Human One

17. The End of End

I follow Lager, always keeping at least one hallway between us.

Quieting my footsteps as much as possible, I try to focus on listening to his footsteps, which sound as resounding and confident as always. For a Darkling High Commander, who rules over the shadows, he sure does have all the characteristics opposite to a shadow itself.

Every time I turn a corner, I'm holding my breath while simultaneously wondering why Lager hasn't caught me yet. Surely with his abilities he should be able to detect a spy.....unless he's too far into his head to notice. But what would he be thinking about?

I bite my bottom lip, nibbling into it the more I worry. Now and then I pass a Lightling guard, and I always tense up but surprisingly they don't stop or question me, instead just giving a nod and going about their patrol.

Just how big is this Villa? I think after another minute or two of patiently following him. By now we've for sure passed the lounge room that Malia is always in. 

What if he's going to her bedroom? A pang of fear hits my chest, and I shake my head out of that dark place it wandered off to. There's no way that's possible.....and yet I find my footsteps starting to quicken.

Every window we pass presents the moon, only a half-crescent but bright and illuminating. Slowly, I begin to realize the amount of guards I've passed has ebbed, along witht he amount of doors, until it seems like the sole purpose of the hallways we're walking down is to lead us to  a specific destination.

I hear Lager's footsteps suddenly come to a stop up ahead, and I sneak up to the corner and peer around to see him standing in front of an open doorway, the hallway beyond it completely pitch black. 

Oddly, no guards stand at this strange entrance, and I watch as Lager begins to move again, disappearing inside the darkness like he was never even there in the first place.

I wait a few moments, before inching out from the corner, tensed and ready to leap behind it again if he suddenly pops out.

Another few seconds later and nothing happens, so I decide to walk forward, until I'm standing at the edge of the doorway, squinting into the darkness.

A slight breeze softly brushes my face, and I inhale a breath, before taking a step forward.....and missing the ground.

My foot falls down where it should have touched floor, and before I know what's happening my body is careening forward, and I'm crashing into stone slabs, tumbling down a good few yards before my brain finally registers what's happening and my body kicks into action. My arms reach out and brace my body against the smooth stone walls that I cant see, only feel on either side of me, my breath coming out in pants.

"Ouch." I murmur as the adrenaline fades and the pain of hitting multiple body parts on solid stone appears. 

I rub the side of my head, and one of my sides which directly hit a slab, cringing when it hurts. I'll be lucky if by tomorrow I'm not covered in bruises from head to toe.

I take a moment to get over the stinging pain, evening my breath and wondering how long before Lager comes zooming up the stairs after hearing that loud tumble. 

Turns out I had to wait a long time, because nothing happens.

Sighing, I slowly climb to my feet, grunting and stretching my aching muscles. Great, now I sound like a grandmother.

For the home of the Lightling High Commander, it sure is dark down here. But at least now I know hat there's stairs, so I slowly start to edge my way down them, stinking out one foot and feeling the bottom stair before stepping forward.