Outside Light

In an instant, his perspective changed and life returned to reality. To his surprise, Orlando was holding himself from someone’s back. But… who is this person? he wondered noticing that the two of them traveled at high speeds.

“It was about time you regained consciousness,” Margareth said.

“Where are we?” he asked… “who are you?”

He’s still asleep, Margareth thought and sped up her motorcycle. The two of them traveled at high speeds down a thin path next to a cliff—any wrong move and they would both be falling into an abyss that seemed endless.

Orlando held on tight when he looked to his side, vertigo took over him. “Could you slow down?” he asked, but his plea wasn’t heard.

Margareth continued to accelerate as if her life depended on it, traveling really fast on the narrow path on the side of the cliff. “We’ll be there soon,” she finally said.

The motorcycle passed between two huge rocks, leaving the terrifying road behind. Orlando felt a little calmer. Although the speed at which they were traveling still kept him altered. In the distance one could see a bridge over a canyon. They now traveled on a thin dirt road in the middle of an immense green meadow… suddenly a huge chunk of earth rose up in front of them.

Orlando was unable to hold on and was thrown off the motorcycle, flying for an instant before falling into some bushes. Then, regaining consciousness, he got up to examine the situation… impossible.

About twenty feet away, the woman he was riding with was floating. A circle of yellow light completely surrounded her… her hands covered by smaller spheres of light. She turned her face to see if Orlando was okay.

Orlando couldn’t remember the woman—he couldn’t remember anything. His mind tried to make sense of what was happening, when…

A beam of black lighting hit the sphere surrounding Margareth. Immediately, she fell to the ground and Orlando noticed that a man in a black coat began to walk in his direction. No, wait, Orlando thought before turning to flee.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Vincent said, raising his hands.

Orlando chasked with the stone wall that rose in front of him. “Wait… you’ve got the wrong guy,” he said… his voice too low for the man on the black coat to hear.

“So this is the chosen one people praise so much,” Vincent said, walking towards him.

“You’re wrong,” said Orlando, “I shouldn’t be here. There must be a mistake.”

“What kind of hero is this?” Vincent asked as he turned to see the unconscious woman on the floor.

“Take anything you want,” Orlando said.

“All I want is your life…” Vincent said and a black bolt of light came out of his hand.

Orlando closed his eyes, sure it would be the end of him. To his surprise, the same yellow light that he saw around the woman now surrounded him.

“You must trust your instincts,” he heard within the sphere with Margareth’s voice, before it disappeared.

Instincts… instincts… Orlando thought unable to understand.

“…I see you have hidden surprises,” Vincent said. “I like that!”

“It wasn’t my intention,” Orlando said, leaning against the stone wall.

“Let’s do this quickly,” Vincent said, “What do you say?”

“WAIT,” Margareth yelled and released a beam of light from her hand.

Vincent deflected the beam with ease.

Orlando looked at the woman he traveled with on the ground. Why is she trying to defend me, he thought. If I die it’ll be on my own terms.

Vincent watched Orlando run towards him. “Don’t you see it’s useless,” he said and shot out a black bolt.

Orlando was not able to react receiving the blow to his chest and falling backwards

“We better get it over with,” Vincent said.

Orlando got up again, holding his chest with one hand, noticing that the lightning left a black mark on him. Then, he watched the man in the black coat begin to form a black circle between his hands.

Vincent looked forward, focusing all of his power on the circle of balck lighting forming in front of him. His gaze fixed on the person he came to assassinate, concentrating on the mission he had to accomplish. For an instant, he looked towards Margareth’s direction—she didn’t seem ready to intervene. Staring back at his target, Vincent let go of the ball of darkness that seemed to flash.

Orlando was surprised to see the black flame flying towards him. Time seemed to stop, as he closed his eyes and extended his arm to defend himself. Everything is lost. With his other arm he covered his face, preparing to receive the strike of the black lightning again.

Nothing…

Orlando opened his eyes, wondering what had happened… his arm was on fire. He immediately began to shake the blue flame out of his hand to avoid being burned. Before long he noticed that he was unharmed. Then he looked and found the man in black coat on the floor. What happened?

The sound of the motorcycle approaching caught his attention. “Lets go,” said Margareth, “or are you waiting for him to get up? Hurry, we don’t have much time.”

Orlando looked at the great bridge they traveled to. A structure of colored crystals that seemed to decorate the landscape, and beyond… the strange city that Orlando never dreamed of knowing. Houses of different shades of glass rose like thin pyramids from the floor, from the distance it was like seeing a forest of colors that sparkled in the sunlight.

Margareth sped up when Orlando finally jumped on… while Vincent watched them drive away. Someday you’ll have to get out and I’ll be waiting for you.