THE RISE OF AN OMEGA-Chapter 60: Her Trance

Ryker’s POV

Kira and I have been fighting the dark entity for some days now. The entity seemed to be getting stronger after every fight, but it wasn’t just him—Kira was also getting stronger. The last fight she had with the entity, she evolved. She became a light bearer.

But she kept on going into illusion space, the entity’s illusion space, and most times, she spent hours and, at times, days. We were coming back from Elder Anthony’s home when suddenly, just as we got into her home, she slumped.

Thank Goodness I was fast enough to catch her before she fell to the ground. If not, she could have hit her head against the edge of her bed.

I carried her and placed her on the bed.

It was happening again. The entity had taken her back into another illusion space. I sat down close to her, patiently waiting for her to come back to the real world, but she was taking more time.

Day one.

Day two.

Day three. And she had still not woken up.

I was getting worried. Could she have been trapped? The last time something like this happened, I kept on calling her name, giving her encouraging words until she came back to me. But this time around, that pattern seemed not to be efficient anymore.

It felt like the entity already found out that I had helped her out of his previous illusion spell and went ahead to make the magic surrounding this illusion space he had placed her in stronger.

But something also felt off about this. Every time she was lost in an illusion spell or space, it was always during a physical fight with the entity, but this time it was different. We had just got back, and the next thing, she slumped.

Could this be something else? Or someone else?

Maybe the moon goddess?

My head and mind were occupied with oceans of thoughts that seemed to be increasing as the hours went by.

"Wake up, Kira!" I yelled, shaking her body.

But there was no response.

I stood up and went to the bathroom to get a towel and water to clean up her body as she had been gone for three days now. The only thing that made me calm was the fact that she was still breathing fine and her pulse was working fine too.

At night, I would lay next to her, making sure to wake up at intervals to check her progress, maybe she had woken up while I was asleep, but she never did wake up.

"What’s going on?" I muttered.

I wanted to run to the elder’s house to tell them what was going on, but I was worried about her. I couldn’t afford to leave her alone, not when the entity was lurking around.

He could have trapped her in the illusion space for all I knew, but I wasn’t going to allow him to take her physically. As far as her body remained here in the physical realm, there was still hope she would be back, and I was ready to wait, no matter how long it took.

On the fourth day, I knew that this wasn’t the entity. Suddenly, I felt a cold wind on my skin, and I knew exactly who it was. There was only one person in the world who had that kind of effect.

His presence sent cold shivers down my spine. Immediately, I stood up and rushed over to where she lay, standing in front of her with my claws extended and my fangs out.

"Move away, little wolf. I am not here for you," his cold, deep baritone voice echoed through my body, sending shivers all over my body. But I stood my ground. I would rather die protecting her body than allow him to take her body.

Moving closer slowly, he said, "We both know that you don’t stand a chance against me. If she was awake, then yes, the two of you combined can challenge me, though she would be the one challenging me as she’s a very formidable opponent."

"Get... a...way...from..her," I yelled, stressing my words for more emphasis so he would know I wouldn’t back down.

"I see that you are ready to die. Well, I am glad because I would happily do that." His tendrils—I had never seen them move that fast before—were about to snake themselves around me when a bright light shone from her body, sending the tendril back.

My eyes rolled in surprise.

She was still protecting me after being asleep for more than four days.

"No, that can’t be!" the entity exclaimed.

The next thing I saw was my body landing on the ground. He had used telekinetic powers. He tried to get closer to her, but he couldn’t. I lunged forward with my extended claws before I could slash him; he already vanished into thin air. Then I felt my body levitating.

In the blink of an eye, I was down again. When I turned back, he was no longer there. His intimidating presence no longer lingered in the air.

I rushed back to where Kira lay. I heaved a deep sigh of relief when I saw her still sleeping soundly.

I went to sit next to her. I decided that I wasn’t going to tell her about the entity’s attacks.

But why did he leave just like that? He could have killed me just to pass a message to Kira when she awakens, but he didn’t. I made sure to arrange everywhere that was scattered so she wouldn’t know that something had happened in her absence.

If she wasn’t in the entity’s illusion space, then where could she be? Was she lost or stuck somewhere?

I was becoming impatient already. I shook her once more, but she still didn’t respond. I waited a while, then shook her again. She still didn’t wake up. Then one time at night, she jolted up, screaming out the very name I detested.

Asher.

Was she dreaming about him for four days?

Was she in a trance with him?

I felt jealous. Immediately, she looked at my face; she told me instantly that it wasn’t what I was thinking. I asked her about the dream, but she didn’t want to tell me. All she wanted to do was just to go and find the crescent moonstone.

But I insisted, so she narrated everything to me.

"If what you saw in your dream is true, then we have to find the moonstone before the entity gets his hands on it. We can’t let him wield such powers," I said.

"Ryker, I don’t think this is a dream. I think it’s a vision," she responded.

"But Asher is dead," I remarked.

"We are not sure if he is. He was swallowed by the dark entity, yes. But he could still be alive."

"So what are you saying? You think Asher is in danger and you need to save him?" I snapped.

From the way I sounded, You could easily tell that I was worried about something.

I was jealous she had just spent four days with the enemy while I remained here sitting, watching, and hoping that she would wake up. And when she eventually did, the first name that came out of her mouth was Asher.

I am sure you can understand how painful it was for me.

"I am saying that this could be a vision from the moon goddess," she explained.

"Or it could be an illusion from the dark entity," I retorted.

"Come on, Ryker. We are not going to argue about this."

"No, we aren’t," I replied abruptly, looking away.

"Come on, it’s not like I spent more than a day with him."

"What! You didn’t spend more than a day?" I scoffed. "You spent about four days."

"What four days?" She exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Which means time was slower in the vision. Did anything happen when I was gone?"

"Nothing happened," I lied.

"Okay, I have to go in search of the crescent moonstone as soon as possible. I can’t afford to waste any time anymore. The entity could be getting stronger as we speak."

"What you need right now is rest, a good bath, and good food," I replied.

She lifted her armpits, sniffed them, and said, "Surprisingly, I don’t stink."

"That’s because I made sure to wash you up."

"You did what?"

I smiled. "You heard me right, Kira." I stood up and went into the kitchen to get the food I already prepared.

Kira ate in silence, her mind clearly elsewhere. I could see the determination in her eyes, but something else lurked beneath—uncertainty.

"I need to leave by dawn," she finally said.

I clenched my jaw. "And you think I’ll let you go alone?"

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Ryker, this isn’t about—"

A sudden gust of wind blew through the room, snuffing out the candles. A low growl rumbled in my chest as I immediately positioned myself in front of her.

Then, a voice—low, eerie, and unmistakably familiar—whispered through the darkness.

"You’re running out of time."

Kira gasped, gripping my arm. The shadows in the room twisted unnaturally, forming a tall, faceless figure.

"I’ll be waiting, Light Bearer."

Before I could attack, the entity vanished. Kira’s fingers trembled in mine.

"We have to find that moonstone. Now."