Darkness of the Soul

It was pitch black around me. But I felt awake as ever. There was nothing in sight for miles. Just a pitch black void. I felt light here. It must be a dream.

I couldn't feel the wind. Nor could I feel cold or warmth. I felt nothing in this void. Like I was dead.

Suddenly she appeared before me. My own reflection stood before me. Perfectly alike to me in every manner. But that wasn't the case for what lay inside. Her eyes shone scarlet and her ashen hair flowed in an impossible manner. That was how I knew this was a dream. Black tattoos like a storm of ink coiled around her arms and clawed around her face and neck.

"Hello Sister." She said in a cold and ghostly voice. "Welcome to the world where I rule."

She fell back as the darkness became solid. The floor became stone. The walls became dark steel, and she cackled as she landed in a throne of bones and blood.

"This is the world that I created using your mind." she told me. "The world that we can turn to reality. No more orders. No more pain. Just you and I."

"You mean just you." I replied coldly. "I know how you think. There isn't a place for me in your 'master plan'."

She laughed in response.

"You're right." She grinned as she stood up and walked toward me. Her grin turned into a look of disdain. "There isn't a place for a weakling like you."

CRACK

I was sent to the ground by a hammering force from her fist. Blood stained the floor that I had landed on.

"You're pathetic." She looked down at me. I could tell that her eyes were labelling me as trash. "You can't even kill a man without breaking."

CRACK

I spat out a spray of crimson as I felt my stomach almost cave in as she stomped on me and ground in her boot. It felt like an anvil was just dropped on me.

"You may be in control out there." she continued to speak. "But here, I make all of the rules. You can't fight me here."

She laughed.

"You can't do a single thing anyway." she cackled. "Not here, and not out there! You're weak!"

With that she gripped me by the throat and lifted me high, up to her eye level. I watched a sadistic smile crawl up her face as I felt her grip tighten. My struggle was useless. I kept kicking out to no avail, it didn't even faze her.

"You should have listened to me when you had the chance!" She growled. "Now you're completely at my mercy and you can't even fight back!"

No. This isn't right…

She further tightened her grip as I felt the air escaping my lungs. She was crushing my throat.

"How's it feel to be so weak?" she sneered. "To reject your birthright to be like those useless, pathetic humans? I can end you at any point I wan-"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at her with what was left of my breath. She tilted her head.

"You…aren't in control." I grabbed her wrist as I felt a surge of strength coming from my very core. "You're just a parasite…feeding off of my strength."

I could feel something strange as black fire began to work its way up my arm. A familiar black fire.

"Hehehe…" She began to laugh again. "Perfect. Show me what you can do then you weakling!"

Without a second thought I hit the ground, jumped and pulled her arm behind her. In one single motion I pulled and heard every bone in her tattooed arm snap in an agonising harmony. She made little reaction other than a pained grunt.

"I'm not a weakling!" I kicked into the base of her back and heard another snap. She flew and hit the stone floor with a loud smash. Blood splattered across the grey stone as she lay half-broken on the ground.

From there I gripped her hair and pulled her up onto her knees.

"I'm not weak." I told her. "You're the weakling. You're just a shadow of what I am! Of what I can be!"

She continued to giggled as blood leaked from her lips like a crimson stream.

"Well done…" she said. "You…just proved me right…"

"I said shut up!" I shouted as I drove my knee at her chest. I heard the terrible crack of her ribs as she spat a scarlet spray onto my leg in pain. She only kept giggling, turning into a slight gurgle as blood filled her mouth. She spat it out onto the ground as her giggle turned into a cackle.

"You're no better than I am…" she told me. "We're the same…I know you better than anyone else. Deny it all you want…we're the same…"

"We aren't." I replied coldly. "You're a monster who can never be forgiven. I have the chance to truly live. As a human. This power of mine, this power that you believe is for destruction. I will use it to defend what I cherish most and to rip apart the fate that binds me!"

"Even if it means a lifetime of sorrow?" she sneered. "They're only human. They will be long dead before you grow old."

"Then so be it." I responded, letting go of her hair as she dropped to the ground. "If I must endure even a hundred years of suffering to cherish a few months of happiness, then so be it. To know that they care, to know that they are happy. That is what makes my suffering worth the price. Even if I am to die alone. I will die knowing that I was able to be human. To know love and life, to explore and endure. That is what being human means."

"You're a fool…" she whispered. "We will never become human. Even if our feelings are similar…"

"We will." I said. "I know it will. We will fight the destiny that binds our fates and will attain our dreams without failure. These are the truest words of my heart."

"Then why won't you break from being captive?" she asked. "Why won't you just break free of the prison that man has made for you?"

"Because it isn't the way." I answered. "I will deal with him. In my own time, and how I wish to do so. I will not let your desires keep me captive in the same way."

"You're…stronger than I thought…" she said. "To go this far for your ideals…that's why you're a threat to me."

She made a move to dive at me. But something strange happened. The ground started to shake, causing the both of us to lose balance. It was like the world was tipping over and capsizing.

The world turned to white within seconds. Then I heard a voice.

"Lady." it said.

I watched the world return to colour. I was staring at the red painted wall of my bedroom. I could feel a hand on my arm.

"Lady are you alright?" the voice said again. It made me turn sluggishly round in my bed.

Through my blurred and tired vision, I could make out a person. Dark hair, somewhat tall…

"Keita..?" I felt the name spill out of my mouth as my vision started to focus a bit more.

It wasn't him. It was Fredrick. Why was he here?

"Lady Azraea?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Get out." I responded with. He looked somewhat shocked.

"But you looked in trouble." Fredrick replied. "You were thrashing around."

"I was?" I yawned. "I guess it was a nightmare…anyway I'm fine. Now out."

I pushed him away from me and tried going back to sleep.

"But Lady Azraea." he continued on. "If you're having bad nightmares isn't it good to talk to someone about it? Like maybe your father?"

"Shut up!" I shouted and stood up quickly. I walked to his shocked visage and pushed him again. "The day I rely on that man is the day that hell freezes and the heavens fall from the sky!"

"You…" Fredrick regained himself. "You really hate your father. Don't you? I think I understand…to an extent."

"You could never understand." I told him. "You know nothing about what kind of man he is. You have no idea what kind of monster of a father he is."

"Fine…" Fredrick's face softened up a bit. "If you won't talk to him. Talk to me about it. You can trust me, I won't tell a soul. Maybe that's just what you need. A chance to vent."

I looked him in the eye. They were clear, innocent without a hint of deceit. Maybe I could trust his words.

"Alright…" I sighed. "But if what I tell you ever leaves this room, you will sorely regret it."

"I swear I won't." Fredrick put his hand to his chest. "Knight's honour."

I sat back down on my bed.

"It was a nightmare." I said. "That a new demon king was sat on the throne. One stronger than any other previous. Everywhere around was silent, as though exterminated. I was the only one who could fight."

"I see." Fredrick said. "But that wouldn't explain the thrashing. Go on."

"I could fight. But I wasn't able to defeat it." I continued. "I only wounded it. The thought that this may have been a premonition scares me. I never want to see the carnage that so many of this land saw seventeen years ago."

"I hope that too." Fredrick replied. "Either way. I don't think you should worry about a nightmare. If you did, how would you know reality?"

"That's true…" I responded.

"This may be off topic." Fredrick added. "But I want to know. Why are you so hostile toward your father? What did he do to make you like this?"

"I may as well tell you this much." I said. "This will never leave here. He would likely silence you if he knew that I told you. Do you still wish to know?"

Fredrick hesitated before nodding.

"I do." he answered. "I want to know more about you. What makes you so unique compared to the others."

"I'm a prisoner here." I replied. "For seventeen years I have been boxed in this room with no other contact in the outside world. I managed to escape a while back, but now I'm back here."

"Why would he do that?" Fredrick asked. "Why would he lock his own daughter away?"

"Punishment." I answered. "Soon after my birth, my father accused my mother of being a witch. He banished her from the household and I was treated like some demon-spawn."

"I've heard of witches." Fredrick said. "Powerful female magicians with beautiful silver hair and deep golden eyes. In fact…a lot like you. But I haven't seen you use any type of magic."

"I can use magic." I told him. "But I only use it for small tasks. Like lighting a stove or washing down walls. Nothing dangerous."

"So is it true?" Fredrick asked. "Your mother, was she a witch?"

"She was." I answered. "But that doesn't give them the right to treat her like a monster."

"I agree." he replied. "I've heard of the terror of witches. That some could even destroy entire towns if they wished. But it sounds like your mother was docile. She probably could have killed everyone just to keep you with her, but instead she simply left."

"That's what bothers me." I continued. "She could have but she didn't. If witches can really do all of that, then why didn't she? Though…I could never ask someone to kill for my sake."

"You're kind too." Fredrick responded. "You've probably inherited whatever strength she may of had. Yet you haven't raised your hand to your father once despite your hatred."

"That's just how I am." I answered. "If I were to abuse this power, would that not just prove that I'm what they say I am?"

"You're smart too." Fredrick told me. "You're certainly rare. There aren't many who have power and the smarts to use it correctly. I'm beginning to understand you better."

"You are?" I asked. "I think opening up about this has helped me calm down too. You're a nice person, not like other nobles at all."

"You think?" Fredrick questioned as he relaxed. "My father says I'm too naive to be any good at lording over a town."

"That isn't a weakness." I said. "In fact it would be refreshing to see a town with a kind lord like you. You listen to others without judging them. You talk even about a dark topic without breaking your character. You'd be a great lord. A kind one. That is also rare these days."

"You're right." he replied, shifting himself over a bit. "It's like my tutor says. You don't need an iron fist to rule effectively. But an iron fist and a gentle hand."

I was starting to actually relax. That nightmare of mine already seemed in the past as I talked with Fredrick. He's not a bad person.

"I really do have to ask this." Fredrick added. "What do you really think of this marriage ordeal?"

I thought this would come up if we talked long enough.

"I'm not against marriage." I told him. "But you're not the right one. Don't get me wrong, you're one of the kindest people I've met. You'd make a great lord one day. But I have someone here. Someone very close to me."

"I see." Fredrick responded with a small bit of disappointment in his voice. "Would you mind telling me about them?"

"I guess I could." I said. "It happened when I was wandering in town, some time after I left the manor. I met a boy. At first he was a little difficult to talk to, but I managed to. We became good friends, but I feel something more underneath. He hasn't said anything about who he was other than his name, and something about his family."

"Interesting." Fredrick said. "If my guess is correct, he may be a low-born boy. I doubt that your father would allow it."

"I know that." I snapped. "I don't care if he allows it or not. He's important to me. The shield that protects me from harm, the sword that fights for my freedom. Though…I had to leave him behind when I came here. I still don't know if I regret it or not."

I smirked and giggled a little after I realised something.

"If I know him…" I said. "He's probably trying to find a way in here. I'm not worried about his safety. I know he can handle himself. But…"

What if he really does come here? What then?

"Sounds like a real warrior." Fredrick replied. "I'd like to meet him sometime. Low-born or not, he's got a knight's spirit."

"Maybe you will." I responded. "Maybe you will…"

*****