The Deepest Darkness of the World

Chapter One – The Escape

She ran as fast as she could through the forest, swiftly turning her head now and then to see what was chasing her. She had no idea who or what was chasing her. In fact, she did not know why she was running, but she was consumed by this deep fear within her that prompted her to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

She saw a brightly-lit building in front of her and made a beeline for it. Bursting through its doors, she came face to face with a room full of the undead, roaming around aimlessly. She stopped dead in her track, frozen with fright. A zombie turned towards her and began to shuffle slowly with its arms outstretched. She screamed, and abandoning all thoughts of hiding in the building, she escaped back into the forest and kept going.

The darkness of the forest engulfed her the moment she stepped into it and the raw fear that she had felt earlier returned in full force, only this time, she had something concrete to run from – the hoard of zombies that were pouring out of the building after her. She pumped up her speed, her fear pressing her relentlessly on. The trees seemed to reach out to her, trying to catch her before she escaped. Tripping and falling along the way, she was forced to slow down when she reached an especially difficult terrain of overgrown roots.

The zombies were gaining on her. Her fear grew and for a brief moment, she began to entertain the thought of giving up. "No, don't give up, no you don't!" She whispered fiercely to herself and picking up speed, she continued to run through the thick growth of the forest, going in deeper into the dark.

The fear within her grew once she crossed over to the deepest part of the forest. She could hardly see what was ahead of her, but she kept going because she knew what was behind her. The deep gloom grew as she ran deeper into the forest, forsaking all rational thoughts. The dark began to consume the last remaining light from the full moon and soon she found herself completely engulfed by the dark. She could not see what was ahead. The pitch darkness dawned upon her and she stopped running. Looking around in panic, she realised that the zombies had stopped following, but the raw fear within her had grew exponentially to the point of getting a heart attack.

With her rational thoughts returning, she sensed a sinister darkness approaching from a distance. She tried to move but her legs would not obey her. They stayed rooted to the ground as if she had been planted deep into the grounds of the forest. The only choice she had left was to wait.

"Welcome human, to the deepest darkness of the world," a voice sounded in her head. Glancing around, she could not see what or who had spoken.

"Do not bother looking for me. In here, we employ not our eyes but our hearts to see and feel." The mysterious voice sounded in her head again.

"Wh...who are you?" She ventured bravely.

"It mattered not who I am, nor who you are. You have trespassed into the deepest darkness of the world, and now you will face the consequences of trespassing." The voice sounded sad.

"I..I am...I am sorry to have trespassed. I was chased by zombies and did not see where I was running. May I leave now?" she trembled nervously, still trying to see who she was talking to.

"I said QUIT LOOKING!" the voice boomed. She jumped in fright and tears rolled down her eyes as she tried desperately to calm her racing heart.

"You will not leave the deepest darkness of the world until you are able to see what is here. I will suggest that you begin to pay attention to my instructions." Again, she heard the voice inside her head.

Meekly, she nodded.

"Follow me, if you can." She saw a dark shadow showing up, turning down a path that she had not seen before. After a moment of hesitation, she began to follow.

Chapter Two – The Meeting

The Path, as it was known to her, was the only thing she could see as she followed behind the dark shadow. She could not fathom where she was going and what she had passed by, but the noises and sounds around her frightened her more than she would like to admit. After walking for what appeared to be a long time, she saw a grand Gothic mansion in front of her. The house mysteriously brightened when she got near it. She was so distracted with the elegant mansion that she bumped into a wall, only to realise that it was the shadow that she was following.

"We shall rest here for the night." She jumped when she heard the voice again. "You will stay in your room through the night. If you fail to follow my instructions, I will not help you."

She silently agreed without speaking, finally catching on the fact that the being could read her mind. She was led to a room at the top floor of the mansion. Upon entering the room, she was pleasantly surprised to find the dark room luxuriously furnished with a double bed, a dresser, an armchair and an attached toilet. The shadow melted out of the room and she found the room brightly lit after the darkness left. Mustering up her courage, she explored the room.

The bed was made of extrinsic wood cravings and boasted a firm mattress which pleased her. The dresser was made in a similar fashion as the bed and it contained everything a girl needed to tidy herself up. She also found clothes that fit her perfectly in the wardrobe. Disgusted by her own morbid pleasure, she questioned her own sanity considering the mad situation she was in. When she wandered into the bathroom, she found a hot bath waiting for her. Giving in to her tiredness, she undressed and slid into the warm water. It felt good and she found herself relaxing into the water.

Just when she was about to doze off, something popped up out of the water with a splash into her face, giving her another shock for the night.

"Hey! Do not ever sleep in this water!" Something or someone squeaked into her ears.

Panicking, she looked around wildly but could not find anything.

"Here! I am down here!"

Looking down, she found herself face to face with a mouse. She screamed. What on earth was that? A speaking mouse!?

"Keep quiet!" squeaked the mouse anxiously, glancing around quickly.

"You...you speak!" She stumbled out of the bath tub, backing up into the cabinet of the toilet while trying to wrap the towel around her.

"Of course I do, silly human! Did you forget where you are now?" the mouse squeaked in frustration.

She stopped in her tracks when she remembered where she was.

"Oh my God! I was so relaxed in that warm bath that I have forgotten where I am! Thank you little mouse!" she laughed nervously.

"That's alright," said the mouse. "Remember, never fall asleep in the water, or you will never see daylight again. "

"Where exactly is this place, little mouse?"

"It is the deepest darkness of the world, where all the dark, sinister thoughts of the human world come together to create a dark existence in which only the evil triumphed. Now that you are here, you would need to go through trials to prove that you are not evil before you can leave this place."

"How did I end up here?" she mused.

"It is your dream, lady, a dream that brought you here. Your soul is trapped here, but your body is still sleeping in your world. Your family is going to wake up to find you in a coma and they will bring you to the hospital, thinking that you had a stroke. You will be hook up to life support and doctors will try everything to wake you up. You must leave this place within 7 days, or you will become a resident here, just like everyone else."

"A dream? You are saying that I am trapped in my own dream?"

"You can say that, but this is very much real to you right now. Get through all the trials to go home. I will try my best to help you."

"Why are you here, little mouse, and why are you helping me?"

"Because I choose to, Lady. I was a knight in my kingdom, but it was destroyed overnight and I was trapped here since then. I have seen the horrors here, and have no wish to see you trapped here too."

"Thank you little mouse. Do you have a name?"

"My name is William, and you are welcome. What is your name?"

"I am Elsie. What should I do now, William?"

"Rest well, Elsie, till he comes for you. Then you follow him onwards. I will stay in the shadows and follow you."

She nodded and following the little mouse, climbed onto the luxurious bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Three – The Town of Trials

The dark shadow came for her early the next day, when the sky was still covered with black blankets of clouds. A tiny red sun peeked through dark clouds as they made their way forward, moving north and deeper into the forest. As the sun climbed up into the sky, she caught the first glimpse of her captor. He was a tall, muscular man coated in complete blackness. He wore a metal mask over his face that seems to melt into his skin, allowing her to see his expressions but not his face. The magical mask drew her curiosity and she spent much of the morning wondering how it worked.

As the sun raised high into the sky, she felt her tummy grumbled with hunger. It was only then that she realised that she had not eat nor drink since the night before in her world.

"Please Mister, may I have something to eat?" She ventured nervously.

The dark being turned and looked surprised for a moment. Then he laughed a deep, disapproving sound that seemed to come from the shadows around them.

"That is interesting. You are hungry. That might just be the proof that you do not belong here. I am sorry that there is nothing for you to eat here, so you just got to bear with it until we get to the next town, which is 4 hours away if you pick up the slack." He said with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Elise sighed and nodded, trying to move faster now that the prospect of having some food spurred her on. Another hour passed without incident in the dark forest, as the inhabitants of the forest seem to avoid the dark man as much as possible.

They finally arrived at the town slightly before dusk. The man, if he was one, swept purposefully towards the majestic castle in the middle of the town without pausing, leaving Elise to follow behind him. The inhabitants of the town scattered like sand as soon as they spotted him coming, their fear radiating brilliantly like a rainbow behind them. Elise was intrigued, for she had never seen fear as literally as she had just seen. She pondered on the colours as she hurried after the dark man towards the castle.

As they near the majestic castle, Elise began to notice the change in the surroundings. She felt the coldness of the air, the arid smell of smoke and decay as well as the look of gloom everywhere. It seems that the castle was emitting a sense of hopelessness over the middle of town. Everyone she saw around the castle was also shrouded with darkness and gloom. The colourful radiation she had seen earlier at the outskirts of the town had vanished without a trace.

"This is where you will stay from now onwards. I will put you through a series of trials starting tomorrow. You got to excel in all of them to prove that you do not belong here. If you fail in any of those tasks, you will stay here forever and be my slave." The man proclaimed as he led Elise up the stairs to the castle.

"Yes Sir." Elise responded meekly, her main concern at that moment was that he would remember his promise for a meal.

He laughed suddenly, the same deep, disapproving sound that she had heard earlier.

"I remember your request for food, young lady. Be assured that you will find a meal waiting for you in your room. As per last night's instructions, you will stay in your room through the night. Do not venture out of the room or you will pay the consequences."

Elise nodded helplessly, embarrassed that he had read her mind again.

The man led her to a room at the top of one of the castle's two towers, locking her in effectively after she stepped through the threshold. Before he went off, he again, warned her not to leave the room alone. Similar to the previous night, the room only brightened after the dark man melted into the shadows.

Elise found a spread on the table of the outer room. There were cold cuts of turkey and ham, more than she could ever finish. There were bread and rice and noodles, vegetables, meat and even desserts. She was so hungry that she fell to them happily, not stopping until she was stuffed. When she was finally satisfied, she began to explore the room.

The room was every bit as luxurious as the previous one, with a double bed, an armchair, a dresser, a wardrobe and an attached toilet. The dresser was once again filled with the things she needed to tidy up while the wardrobe displayed a set of practical change of clothes for her. What were more impressive about this room were its expensive rugs and carpets, which were extremely soft to touch. Elise wondered at the sheer luxury of the room and for the first time since she came, she contemplated if it were be a good idea to stay if she could continue to stay in such beautiful rooms. She brushed away the thought immediately after it surfaced, chiding herself for being such a materialistic and selfish person.

Elise went to the attached toilet and found it to be every bit as luxurious as she had imagined. She even found an ultra-soft bath robe for her use. She took a shower this time, wary of the lure of the bathtub. After settling down for the night, wrapped warmly in the fancy bathrobe, she remembered her little friend, William.

"William, are you there?" She whispered.

"I am here, Elise." A little voice sounded right next to the bed.

"There you are, William; I am sorry that I did not look for you earlier. I was too overwhelmed by the extravagance of this place!" Elise confessed.

"That's alright!" laughed William. "I am quite used to it. Many travellers reacted in the same way."

"Travellers?" Elise queried.

"Yes, all of you who came here for the trials are known as travellers. Some of you make it back, some of you do not." William said, his face suddenly turning rather serious. "I assure you, Elise, those who did not make it back did not stay in such fancy places after that."

"Oh." Elise said, suddenly embarrassed that she had thought about staying for the sake of the palatial rooms that she had stayed in.

Changing the topic, Elise asked, "How did you keep up with us? I was worried you might not have kept up with the pace we set."

"I have my ways to travel along without being seen," laughed William mysteriously. "Do not worry about me."

"So what do I do now, William?"

"Rest well, Elise, for tomorrow your trials will start at dawn. The tasks will start easy and end really tough. Be careful of what you wish for tomorrow, for you may just regret what you wish. Remember this as you go through your trials and I am sure you will do well in it."

"Thank you, William. I will remember your advice."

"There is one more thing to remember Elise. I will always be there to support you. Do not forget me. If you do, all will be lost."

Elise nodded solemnly, suddenly frightened at how serious William looked.

"Will I be ok, William?"

"I am sure you will be, Elise. Have faith in yourself!"

With that assurance, Elise turned in for the night. She fell asleep quickly out of sheer exhaustion and her heavy meal. However, her sleep was plagued by countless horrid dreams of murder and gore, preventing her from getting a good night rest. William sighed as he watched Elise tossed about on the bed – this was just the beginning. The trials would prove to be worse.

Chapter Four – The First Trial

She woke up when the sky was still shrouded in dark clouds, feeling more exhausted than the day before. She dragged herself out of bed and took a cold shower, hoping that the rude shock of the water would help to clear her mind for the trial ahead. William was nowhere to be seen and did not respond to her call. Fearing for the worst, she dressed for the day with the clothes in the wardrobe.

When she ventured into the living quarters outside her room, she found breakfast waiting for her. Suddenly ravenous, she ate everything that was served in a mere fifteen minutes. After her meal, she sat quietly to wait for him to come.

He came for her when the tiny red sun peeked into the sky. He gestured for her to follow him and glided away without a single word. She ran to catch up with him, and together, they descended into the deep darkness of the dungeon underneath the castle. As they walked deeper into the underground, she heard moans and screams coming up from the tunnels. She shuddered to think of what tortures the beings underground were subjected to, and made a resolve to pass her trials no matter what happened. When they finally reached the dungeon, she saw that the room in which she was in stretched beyond what she could see. An impossibly high ceiling stood out above her and the dungeon was eerily beautiful. Rows and rows of diamond cells stretched across the grounds, imprisoning thousands of creatures. She could see that some of them were humans, while the rest looked to be elves, dwarfs and even giants. She stared at them, dumbfounded.

"Your first trial is simple. You will stay here for the whole day and do nothing but watch and listen to these creatures howl in pain and moan in resignation. Do not try to rescue them. If you do, you will fail the first trial and be locked up alongside them. Do you understand me?" The dark man spoke for the first time since they met.

"Yes Sir," replied Elise, determined to ignore all the howls and moans coming from the imprisoned creatures.

"Good. Lunch and dinner will be served to you." He said and melted back into the darkness.

Elise stared at the prisoners after he left, wondering what they had done to deserve such imprisonment. She tried to find a place that was as far away from the cells as possible, but there was no such area. Every inch of the dungeon was filled with diamond cells and every one of them was fully occupied. Resigned at the fact that she would have to sit close to the prisoners, she made her way to the only chair in the dungeon and sat down to wait.

"Come here, young lady, let us tell you what to do." One of the human prisoners called out to her.

Elise froze in her seat. She did not respond to the prisoner, in fear that the dark man would know.

"He wouldn't know, young lady. He is out in the forest again, catching someone new." The human prisoner coaxed.

Slowly, Elise rose from the chair and walked hesitantly towards the diamond cell that held the human prisoner. She trembled with fright at the prospect of getting found out and yet, could not deny her inner self's desire to help the prisoners.

"Yes, young lady, come to me. I will tell you what to do." The human prisoner continued to coax.

Soon, Elise stood in front of the prison cell and stared at the prisoner. She was surprised to see that it was an old lady who had called out to her.

"Hello, young lady. I am Nana, what's your name?" the old lady grinned at her.

"My name is Elise."

"Why, Elise, did you end up here? This shouldn't be a place for a young lady like you."

"I was chased by zombies, and stumbled into a patch of darkness in the forest. He came for me after that, and I was forced to come to this place." After Elise spoke these words, she realised how ridiculous she sounded and tried to explain herself to the old lady. Nana laughed a hollow sound that echoed throughout the dungeon.

"It is not ridiculous, Elise. Everything here is ridiculous! Why would your story be any different? I shared a similar fate as you do when I was your age. I failed the trial and have been in here since. I am an old lady now, and I do not want to see you here to replace me when it is my turn to die."

Several other non-human occupiers of the same cell nodded their agreement, even though Elise could not understand what they said.

"Do not worry about us. We are all doomed, but you are not. He told you not to release us no matter what happen, or you will be thrown into the cells with us. The opposite is true. If you resist your inner kindness to ignore our cries, you will be doomed to stay here forever after the 7th day has passed. This is what we can do to help you. The rest is up to you, Elise. Good luck."

Nana melted back into the shadows of the cell and the rest of her cellmates went along, until Elise could see nothing but shadows. Unsure of what to do, Elise began to walk down the rows of cells looking in at the prisoners. She noted that most of them sat quietly in their own space, not moving at all. She asked herself who she could trust, the dark sinister man, or the old lady locked in a cell. She could not decide.

The torture started while she was walking back to her chair in the centre of the dungeon. Lightning flashed across the high ceiling and then began to strike at the prisoners in the cells. The prisoners howled in pain as lightning burnt their skin and flesh. The female prisoners screamed and some of them fainted from the pain. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air of the dungeon and Elise cried as she ran back to her chair, fearing for her own safety. Miraculously, she was not hurt. Elise curled up next to the chair and covered her ears tightly. She could not bear to hear the agonising cries of the prisoners. The torture ended almost as suddenly as it started. The lightning disappeared, and as Elise stood to watch in amazement, the prisoners groaned as they slowly picked themselves up from the floor. Their wounds began to heal magically even though the arid smell of burnt flesh still lingered in the air.

Elise ran back to the cell where Nana was imprisoned.

"Nana, are you alright?"

Nana glided to the front of the cell. She was in a bad shape. Most of her flesh was burnt and the healing process was slower than those who were younger than her.

"Oh! You are hurt badly!" Elise exclaimed.

"I will be alright, Elise. These will heal, but you see, one day the wounds will not heal, and I will die here in pain."

Elise cried in shock, appalled at the cruelty of it all.

"Do not cry, Elise. Save us to save yourself from the same fate." Nana said. "You have time to rescue all of us in one hour if you hurry. We know the way out. The keys are hidden in the drawer of the table that you saw when you came in."

"Why you do know everything Nana?"

"Because I have been here all my life, dear Elise."

"Ok, I know what to do now. Let me find the key." With a determined glint in her eyes, Elise raced back to the long table which she had seen when she came down to the dungeon with the dark man. She found the key easily for it was lying in the drawer with a label that said "Master Key for all cells". Without a second thought, she began to open all the cell doors and allowing the prisoners to escape. All the prisoners splinted towards the exit when they were released, their still healing wounds forgotten, as they fought to be the first one to reach the door.

The noise level began to increase as more and more prisoners were released from their cells. Elise began to worry that the dark man would hear and return to the dungeon. Just as she was about to call out to the prisoners, a dark cloud floated into the dungeon and a loud voice boomed,

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?" A bolt of light shot out of the dark cloud and struck at the prisoners nearest to the door.

All the prisoners screamed and fell to the floor, wriggling in pain.

"HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS?" The dark cloud thundered at Elise.

Elise cowered under the long table, trembling in fear. The cloud slowly turned into the shape of the man who had captured her.

"You will join the rest of them in the cell now," the dark man said calmly. "Tomorrow, you will continue with trial number 2. Keep failing, young lady, and I will welcome you to my world. Maybe you would like to be my slave?"

With a wave of his hand, all the prisoners were transported back into their cells, and Elise found herself in one of those cells too. She shivered with fear and the coldness that suddenly descended upon the dungeon. Nobody in her cell came near to her. They were all too busy trying to heal themselves from the torture they had suffered earlier.

Elise sobbed with helplessness. She knew she had failed. She should not have been soft-hearted and listened to an old lady. She began to doubt Nana and everything that she had said. She got angry and blamed Nana for landing her in the situation. William popped into her mind just then, and she angrily shoved the image away, for he had not helped her as promised.

"Take heart, Elise. All is not lost," a tiny voice that sounded like William pop into her mind. Elise froze.

"William?" she whispered.

"Take heart, Elise. Do not give up. You are doing great! Trust me on this!" The tiny voice replied.

"Where are you William?" Elise whispered, but there was no response. After waiting for some time, Elise realised that William would not be coming. Totally defeated, Elise fell asleep on the floor, exhausted from the day's events.

Chapter Five – The Second Trial ended before it started

BOOM! A boisterous thunder roared across the dungeon and woke Elise in a heartbeat the next morning. For a moment, she was startled as to why she was behind bars. She heaved a big sigh after she recalled the incidents yesterday. Holding onto the diamond bars, she sat motionless, not in the least interested at the commotion that was going on in the huge dungeon.

Her stomach gnawed. She had not eaten since the big breakfast she had the day before, and she was ravenous. Therefore, the utter delight on her face was undeniable when she discovered that the commotion in the dungeon was the delivery of her breakfast. She ate with gusto as the dark solider and the rest of the inmates watched her for the food was only for her. After she had finished the meal, Elise looked up and realised that she was the only one with food. She looked at the dark soldier who had delivered the meal for an explanation, but he turned without a word and marched his way back to the exit of the dungeon.

"Wait! I have a question." Elise called after him. The dark soldier continued marching, ignoring all her pleas and calls.

"Elise, stop. He will not respond. He is an undead." A familiar voice called out to her in another cell further down the hall.

"I will not believe you again, Nana. You are the one who landed me in this place."

"Oh no Elise. I save your life. You will see...you will see..." Nana's voice faded into the background and Elise felt an immediate guilt after Nana's voice faded. However, when she looked down at where she was sitting, she hardened her resolve and determined to never speak with Nana again.

The dark man came for her soon after her confrontation with Nana. She was surprised initially as she thought that she was doomed, but the dark being assured her that she had only failed one out of five trials and she still had some saving grace if she could passed the remaining four. Elise was overjoyed but kept quiet in fear of the dark man. The man was in a black mood, his face hardened like stone. As they walked towards the exit of the dungeon, she couldn't help but thought of Nana, and what she had said. The dark man stopped at Nana's cell, and stretching his right hand outwards, roared a ferocious snarl. Nana flew towards his outstretched hand, miraculously passing through the bars of the diamond cells smoothly.

"Old hag," the dark man snarled, "So you are the one who instructed my new inmate on the art of disobeying me."

Nana choked dreadfully, unable to reply. The dark man tightened his hold on her neck and began to squeeze. "I will teach you what it feels like to wish for death and not having it." The dark man thundered. The whole dungeon fell silent, all eyes fixed on what Elise would do.

"Help her Elise, speak up for her, before it is too late!" A tiny little voice sounded in her head urgently. Elise knew that it was William, but she hesitated, knowing that she would not even make it to her second trial if she spoke up for Nana now. The dark man stared at her, holding Nana tighter by her neck as each moment passed. Elise saw Nana's face turning purple, and knew that she would never live another day in peace if she chose to let Nana die.

"Stop! Please stop! Let her go, please! I am willing to sacrifice my second trial for her release!" Elise shouted at the dark man.

The dark man made the hollow laughing sound again and said, "I can let her go, but I will not let you go. You have failed your first trial. If you fail your second trial as well, I will turn you into a hideous beast, and you will have live with it for the rest of your miserable long life here!"

Stunned, Elise froze. She thought of her parents and the pain they would go through to see her "die" in her own world. She looked up at Nana's face and her tears fell like torrential rain.

"Yes, I am willing! Please, let her go," cried Elise.

Looking disgruntled, the dark man let go, and Nana fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Nana, Nana, are you alright? Wake up Nana, wake up!" Elise cradled Nana's head and tried to listen to her breath. After a few heart-stopping seconds, Nana coughed and opened her eyes.

"Bless you, dear child, bless you!" Nana smiled.

"There is no blessing in this place, only hatred and darkness. Let all of you remember that!" The dark man snarled and stormed up the stairs of the dungeon.

Elise helped Nana up, and in a blink of an eye, Nana was transported back into the cell. Then Elise felt the most horrid pain in her body as she collapsed onto the floor, groaning and threshing with the pain. The rest of the inmate watched, mesmerised, as she transformed into a hideous-looking beast. The beast had a dark red hue, almost resembling clotted blood, with long arms and claws. The heavy tail swung wildly as it tried to balance itself on its hind legs. The beast looked down at itself and snarled. It fell forward, and there it lay, dropping huge tears onto the dungeon's cold stone floor. Elise was gone, replaced by the dark red beast.

"Well done Elise, well done! Do not give up! You are doing well!" A tiny little voice sounded inside the beast's head, momentarily startling it. "Come back to us, Elise, you are not a beast, even if your body resembles one," it coaxed. The beast snarled at the air, disturbed by the voice. Elise's conscious floated freely, unable to regain control of the body. The beast struggled visibly for some time, before it sat back on its hind legs, looking forlornly at its reflection from the diamond cells. It grunted, and then it spoke, "Yes William, I am back. Thank you."

Elise stood up on her hind legs again and tried to walk. Her tail swung against the diamond cell where Nana was held, and almost hit the old lady in the head.

"Oh, I am sorry, Nana," The beast that was Elise apologised.

"That is alright, child. Bless your kind heart! You couldn't watch Nana die, don't you?"

"Yes, that was just wrong, but now, I am in this body." Elise bemoaned.

"You are doing well Elise, going in the right directions. He is trying to break you down, kill your resolve, so that you will give up and stay here forever. All of us here did that, and look what we have gotten? Stay strong Elise, I know you can do this."

"You speak the truth?"

"I have always spoken the truth. I remember little William. He tried to help me once, but I ignored his little voice, and that is the reason why I am still here today."

"William! Oh yes, little William! He was the one who asked me to save you earlier." Elise cried.

"Bless his little heart! He is still such a fighter."

"William," cried Elise in a whisper, "where are you?"

A tiny voice sounded in her head, "do not look for me, Elise, or all will be futile. I will appear before you when it is safe to do so. For now, just remember my voice and take my advice."

Elise the beast sighed. She could not stand the body she was in now, but she knew that she would have to bear with it. Slowly, she shuffled to the middle of the dungeon where she knew that she would not hit any of the inmates and lay down for a rest. She soon fell into a deep sleep and did not wake up until the dark man came for her the next day.

Chapter Six – The Third Trial of friendship

The dark man glided down the centre of the dungeon, giving Elise a disgusted look before kicking her in the back. Elise awoke as the pain washed all over her beastly body. She groaned and reflectively curled up. The dark man kicked her again and growled, "I will not try to wake you the third time."

Elise opened her eyes, and understood where the pain had come from. She struggled to sit up. The dark man sneered and said, "We are taking a walk outside today. I hope we can complete the walk today. Move NOW!

Elise hurried after him as he began to glide away towards the dungeon's door. Her back hurt, and she was struggling to keep up with his almost inhumane pace. Somehow, she managed to grit her teeth and endured the pain. When they were finally above ground, Elise was greeted with a sight that was so different from what she was expecting that she fell back in surprise. Gone was the town where the castle stood. In its place were endless grasslands, with beautiful flowers blooming wildly in the summer sun.

"Where are we?" she wondered.

"Beautiful place isn't it?" The dark man responded.

"Yes," Elise agreed, wondering why she was brought to such a place.

"You will know soon." The dark man replied her thoughts.

They continued to walk towards the middle of the grassland, and soon, Elise heard the lone sound of a dog barking joyfully. The sound was strangely familiar, and she hurried forward to find out why. What she saw had her dissolving into tears for the lone dog was none other than her own pet, so far away in her own world.

"Why did you bring him?" she questioned fiercely, forgetting her fear in her desire to protect her dog.

"He came on his own, running into the deepest darkness of the world like he wanted to be a part of it. So I thought you might like to have him here."

"Thank you for your kindness, but may I ask that you send him back to where he belongs?" Elise begged. She cannot bear to think what kind of life her beloved dog would have here, and she would rather die than to see her pet suffered.

"What?" The dark man laughed his hollow laughter. "He is not going anywhere, and definitely not back. He is going to die here, right now, killed by YOU."

"No...please...I cannot do that." Elise stumbled backwards, trembling with anger and fright all at the same time.

"You have to, for this is your third trial. Fail it again, and I will turn you into a monster with claws for hands. The more you fail, the more you will look like one of us here. Choose your path. He is there, waiting for you to snap his little neck with your muscled arms."

"No...I cannot do that." Elise cried, trying to move away from her dog.

"DO IT NOW! I do not have all day!" The dark man boomed. The dog, upon hearing his roar, came bouncing up to them. However, he began to growl when he noticed both Elise and the dark man.

"No, Pepper, no...go back. Run away! Go!" Elise shouted at her dog, using her beastly body to block the dark man.

Her dog looked at her, as if he recognised her voice, and after a split second, bounced towards her and began to lick her feet. He looked up at her with such joy that she knew that her dog recognised her even in her hideous body. She kneeled down and grabbed the dog for a hug, careful not to hold on to him too tightly.

"No, I cannot do this. Please...take it that I fail this trial as well. I am willing to be turned into a monster with claws for hands. I cannot possibly kill my dog." Elise whispered, as she gently hugged her dog.

"FINE, if that is what you want." The dark man snarled, angry that Elise had once again, defied his orders.

Before Elise could stepped back from her dog, she fell to the ground as pain engulfed her body once again. When the pain was gone, she was two times taller than she was previously, and her hands had become claws. Elise moaned from the pain and then shrieked an unearthly scream when she noticed her bloodied dog lying beside her. Elise stood, numbed from all feelings as she stared at her dead dog.

The dark man shook with evil laughter. "You were too slow to let go of him, didn't you. Well, it is too bad that I will not consider this as an attempt to listen to my instructions. Your dog had died for nothing."

Elise collapsed onto the grass, trying to cradle her dog but finding it impossible to do so with her claws.

"Now, aren't you the perfect picture for this world?" The dark man sneered. "Come along, we have wasted enough time. You still have someone else to meet."

Elise felt her heart stopped when the dark man said that. She had hoped to go back to the dungeon, which she had begun to identify as a safe house.

"Are you going to make me wait all day?" The dark man roared. "I have ways to make you walk, but I would prefer that you walk."

Leaving her dog, Elise shuffled toward him in her monster body, dreading what was to come.

They soon reached a small stream and waded across easily. Elise could see more now that she was taller, and she soon noticed a group of people in the distance. She realised that they were heading toward those people. She slowed, guessing what evil deeds the dark man had in mind.

"I am not going." Elise said suddenly.

"Oh, but you have no idea what I want you to do yet." The dark man teased.

"It cannot be anything good." Elise retorted.

"There is nothing good in this world."

"Now you do. I am the good in this world." Elise defiantly said.

The dark man laughed, mocking her feeble attempt at bravery. He reached across to her, and dragged her onwards.

Elise was beyond shocked. She was twice as big as the dark man, but he dragged her along so easily and in such a strong grip that she could not even break free. She tried to struggle, only to feel a tighter grip from the dark man.

Soon, she reached the clearing where the group of people were gathered. Most of them screamed and ran away but a family of four stood rooted to the ground, the parents surrounding their children.

"There you are," said the dark man, pleased to find the family there. Turning to Elise, he dropped her in front of the family.

"Elise? Oh my God, it is Elise! What happen to you Elise?" The lady of the family recoiled in horror when she recognised Elise for who she was.

When Elise turned towards the family, she saw her best friend, Amanda, staring up at her in horror.

"Amanda?" Elise was confused.

"Hahaha," The dark man screamed in joy. "I warped the time, Elise, to bring you back to your friend. Now, I want you to kill her and her family in front of me, or you will be transformed into a demon of the underworld."

"What?" Elise whispered. "NO!" She roared. "I will not do that."

Amanda looked in confusion at both Elise the monster and the dark man, not understanding what was going on. It looked like a bad dream, and she hoped that she would wake up anytime soon.

"No? Well, one last chance, Elise the monster, before I turn you into Elise the demon." The dark man mocked.

"No." Elise was firmed this time. She knew she was destined to stay in this god-forsaken place forever, as she had some inkling how the last trial would be the worst.

"Alright. As you wish, my demon." The dark man said.

Waving his hands, he transported Elise and himself back into the dungeon, where Elise collapsed into a heap at the centre of the dungeon. With another wave, Elise felt the familiar pain as her body began to shapeshift again. When the pain finally stopped, she stood and found herself back to her normal size. Her skin was now a deep blue hue, and she had pointed ears, sharp claws and a tail.

"Oh no! Elise!" Nana exclaimed from inside her cell.

"That's ok, Nana." Elise said quietly. "He killed my dog and then wanted me to kill my best friend. How could I ever do that?"

The dark man laughed and laughed, his evil laughter echoing through the dungeons after he was long gone. Elise huddled into a corner of the dungeon, completely miserable. She knew that her trials for the day had failed horribly and she dreaded what would come the next day.

"Well done Elise! You have made me proud!" a tiny voice sounded near her.

"William?" Elise whispered.

"Take heart Elise. He has gotten impatient with you and advanced two trials into one day. Tomorrow you will face your last trial. Do what you have been doing, and you will be fine."

"How is that fine, William? I am a demon now."

"Demon in look, but Elise in heart," replied the voice. "Do not lose yourself. All will be well."

Elise fell into deep thoughts as she contemplated William's last sentence. She became aware that she was still Elise, with Elise's thoughts, kindness and compassion. She had not change in any way except her physical appearance. With that, Elise became more positive, convinced that she would not become evil even when she had to stay in this world for the rest of her life.

Elise had a hard time sleeping that night. Her thoughts were running wild at what the dark man would put her through the next day. She worried and fretted so much that when the tiny red sun rose into the sky, she was already waiting for the dark man.

Chapter Seven – The Last Trial of Kinship

"Bright and early, aren't we?" The dark man taunted when he came for her.

"I am ready for today's trial." Elise said quietly, determining to fail the last task.

"Oh, you are so confident to fail, aren't you? I can see that you are eagerly waiting to be my slave." The dark man scoffed.

Elise ignored him, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other as she followed the dark man out of the dungeon. When she reached the surface, she was once again greeted by the town in which the castle had stood previously.

"I have a present for you today, Elise," said the dark man. "I have brought your parents to you." He laughed evilly and began to stride away swiftly. Elise ran to keep up, trying to manage her tail which was getting into the way.

"What do you mean? Leave my parents alone!" Elise said vehemently.

"Oh, you will love it, Elise, you will! Just come and see." The dark man laughed again.

They reached the outskirts of the town and Elise saw that her parents were seated at the front of a reception party. The town folks were treating them well with food and drinks. When Elise and the dark man approached, her mother dropped the cup she was holding, screamed and fainted. Her father stared at her in horror, unable to bring his eyes away from her face as he held on to Elise's mother. The town folks scattered away in fear of the dark man and soon the town was deserted.

"Oh, what a horrible daughter you are, Elise," taunted the dark man. "Go forward and give your parents a hug. They came all the way here to visit you."

Elise shook her head, knowing implicitly that she should not touch her parents in any way.

The dark man pushed her forward, and she fell in front of her parents.

"Elise!" Her father rushed toward her.

"No, Dad, do not touch me. I am poisonous." Elise shouted in panic while she struggled to get up before her father reached her.

"Oh...you are so smart now, Elise. A touch by you in your current shape will kill your parents instantly. How did you guess?" The dark man chuckled.

Elise ignored him.

"Please, go home, Dad and Mum. I have to stay here now. I have failed all the trials this beast had given me, so I am a resident here now. Please, go home and take it that you never have a daughter." Elise said to her father.

"How can we go without you?" her father queried, his face full of anguish.

"You have to," Elise said. "My brother needs you."

"A touching moment indeed! You make me cry!" snickered the dark man.

"Shut up!" Elise shouted, her anger finally bubbling over. "Just shut up! You have tortured me enough! Stop torturing my parents! Let them go!"

"Oh, you wounded me, Elise," the dark man said before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

Elise backed away from her parents, determined not to touch them. She turned to the dark man, and said, "I am officially a resident here now. Would you please let them go?"

"Alright, since you are so sincere to stay and be my slave, I will let them go." The dark man said, and waving his hands, her parents collapsed onto the floor, dead.

"I SAID LET THEM GO! NOT KILL THEM!!" Elise roared in anguish, falling forward towards her parents, but yet not daring to touch them.

The dark man chucked again.

"Well, I let them go, alright. They are gone now. Now, follow me back to the dungeon!" The dark man thundered.

Elise turned numbly and followed the dark man as he moved swiftly through the town and back to the castle. When they reached the dungeon, Elise saw that a new cell had been created. It was not made of diamond, but dark metallic bars.

"This is yours, from today onwards." The dark man said. "It is made of dark materials, and will not allow you to escape, even if you want to."

Elise walked into the cell, dejected. She knew that this was the end, even though she was hopeful that William would come through for her. She cried for the loss of her parents and her dog, even though she was hopeful that Amanda and her family made it back home safely.

She waited and waited through the night, but nobody spoke a word to her in the dungeon. Everyone was silent, as if bemoaning her fate. She tried to sleep, but sleep would not come. The demon cried dark tears as she waited for her saviour who did not come.

When the day activities started in the dungeon, Elise was suddenly aware that she did not feel hungry anymore. She grieved for the loss of her humanity and felt that it was the end of the world. She thought of suicide, but she discovered that the demon skin was so hard that even her own claws could not cut through. There was no way she could even kill herself. Total hopelessness came over her as she waited for the torture to come. As the hours passed, Elise realised that the tortures did not come. She was surprised but yet heartened by the lack of it.

"Nana, are you there?" Elise called out.

"Yes, child, I am here. I am so sorry to see you in this stage right now, but please be patient. Help is coming."

"Nana, please do not comfort me. I know that I am destined to stay this way forever, but I will NEVER do the biddings of the dark man!"

"Relax, child. He is not a bad person. He is the guardian of the deepest darkness of the world, and he would not have harmed you because you have such a pure beautiful soul."

Elise fell silent, completely confused by what Nana said. She thought of William, her little friend, whom she had not seen since she came to the dungeon.

"Oh William, where are you?" she whispered in despair and confusion.

Silence greeted her and fear shot through Elise as she imagined her little friend in danger. She fretted the day away but could do nothing else but worried. As the night came, she succumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep.

Chapter Eight - Resolution

"Wake up Elise, wake up! It is time for you to go." Elise was shook into alertness by tiny paws and a familiar voice.

"William!" Elise shot up straight, overjoyed!

"Come on Elise, there is no time to lose. You got to go and meet Lord Vashim." William exclaimed excitedly.

Elise suddenly realised that she was no longer in the dungeon, but asleep in the beautiful bedroom that she was in on the first night she came to the castle. On further inspection, she found that she was no longer the demon, but Elise in all her glory!

"How...Why...?" Elise was overwhelmed as tears of relief and joy streamed down her face.

"Come Elise, Lord Vashim will explain."

"But, WHO is Lord Vashim?" Elise exclaimed.

"Just come with me Elise. Wash up and change quickly! We do not have a lot of time to spare." William replied mysteriously.

Elise hastily washed up in the bathroom and wished that she could take a shower, but William said that there was no time to lose. After putting on a beautiful hunting outfit that was left in the wardrobe for her, Elise followed William out of the castle in search of Lord Vashim.

Lord Vashim was waiting for them in the garden. When Elise walked towards him, she could see that he was none other than the evil dark man who had put her through so many tortures for the past few days. Why was William calling him a Lord?

"William...that's the dark man. Why?"

"You will find out Elise. He is not who you think he is. Lord Vashim is the protector of all humanity, and his job here is to weed out all the evil people from the world and imprison them here, in the deepest darkness of the world, so that he could help them to regain their humanity. He will explain more."

Elise was getting more and more confused by the minute but she obediently followed William with all her trust.

"Ah...you are awake." Lord Vashim turned around.

Elise was shocked. He looked so much different from how she knew him for the past days. For a start, he had taken off his mask, and Elise realised that he looked rather handsome, with his bright eyes, sharp nose and angular face.

Lord Vashim looked amused, and Elise blushed. She had forgotten that he could read her mind.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to read your mind, but having a pretty female admire my looks is too much of an honour not to acknowledge it." Lord Vashim teased.

"You...You are so different." Elise managed to blurt out before she went a deeper red, realising that she had said something really silly.

Lord Vashim laughed, a joyful one this one, unlike the ones that Elise was used to.

"It looks like I owe you a big explanation Elise; but first, I must apologise for the harshness and rudeness that I had treated you for the past few days. I also must apologise for the trials that I had to put you through to determine if you are indeed the pure hearted one."

"I am one of the Lords of Galvisha, and my role is to protect the pure-hearted ones in humanity. Unfortunately, my job is made harder by the sin and corruption of the world, and I had to resort to such horrid tests to find out who the pure-hearted ones are."

As Elise took in the facts, Lord Vashim invited her and William for a walk in the garden.

"You were sent into the deepest darkness of the world on purpose. I sent you into the dream to chase you into the entrance of the deepest darkness of the world. I have heard rumours about you. People were saying that you have the kindest heart in all of your country, and I just had to find it out for myself. I could not believe that a country that is driven by money, greed and inflation could have someone such as you. When you arrived, you showed signs that you were pure, for I can see a glow around you that I could not find in many others. When you told me that you were hungry, I began to feel hopeful that you were indeed as pure as the rumours said you were. As we went through the trials and you appeared to "fail" at every one of them, I was rejoicing inside of me, for I know that I have found one of the pure-hearted ones."

Lord Vashim paused, and then continued, "All the trials that you went through are false. Your dog, your friend, your parents, they are all images conjured by me. All of them are safe in your world."

Lord Vashim fell silent as he watched Elise trying to make sense of it all. She shook her head, as if disbelieving everything that he said.

"Can I ask you a question?" Elise ventured.

"Yes."

"Can I go home now that you have determined that I am a pure-hearted one?"

"Yes, you can, and I have an option for you. If you are willing, you are free to travel back to the deepest darkness of the world to escort our reformed inmates back to the world when they are ready." Lord Vashim smiled, dazzling Elise for a moment.

"You mean like a job?"

"You can say so, but I am afraid that I cannot pay you any money." Lord Vashim said.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant." Elise was quick to reject any mention of money. She thought of Nana, and she asked, "Can I bring Nana with me now?"

"I am sorry Elise, I am afraid not. She has not yet finished her sentence here, but soon, I promise you. By risking her own life to help you on that first trial, she had already demonstrated that she is willing to sacrifice for others."

"Then let her come with me." Elise persisted.

"I am sorry, Elise. I know you feel a deep connection with her, and you should, for she is your grandmother, the one whom you have never met. Her time here has been too long, and even if she is to go back with you, she would be reborn into a new family. Her life in your world is gone."

Elise stopped in her tracks, shocked that Nana was her grandmother.

"Can I see her again?" Elise requested.

"I have to disappoint you again Elise, but you cannot see her again." Lord Vashim said gently. "It goes against the rules of this world."

Elise was disappointed, but she could understand the dilemma faced by Lord Vashim and did not push further. She fell silent as the trio continued to walk into the inner garden.

Lord Vashim stopped in front of a beautiful fountain.

"This is where we will part, Elise. Once you step into this fountain, you will be transported back to your world, where your parents will greet you.

"Will I see you again?" Elise dared to ask.

"You will, if you accept the job as an Angel Escort." Lord Vashim smiled.

"Oh, I do! That should be such a joy to see these people get a new lease of life!" Elise beamed.

"Then, yes, we will be meeting again." Lord Vashim said. "I will send for you when the next one is ready."

"Good-bye Lord Vashim. I hope to see you soon." Elise smiled shyly.

"Good-bye, pure-hearted one. Live a good life!"

"William, thank you for helping me. You are my shining knight in armour!" Elise said, reaching out for William to hop onto her hands.

"You are welcome, most pure one. I will see you again soon!" William squeaked.

Elise set him down and turning towards the fountain, she stepped into the water and was whisked back into her world of reality.

The End