Shadow of Death (SOD)

Chapter 66

"Wha—?!"

Asher’s mouth hung agape at what he was seeing before his eyes.

Even as the footsteps of the strange, ghost-like creature rapidly approached, nothing was able to pull Asher out of his daze.

His entire attention was locked onto the grave in front of him.

His mother’s grave.

Why was a grave with his mother’s name here?

"Ba....thump...."

His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears.

The date.

’Thi-This is the future? It’s a date for the next two months! Wait.... But we are going to move to Vespers in two months. So does that...’

His eyes stretched wide.

A cold realization slowly began to creep into his mind, but before he could complete the thought, he abruptly turned around and stared at the grave directly beside Clara’s.

He stepped closer.

His eyes widened for the second time that night.

[In Loving Memory Of:

Jayden Dawson

15th May 2000 – 14th October 2027

Beloved Son of the Dawsons.

A great brother.

Forever in our hearts]

"Ba....thump...."

"Wha—?!"

’Jayd... what the hell is g—’

"Argh...."

A sudden, sharp pain tore through his skull.

Asher’s body tensed as a memory violently rushed through his mind, bringing with it a wave of white-hot pain.

His heart began pounding faster.

He immediately pressed both hands against his head, fingers digging into his hair as he struggled to withstand the sensation.

His teeth ground together from the tremendous pain.

A flash of an image rushed through his mind at the speed of lightning.

"Ghh..."

Asher’s breathing became ragged.

He tried to focus.

Tried to slow the image down.

But it kept racing past him.

Again.

And again.

And again.

His heart beat in resonance with the rapidly approaching footsteps of the ghost-like creature.

His head throbbed violently as he desperately tried to slow down the image whooshing through his mind, just enough to get a glimpse of what it was.

His breathing became increasingly labored.

His entire concentration was focused on that single fleeting image.

Soon, however, something changed.

The image began slowing down.

’Al-Al-Almost there...’

He breathed laboriously in his mind.

The image continued to decelerate.

Slower.

Slower.

Until—

It halted.

Clear as day.

Asher’s gaze sharpened almost immediately.

He could see Jayden.

His brother was hovering above the ground.

And he was being lifted by a girl.

Then—

Crack!

A loud crack rang out.

Jayden fell to the ground.

Lifeless.

Asher’s breath hitched instantly.

His eyes widened in horror as the image dissolved into nothingness within his mind.

"No..."

But before the memory could completely disappear, another fragment began rushing past.

A second.

That was all.

One second.

Asher’s expression hardened.

With grim determination, he chased after the fading image inside his mind and instantly caught up with it.

One second.

He was just one second away from clutching the memory.

One second away from seeing it clearly.

One second away from understanding what he had just witnessed.

Then—

A piercing scream from Rick could be heard.

And then—

Thunk—!

Something slammed into Asher from the side.

His body was knocked away, and he rolled across the ground before finally coming to a stop with a flustered, annoyed look on his face.

’No, no, no. NOOOO!’

Asher roared inside his mind.

The image vanished.

Gone.

All because he had been distracted.

Then—

Clang—!

The sound of steel—or sharp claws—striking the exact position Asher had occupied only moments ago rang out.

The impact snapped the boy out of his daze.

His head jerked toward the sound.

The strange, ghost-like creature was hovering over Clara’s grave.

Turning to his side, Asher spotted Rick kneeling beside him, wincing in pain.

His elbows had been scratched by the sharp rocks and twigs scattered across the ground, droplets of crimson running down his arm.

"What were you doing spacing out like that?! You could have lost your life, dumbass!" Rick berated him in an annoyed tone.

Asher was still confused and somewhat out of it.

He blinked.

His mind was spinning as he desperately tried to recall the image he had just seen.

Jayden.

A girl.

The crack.

His brother falling.

But the memory was already slipping away.

Like a distant, fragmented dream, the image flickered in and out of existence.

Asher’s eyes twinkled with desperation.

He struggled against the fading memory.

For a moment—

He was almost winning.

Almost.

He could feel it.

He could almost see it again.

The image was right there.

Just beyond his grasp.

Then Rick grabbed his hand.

Almost instantly, the memory vanished.

Asher’s eyes widened.

He was pulled upward as Rick helped him to his feet.

"Come on, we still need to run!"

Asher blinked at his friend.

His breathing was still uneven.

"Uh... ye-yeah. Yeah, we need to."

Rick didn’t wait.

The two of them immediately turned to look at the strange figure.

But to their absolute horror—

It was nowhere to be found.

The creature had disappeared.

’Shit.’

They both cursed inwardly.

Without any invitation whatsoever, they picked themselves up and made a run for it.

Neither of them needed to say anything.

Their bodies moved on instinct.

The speed Rick suddenly gained was unlike anything Asher had ever seen from him before. He was practically sprinting, his legs moving as fast as they could carry him while he mumbled something inaudible under his breath.

Maybe a prayer of some sort.

Who knew?

Whatever it was, Rick didn’t stop.

He kept mumbling and panting, his breathing becoming increasingly ragged as they raced through the cemetery.

The gate—

And then the fence—

Was rapidly coming into view.

The sound of crows cawing could be heard as loud as day.

Their harsh cries echoed throughout the cemetery, seeming to grow louder with every step they took.

It was as if the closer they got to the wall, the louder their sounds became.

Even the distant chirping of crickets seemed to increase in volume as they hurriedly approached the fence.

The sounds surrounded them.

But Asher barely noticed.

He had already zoned his mind out from every distraction whatsoever.

There was only one thing occupying his thoughts.

One goal.

One destination.

Escape!

"I-I can’t hear it anymore, Asher. I’m scared." Rick called out, making sure to keep his gaze ahead.

He was terrified of turning around.

Who knew what he would find if he dared to do so?

The thought alone sent another shiver through his body.

He swallowed silently and continued his inaudible prayer, his eyes fixed firmly on the fence ahead.

"Come on, we almost there," Asher uttered confidently as they closed in on the fence.

His voice remained steady despite everything that had happened.

And within mere moments—

They were finally in front of the fence.

Without thinking twice, Asher quickly boosted his friend, helping him scale the fence at twice his usual speed.

Rick grabbed the top and hauled himself over.

He crossed to the other side and landed with feline grace.

Asher immediately glanced behind him.

The distant fog still covered the cemetery, with the barely visible gravestones rising from within it like dark silhouettes.

Nothing.

For a moment, he simply stared.

His mind drifted back to what he had seen.

His mother’s grave.

Jayden’s grave.

The memory.

The girl.

Jayden falling.

’Why? What was that I just saw? Why does it feel like I’m forgetting something?’

"Asher! Come on!" Rick shouted at him from the other side.

The sudden shout jolted the boy out of his drifting thoughts.

"Ye-yeah. I’m coming."

Asher turned back toward the fence.

Leaping upward, he managed to grab hold of a protruding stone on the side of the fence and immediately began pulling himself up.

Since he was quite tall, it wasn’t even much of a hassle to begin with.

His long arm stretched toward the top of the fence, his fingers securing a firm grip.

Just one pull.

One pull and he would be outside.

Asher tightened his grip.

He was about to make the pull when—

He suddenly felt a heavy weight wrap around his legs.

"...."

His body froze.

A strange pressure tightened around his lower legs.

Asher forcefully swallowed hard.

The weight was pulling him back down.

And the strength behind it was astonishing.

"Wha—?!"

His eyes widened.

He quickly glanced downward.

Only to see a pair of pale hands clutching his legs with tremendous force.

Asher’s pupils contracted.

The hands were unnaturally pale.

Cold-looking.

Dead-looking.

As if feeling his gaze upon it, the owner of those hands slowly lifted its head.

Asher’s breathing stopped.

The ghost-like creature that had been chasing them since the beginning of their escape was staring directly at him.

A grin slowly stretched across its face.

A horrifying grin.

Its red eyes pierced straight through him.

Then—

Right in front of Asher’s horrified eyes—

The creature’s head slowly turned upside down.

Like a spun wheel.

Asher’s gaze sharpened in horror.

"Aaaaaah!"

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