The woman retrieved a key from behind the counter, her hands moving with surprising dexterity for her age. "You remind of soone," she said with a chuckle as she handed over the key. "A large, scary green creature once stayed here. Helped clean the inn, believe it or not. He was quite nice, even though he looked like he could tear the roof off."
JJ raised an eyebrow but smiled politely. "Sounds like quite the guest."
"Oh, he was. A gentle soul, that one." The old woman sighed, then patted JJ's hand. "You sleep well now, dear."
As JJ turned to head upstairs, the door to the inn creaked open. A man walked in, clutching a flyer in one hand and showing a device screen to the old woman.
JJ paused at the bottom of the stairs, glancing back as the woman's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no," she muttered softly, wringing her hands. "The poor man."
JJ didn't linger, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She made her way up to her room, the wooden floors creaking softly beneath her feet. Once inside, she locked the door and tossed her belongings onto the small, worn-out table by the window.
She emptied her pockets—there was Blue, still glowing faintly, soft and blue as ever. Beside her lay the item crystal, a half-filled water flask, a few crumbs from her last al, and a small shard of tal she'd picked up earlier but forgotten about.
Sighing, she sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion weighing down on her. She glanced at Blue, still curled in the fetal position, before laying down herself. As her eyes closed, the image of Ty's skeleton flashed in her mind. The world seed to shift in her dreams, the familiar lting into chaos.
She found herself standing in the middle of a burning landscape, flas licking at the sky, consuming everything in their path. And there, in the distance, a figure—black, liquid, and formless—stared back at her, unblinking.
It didn't move. It just watched.
JJ tried to step forward, but her feet felt like lead. The ground beneath her was cracked and scorched, her body heavy as if the very air was dragging her down. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The heat was unbearable, but it wasn't just the flas—it was the weight of the creature's gaze.
"Ty..." she whispered, the na barely escaping her lips.
Suddenly, she saw him. Ty's skeleton, standing tall amidst the destruction. His bones, black as night, glead in the firelight, and yet he remained still, unmoving, as if frozen in ti. JJ's heart clenched. She tried to call out to him, but no sound ca.
The black liquid creature shifted, taking a step closer, its form rippling as it moved. The flas seed to retreat around it, almost afraid to touch the darkness that enveloped it. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire
Panic surged through JJ's chest. She had to move. She had to do sothing—anything. But no matter how hard she tried, her body refused to cooperate. She could only watch as the creature neared Ty's skeleton, its dark tendrils reaching out, almost caressing the bones.
"NO!" JJ scread, but her voice was swallowed by the roaring inferno around her.
The creature's eyes—or what she thought were eyes—flicked toward her, locking her in place with an unseen force. The burning world around her faded, and all she could see was the blackness, threatening to consu her, just as it had consud everything else.
The last thing she saw before darkness overtook her was Ty, standing silent and still, as the creature's liquid tendrils wrapped around him, pulling him into the abyss.
JJ jolted awake, her heart pounding, beads of sweat clinging to her skin. She sat up, gasping for breath, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room. The soft glow of Blue, still nestled in her pocket, brought her back to reality. The inn was quiet now, the world outside far from the fiery hellscape she had just witnessed.
She reached into her pocket and emptied its contents onto the bed. The faint blue glow of Blue shimred next to the item crystal. A bottle of water, a half-eaten piece of bread, and a small coin purse tumbled out as well—normal, everyday items, yet they felt strangely out of place after the nightmare she'd just endured.
JJ rubbed her temples, trying to shake the lingering image of the black liquid creature from her mind. What the hell was that? she thought, staring at the items on the bed. Her eyes drifted to Blue, still glowing softly.
"Ti to figure out what happened to you," she muttered, more to herself than to the tiny figure in front of her. She gingerly placed Blue next to the item crystal, feeling the exhaustion creep back in.
"Ti to figure out what happened to you," she muttered, more to herself than to the tiny figure in front of her. She gingerly placed Blue next to the item crystal, feeling the exhaustion creep back in.
JJ's fingers brushed against the soft, faint blue glow emanating from Blue's form. The fairy's usually vibrant energy seed muted, like a candle struggling against the wind. JJ frowned. She'd never seen Blue in this state before. Whatever had happened back in the crypt had drained her in ways JJ couldn't quite understand.
It wasn't just physical exhaustion—it was as if sothing had pulled at Blue's very essence.
JJ sank down on the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples, her mind still fogged by the day's events. The Black Bulls' proposition, the small tal spider now tracking her movents, and her devotion to Ty weighed heavily on her. She glanced at the pile of belongings she had emptied onto the bed. Mundane things, yet they felt like pieces of a puzzle she hadn't solved yet.
Her eyes drifted back to Blue. The fairy's glow flickered again, and for a mont, JJ wondered if she should wake her. No… let her rest, she thought. Blue had done enough. More than enough. Whatever had happened in that crypt was far from ordinary.
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