Page 57 of A Conduit of Light
“No,”Icried out in pain, softly, asIlooked up to witness whatIknew would break me.
Viridiswas a graveyard.
TheBlightgrew from every inch of the sanctuary.Itsblack, woody vines wound through what once were the trees of life.Theycombed through the halls, breaking through the glass dome at the very top, jutting toward the sky like an abomination reaching out to corrupt all that was good—all that was right, and lovely, and peaceful.
Iscreamed, tears rolling down my face, anger raging through my body as if my soul itself was a monster rattling its cage.Myanguished cry resounded through the halls and theBlightresponded quickly.
Acreaking and cracking that would forever haunt my dreams echoed through the vines as they grew.Theypersisted in their deathly embrace over the sides of the bannisters, further up the trees, and curled toward me, slithering onto the stair landing that led to the center ofViridis.
Ireached out, my fingers brushing the spongy wood of the monstrous vine slithering toward me.Itgreeted me in a familiar embrace of a cruel nature, the beating of a steady heart pulsing through it, loud as ever.
Chapter26
Karus
“Thiscan’t be,”Iwhispered, unwilling to break my connection to theBlight.Unwillingto let go of what had ravaged the placeIloved.
“No!”Iyelled, grabbing ahold of the obsidian vine in my hand, the depths of its grotesque hue darker than even the moonless night sky.
Thevine was strong, sturdy, sure in its own survival as it sent tendrils of inky death along my hand whileIscreamed, my rage no match for the perseverance of its soulless life.
Revich’shand grasped mine, his body sheltering me as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Karus.Letit go,” he whispered in my ear.
Ishivered, exhaling quickly, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Tellme it isn’t real.TellmeI’mdreaming.TellmeI’mlost again in my mind andIwill wake up soon.Please,Revich.”
Iunwound myself from the vine and turned around to face him, grabbing his black vest, my grip tight as if it was my final threshold before falling into an abyss. “TellmeIdidn’t do this.Tellme theBlightdoes not grow at my anguish.Tellme…”
Helifted his hands to my face, his gaze deep, searching for something he held precious.Heremained silent, the slightest single shake of his head involuntarily given to me in answer.
“It’snot true.Thisisn’t real.”Fearstruck me and pulsed through my body asIstood, turning toward the ruined sanctuary, a dull light cast upon it.Itook a few steps forward, unwilling to accept the truth.
Itried to focus my breath in vain, closing my eyes and thinking of the beautyIremembered.Pullingfrom the depths of me that still held memory of this place,Ilowered my head and raised my hands, a sputtering of dark green magic sweeping across my fingertips.
Ithought of life—of good, and love, and joy.Iimagined all the feelings the stone had given me sinceIhad discovered it in the broken tree all those weeks ago.
IwilledViridistolive.
Iwilled it to return, alive and beautiful, its gardens everlasting, its shelves ever-flowing with knowledge and the peace of discovery.
“Karus!No!”
Revich’svoice echoed somewhere in my mind, a dull quiet sound, muted, but bellowing all the same.
Iopened my eyes and abject horror greeted me.
Iwas trying tosaveit.Iwastryingto bring life back toViridis, and allIhad done was desecrate it further.
Beforeme rose a mass of black limbs and woven branches, pustules large and on the edge of bursting, growing en masse, bundled together on the trunk of the revolting tree as its branches hung low, their fruit black and bleeding.
Istepped back, staring at the monstrosityIhad borne.
Revich’shands gripped my arms, almost painfully as he yelled hurriedly, “Weneed to leave—now!”
Irealized the source of his fear as the black fruit pulsed and burst, the fleshy obsidian pulp slapping onto the marble stone in a sickeningthwack.Thesplatter then writhed, its strength impossible as it hissed through the marble floor and new growth arose from the destruction, faster—impossibly fast—asRevichpulled me back to him.
Thelast thingIsaw ofViridiswas a dozen more trees like the horrorIhad produced sprouting from the stairwell, the fruit of the first still bursting in succession asIfaded into the portal.
