Hello Mates, I'm feeling quite energized today and so I might make a long one or not hehe :D

Enjoy reading this wonderful chapter and as always comment if you feel like it >_>

Saladin's POV

I brought Laura back to the inn and dropped her off.

My mother and Laura came towards me while asking where I'm going.

I replied to them that I'll be doing a easy request in the hunter's guild which made them worried due to how my condition is.

The sun is setting and the moon emerges from the horizon.

At this time, people tend to flock more absurdly than any time in the day.

As at this time, the hunter's guild is at it's most apex point in request.

It was a peaceful while I walk towards the guild and hum a tune similar to Laura's whistling.

After some time of walking and passing crowded areas, I reached the hunter's guild and entered it.

'Hmm what type of request they might give at this time, I hope it's something not involving capturing escaped pets...' - My thoughts.

While I was heading to the request board, I checked my card which indicate on what level of request I can take and it was rank 'E-'.

I was now looking at the huge board filled with requests while searching for something that suits my rank and gives good amount of cash.

There was two requests which peeked my interest and where both equally good but I choice only one.

The request was for me to find a key in a nearby abandoned garden which would pay me 18 deras.

'That's enough amount for me to cook something for my mother, Nyorin and Laura.' - My thoughts

I asked the counter lady that I will be doing this request which she happily accepted by stamping it and asked me to write my name in it.

After handing the application form to the lady, I then made my way out of the guild until she told me to wait.

The counter lady told me something else which was quite weird as she says that there is no nearby gardens in the town and was saying that this request might be a fraud.

I didn't really care as even if it were a fake, I would still be able to get a fresh breather outside of this town.

After a couple of hours of traveling and looking for the garden, I finally found it.

It resided beside lots of tree's in the middle of a dense jungle and not the same one as to the first time I met Nyorin.

The Garden was filled with flowers, bushes and trees that felt like it was maintained for a well amount of time.

I've been thinking on who would call this abandoned as it clearly looks like it's not.

There was signs that it was visited frequently as I saw foot marks leading to the garden.

As I get closer to the place, the noise of everything that consist of chirping and wind was vanished.

It felt eerie as if the garden was alive.

My footsteps were the only thing I could hear as I walk through the garden and was stopped by a rusted old gate.

I pushed open the gate which made a screeching sound due it being rusty.

There was a small house that is even smaller than the room in my inn located at the middle of the garden.

It was made of wood while has only one window which was not see through.

The house was making me feel like it was asking me to leave but I still insisted on heading to it.

three steps stairs was leading to the door which I opened to check what is inside where it made me surprised as there was nothing there but a ladder leading downwards.

I felt that someone was watching and following me which gave me the chills.

When I entered the house there was symbols written everywhere in the walls which made me wonder what they were for.

'Something is telling me that it is a bad idea to push any further' - My thoughts

I decided to climb down the ladder as I was thinking that if I quit now, it would mean that I wasted my time coming here.

When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I hopped down and saw that I was in a cave that is barely lit.

There was no wind which tells me that the place is sealed from open air.

The place was dark but torches with handles made the place slightly lit and was kept beside the walls in front of me.

Before I could move any further, I pulled out a small knife as I tell myself that something might go wrong.

I was thinking on how this request was weird for just looking for a key in this sort of place.

My body felt colder as I went along the path without knowing where it would lead me.

There was cobwebs in every place I see, telling me that this place was old.

It got me thinking as to why the house is well maintained but the underpart is not.

I could have sworn that I heard footsteps behind me, I might be going insane from this long pathway.

After some time of walking, I felt immense coldness through my body and had to wear another pair of shirt over mine which I took out from my bag.

Finally I found a gap in a wall which leads me into a place where two trees resides in it.

There was a huge gap in the ceiling which brings down air and the dark moonlight which made the place lit barely.

Mosses, plants and flowers were everywhere in the place while there was some sort of large grave like structure in between the tall dying trees.

I was curious on the grave and decided to check it out.

Some parts of my body were telling me to head back while I try my best to ignore it and take a look.

My insides felt like twisting while my heart beat became slower from each step I took.

I bend down a little to check the grave.

Then I rubbed away the dust to see what was written in it.

My heart felt like it stopped as the name written in it... was mine.

I didn't know what this means and checked further down and saw something written on it.

'Saladin Valirus, Died at age ???, reason ??? and hope that this peaceful soul would leave earth without worries'

My mind went blank as to why is there a grave for me here.

I felt like losing consciousness as to the grave headache from knowing that I died.

Then I heard someone spoke to me from behind.

"Don't get fooled to what your looking at" - ???

I looked behind me and saw the same hooded person from back then was there looking at me while still hiding his/hers face.

'Fooled?' - My thoughts

Afterwards, I averted my eyes back towards the grave.

There was no grave, there was no trees but there was a girl standing looking at me.

That girl was no other than Kioni, she was smiling at me while using both her arms to reach out to me which indicates her saying 'come to me'.

I didn't do anything but went towards her as I really wanted to speak to her at least one more time.

My body felt like getting lured as I approach Kioni.

But then the hooded figure stopped me by holding my shoulders while telling me

"That is not your beloved person, look into her eyes" - Hooded person

I did what he/she asked and looked into Kioni's eyes.

The only thing I saw was darkness, plain hated darkness.

From looking into her eyes, I already knew that was not Kioni.

By my way of thinking, I slowly went away from the fake pretending Kioni.

I noticed her eyes started pouring out blood while her face slowly turns pale and her smile turned completely outright creepy.

There was a black void under her feet which consist of lots of hands grabbing hold into her while dragging her down.

She was still trying to bring me with her.

I could hear lot's of eerie whispers coming out from the portal.

'Hurts' - whispers

'Why it to be me' - whispers

'Unfair...' - whispers

'Devils are not what you think they really are!' - whispers

'It pains...' - whispers

The whispers stopped as the fake Kioni succumbs fully inside the pitch black hole and disappears.

Cracks were appearing everywhere and slowly pieces of reality is being torn apart.

My body felt like it was getting sucked inside one of the cracks but before that I saw a key in the ground with a paper and picked both of them up before I got swallowed.

It was pitch black where I was sucked into but slowly died out as when I reopen my eyes, I was outside the garden.

Unlike before the garden was old, withered flowers and trees.

The house which was inside the garden was in ruins.

I didn't know what to say as this was one of the most unexplained deviation that occur to me.

It was really weird and still felt chills from remembering the grave with my name and the blood crying Kioni.

When I opened my hands, I saw the key which I think is supposed to be the one which completes the quest and a paper with something written on it.

'Everything you see, has something distorted residing in it' - Paper

It was a short sentence but I understood fully on what it was trying to say.

I was thinking on why was the hooded person in there and thought he/she was the one who was following me.

My body felt tired as I look at the bright moon which is at it's crescent shape.

The noise of wind blowing trees and the grass surrounding me was peaceful.

'I better head back to the inn before everyone worries about me...' - My thoughts

It was hard moving my body but I managed to walk until I spotted a man riding a wagon with a single horse making his way to what seems to be the town.

I asked him if I could have ride and he accepted but asked why is someone at my age wondering in the woods.

I just told him that I was lost and wanted to return to town which made him look at me for a good moment then told me to get in.

After a while of sitting, I finally reached the town and hoped out of wagon while thanking the person who kindly gave me a ride.

It was in the middle of the night where less people are outside and more inside sleeping.

I entered the inn and went upstairs while thinking that everyone is asleep.

Though I didn't felt like sleeping as to what I experienced today.

'I better hand out this key tomorrow, as when I was inside the garden it felt like time moved really fast...' - My thoughts

I opened the door with one of my spare keys given to me and entered it.

The lights were closed and I noticed my mother was sleeping except Nyorin and Laura who where looking out the window.

They noticed my presence and turned towards me while having teary eyes.

Both of them came hugging at me while crying softly.

'I just gone out for not to long and why are they this sad...' - My thoughts

Nyorin then spoke while crying

"Where were you in this past week..." - Her

'...Week!' - My thoughts

Then Laura spoken

"Without you... my life is not worth living for... don't leave me behind..." - Laura

Time has spun way to fast while I was inside the garden...

They started crying a little louder after I hugged them back while saying

"Sorry..." - Me

After they finished crying, I explained to them on what everything had just happened.

They had anxiety in their eyes as I mentioned about my grave while having fear when I told them about the blood crying girl.

I finished explaining which made both of them lost in thought as to what they just heard about my experience.

My body felt tired, so I took a quick bath, changed clothes and gone laying down in bed.

Laura and Nyorin joined me and slept in both side of my body similar to what happened last night or last week...

Nyorin was crying little as she hugs me tightly while telling me to never make her feel alone again.

I could feel Laura's face snuggling my shoulder while also crying lightly.

Eventually they slept, and I was left in thoughts as to who was that hooded person.

I could remember some faint color of red from that hooded persons eyes.

Also, it felt like he/she knows me well as he/she called Kioni someone beloved to me...

My eyes slowly closed and led me to sleep.

Saladin's Dream POV

There I was standing... and in front of me was Kioni hugging me while having tears in her eyes.

The place we were at was a pure white room with nothing inside.

She then made both of our eyes look into one and another.

I was happy as Kioni was someone I really wanted to meet again.

But then her eyes became lifeless and blood oozes out her eyes.

It was the fake Kioni I met earlier which gave me some bad memories.

Another Kioni appeared and pushed the fake Kioni away causing the fake one to disappear.

The Kioni who pushed the fake was waving slowly at me while having a smile.

She then said

"I'll be waiting, but hurry" - Kioni

Her voice was as gentle as I remembered which I thought I forgotten forever.

I was crying as I hug her while saying that I missed her.

Before I woke up, I saw her pretty smile with her closed teary eyes.

It looked like I created a short chapter... Sorry...

Anyhow thank you for reading :D