Why You Fear the Dark.

FROM what Jasmine could tell, they were almost certainly in mortal danger.

It wasn't just the fact that the whole island was a deathtrap, or that feeling of dread that was chilling her spine, or even the fact that the fog seemed to be leading them somewhere. It was an instinct all magi shared, she liked to think it was like Spider-Man's spider sense; a subconscious awareness that there was a great threat nearby even if they couldn't actively identify it.

They proceeded for minutes, then, the fog cleared and they were in a huge valley.

"Well that was completely weird." Ryan said

"Guys." Christie said pointing ahead.

"Whoa." Simon said, "How did that get there?"

In front of them was a large galleon, rammed into the rocks, the hull was old and rusted and there was vegetation growing on it.

Ryan looked down the valley, "This valley must've been a bay once," he said, "Maybe the ship sailed in here and ran aground. Then the bay emptied out and the ship was stuck."

"Okay, Let's go in." Jasmine ordered

The four of them climbed up onto the deck of the ship, the wooden planks creaked under their feet. From the looks of it, this wasn't a mundane vessel, there was clear evidence that this ship once held magik within its hull.

"Where to now fearless leader?" Simon asked, the nerves evident in his voice.

"Well, I'm no genius." Ryan said

"That's for sure." Jasmine snorted

"But," Ryan continued, "I guess we should maybe go inside?"

They gazed passed the doors into the never-ending darkness beyond.

Ryan led the way in, he used his wand to create a light orb and they proceeded deeper into the bowels of the ship. The deeper in they went, the thicker the darkness around them got, swallowing the light ahead of them.

"Is it me or does it feel like the darkness is… watching us?" Christie whispered

"Yeah, I know," Simon said "I can feel it too."

"I'm getting distinct horror movie vibes here," Ryan said

"Guys," Jasmine said, "I know where we need to go."

From the illumination of the light orb, Jasmine could see everyone looking at her, "I had a vision about this place. The formula is deep inside this ship."

"I don't like this," Simon said, "there's a reason we don't trust dream visions, they're very subjective and more unreliable than regular prophecies."

"We can't ignore this one, though," Christie argued, "it's too specific. Fate is at work."

"I'm an engineer, I don't put much stock in fate." Simon retorted, "but if Jasmine thinks we should keep going, I'll trust her."

They proceeded for several minutes in silence, however they had to stop when they realized that the light orb had significantly dimmed.

"Ryan, your light orb is going out," Jasmine told him, "light a new one."

"Um, I did," Ryan said, "five minutes ago, and I've been fueling it since."

Christie asked, "then why isn't the light reaching as far?"

Simon stopped, "Guys, did you feel that?"

Everyone nodded, "What was that." Christie demanded

"There was more too much vision," Jasmine stated

"What?"

"The formula was being… guarded," Jasmine revealed, "by something very old and very bad, something that lurked in the darkness, devouring everything that was a threat."

Ryan could feel it now, very powerful, like there was a presence around them.

"Something's watching us," Jasmine said, "in the dark,"

"No, it's not in the dark" Christie whispered, her voice quivering, "it is the darkness."

Around them, the voices began, sinister whispers just barely audible as its source closed in.

Before they were overwhelmed, Ryan poured all his magik into the light orb, turning up the brightness a hundredfold and bathing the entire area in bright light. Around them where wisps of smoke that burned away and faded in the intense light, clearing their way, but the light was quickly fading.

"RUN!" Ryan yelled while the entity was still dazed.

… )]≥( …

Somehow, in the midst of fleeing for their lives, they had gotten split up.

Jasmine and Simon ran down one corridor, and although they could barely see a thing, their eyes could make out the way before them, even as they felt the chill of their eldritch pursuer.

"This way." Jasmine yelled as they ducked into a corridor.

"How do you know where you're going?" Simon asked

"I just do."

They ran as fast as they could, and a bit faster still, somehow staying ahead of the think made of darkness that followed them.

"Through there." Simon said as he went for a door.

As they slammed the door shut, they felt a shudder as long dormant protection sigils came to life, securing the door against what was beyond.

"Were safe," Simon said

"For now," Jasmine added, looking at the flickering glow of the sigils around the door. The room was probably warded as well, but that wouldn't be much help once the door protections failed.

Looking around, they found they were in what was probably the captain's quarters. Searching around, they found a locked drawer that was no match for Jasmine's lock-picking skills. Inside was a piece of yellowed parchment.

"That's it." Jasmine said as they went towards it.

On it were copious notes and equations for a cast, in the center was a formula

"What is it?" Simon asked, noticing the look of distress on Jasmine's face

"This is it. The Lazarus circle."

She grabbed the parchment, rolled it up and stuffed it into her satchel.

"Let's go." She said

"Don't forget, we have an entity made of darkness out there in the dark corridor." Simon said

"How bright can your light shine?" Jasmine said, "we can stun it like Ryan did,"

"I can try, but I don't think I can keep it up for long." Simon groaned

He and Jasmine readied themselves by the door as Simon fiddled with his wand. Once that was ready, he nodded to Jasmine and they opened the door.

… )]≥( …

Christie and Ryan had run down som estairs, but they had gotten cornered. Ryan stood in front of Christie defensively. He had his wand out and in the light, he could sense the mass of darkness ahead of him. The entity charged, but it swerved around Ryan and went straight for Christie. Luckily, Ryan acted quickly and grabbed Christie, pulling her out of the way.

"Come on." Ryan yelled as they ran.

They ducked into a room to catch their breath; they were safe, for the moment.

Christie started panicking, "I knew it; I'm going to die here, cold, alone and far away from home. This was a mistake, we should never have come here, I should never have come here. Now I'll never see the camp again! Never read another book, never…"

Ryan grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "Hey, Christie, look at me; We'll get out of here, you're not gonna die. I promise."

She sobbed, "Really?"

"Cross my heart," Ryan swore, [swearing on your heart is a sacred promise to magi. It means you stake your own life in the pact. Wish I knew that beforehand.] "We will see camp again, you'll get to bury your head in a very big book again, I promise, but first you need to calm down."

She steadied her breath. She had to believe in him; he trusted her with his life, how could she say she loved him if she didn't do the same.

"You good?" Ryan asked

She nodded as she wiped her eyes, "No, but let's go anyway."

Ryan stuck his head out and looked across. At the other end of the hallway, was a room with a ladder leading upward.

"Okay, c'mon." Ryan said

They ran out onto the hallway and got the familiar chill of their chaser.

"Climb." Ryan yelled as shut the door, "You go up first." Ryan said

For a brief moment, she paused, putting a hand on her skirt.

"No you." She said back, a faint blush tinting her cheeks, "we don't know what's up there."

"Really?" Ryan snapped back

"Ryan, we don't have time for this."

Ryan bit back his argument and reluctantly began climbing up the ladder and Christie followed. They were halfway up, when the door below blew open and the darkness filled the hatch.

Ryan got to the top, taking a moment to force the hatch open, then he climbed out and held his hand down to get Christie. She took his hand and was coming up, then, the darkness caught up with her and pulled her down.

"Ryan! It's got me!" She cried, alarm and panic filling her voice as she sank deeper into the black mass. Ryan held on and tried to pull her up, but it wasn't possible. It was too strong.

"C'mon, Christie, I'll get you out of this." Ryan said as he continued pulling, but Christie just kept on sinking. Ryan held onto her for dear life, already grappling with the idea of cutting off her legs if that was what it took to free her.

"Ryan," Christie said, her voice shaky, "You have to let me go."

"What?" He asked dumbfounded

"Let me go, Ryan!"

"No, we're walking out of here, together." He said "I promised."

"You're being stubborn." She said softly, "Ryan, let me go. I don't want you to die with me."

"No! You're not dying today, you hear me!" he said defiantly, his voice crackling as electricity glowed from his eyes, "I swore I'd get you out of here, and I intend to keep my word."

"Ryan, it's okay." She said, her eyes tearing up "There's something I wanted to tell you." she said

"Save it for when we're safe," Ryan said, his eyes watery.

"No, Ryan, I have to say it now, I don't… I don't think I'll last much longer." She took a shaky breath, "I'm in love with you, Ryan Reins. I think I've been for a while now."

"Christie… I'll save you, I…" he said, his voice breaking

"It's okay Ryan, it's okay. I just wanted to let you know," She said with tears rolling down her cheeks, she gave him a big cheerful smile, the last one she would ever give. "Goodbye."

With that, she slipped from his grasp and fell into the darkness below.

"Christie! No!" Ryan screamed, but it was too late.

She was already gone.

… )]≥( …

For a few moments, Ryan wasn't sure what had just happened, Christie was there one second, then… not, the next. He would have stayed there, but Simon and Jasmine grabbed him and pulled him away.

"C'mon you idiota!" Jasmine said

"Where's Christie?" Simon asked

Ryan could not react to whatever they were saying, he couldn't do anything.

"Ryan," Jasmine said snapping her fingers in front of his face, "Where's Christie?"

He looked up at Jasmines face, "She's gone." He said in a whisper

He could tell the news hit Jasmine and Simon, but they had to keep running, "We got the formula, we need to get out of here." Jasmine said as she wiped her eyes.

As they got to the doors leading outside, Ryan stopped.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked.

Ryan used his wand to shut the door tight, leaving Simon and Jasmine outside.

He turned around and used his wand to create several light orbs at full brightness. In the hall beyond the light was the swirling mass of darkness, wisps of itself burned away in the light but it remained as the light orbs dimmed… it didn't attack him, it just waited.

"Let's have a little chat." He said.

The entity began to warp, taking shape. It took form and Ryan clenched his fist tightly around his wand. It looked exactly like Christie, same blonde hair, same pale skin, but the eyes were hollow. Its naked body was shrouded in a translucent dress of shadows. It smiled –just like she did in her last moment— but this smile was empty, devoid of any warmth or meaning. A pale imitation.

Just looking at it made Ryan boil with rage.

Does this form please you? It said in a raspy voice with many echoes, like a thousand voices speaking at once.

Ryan glared at it, "That form… was my friend!"

We know, a fine vessel indeed, it replied, cocking its head, You have questions, yes? Go ahead child, ask. 

"Why?" he asked, "why didn't you attack me? Why are you sparing me right now?"

It laughed mockingly, We cannot harm you. You have been marked, your destiny lies with the dark god.

"The dark god?" Ryan asks,

Yes. It has been foretold, Stormborne, that you will be there at the final omen, the harbinger of our master's ultimate victory! You were always one with us, you just haven't embraced it yet. 

Ryan was so confused, what was the dark god? Why was he referred to as the Stormborne? While he didn't understand most of what it said, he knew one thing for certain; a heavy fate rested on his shoulders.

"If I'm so important to your master's plans, what happens if I die right now, huh?" Ryan said, holding up Draxonn's blade to his neck.

Go ahead and try, it shrugged, but fate is not something so easily thwarted. 

The way it looked at Ryan, as if it knew he wasn't the type to do something like that… it made Ryan even more annoyed that it was right.

He lowered his blade, and it smiled smugly,

Your life is not ours to take, neither is it yours, for you belong to the dark god. It started to dissipate. Know this, Stormborne; your path is pave with the blood of your allies and your future is founded upon their graves. The next time we meet, you will embrace the darkness within.

The last thing to go was Christie's smiling face, and with that, it disappeared, leaving Ryan alone in the dark.

… )]≥( …

Jasmine was shocked. After watching the darkness consume his roommate, she figured Ryan wouldn't want anything to do with it, let alone lock himself in with it, if she were in his position, she would've ran as far away as possible and found a safe place to break down crying, in fact, that was exactly what she planned on doing once all this was over. Christie was her friend too, after all, and it was only her ability to compartmentalize that kept her from completely coming apart.

They were still banging on the door, trying to get in.

"It's no use." Jasmine said, "We can't get in."

"But Ryan's still in there." Simon said as he pulled out a chainsaw from his tool bag, seriously, how many chainsaws were in his tool bag? 

"Look Simon, the door is locked, sealed from the inside, Ryan chose to lock himself in with that thing, maybe he wanted revenge for Christie, maybe he just wanted to die in the most painless way possible. All we know is that we can't get in."

"I just lost a friend today," Simon said, with determination in his eyes, "I'm not going to lose another."

Then, the doors flew open, and Ryan stepped out of the darkness, looking defeated.

"What happened?" Simon asked

"I… I couldn't do it," Ryan said, "I couldn't make myself do it."

"Do what?" Jasmine demanded

He didn't answer, but from the look in his eyes, she got the feeling it wasn't something good.

Jasmine put a reassuringly hand on his shoulder, "Hey, whatever is bothering you, it's not as bad as you think,"

Ryan nodded, slumping down into a sitting position by the railing, "I… I can't believe she's…" he couldn't finish.

"We'll all miss her." Jasmine said

"Did you know that, before she… you know, she told me she loved me?" Ryan said, "I had always suspected that she liked me like that, I just never… maybe if I had, maybe if I had gone up the ladder after her, she could've made it, we could've ended up together. If she had gone up first, maybe she wouldn't have…"

"Ryan, don't beat yourself up." Simon said, "Christie is dead, she was the best and she's dead all the same. We don't like it, but we have to finish this mission, so that her death isn't for nothing."

In the middle of their grieving session, a canister flew onto the deck, rolling to a stop next to them.

Embarrassingly, it took Jasmine more than a moment to react.

"Take cover!" she yelled before it exploded in a burst of acrid smoke that left them gagging and choking on the ground.

As she was starting to lose consciousness, Jasmine heard the sound of footsteps, as someone else stepped onto the deck.

"The formula is here," a voice said as Jasmine felt someone riffle through her satchel.

"Good, everything is complete. Now we can begin ceremony."