When Darkness Meets Light

CHAPTER 30

Mike's body slowly returned to its normal human form. But his muscles still ached; his mind still carried the weight of the dark form he had just embraced.

He took a deep breath.

"It's over…" he whispered to himself. "At least… for now."

His eyes wandered through the darkness of the room. The sharp smell of blood still clung to the air. Dried bloodstains streaked the walls, shards of broken metal littered the ground, and right in the center lay a lifeless body… what was left of Gideon, headless. Mike exhaled sharply, forcing himself to look away.

But there was no time to stop. He turned toward his family. They were still chained in the corner of the room, too shocked to move, their eyes locked on him. Mike slowly walked toward them.

When his hands touched the cold metal of the chains, they seemed to break almost effortlessly, as if they'd been waiting to give way.

He saw the wounds on his mother's wrists, and a knot formed in his throat. His trembling hands rested gently on her wrists.

— "You're okay… right?" he asked, his voice shaking.

For a moment, his mother just looked at him. In her eyes was a mix of fear and gratitude. It was as if she was looking at her son… and at the same time at a stranger who had just done unimaginable things. Her lips trembled, her eyes welled up, but she held back the tears.

— "I'm okay… Mike… just… was that… really you?"

Mike lowered his head.

— "Yes, Mom. It was me… but I'll explain. I'll tell you everything now. I won't hide anything from you anymore."

Then he turned to his father. His father's gaze was stern, but behind it was a silent acceptance. When Mike unchained him, his father took a deep breath and only gave a slight nod.

— "We'll talk later. Right now we need to get out of here," he said in a low voice.

But Mike wasn't finished. Vlad and Ethan were still chained on the other side, low-voltage electricity still running through the cables attached to their bodies. Mike rushed to the machine, found the switch, and shut it off with a single move. Then he unchained Vlad and moved to Ethan. He checked their pulses they were both unconscious, but alive. A sense of relief spread through him.

— "Okay… everyone's alive," he muttered to himself.

But he knew… he could no longer hide the truth from his family.

As he led them out, along the way he told them everything in one breath. How he found the mask, the forced bond with the demon, the trips to hell, the missions… everything. His family listened in silence. No words, no questions… just a heavy air of acceptance.

After ensuring they were in a safe place, one thought still echoed in his mind: Emily.

He had already told Emily everything once and had given her time. But after everything that had happened, he couldn't run anymore. He needed to face her.

Near midnight, he went to Emily's house. When he reached the door, he stopped for a moment. His heart was pounding fast.

He took a deep breath and rang the bell. From inside came a voice.

— "Hey Em, can you get the door? See who it is?" her mother said.

When Emily opened the door and saw Mike standing there, she froze for a moment. In her eyes was surprise, mixed with a complicated expression. She immediately stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

— "Mike? What are you doing here? I told you… I told you I needed some time."

Mike didn't hesitate. He took her hands. Emily flinched reflexively, but she didn't pull away. Mike's eyes were wet, his voice trembling.

— "Emily… I can't wait any longer. I told you everything and… I have nothing left to hide. I just… wanted to see you."

Emily was silent for a moment. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

Mike didn't wait any longer. He pulled her toward him and pressed his lips to hers. Emily's eyes widened for a second, then slowly closed as she let herself go. She kissed him back. In that moment, everything between them went quiet. In the midst of all the chaos, the blood, the war… the only real thing left was this feeling.

When their kiss finally ended, Emily took a deep breath. Her eyes were wet, but this time not from fear only from the storm of emotions inside her.

— "Mike… don't ever hide anything again."

Mike nodded.

— "I promise… I'll never hide anything again."

And in that moment, for the first time, there was both darkness and light inside Mike.