Free Web NovelChapter 86: Chapter 86
Riley’s POV
The moment Dalia grabbed my arm and told me not to, everything inside me rebelled.
I stared at the little girl again because there was no way I could just ignore a bleeding child like that. She was sitting on the ground with her small hands shaking and her mouth stained with blood, and she looked at me like she could actually see me, like she knew I was there and needed help. My chest tightened so badly that it hurt.
"What do you mean don’t?" I whispered, trying to pull my arm free, but Dalia’s grip tightened and her face became very serious in a way I had not seen before.
"You must not stop," she said in a low voice. "You were warned."
"I don’t care," I said immediately, my voice shaking because I could not believe this woman was telling me to walk away. "She’s a child. She’s dying. Are you insane? Let me go."
Dalia stepped in front of me so I could not see the girl anymore and shook her head. "You do not understand this place. If you stop for anything, you will never reach where you are supposed to go."
"That is the most heartless thing I have ever heard in my entire life," I said, and this time I pushed her harder. "Move. I’m not a monster. I won’t leave her there."
But before I could run, the girl coughed again and the sound was so strange that my whole body froze. It did not sound like a normal cough. It sounded wet and deep, and it echoed in a way that made my skin crawl.
Slowly, I looked past Dalia again.
The girl had stopped coughing. She was staring straight at me now.
Her eyes were completely black.
I froze.
My mouth opened but nothing came out.
The little girl smiled.
Blood dripped down her chin as her lips stretched wider than they should, and I felt my stomach turn violently. My heart began to beat so fast that I could hear it in my ears.
"Riley," Dalia said sharply. "Do not look at her."
But I could not stop.
The girl stood up slowly, and her small body looked wrong. Her limbs moved in a stiff way like something was controlling her. She tilted her head and opened her mouth.
"Help me," she said, but her voice sounded like many voices at once.
My entire body went cold.
I stumbled back. "What the hell is that?"
Dalia pulled me behind her immediately. "It is not real. It is a trap. The Veil tests your heart. If you stop, if you choose anything over your path, you will be trapped here forever."
My legs almost gave out. "Are you serious right now? That thing is not real?"
The girl began to walk toward us.
"No," Dalia said. "It only looks real. It feeds on pity and guilt."
The girl’s head twisted slowly, and then she screamed.
The sound was so loud that I covered my ears instantly.
"HELP ME!"
Her body suddenly bent backward in a way that made my stomach flip, and then her mouth opened wider and wider until it looked impossible.
I screamed. "Oh my God! What is happening?!"
"Run," Dalia said.
That was all I needed.
I grabbed her hand and we both ran.
Behind us, the girl’s scream turned into a deep growl, and the sound of heavy steps followed us. I did not dare to turn back because I already knew I would regret it if I did.
"Why is everything here so insane?" I shouted while running. "This is the worst spiritual trip in history! I want a refund!"
Dalia almost laughed even while running. "You speak strangely."
"I am panicking!" I yelled. "This is my coping mechanism!"
We ran for a while, and suddenly the sound behind us disappeared.
I slowed down, breathing hard. "Did... did we lose it?"
"Yes," Dalia said calmly. "It cannot chase you far once you refuse it."
I bent over and tried to breathe. "I hate this place. I hate every single thing about this place. I miss my bed. I miss food. I miss normal people. I even miss everyone being rude to me."
Dalia smiled slightly. "You are very dramatic."
"I am very traumatized," I corrected.
We kept walking, and this time the world felt different again. It was quiet, and the strange feeling from before returned. I looked around and realized that the sky looked closer, and the air felt heavy.
"Are we near the cave?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
My heart began to race again.
Suddenly, I remembered what the man had said.
"The third prime wolf..." I said slowly. "The one everyone knows but does not know." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Dalia glanced at me but said nothing.
"He said that if he loses, a part of me will be lost. What does that even mean?"
She was silent for a while.
Then she said, "It means your fate is tied to that one."
My chest tightened. "Tied to who?"
She did not answer.
We kept walking.
After a few minutes, I stopped again. "Wait. You know who he is, don’t you?"
She still did not answer.
"Dalia."
She sighed. "You will know soon."
"That is the most annoying sentence in the world," I said. "Everyone keeps saying that. You will know soon. You will understand later. What if I do not want to know later? What if I want to know now so I do not die in confusion?"
She laughed softly.
We reached a familiar area, and my heart dropped when I saw the cave in the distance. The entrance looked dark and silent, and the closer we got, the more nervous I became.
"This is it?" I asked.
"Yes."
I swallowed."So after this, you are leaving me alone?"
"Yes."
"That is rude."
She smiled. "You will not be alone."
I stared at her. "That is not comforting."
We stopped a few steps away from the entrance.
"This is where I leave you," she said.
I looked at the cave again. My hands began to shake.
"What if I die?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"You will not."
"You do not know that."
"I do."
I looked at her. "How?"
She stepped closer and touched my forehead gently. "Because the God’s does not bring its chosen here to die."
I stared at her, confused but I didn’t ask any further questions.
Before I could ask anything else, a deep growl came from inside the cave.
My entire body froze."That does not sound friendly," I whispered.
Dalia smiled. "Go."
"I do not want to go again."
"Go."
"I am serious. I do not want to go."
"Riley."
I groaned. "Fine. If I die, I am haunting all of you."
I took one step forward.
Then another—
I turned back to look at Dalia one last time.
She nodded.
I swallowed hard and stepped fully inside.
