An Offer

Zycor suddenly opened his eyes to find himself standing in a white void. The further out he looked, the blacker the void became, though his attempts to walk towards that darkness were thwarted by an invisible force. "Where the hell am I?" Zycor wondered aloud, confused about his surroundings.

"It's a bit hard to explain to a young one such as yourself," a voice commented.

Zycor quickly looked around to see who was talking, but found no one. The voice continued, "But I suppose the simplest way to explain it would be a dream you are conscious of."

Looking back at Zycor was a well dressed man, sitting on a couch holding a goblet. The man's clothing was that of a nobleman, though the color was a deep shade of gray. He wore a black undershirt under his gray tailcoat, and atop his head he wore a white top hat. Seeing Zycor was keeping his distance, clearly weary of him, the man said, "No need to stand, I find chatting with company to be far more enjoyable for all parties while seated."

The man points across from him at a leather chair that materialized out of nowhere. Zycor stood stunned, not knowing what to make of what he had just witnessed, until the man snapped him out of it by urging Zycor to take a seat. "Come now lad, it won't bite! As I stated before, this is a world inside of your dream, no need to worry about something as trivial as a chair."

The man's tone was extremely inviting, yet there was something not quite right about it. Despite that, the more the man spoke, the calmer Zycor felt himself become. Zycor finally walked over to the chair and sat down.

Delighted, the man cheerfully said, "Excellent, it's been quite a while since I have had the opportunity to sit down and have a chat with my guests."

Swirling the liquid in the goblet around, the man continued, "I must admit, there is a certain charm to it. Although, there have not been any individuals who have piqued my curiosity to that extent for quite some time." The man paused and took a sip from his goblet, "That is, until you."

Zycor finally managed to ask a question, "Who are you, sir? And how are we talking in a dream?"

An uncomfortably large smile crept across the man's face, all too happy to answer Zycors questions, "Well, I suppose addressing me as 'sir' does seem rather peculiar, so you may address me as 'Mister X.' Mmm yes, that has a wonderful ring to it! Now, as for your other question, let's just say… You should really make sure your doors are closed."

As the man answered the second question his tone grew ominous and his smile began to feel sinister.

However, that feeling was soon pushed to the back of Zycors mind as the man spoke, "Oh boy, it feels as though it has been ages since I have been able to sit and have a pleasant chat like this. I must thank you for that!"

The man paused and had another sip. During his pause, Zycor tried to ask another question, but found he had no voice. Moreover, he also found he was unable to move either. Beginning to panic, Zycor looked back at Mister X to find that he was staring at him, with that same sinister feeling grin. Finally, Mister X began to speak again, "Well, I suppose it is time to move on from idle chatter and begin to discuss the reason for my 'minor intrusion.' I was able to feel the birth of something… new. And that something came from you, lad. I had not felt something like it in many… years."

The man paused, he set the goblet down on a table he manifested, and leaned in towards Zycor. "Now… are you aware of what I am talking about, lad?"

It suddenly felt as though a weight was lifted from his throat and vocal chords. Zycor found he was able to speak again. "No, I don't know what you are talking about, Mister X," Zycor replied.

As soon as he finished his answer, Zycor felt that same weight immediately return. Mister X leaned back and continued, "I see. What a…shame. Though, you needn't fret lad, for I have a proposal for you! I can show you how to use your hidden potential; you would be freed from the shackles holding you back from… your true goal."

Zycors eyes widened upon hearing that. How could someone he had never met know anything about his goals? Mister X's grin transitioned to a full smile, as if he had finally hooked the fish he was patiently waiting for. Zycor felt all of the weight leave him, and he asked, "What do you know about my 'true goals?'"

Mister X responded, "Oh, young lad I know quite a bit about you, clearly more than you know about yourself. I know about how your village was razed by those awful knights. How your family was taken from you, one by one right in front of your eyes. I know that the same knight that slaughtered your family also spared your life, out of pity. I also know how much you desire vengeance! Retribution for what he did! And I am offering you the chance to obtain the power you so desperately seek! All I ask in return is that you do me a favor in the future, regardless of what it is. So, lad… do we have a deal?"

Mister X extended his hand, eagerly awaiting Zycor to shake his hand. Zycor thought about the offer, he could gain the power he needed to avenge his family, and could obtain it right now. When he realized that he could move now, Zycor stood up. He looked at Mister X who was still smiling, and then looked down at his hand. Zycor finally noticed the area they were sitting in was dramatically smaller, almost as if the white void was being swallowed by the darkness he had seen in the distance earlier. Mister X explained, "There is, unfortunately, a time limit for this kind of meeting. We will not be able to have another one for quite some time. I hate to rush you, lad, but it really is time to make a decision."

Zycor refocused on Mister X's hand. He began to reach for Mister X's hand as the smile Mister X wore grew larger and more sinister. Right as Zycor was about to grab Mister X's hand to make the deal official, Zycor slowly closed his hand and pulled away. He looked down at his hand, and said, "Honestly, I probably would have accepted that deal a few days ago. But… I realized that I have a new family now. I have friends, and the adventurers at the guild who will all help me. Taking a shortcut now would make it seem like I don't believe in them to help me." Zycor took a deep breath and continued, "So, I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I will have to decli-."

Zycor stopped, mid sentence, as he looked up at Mister X. The welcoming smile and atmosphere were completely gone, only the feeling of dread remained. With a look of disapproval and disappointment, Mister X brought his hand back, stood up, and looked at Zycor, whom he towered over, dead in the eyes, a frown now having replaced his smile.

"What a shame," He began, as the color of his attire started to shift and became attuned to the same color as the dark void that enclosed both of them, "I really liked you lad, it feels like such a waste to throw away such a golden opportunity… let us hope…you do not come to regret your decision."

As he finished his sentence, a strange black and green liquid began to ooze from his left eye. "Make no mistake, we will meet again. Let us hope that upon that meeting… you have thought over my proposal more… thoroughly."

While all the furniture disappeared and the darkness closed in upon them, Mister X walked towards Zycor in an inhuman fashion. Right as Mister X began to reach his hand out to grab Zycor, a loud crash followed by yelling and laughter ripped Zycor from the dream and back into reality.

He shot up from his bed, breathing heavily and clutched his chest. For the first time in years, Zycor felt rattled. As he continued to fully wake up, he brought his breathing under control as he was calming himself down. The memory of the dream slowly faded into nothingness within just a few minutes, but the chilling encounter had certainly left its mark.