“You killed me Willow,” I looked around in the black abyss. Trying to pinpoint the voice. The pit in my stomach told me I knew it, and I did, but it couldn’t be true. Though it was so distinct. So familiar.

“Where are you?” My voice carried, desperate and shaky, scared for the truth.

“You killed me, and then you showed affection to that-that pirate after I was gone,” the voice sounded right next me. I spun around, my friend, my love stood behind me. He was gaunt and slouching and as he took a few back he moved fluidly, similar to how Aridia and Salix moved.

“No...no-no… I didn’t kill you,” tears began to fall as I watched him. He leaned back and forth, looking at me in a particular way, like a cat watches a mouse.

“Oh but you did,” he hushed me. He slid a few steps closers as he moved his hair from his eyes-eyes that were black, not humanity in them. “You could’ve saved me. Hell, it’s your reason I was even in this god forsaken world. Ha! It’s your fault I was even sent on the fucking mission!”

“I’m sorry!” I held my stomach, a sick feeling began rolling around. I took a few steps away from him, the slimy feeling returning. He was Lukas, but he wasn’t my Lukas. “I didn’t want this for you! I thought you were home, home and safe!”

“I wish I could’ve been home,” he scoffed. “I would’ve been safe, safe from this place and safe from you. I never realized the type of monster you were until death but in life I was oblivious to your illusions.” He kept pursuing I kept moving back into the void, wanting to flee.

“Lukas! Please!” I screamed at him. Tears soaking my cheeks I tried desperately to get away but he just kept coming. He was so thin, so gaunt and ghoul like. I was afraid.

“What are you going to do Willow? Use magic on me? Hit me? Stab me? I’m already dead, I can do all the harm I please and you can’t lay a single finger on me!” His words were venomous. I slipped as I stumbled backward, thin arms wrapped around me and pulled me to my feet.

“Going somewhere sis?” Salix hissed in my ear, she gripped my arms behind me tightly. With her free hand she brushed my hair aside to look at me. “Don’t you want to say hi to your friend? He missed you, can’t you tell?” She through her head back and laughed, despite her darkness her laugh was light. Abruptly she pulled away and looked at me neck, my hand flew to the locket.

“Get off me!” I ripped my arms from her grasp and jumped away. She flicked her wrist lightly and Lukas’ grip replaced hers, securing me in place. Black mambas’ melted from the darkness, appearing at our feet, hissing in fury. Salix danced forward and reached for the locket. Something flashed across her eyes, as she picked it off my chest.

“He gave it to you…,” she looked almost horrified. Her eyes locked on Lukas behind me, I could see the fire burning inside her. “You gave it to her!”

“He gave it to her!” Lukas’ snarled. Salix ripped the necklace from throat and gripped it, flicking her wrist Lukas vanished. I fell backward, and kept falling. My chest tightened and a scream ripped it’s way through me. I was falling. Falling through the darkness with no end.

I fell, and fell, and fell, and kept falling. I fell for so long, my heart raced in terror. The darkness seemed to fade the farther down I went, roots began to appear from the shadows. Thick and strong, tree tops appeared high above me, dark grey thunder clouds above them. I stopped screaming, my heart slowed, the fear seemed to just evaporate as I closed my eyes. The sick hope that I wouldn’t survive seemed to take up residence in my chest. Then I hit the ground. Shocks went through me, I gasped for breath only sucking in mouthfuls of water. I gagged and tried to swim up, the darkness returned but I could make out roots. I swam and swam, my lungs were on fire, desperate for air. I reached the surface. I slid my fingers and hands through the mesh of roots. I pulled myself up, trying to get my head above the surface. Just barely did I get my mouth between two roots. I sucked in a breath, relieving my lungs. They burned, but they burned with stress rather than lack of air. I stayed there a moment, taking in deep breaths when it darkened.

“Pathetic,” Aridia hovered above me. Between the vines and roots I could see the look of disgust on her pale face. I glared up at her. “I defend you against your sister and you repay me like this? Not even being able to save yourself? Pathetic.” She spat on my fingers and knelt down to speak with me.

“Help me,” my voice was raspy, my throat raw.

“No,” she snarled. “Help yourself, my sweet. You can, you just need to believe you can.”

“Please! Help me! I can’t do it!” I cried out to her as she rose and stepped away. “Mother!” She froze, but didn’t turn around. A moment, maybe several passed before I heard her curse and she kept walking. I screamed at her, profanities, begging, her name. I couldn’t do what she wanted. I could no longer see her through the vines. I clung desperately to them, it I let go I’d drown. I had my face just between two, just enough to draw in shaky breaths. It was only a dream.

My arms began to ache under the strain. I could feel my fingers slipping from the roots, I felt warm sticky liquid on the bark. Tears stung my eyes and I couldn’t make shapes out of my watery vision. I just kept breathing in while I still could.

I lost my grasp, I plunged further into the water. Tendrils unfurled from the depths and pulled me down to them. I fought. It was a mistake, it took my oxygen. But I couldn’t help but fight, the light was fading quickly from my view as they pulled me deeper. I kicked out but they tightened their grip around my legs. I couldn’t even see what they were attached to, soon I couldn’t see anything. And blackness surrounded me as my lungs began to burn.

I screamed out into the dark water. Whatever was below me released me, I couldn’t see anything, there was no light in any direction but I was still under water. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to center myself, she was right, there was only one way out.

I pulled energy from the water around, and replayed Diana told me. Aridia was right, I had to use magic, but I don’t have to use dark magic. I merged the air with the water, combining their energies and creating a current upward, as I neared the surface I let myself become one with the earth and felt what it felt rather than demand what it felt, the vines and roots unfurled, creating a hole big enough for me to pull myself through. I returned the energy I took as thank you to the elements and pulled myself onto solid ground, vomiting up water, so much water. I made it, I survived.