Chapter ten:

He felt them rather than saw them. They entered the room, mere shadows, never fully where he focused. Their voices were distant as they spoke together, the meaning of the words lost to him. His body ached, protesting against the lack of food and sleep over the last long time.

There was an egging call in his mind, a silent suggestion of lie down and let go of it all. The desire to do so had steadily grown over the last day – if it had not been more. He had long since lost track of time. Yet, his fear of facing those of his friends who he had slain kept his spirit fighting for now. He dared not face them – their ghostly appearances were already torture enough for him.

One of them moved towards him, hand outstretched as to either help or to grab.. Catti-brie. It had to be her. She was the only of the spirits that was tall enough to be human, and slender enough to be female.

As she approached, the calm expression of something close to worry that lay on her face faded, replaced with a gruesome snarl, promising pain and anguish.

Closing his eyes, he pulled back into himself, knees drawn tightly against his chest as he tried to shield out the horrifying sight of the woman he had once loved of all his heart.

He could feel her pause, and, wondering if she was about to speak her damnation of him, he looked up at her, meeting those cloudy eyes that once had had the same colour as the ocean.

She stood silent, hand raised, poised to strike, to grab and tear. Seconds passed. Then her hand descended, and he shut his eyes closed again, prepared for the feel of his soul being torn from his mortal shell.