19 Aegis Of The Innocent One (1/2)

”I can't look at them. Let's just go inside,” said Hope. He rushed to the villa's door with his flashlight. My eyes scanned the area quickly.

Dead bodies were everywhere, and it appeared to me that they were murdered. It was too cruel.

My feet shuffled as I went to Hope's side.

The large wooden door of the villa had a lion doorbell in the middle. I'd never seen anything like it.

”Mommy and Daddy. . . ”

”I'm sure they're not there among the dead. But. . . do you see them?” asked Hope.

”No, I don't think so. At least, I hope.” My heart was pounding at my chest loudly. I was uncertain of Mommy and Daddy's fates, and what kind of tragedy had befallen them.

”I'm sure they're safe. . . somewhere,” a.s.sured Hope.

I took a deep breath as he pushed the wooden doors open.

Wind gushed in towards us, and we were greeted with a long hallway.

”A red carpet,” I said.

”Hmm. It's not every day you get to walk on a red carpet.” Hope was trying to remain his usual self but his knees were trembling. I could not blame him since we were literally surrounded by dead bodies.

”Mommy, Daddy, I'm coming for you.” Both of us walked briskly across the hallway.

”I don't know, Ava. a.s.suming that the people who took refuge were the ones killed outside, I don't think anyone's here.” Hope was flas.h.i.+ng his torchlight nervously around him. ”That scenery at the lawn. . . It keeps getting at me. . . And you know what? This place is dark.”

We walked for about a few minutes before stumbling upon a trap of some sort. A flat yellow disc on the ground right in front of us suddenly discharged a tall spike upward.

”That was close!” said Hope.

”I have a feeling someone is waiting for us ahead,” I stated.

”The disc was yellow, which made it easier for us to see it coming. Are they toying with us?”

We continued to walk along the hallway cautiously. The same traps kept popping out and we avoided them.

”There's something up there,” said Hope. After he said those words, yellow icicles rained down from the dark ceiling.

I formed a large, crimson gauntlet from my left arm and s.h.i.+elded us. The icicles bounced off my gauntlet.

”Yellow icicles? That's odd,” stated Hope. He proceeded to touch one of it.

”Hope! Don't touch them. It might be-”

”Poisonous, or something like that. But I don't think that will happen,.”

”What do you mean?”

Hope held one of the yellow icicles close to my face. ”It's. . . probably Aegis.”

I gaped. ”What?!”

”This piece has the same texture as yours.” Hope touched the crimson crystals on my left arm. ”And it has traces of blood inside. Again, same as your Aegis, Ava.”

I couldn't believe what I heard.

'Another Aegis User,' I thought.