Chapter 301: Past Wounds

Talia Everything was strange, I thought to myself as I was pushed along. First were the men and women milling around the docks, their tattoos covering their hands and skin. Most of them had eyes the color of red or a deep purple. I saw one with completely black eyes—not like Lucia’s, but true black irises that swallowed the light around them. Along with these eyes came a strange shadow that seemed to swirl around them, accompanied by the black, smoky orbs that hovered nearby. I stumbled as I was pushed down the last few stairs of the ship. As soon as my bare feet touched the solid, uneven ground, I collapsed, falling unconscious and succumbing to the darkness. When I awoke, I found myself in a rough bed, the vehicle I was in gently rocking. The ridges of the bed pressed into my skin, causing my bones to ache uncontrollably. I slowly pulled myself out of unconsciousness and saw Lucia looking at me with worry in her strange black eyes. "I knew you were unconscious, but I didn’t know