The Wastelands

After Druid teleported away with Heather, the eye of the storm collapsed. Rain and wind slammed onto Lilia's already soaked head, almost choking her with water.

Lilia cursed. "Just my luck."

This was just what she needed. She'd just crawled out of the river, and now it was raining. She shivered, chilled to the bone; her clothes were soaked through. Lilia wasn't as affected by temperature change as humans, but even she had her limits. Lilia might need to see Terran about cold medicine after this.

'If everything goes back to normal,' Lilia thought a minute. 'Well, our normal anyways.'

"Shadow, what are you trying to do?" Lilia mumbled.

Hopefully, with Heather gone, the weather will stabilize soon. Though she needed to leave. Lilia glanced warily at the tree line. The Wasteland's sound was distorted, and she felt eyes watching her. And they weren't Shadow's.

"You got to be kidding me," Lilia g.r.o.a.n.e.d warily. Watching as an enormous wolf came out of the tree line, followed by a couple of smaller ones.

Lilia tried to use her telepathy, but it was like sliding against a stone wall. She was a little confused for a minute, then Lilia widened her eyes in realization. "Protectors, here?" Lilia heard about them, but she thought they resided deeper in the Wastelands.

The wolves stopped and howled out a warning.

Lilia backs up slowly, holding out her hands. "Okey, I'm going. So don't come any closer. Please."

The Protectors were another defense mechanism for the Wastelands. The best way to combat them was to get out of their territory as fast as possible. Hopefully, they were just stopping by due to the disturbance and staying for good.

Lilia never so them before, and they were memorizing to look at, but she smelled danger resonating off of them. Her senses were screaming at her to get out of there. In all the stories she heard about them was that they were pretty much unstoppable.

It took all her will power not to freak out.

The big wolf moved forward, its stance aggressive, and Lilia scrambled back a little quicker. Then a high pitch screeching from a faraway bird echoed. The wolf stopped and looked up, sneering. Lilia stilled for a second, but before long, the wolves turn back to fade into the treeline. Lilia could still feel their eyes watching her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that was convenient." Lilia had her suspicions, but she had other things on her mind. "Now all have to do was survive, and maybe everything will be just great. Right," Lilia half-joked. Quite factly, she doesn't like her odds in beating Shadow, but she couldn't stick around either.

Before she set out, she patted the ground where Terran resided. "Don't worry, we'll come." Despite how close he was to the Protectors, Terran was probably the safest out of everyone.

She began her exhaustingly long trek back to the compound. Lilia needed shelter from the rain, so she didn'. The Wasteland was distorted, so if she got close, she felt dizzy and almost passed out. Plus, the Protectors, Lilia, didn't want to deal with them again. She had no choice but to hug the river bed.

'I am so out in the open. Shadow' going to find me!'

Seeing the sky clearing up overhead, Lilia sighed in relief. The storm was settling down.

Even if the storm was clearing, her wet clothes were weighing her down. Every step was agony. Exhaustion was overwhelming.

'Can't stop. Shadow is coming.'

She could feel his presence creeping across her skin.

Just then. "Finally, we're alone. The pesky nuisances are gone. It's just you and me now," whispered Shadow.

Lilia jerked to the left and used a branch nearby to block.

Lilia spoke with forced calmness. "Why are you using your Medium. I thought you didn't like to use them."

Shadow stared at for a second. 'Like he could see right through me.' Then he responded. "I don't really. It makes things way to easy. Daggers that produce any form of poison, it seems like cheating to me." He moved to Lilia's side, throwing his daggers once again.

Your whole existence is a cheat, Lilia thought through gritted teeth. She moved to avoid them, but Shadow was there to intercept her. So Lilia swung her branch at his legs. With her strength, it would have broken something if it had connected. Instead, Shadow moved back into the shadows.

Off balanced, Lilia tried to center herself, but she felt a presence behind her, and she threw her branch. Already off-balanced, the momentum made her fall on her back. Shadow moved to the side, and the branch slammed into the ground with explosive force.

'Oops.' Lilia winced. 'I didn't mean to use that much strength. Must be more tired than I thought.'

Shadow slowly moved his head toward Lilia, and he smirked, twirling his daggers. "If you just let one of these hit you. It will just make you sleep for a bit. Then everything will be over." He ran toward Lilia

'Well, that's not creepy at all.'

She flipped on to her feet and moved to counter his swift attack.

Lilia was best at anticipating her opponent and countering and adapting to their fighting style. Shadow, on the other hand, had his own style of fighting. He uses quick precision attacks, and he knew exactly where to hit to immobilize his opponent for a swift defeat. Lilia knew that fighting him would be a challenge, and it was that and more.

But something was odd; Shadow was acting off. Well, more off than usual. Was it like Shadow was playing with her? Did he act like this with the others? He wasn't the type to gloat and take out his opponent in a flashy manner like he was doing with Lilia. If Shadow's goal was the mediums, so why such theatrics?

'Is he testing us? No, if it was just that he wouldn't go to such lengths? It was like he was punishing us for not meeting his expectations. Is Shadow unraveling? He isn't the most stable, but still…'

Lilia tried to land a hit on Shadow, but he just barely deflected it. Shadow backed up a little.

He sighed. "Ha, Let's make this more interesting." Then Shadow brought his Phantoms into play. They were so humanlike that it was eerie to watch. 'Phantoms? Not good. They are not hard to deal with, but by sheer numbers alone, they could overpower me easily.'

Lilia looked around. Where was Shadow? Couldn't even follow his scent. Did he jump into his shadow world, leaving her alone with his Phantoms? Why?

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

*Behind you.* A woman's voice called out. A very familiar one at that, but she couldn't think about that.

Lilia activated her claws and sliced through the Phantom, who was inches away from her. He disappeared, but more took his place. They kept pushing her back.

They didn't allow her to breathe. "Back off," Lilia sneered allowed her claws to shine brighter, and they slowly backed up. Lilia moved to cut down a couple more. There a break, she broke out in a run, but she felt them following her close behind.

Lilia was worried. "Where is he?" If Shadow wasn't there, then she had a sneaking suspicion where he might be heading. Lilia needed to get to the compound. If he wasn't there with her, then her little sister might be in danger.

Her claws began to fade. "Damn." Lilia cursed. Her claws were made up of pure Life energy and the best way to combat the Phantoms. Without them…

Suddenly a Phantom from behind picked her up and threw her, Lilia felt like that she was swallowed up by cold stillness. Before she slammed into something. Disordinaited, Lilia looked up to see a colossal Phantom standing over her. Trying to get up, Lilia felt something solid behind her.

'A wall? The compound. I am right outside the compound. How?'

"You're finally here." Shadow's voice echoed.

Then suddenly, Lilia couldn't think at all as loud noises, and flashing lights bombarded her senses. She was going into overload. All she could do was crawl into a ball, trying to cover as much of her face as possible.

'It hurts! It hurts so much!' Finally, in exhausted relief, she blacked out.

When she came to, she found herself pinned to the wall by Shadow men; their touch was chilling.

'So cold.'

Shadow was standing over her, with her flute in his hands. "Do you like my little surprise? I set it up just for you." Shadow said casually, his gray eyes looked like stone.

Lilia opened her mouth to speak, but only a cracking sound came out, and she couldn't breathe enough to speak. That Phantom had hit her harder than she thought.

"To be honest, I didn't think it would be this easy," Shadow continued, ignoring her attempt to speak. "No matter, you are mine now, and only mine." He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I knew ever since that night that you are my salvation."

Scared and confused, she choked out, "What…"

"What night?" he finished. "Why, the night of your last piano concert. That glorious night, I found my purpose. My reason for living."

Lilia's eyes widened. The night her abilities first manifested six years ago. Where she lost her joy in music. Was he there?