I Will Grant You Power

An ominous voice called out from the castle. "You've come to die, adventurer." Out of a distance window a figure could be seen exiting. It hovered and the sky before making its approach. With unnerving swiftness, it landed among the ashes of the skeleton soldiers. "Quiet the number you have done to my guards." He said observing the ashes beneath his feet. He reached down and picked some up, running it between his fingers. "If you think a minor inconvenience such as this will save them from their servitude you are sorely mistaken."

He outstretched his arms and threw his head back. A magical circle appeared from beneath him and encompassed the ashes of the fallen skeletons. "Mana art! Eternal Servant Restitution." He shouted. The piles of ash lifted from the ground and swirled in small cyclones. Ash began to clump together forming bones, the bones then connected and reformed the skeletons. Green fire spawned around their frames, turning into sets of armor and weapons. In a matter of moments Zeke was staring down the same army that Scarlet had just destroyed.

Zeke was still holding Scarlet's body in his arms, her breathing was becoming labored and shallow. Her skin was becoming pale. "What did you do to her?" Zeke screamed out.

"I wouldn't worry about her." The unknown man said. "She will soon join my army of servants. She will know pleasure and bliss beyond your wildest dreams. She will never experience pain, nor shall she suffer ever again. That is a cursed arrow, whomever it pierces shall become my puppet. Devoid of their own thoughts and will. I only had one of those left. After that display of power, I had to use it on her. Soon I will have my very own fire mage. She is rather attractive as well. I am sure I will find other uses for her."

"This unit attempted to warn you." Sara said coldly.

"Oh, is that an android you have there?" The man asked. "That must mean you are the one who has the hero class. My master has told me of you. He told me you were the only threat to his reign and that if I found you, I should end you." He laughed. "But just look at you, clutching your friend. I know I will have her first task be to kill you. So, the joy of watching someone be murdered by one they care about. If I had a heart, it would be all of flutter."

"You are a fucking monster." Zeke yelled angrily. Rage built in his heart like a burning river flowing through his veins. He felt a shock jolt throughout his essence, touching his very soul.

[Do you seek power mortal?] A dark voice from inside his mind spoke. [I can grant you this power. All you must do is give in to your rage, give into your hate. Embrace it and I shall help you. I shall grant you the power to eat this pathetic worm who thinks he is a predator. If you kill him before the curse completes you will save your friend. What do you say?]

Zeke looked at Scarlet and instantly made his mind up. He let his rage explode. The irises of his eyes turned from blue to red and lightning shot off from his body. Each time it would strike a skeleton, the skeleton would completely vanish, with not even ash remaining.

"Ha!" The unknown man said. "I never expected this! The hero is using the power of darkness?"

"Shut up!" Zeke yelled. "I will use whatever I need to in order to save my friend. Nothing is off the table; I will not lose another person!"

[Yes! Yes! Hate him!] The voice inside Zeke's head continued.

"This unit asks that candidate fifty-one please refrain from entering the dark path." Sara said.

"Shut it you damned faildriod!" Zeke yelled. "I will do what I must." A dense orb of lightning formed in Zeke's hand.

"Oh, are you going to try and hit me with that?!" The unknown man laughed. "It will take more…" Before he could finish his sentence, Zeke had released his attack. The unknown man's head was no longer there, and there was a massive hole carved into the castle behind him. After his death all the skeletons fell to the ground as bones. Blue orbs lifted from their debris and vanished into nothingness.

Scarlet's color returned to her, and she gasped for air. She looked over at Zeke, lightning sparking from him and a sinister aura protruding from him. "Zeke?" She asked while trying to get to her feet.

[Yes! Embrace the power!] The voice continued. [Nothing will stand in your way! You will be unstoppable! Revenge shall be yours! Embrace the hate! Let it fill you to your core!]

"Emergency protocols engaged." Sara said. "Prevention of evolution to the demon king necessary. This one will not fail again." She moved with such lightning speed that her movements could not be followed by the human eye. In an instant she was standing behind Zeke. "Ha-ya!" She said as she hit Zeke on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.

"Why did you hit Zeke!" Scarlet yelled, causing herself intense pain in her shoulder from the arrow.

"Candidate fifty-one was on the way to becoming a demon king." Sara said. "This unit has rendered him unconscious in hopes of halting the evolution."

"Will that actually work?" Scarlet asked.

"This unit does not know." Sara said. "But this unit could not sit back and fail again. This unit had to try something."

Zeke found himself standing in an empty black void. He looked around but could not see anything but darkness. "Hello?" He said. "Is there anyone here? Where am I?" His words echoed across the void, repeating endlessly until slowly fading away. He tried to look at himself to see if he was all right. However, the darkness prevented him from even seeing his hand in front of his face.

In the dark quiet the eerie sounds of footsteps could be heard. They grew louder and louder as they approached ever so closer. "Welcome to my world." A voice that sounded just like his, only deeper, said.