Chapter 13: The Price of Authority
The line silent for a bit before she spoke with a weak voice. "He presented me a deal to turn on you."
"Clark, what did he do to you?" Though Mary's voice quiver across the phone, Clark scarcely heard her. His thoughts were elsewhere, confused, restless and overwhelmed.
He clutched the bright necklace around his neck, his fingertips tracing its beating pulse. Every time he closed his eyes; shadows appeared to press in on him, glimpses of people he did not know, and voices mumbling threats leading him to be terrified of the repercussions of what he is already involved.
"Clarks" Now Mary's voice cut through the other end.
She asked, her voice soft, "how are you?" "I'm OK." He lied."
"No, you're not," Mary argued. You've changed ever since you got ownership of the item around your neck ."
Clark snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about, Mary!"
She became silent, and the connection was weighted with stress.
Finally, Mary said gently. "That necklace... it's changing you. And not for the better."
Clark hung up without more comment, dropping his phone across the couch. He stood in the dimly lighted room, the necklace's brilliance gleaming off the walls. His pulse raced as the sounds got louder.
---
Later that night, as Clark stepped in his flat, the air seemed to get colder.
"Why do you resist?" A voice spoke from the darkness.
Clark looked around, his eyes blazing. "Who's there?"
Elias came into the tiny light; he appeared gloomy.
"Elias," Clark whispered, relief blending with fear. "You shouldn't sneak up on people."
Elias rejected the statement, his mind fixed on the diamonds. "You've been using the necklace too much."
Clark sneered. "What are you talking about? I need it now than before. It's the only thing keeping me ahead of David and the Millers."
Elias's voice tightened. "At what cost?"
Clark frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
Elias drew closer, his stare penetrating. "That necklace isn't just a tool, Clark. It's alive. Every time you use it, it steals something from you."
Clark laughed furiously. "Takes what? My sanity? Because if that's what you're indicating, I've already lost it."
Elias shook his head. "Your soul, Clark. It's nibbling on your essence. That's the price of power."
Clark froze, the words hitting him like a blow to the belly. "You're lying."
Elias's face didn't waver. "Have you noticed the visions? The voices? The paranoia? That's not only stress. It's the necklace tightening its grasp on you."
Clark's hand instinctively went to the shimmering stone. "You gave this to me! You promised it would aid me!"
"Yes and it has," Elias responded gently. But I didn't share all of the specifics with you." The greater the usage, the more it consumes you. "In the end, it will take everything away."
Clark's voice increased. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you wouldn't have listened," Elias shouted back. "Just like you're not listening now."
Clark looked aside, his mind racing. "I can't stop now Elias. Not when I'm this close to shredding and taking them all down."
Elias breathed heavily. "Clark, listen to me. The power feels intoxicating; I know. But it's not worth losing yourself."
Clark whirled around, his eyes burning. "What choice do I have?. They're framing me for crimes I didn't do. The Millers are still scheming. Without this, I'm nothing!"
Elias's voice softened, almost imploring. "You're more than this necklace, Clark. You always have been. Don't let it define you."
Clark shook his head, his hold on the necklace tightening. "You don't and won't understand. Every time I use it, I feel invincible. Like nothing can stop me. How do I give that up?"
Elias went closer, his voice a whisper. "By remembering who you were before. By learning that genuine strength comes from inside, not from something that has you."
Clark hesitated, his thoughts a maelstrom of uncertainty and resistance.
"What if I don't want to stop?" He responded finally, his voice almost audible.
Elias's expression clouded. "Then it will destroy you and kills you."
---
The coming days were a blur. Clark used the necklace gently at first, testing Elias's worries. But each time he drew from its might, the repercussions got greater.
"Clark," Jane said one evening, her apprehension clear. "You're pushing yourself too hard. You look like you haven't slept in days."
"I'm fine," Clark snarled, his tone rougher than he intended.
Jane frowned. "This isn't you. Whatever's occurring, you ought to halt before It's too late."
Clark's head throbbed, the voices in his thoughts conflicting with Jane's words. "I said I'm fine!"
Jane drew aside, her eyes full of anxiety. "You're scaring me, Clark."
He closed his eyes, the weight of her words bearing down on him. When he opened them, she was gone, leaving him alone with the murmuring.
---
Late that night, when Clark sat in the dismal chamber, the images came again. Shadows flickered on the walls, their movements unclear and threatening.
"You can't fight us," a voice growled.
Clark gritted his teeth. "Get out of my head!"
The shadows appeared to chuckle, their figures increasing bigger.
Elias came unexpectedly, his presence slashing through the throng. "You have to Stop using it, Clark. Now."
Clark arose, his hands shaking. "Why does it feel like this? Like it's alive?"
"Because it is," Elias answered unhappily. "And it's hungry. The more you give, the more it takes."
Clark glanced at the necklace, its brilliance throbbing like a heartbeat. "How Do I stop it?"
Elias hesitated, then added quietly, "Destroy it."
Clark's eyes widened. "Destroy it? Are you insane? Without this, I'm powerless!"
Elias grasped Clark's shoulders, his words furious. "Without this, you're free."
Clark pulled aside, his eyes divided between the jewels and Elias. "I... I can't."
Elias moved back, his expression full of anguish. "Then you've already made your choice."
---
As Elias retreated into the darkness, Clark remained alone, the necklace's glow illuminating his scared face.
His phone buzzed again. This time, it was an unexpected SMS from an unidentified number.
"You can't win, Clark. But I'll give you one final chance to rescue yourself. Meet me tomorrow. Midnight."
Clark tightened his teeth, the necklace's power flowing through him.
"I will come," he whispered, his voice filled with fury, determination and anxiety of whatever the consequence of him meeting the unknown person is the following day.