don’t stumble, not considering the fact that I ripped two damn needles out of my brain. Somehow, those wounds don’t hurt anymore, as if they’re completely healed.

My leg muscles keep all my weight up easily. I feel strong, more powerful than ever. A door clicks open and a woman strolls in. Her calm expression is replaced with wild terror as she slams her palm down on a giant red button on the wall.

A terrible wail fills the room. I cover my ears. I’ve never heard anything like this. It’s so loud it’s causing my ears to ring.

There was a red light above me, lighting up and circles the room, the light spins around the white walls. I look around frantically, keeping both of my hands over my ears. I didn’t know what I was doing until I saw the door. I tried to run towards it but the woman gets in my way.

Both of her arms are out, blocking the exit as she shouts, “Mila! Wait! Calm down!”

How did she know my name?

I didn’t have enough time to comprehend that, all thoughts fly to one word:

Run.

I’ve heard this before.

“Run!”

Even the voice is urging me to get out of here.

“Move!” I scream at the woman, shoving her to the side. She flies backward into the wall with a sickening crack. She flops down, unmoving. I look down at my hands in alarm, my breathing uneven as I feel my heart race.

Something’s wrong… something’s wrong…!

I can’t think. All that is circling my mind is to escape. Another person shows up with alarm on their face and tries to stop me. Before I could stop myself, I shove them out of the way as I dash for any exit. His body is thrown to the side that I dare not glance at where it hit.

The blaring wasn’t making it any better. All the hallways were colored white, and my vision is getting foggy. I wipe furiously at my eyes but all I could see was white, the endless hallways that there is no exit to. I didn’t know which direction is where, and the people keep getting in my way.

“Straight…” I hear the voice whisper. I follow its direction and run straight.

“Closer…”

Closer to what?

I question in my head but there is no answer.

My panic is overwhelming all my other thoughts and all I could do is run. I hold on to the thought: I have to get out of here. It keeps me from going insane. It keeps me steady on my feet so I don’t collapse into a storm of tears and flood. I don’t know what to think until I crash into someone’s chest. Someone tall with familiar dark hair. Those blue eyes draw me in when I realize who it is. Asher. He stares at me, wide-eyed.

“Asher! What’s going on?!” I shout at him over the chaos of the blaring.

He blinks at me, dumbfounded. I grab him by the shoulders and shake him. That seems to have awakened him.

“Mila?!” He stares at me in disbelief.

“Asher! Please talk to me!” I shake him again. “Where am I? Where are we?! What the hell is going on?!!”

My panic is building by the second. Tears escape my eyes. I shudder at the blaring noise.

Asher continues to stare at me. He suddenly grabs my wrist from his shoulders and runs down the hall, pulling me along. The hallways seemed never to end. It’s like that room of doors. The never-ending torture and pain that’s going to the grave with me.

“Endless…pain…”

My brain swirls with confusion as I get pulled alongside Asher. I don’t recall how many turns we’ve made before we suddenly come to a stop. He opens the door and slams it shut, giving way to quietness.

Asher groans loudly in frustration, a hand on his forehead. I can only stare, and listen to the muffled blaring outside of those doors. His hands find my shoulders. His eyes are filled with worry and dread before he shakes me violently.

“How did you get here?! How are you awake? What do you remember?”

I hesitate, frightened as my mouth goes dry.

“Damn it! Answer me, Mila!”

“I…I don’t know,” I stutter, unable to understand his language nor his panic. He lets me go, dropping his hands to his side.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not now, not yet. Sil...!” He mutters under his breath. “Son of a—Silas.” He spat out that last word like a rotten piece of fruit he accidentally bit.

“I-I know S-Silas…or Sil,” I say quietly. His eyes go wide before he slides over to my side.

“Close your eyes.”

I do as he says and squeeze my eyes shut because I didn’t know what else to do.

His hand grabs the side of my head, a finger on my left temple. Images flash through my mind. I see myself and Silas, him jumping overboard, the oarfish, its yellow, bright eyes. Then I see Midnight, on my bed frame, those same eyes staring right into my soul before I’m sucked back into reality. Asher’s thumb is still on my temple as his eyebrows furrow together.

“Curse you, Silas!”

Dumbstruck, I don’t say anything. Asher takes my hand in his and looks me straight in the eyes, burning through my skull, my memories, quite literally.

“You have to remain as close as you can to me, alright?”

Unsure of what else to do, I nod with my eyes closed.

Asher then creaks open the door, the blaring multiplies, and I try my best to drown out the noise.

“What is that?!” I shout over the noise, surprised that I found my voice back.

“An alarm!” He answers just as the ‘alarm’ goes off. It’s eerily quiet now, and I suddenly realize how tightly I’ve been holding his hand, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Asher leads me out into another silent hallway. No one is there in our way and I only just realized he has a syringe in hand that’s colored orange. He hands one to me as well.

“What is this?” I ask, weighing the syringe in my hand.

“It’s…” Asher hesitates. “It’s an enchanted object that will make people sleep when it stabs them. You will stab that at anyone that I tell you to.”

He doesn’t wait for a response and pulls me forward. There are no other colors but white, and so white that it’s almost blinding. I don’t understand why any building could not enjoy some portraits or good old paintings.

“You! You there!” Someone shouts behind us. Before I could look back, Asher pulls me into a run, forcing me to look forward.

“Don’t look!” He commands harshly. “They don’t recognize from your backside, don’t look.”

He says that almost as if to calm himself rather than me. I don’t look back, following his instructions. We both run until he suddenly stops, making me run into his back. He doesn’t even flinch.

His hand reaches towards the wall.

“What are you doing?”

Asher doesn’t answer and his hand gets sucked into the wall somehow. A door appears out of nowhere and opens.

My eyes widen in surprise and he leads me inside before slamming the door shut. There are no windows. I look around to find it familiar. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain on my side.

Familiar pain.

I wince, clutching my side to see Asher holding a half-full syringe in his hand. I wince again, and the pain doubles, intensifies. I grit my teeth, trying to keep my head straight.

“What did you do?!” I ask, darkness hooding my vision.

I lose my footing and fall back only to be held up by something, by strong arms, his arms. My breath comes in shallow gasps as something wipes itself away from my mind—erasing itself.

“Saving you,” he says. “Don’t worry. You won’t remember this.”

Don’t worry love, you won’t remember anything.

I didn’t want to feel light-headed. My ears are ringing when I see a blurred-out face carrying me. Asher’s face.

He sets me down on something cold. I’m lying on my back, facing the ceiling, just like when I woke up.

The white ceiling makes me dizzy. I don’t want to look at it; I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Further…”

Just as the voice speaks, I feel distant. My vision fading. A black silhouette stands over me with two blue blurs on its face.

Before it disappears.

Fades away.

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Thanks, with lots of smiles

☆•Yiona•☆