1 Shadow of Destiny – Once Again



1.1 Chapter 8

Eike knew instantly that something was wrong. I feel like I've slept on a plank! He opened his eyes and found he was not far from the truth. He was lying on his front on a wooden floor. His head, turned to one side, gave him a clear view of wooden floorboards and beyond them a familiar inky blackness. This could only mean one thing...

Damnit!

Eike pulled himself up onto his feet and looked up at the large door in Homunculus' realm. He wasn't sitting there, which was depending on your point of view, either a good thing or a bad thing. It was good, in that Eike felt he'd upset the demon in some way at their last meeting and now was a bit uncomfortable about being in his actual presence. But Eike's human nature supported the bad view of the situation. This place was far freakier when you thought you were alone.

"Um.... Homunculus?"

Eike's voice echoed eerily in the demon's small world. He was aware of how stupid he sounded and braced himself for the first sarcastic words from the demon.

They didn't come!

Eike continued to glance around, confused and more than a little frightened by this uncharacteristic silence. I guess I must have really upset him, thought Eike. Oh well, guess it's up to me. Eike looked over at the large door and took a deep breath. He strode over with what he hoped was confidence and opened the door.

*****

After being tossed through the vortex of time...or whatever it was called, Eike looked around his bedroom at the Eckhart's mansion. He guessed that he had just arrived back from seeing the fortuneteller. He thought back over what he had done when he got back. He turned around and looked at the closed door. It didn't have a lock, but the house was all locked up downstairs. There was no way Hugo could have come in that way. Which leaves...

He turned to the window and grimaced. It was open. Seemed the simplest thing for a killer to do. Climb through a window. Still, Eike thought as he closed the window. What Hugo lacks in originality he more than makes up for in perseverance. He closed the curtains and turned, starting to unbutton his green jacket...

A shock shot up through his body. Eike gave a yell and jumped back, falling over for the second time that night. There was a clatter on the floor and Eike looked at his feet. The digipad was vibrating across the floor, glowing with that strange green light which showed that his destiny had been activated somehow.

The door behind him flew open. Eike jumped again, but this time to his feet. He turned to see Margarete behind him, looking scared and worried.

"Eike! I heard you shout! What's going on?"

"Margarete, quiet! Please!" Said Eike in a whisper. "I'm fine, it's just..."

Eike suddenly felt his stomach lurch. He turned and grabbed the digipad off the floor. He looked at the display and sure enough there was now a countdown time. Of about ten seconds.

"Eike! There's..."

Eike looked up at Margarete's shout, to see a dark, shadowy figure on the other side of his window. It raised an arm...

Eike barely thought about what he should do. Desperation made him ignorant of the consequences. He turned, grabbed Margarete's arm and pressed the only button on the digipad that he could. He saw Margarete rise in the air opposite him, her eyes wide in shock as the green glow from the digipad surrounded them both and everything else faded in it's bright light.

*****

"Eike...w-where are we?"

Margarete's voice snapped Eike back into reality. He shook himself mentally and looked around. They were still in Eike's room, but something was wrong. Very wrong. There was no paint on the walls, just cold, gray stone. The bed was different too. It looked...while very luxurious, not quite so modern. Eike looked around the room. He thought he recognized various pieces of furniture, although now it all looked brand new, not so antique. There was a fireplace, which looked as though it had been used recently.

Margarete grabbed Eike's arm and shook it. "Where are we? What's going on?"

Eike turned and placed a hand on Margarete's shoulder. "It's okay, Margarete! We're still in your hometown. Just.... I think we're back in your time now. Or at least near to it."

"We time traveled back home?" Margarete still looked confused. " But that was nothing like what happened when Hugo did it!"

"Lets just say we're traveling courtesy of a professional." Eike said bitterly. Where had Homunculus planted them now? Or was 'when' a more appropriate word?

"I think we'd better get out of here. If we are in your time again, this is the squire's house now. He probably won't want strangers here."

Eike turned and headed for the door. He was about to open it when someone turned the handle from the other side and opened it. Eike stood and stared at the young woman in front of him.

"Dana!?!"

The girl looked at him, obviously confused.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"



//Oooohhh! Confusion on all sides! Please read and review. It's hard to find the time to do this at the moment; I need support to keep me going. Pretty please!?! Thanks to everyone whose already reviewed. *hugs* You're all great!