Chapter: 39: The Raeewh

All I could see was darkness when I walked through the door. Stepping inside only made it appear even darker and more sinister than watching it from the outside.

My throat squeezed shut, and my chest constricted as the door began closing behind me.

Terrified, I turned around to see if I still had a chance to run for the light, but I’d never make it without the ability to teleport.

I only caught a glimpse of Caiden’s anxious gaze before the darkness consumed me.

It was as quiet as it was dark as if I was floating around in my own mind behind shut eyes. Then a flame lit directly ahead of me.

The golden flame was small, but it made it possible for me to see part of a path that differed from the rest of the sandy ground.

I reluctantly stepped toward the torch, and a new flame ignited a few feet farther ahead. Then another torch ignited, followed by another until I saw a pattern moving directly forward.

~“Stay on the path.”~

Caiden’s warning echoed in my head.

This must’ve been the path he’d been referring to—a path of fire and light.

I took a deep breath, drawing courage from the empty air before I started walking.

As expected, more torches ignited the farther along the path I moved. Unfortunately, as soon as I strayed too far from the torches behind me, they went out, allowing the darkness to catch up.

Panic bloomed in my chest as I looked back, seeing nothing but the empty mist of an endless void—at least, I hoped it was empty.

There was no way back now. The faster I could reach the end of this horrifying path, the sooner I’d be back in the shameless light.

I started running as my heart began racing against time.

Fear tickled my spine. It felt as if the walls had eyes watching my every move.

~“Willow.”~

My breath hitched as a deep sense of uneasiness held me rigid. I knew that voice.

I’d promised myself not to stop running no matter what, but how could I not? What if he needed me? I’d already failed him once.

“Koa,” I shouted into the emptiness, waiting for a response that never came.

Maybe it had been my anxious mind playing tricks on me.

I started walking again, but then a new voice called for me, and this time, there was no doubt in my mind that he needed me.

~“Will! Will, help me!”~

“Tristan!” I shouted, stumbling over my feet as I desperately ran toward the voices without leaving the path. “Tristan! Tristan, where are you?”

Then I stopped and listened to the slow, dragging beat of my heart.

Something wasn’t right. Why would Koa and Tristan be here? What about the rest of my family? Were they here too?

~“Will!”~

I turned around, hopelessly trying to determine where the screams were coming from.

~“Will, help!”~

Then they started shouting simultaneously, surrounding me like echoes from every angle.

It was confusing, and my head hurt. I couldn’t focus on the path ahead until I felt something wrap around my ankle, causing my entire body to freeze as a wave of repulsion made my stomach twist.

The hand was cold as ice, sending an agonizing chill through my body as its grip on me tightened.

I couldn’t run. I couldn’t even move.

My lips trembled as I forced my eyes to look down.

A grayish, bony hand with nails as long as its fingers rubbed against my exposed skin. Then I heard Tristan and Koa’s voices again, but they were closer—much closer.

The hand let go, and I stumbled backward as I saw it withdraw into the darkness. The screams calling my name stopped, but the silence was as deafening as the cries from before.

I squinted my eyes to see if I could glimpse the creature. I immediately regretted listening to that cursed voice of curiosity in my head and not seizing the opportunity to flee when I’d had it.

The creature was faceless but had a voice able to imitate the voices of my loved ones to perfection. Its body was bony and desiccated like its hand, its frame resembling a scrawny, long-armed human.

“Willow,” it whispered, slowly stepping closer.

The voice wasn’t Koa’s. It wasn’t Tristan’s either. It was my own.

“Wh-who are you, Willow?” it whispered again before I saw it morph into a different shape before my eyes.

Brown hair started growing from its head, and a face began to form where none had been before.

It was like looking into my own reflection in the shape of a solid hologram.

I’d heard about them before, but I’d always assumed that they only existed in the Desert of the Blaze.

The Raeewh—or the Faceless Shifters, as Mom used to call them.

They had the ability to morph into the shape of the person facing them, and they could imitate the voices of the people they’d heard throughout their time in this world.

How it had heard the voices of Koa and Tristan was a question causing my face to drain of color.

The Faceless Shifters usually resided in extreme heat, feeding on the fear they induced in their victims.

Did Caiden know we would be up against one of the Faceless Shifters? Was this the test?

“Who am I?” she shouted, walking closer with rapid steps.

I jumped to my feet and started backing away.

She was trying to force me away from the path and into the darkness—into her domain.

Then I remembered a detail from my mom’s warnings about this creature.

They may be able to morph into the person they victimized, but that was all it was—voices and appearance. Otherwise, they were just empty shells looking for food.

They weren’t harmless. The creatures were superhumanly strong, and they played tricks with your mind to induce the fear they sought to feed on.

I just had to figure out how to outsmart her and not let her push me away from the light.

“Who am I?” she said again, stepping closer. “I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t belong here. Where are Koa and Tristan? Is my mom okay?”

I shut it out and closed my eyes to remember what I had been practicing—control. Control over my powers and over my body.

It was challenging but not impossible. I’d done it before, and I could do it now.

My powers surfaced, their forces roaring inside me, but I managed them and focused my strength on my body.

Then I felt it. I had to strike now and then make a run for it if I hoped to get out of this trial alive.

My fist tore through the air, the Faceless Shifter seemingly oblivious to what was about to happen.

I was already considering my next move, but I never even got to successfully complete the first before the unexpected happened.

The Faceless Shifter caught my fist in its bony hand before she tossed me through the air. I landed a few torches farther ahead, my shoulder absorbing most of the impact.

It hurt more than being bitten by an angry Muneax, so my shoulder was probably sprained at the very least.

However, I didn’t have time to waste. Strength apparently was not going to work on this creature, so I was forced to resort to my powers.

Caiden hadn’t been wrong when he’d claimed that I hadn’t demonstrated perfect control over my powers the last time we met in the battle arena.

I was balancing on a thin line between being in control and my powers controlling me.

It was still difficult not to get carried away by the wonderful feeling of freedom and the sense of belonging, but I had to try. My life might depend on it.

My hands trembled when I summoned my powers, forming a sphere I sent in her direction.

My heart buckled when the creature with my face caught the sphere with its bony fingers and returned the attack with even greater force.

I barely escaped unscathed.

This shouldn’t be possible. The Faceless Shifters weren’t supposed to be able to mimic our powers too.

The creature pulled my lips into a wicked smile as confusion drew visible lines across my arching brow.

Fear made pearls of itching sweat, dampening my forehead. The creature could probably sense it every time she drew in a breath, savoring the taste of a fresh meal.

There was no chance for me to win this battle if this creature possessed the same abilities as me and, for some reason, controlled them better. I only had one option left—to flee.

Desperation clawed at my body as I turned around to run. I didn’t know how far away the exit was or if my trembling feet would be able to carry me all the way. Instinct just took over.

My insides dropped when the Faceless Shifter suddenly appeared in front of me, moving faster than the sound of her hiss could reach my ear.

“There is nowhere for you to run, loser,” the creature hissed, stepping forward.

“You will never be as good as any of the Iridis out there. You’re only here because the king didn’t want the world to see you for who you were: a misfit, an outsider! And the prince!”

She leaned back its head and laughed viciously. Seeing myself like that was bizarre, and I had to remind myself that it wasn’t actually a reflection I was staring at.

I stumbled backward, tripping over my feet, and tumbled to the ground.

“You must be delusional if you dare to believe that the prince is even vaguely interested in your weak heart, novice.

“Caiden is only here because his father and uncle are forcing him to—not because he cares.” The creature chuckled as tears burned behind my eyes.

I could feel her draining me. I could barely hold my head up as she kept spitting discouraging facts and predictions.

She was right. I didn’t belong here. Caiden probably wanted nothing to do with me, and that was okay.

He’d been kind to me, which had been enough. Piper and Calla were enough for me to make it past this finite phase of my life. Art was enough.

My mission was to gain full control of my powers. Nothing more.

I wasn’t here for the prince or the crown. I was here for my family.

Then it hit me.

This creature fed on fear. If I didn’t surrender to my anxiety, she wouldn’t have anything to feed from—a weakness.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself to a seated position and closed my eyes. I shut out the darkness and buried her voice beneath the mountain of memories I summoned from the depths of my mind.

“No one will ever love you!” she shouted again, but I could barely hear her.

I’d found peace in a place slightly beyond the reach of where I’d lost myself before. I was aware of the Faceless Shifter, but her words didn’t affect me.

“Say something!” she yelled again, pushing my injured shoulder.

Pain affected me, but the adrenaline surging through my body made it feel like nothing but a harmless kiss. She was weaker than before, which meant my plan was working.

She began cursing and screaming, pushing me to win back my attention, but I wasn’t letting her.

Then she started wheezing, unable to form intelligible words as she came to the brink of starvation.

I opened my eyes, leading my mind back to the dimly lit darkness.

The Faceless Shifter was still there, but it was no longer wearing my face.

Its dehydrated, leathery skin had covered its body again, and her face was gone, replaced by the unmistakable mask of the Faceless Shifters.

It wheezed again before it fell back into the shadows—gone from the visible eye and the harmful lights.

Clinging to the emptiness in my hollow chest, I started walking again, careful not to lose my face and attract the Faceless Shifter again.

The walk felt eternal before I finally saw a wooden door able to blend with the colors of nature. On its surface was Heliac’s golden lotus flower surrounded by carvings of the different elements.

The sight induced a slight sting of hope in my heart. A sense of security and relief got the better of me before it should have.

A horrifying shriek reverberated through the pitch-black room before the sound of naked feet racing across the floor followed.

The Faceless Shifter was closing in—fast.

I began running toward the giant door, unnerving fear jumping from my skin, leaving breadcrumbs for the creature to follow and devour.

Desperate and terrified, I reached for the golden handle, praying to the ancient spirits that the gate to my safety remained unlocked. I was not strong enough to fight the Faceless Shifter again.

Then the door opened.

The creature shrieked again, sending painful shivers down my rigid spine. It was close—too close.

The door was heavy, requiring more strength to move than I thought I had, but the human body was a wonder beyond anything most scientists could explain.

It finally fell into its frame, but I didn’t let go before I heard the locks activate, preventing the monster from reaching me.

I exhaled the breath that had been burning my lungs. I was safe.