Chapter 32: Evil in His Core

Takabi's frustration grew the longer he ran. It seemed like the hallways went on forever in a never ending cycle, each turn he took leading into another hall that looked exactly the same, and was the exact same length.

He mulled over the idea that it was a spell that was sending him around in circles, but quickly dismissed the idea as none of his footsteps left a trail for him to notice. Meaning the castle was designed to be a labyrinth for anyone who didn't know where what was.

It seemed overly cautious, but Takabi understood the mindset. He had been following his nose the whole time. Shine and Frannie's scents were planted firmly in his nostrils, yet each corner had just as strong a smell as the last.

He figured interrogating more Kult followers would point him in the right direction, but he didn't find any aside from that first group. In hindsight, he knew he should've waited for the information before running off.

His body stopped cold on instinct. His head snapped left, two stone doors standing tall before him. "A dungeon," He muttered. "Can't be that easy." Hesitant, he approached it, brushing fingers against the stone and pulling the handles. It wouldn't budge.

He tried pushing instead, and unsurprisingly, it didn't move that way either. "Fine, I'll just smash it." Takabi said, pulling his fist back. He readied to throw his knuckles forward, but stopped.

Mana. Strong Mana, flowing around him. He looked around, but nothing caught his gaze. A couple thoughts passed through his brain, but he locked them away and faced the door again. Where the stone once stood, was now a flat marble wall. Leaning against it was him.

Himself. The same white hair, violet eyes and coco skin. The cool, collected but cocky smile he only saw on Kairas' face occasionally.

"A copy," He questioned. "Mirror Magic. Look, I don't have time for this." He said, walking towards the clone. His body reacted before his mind, and he blocked the clone's fist with ease.

They stood there for a moment, before Takabi's copy threw another punch. The original ducked, bringing his fist up and running it clean through the fake's stomach. The body lurched and went stiff, fading away into nothingness, leaving no trace of existence.

Yelling angrily, he turned on his heel and rushed down the corridor. He had to be close for the defense mechanisms to kick in. Again, the sickened feeling in his belly returned. Again, he felt the heat in his body rise uncontrollably, not that it bothered him.

Again, he felt his anger peak, and he truly didn't know why.

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"Are you prepared?"

He found himself in a void of blackness. Familiar with the terrain, he looked around for his inner self, yet found nothing. It was just him and his own thoughts.

"What if you find something you don't like? Then what?"

He ignored the voice, turning away from where he figured it was coming from and walking forward. He could go nowhere in his own head, but knew his body continued on autopilot to find the girls.

"Takabi, answer yourself. You understand you can't always be a hero."

He ignored it.

"Trying to play hero will only get you hurt. You remember what that's like, right? To be in pain?"

No response. His steps quickened, ripples echoing under his feet like water.

"Should you be too late, will you lose control again? Explode with an anger so great, none could tame you?"

His feet stopped, and the voice continued, "I know you better than you know yourself. You're scared. You're clinging to the hope you'll arrive in the nick of time and stop them before anything can be done. That's just a fairy tale."

His face held no clear expression. His body was tense.

"You can't be a hero. Sometimes you have to be a villain. Justice is only justice when one gets what they deserve. If you're too late… Well, doll out some justice."

"Why now," He asked suddenly. "Why are you talking to me now, of all times, Violet." He looked around. "I accepted my dark side. I trained myself and only had an outburst once since then. Why do you keep coming back when you know I want nothing to do with you."

"I caused you no grief." A violet orb began to form before him. The personification of the Violet Gem. He had never seen it, used to his evil side taking his own appearance. "I've been dormant for years. Only recently did I wake up, and that's because of the White Gem."

"So why doesn't he talk to me?"

"Mysterious. Maybe, since you don't suppress the light, he doesn't feel the need to." It float around him, before getting close to his face. "Regardless, the darkness in you is all your own. I simply feed on it, and give you power when you need it."

"Yeah, right," He said, pushing the orb away. "Leave me alone. If I need you, I'll call. Otherwise, don't bother me."

"My, My, such a temper on you. You understand, if I wished I could destroy you from the inside out."

"So do it," He challenged. They sat there in silence, until the Violet orb sighed. "Thought so."

"Don't be afraid of yourself. I understand being pissed off you lost control, but you'll be grateful for my power pretty soon." It began to fly away.

Takabi took a step forward, asking loudly, "Why's that?" He gained no response. The Violet orb vanished into the dark and he groaned in frustration before turning back around.

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When he came to, he stood in front of the stone doors, hands on the handles. It felt slightly opened already, a small breeze coming from within. With a grunt, he pulled the doors open, and all the color drained from his face instantly.

He stopped.

The world stopped.

Time froze.

All ceased to be, except for the vision before him.

Orion looked up at him, chain around his neck. Bare, slight fur coating his body. Sweat coated his and the girls' bodies. What he assumed to be semen oozed from both girls, and Orion held a strong smile. "You're late buddy. Come join, you can have Frannie."

He took a single step down the staircase. "... What… What are you doing to them…"

Takabi felt his fingers curl into fists, voice rising in a blinding anger. "What…. THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"

They looked up at him. Saliva coating both faces. Neither spoke, eyes half open and bodies limp. A painful, agonizing moment that Takabi wanted to erase.

One tear.

One tear left his eye.

"Yeah, you have no idea how hard it was to get these two to finally come around. They were stubborn, but like all women, they eventually gave in."

He ignored Orion.

He took another step. "Shine…. Frannie," His voice croaked. His throat was parched. His heart had snapped. By this point, his heart had been thumping hard enough for the pumps to echo in his ears. "Get away from him."

They couldn't move. Frannie reached out to him, her fingers shaky and eyes filled with tears. "Ta..kabi…"

His name, and the tone of her voice hung in the air.

Takabi dropped to his knees. He heaved, digging his fingers into the soil.

"You're too late, as I warned." The Violet Gem's words echoed repeatedly in his skull.

Tears spilt.

Something broke within. Not an uncontrolled rage, but a deep, burning bloodlust.

He wanted to kill.

For the first time in his life, he WANTED to take a life.

Violet glowed around him. Flames began to slowly erupt, violet in color, intense in heat. Picking his gaze back up, his fangs shot out, violet tattoos decorating the left side of his body. The magic came quick. His eyes, flowing with tears and fire, ignited in an intense glow that changed the color of the room.

Shine and Frannie kept their gazes on him. Orion stood from his chair, not a care in the world. He smiled, holding his arms out. "Nice look. Feisty," He commented.

"There are times when you can't be a hero…"

"I never saw myself as anything… But right now, if there's one thing I want so badly." His eyes locked with Orion's, the power of the Violet Gem coursing through him.

Dark.

Despite the fire, it felt cold.

So, terrifyingly cold.

"I want to be a villain."