Conversation in the Dark

"Who are you?" Zeke said out into the darkness, still unable to see anything.

"You know who I am." The voice said. "I am you, the real you."

"The real me?" Zeke asked. "What do you mean the real me? I am the real me!"

"No, you are a pretender and a fool." The voice replied. "You honestly believe that the system made you a hero as a kindness? That you can impart justice on the man who has wronged you? You are weak and you are powerless. You are a sham that should not exist."

Zeke just stood there and listened; he could not really argue.

"You couldn't save your friend just now without my help." The voice continued. "If you want vengeance, if you want revenge, if you want to feast upon the flesh of your enemy, let me have control. I will devour their souls and plunge them into a never-ending pit of despair and anguish as their souls are ripped apart slowly, molecule by molecule until the end of time. I have the power, I have the will, you are weak and worthless. Give in to me. Allow me to be the champion that this world needs. As a bonus I will never put that annoying android's head on a pike for you."

"But if I let you have control, what happens to me?" Zeke asked.

"You stay here." The voice said. "In the dark, in the cold."

"Why would I want that?" Zeke asked. "I hate it here and I have only been here for a few minutes!"

"Because it is better than the alternative." The voice said. "If you fail to give me control, you will fail. More people around you will die and you will as well. You think just getting a few levels will give you a chance at victory? You fool. Fifty times that has been tried and fifty times that has failed."

"Who are you really?" Zeke asked. "If you were really me, I would not have to give you control. You are something else, what are you doing in my head?"

"Ha!" The voice laughed. "You are not as dumb as you appear. I thought for sure the system had chosen a fool this time."

"So, you are part of the system?" Zeke asked.

"No." The voice said coldly. "The system is everything that is wrong with this world. I was once its champion and now I only seek its destruction."

"What happened?" Zeke asked, curious about the person he was talking to.

"I was the first." The voice said. "My name was… What was my name…? It has been so many eons I have forgotten, for now let's just call me Alpha, for I was the first. I was just a simple soldier until my kingdom came under attack from an army of monsters. I fought bravely but I was no match. I could not best their numbers, but I didn't care. I kept fighting; I was willing to die as long as I saved a few souls. That day I ceased to be a soldier and transformed into a hero. It was not long before the minion of the system showed itself to me. That android. It said it wanted to guide me to become a true hero."

"She told me the same." Zeke added.

"Yes, she has told that to every hero." Alpha added. "When she told me I believed her. I worked hard to become strong. I did every task she asked of me, and yet in the end after I had slain the demon king and his armies I did not evolve, and the system tossed me out like a piece of trash. Even as the android pierced my heart with her blade, I cursed her and the system. I used the last of my magic to imprint my own self into the class of hero. I have been here ever since."

"Are you what causes the evolution to demon king?" Zeke asked. "Is that what happened to Galendor? Did you cause that? Are you the reason everyone I care for died?!"

"Whoa, calm down there." Alpha said. "That man never could hear me. The function of demon king was added to the hero class, I think around the fifteenth hero. The system and the android did that. I have tried to talk to every hero. Some heard my whispers but ignored me. You are the first to hear me and give me power."

"Okay." Zeke said. "That's fine and all but can we circle back to the part where you said the system made the demon king function?"

"The system is a false construct that was imposed on this world." Alpha said. "At least that is what I have come up with in my eons of thought. Each cycle the android appears. Each hero jumps through her hoops, and in one way or another she kills them when they fail to evolve. They keep changing the variables, hoping for a different result. She always gives hints of the people that created the system, they are the true villains. Countless innocents over the eons have died because of their obsession with creating a true hero. My family, your family, all victims of the system."

"How can we stop her?" Zeke asked. "Her strength is off the charts."

"So is mine." Alpha said smugly. "I have absorbed the life of forty-eight other heroes at the moment of their deaths. Give me control and I will get her to tell me everything there is to know about this system. I will destroy it."

"Even after everything you said." Zeke said. "I still will not give you control."

"Why not?!" Alpha asked. "Can't you see how important it is to destroy the system?!"

"Mainly because you have serious evil vibes." Zeke said. "But also, because I don't want this to be my existence. I want to experience life, who knows maybe I will even find love again."

"Fool." Alpha said. "Don't you see, you are the only one who can stop the system. Only you have been able to communicate with me so, only you can use the power I have amassed."

"Look I don't want to lose myself." Zeke said. "I am sorry but no deal."

"Fine let me show you this." Alpha said. He then snapped his fingers and the black void lit up becoming visible. Alpha looked just like Zeke, only with paler skin and long black hair instead of blonde. His eyes were also red instead of Zeke's blue. Next to them lay a corpse with long white hair and black armor. Its neck had been broken. "I didn't want you to see this." Alpha said. "But this corpse here is your demon king protocol. After Galendor transformed into one I learned what they looked like and could make them manifest into a physical form. From there it is a simple task to eliminate the problem. I have killed this protocol in all the heroes since Galendor's fall."

"That's why there hasn't been any more after him." Zeke said. "So, I am in no danger of becoming a demon king?"

"Correct." Alpha said. "For some reason, the android is completely oblivious to my existence. As if I am no longer part of the system that she resides in, so she cannot see me. The system has no idea I have been doing this. Most likely she thinks she is doing a decent job."

"That's amazing." Zeke said. "So, you really are telling the truth?"

"Every word." Alpha said. "I wouldn't lie to the first person I have been able to talk to in eons."

"How about a compromise?" Zeke asked. "I don't give up control, but you get a front row seat. Now that I know you are in my head I can listen to you. We can talk, and you can help me. I know the system is evil, but there is a mad man out there killing innocents. I need to stop him first. I will also have to stop whatever the android eluded too earlier."

"It's another demon king." Alpha said. "It will put Galendor to shame."

"How do you know?" Zeke asked.

"Do you really need to ask that?" Alpha sighed. "I've seen the show before. The demon king gets stronger each time. I guess to try and force the evolution into a true hero."

"Right so I need to stop them as well." Zeke said. "After that we can take out the android and the system, if you were telling the truth."

"Wow." Alpha said. "Your lack of trust honestly hurts at this point."

"You literally have glowing red eyes." Zeke said. "I am sorry for not trusting you, on just your words alone. So, do we have a deal? I listen to you, and you lend me your power when I need it?"

"It's better than being alone in the dark." Alpha sighed. "It's not like I can force you into giving up your body. I have no choice but to accept your terms, but on one condition. Do not let the android know of my existence. Make up some lie, we must not let the system know that I am here. They may just kill you off and purge the program to eliminate me."

"I understand." Zeke said. "So that's the plan then. Save the world, twice. Then destroy the system."

Alpha put his hand out to shake Zeke's hand. "Agreed."

Zeke returned the gesture and the too shook on it. The entire world went dark, and Zeke reopened his eyes to find his head in Scarlet's lap. Her shoulder had been bandaged and the arrow removed. She was looking down at Zell with swollen eyes, obviously she had been crying.

"He is awake!" She yelled, seeing Zeke's open eyes. "And he seems to be himself!"