[March 3rd, 2012 - 8:15 PM]
[Deepvein Excavation Site - 3,200 Feet Below]
Perspective: Axel
Absolute, suffocating pitch blackness swallowed us instantly as the bulbs shattered.
I couldn't breathe.
My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard I thought it would crack them.
In the dark, the silhouette of the little girl stood there. The dim, residual glow from the raw ores in the walls barely illuminated her, but it was enough to see the sheer horror of what she was.
Her dress was shredded, hanging off her small, emaciated frame in filthy, blood-stained strips. Her skin was a mottled, rotting grey, covered in deep, jagged bite marks—as if something, or someone, had tried to eat her alive.
But it was her face that froze the blood in my veins.
Her jaw was completely broken, unhinged and hanging down to her collarbone. Yet, even with her mouth gaping open in a silent scream, her eyes burned with a piercing, demonic red light that locked directly onto me.
"We have to fight!" Lucian screamed, his voice cracking in the dark. "She's going to kill us! We have to do something!"
My hands shook uncontrollably.
I am...
I forced my mana to flare, golden electricity sparking violently from my fingertips.
"Stay back!" I yelled, hurling a jagged bolt of lightning directly at her chest.
The crack of thunder deafened us, the flash of golden light illuminating the tunnel for a fraction of a second. The bolt struck her dead center.
But as the flash faded, she was still standing there.
She hadn't even flinched. The electricity just absorbed into her rotting dress, completely useless.
"Axel! Give me a continuous Arc-Flash! Blind her!" Kaiser yelled from the dark.
I clapped my hands together, funneling a massive surge of mana into my palms. A brilliant, sustained orb of blinding golden light erupted from my hands, completely flooding the cavern with daylight.
The little girl stopped, her red eyes narrowing slightly as the harsh light hit her face, but she didn't burn. She didn't scream. She just looked mildly inconvenienced.
It didn't work.
The newspaper was a lie!
Kaiser didn't wait to find out why. He grabbed me by the collar of my jacket, nearly choking me, and yanked me backward.
"Run!" Kaiser ordered, dragging me into a diverging tunnel as Lucian bolted right behind us.
"Hmm~ Hmmm~"
The sweet, innocent humming resumed behind us, but this time, it carried an undertone of pure, murderous rage. The sound of her bare feet dragging against the stone echoed down the hall, slow and deliberate.
We sprinted through the dark, guided only by the faint sparks of lightning I kept sparking from my fingers.
"What is she?!" I screamed, my lungs burning in the dead air.
"She's a Vengeful Spirit." Kaiser answered, his breathing completely even despite the sprint.
"They aren't just ghosts. They are the crystallized remnants of absolute agony. People who were killed mercilessly, betrayed, and left to rot in the dark. They don't just want to kill you—they possess a profound wrath toward the living. They want you to suffer exactly how they did." Kaiser explained coldly.
Kaiser reached into his bag as we ran, pulling out the chunks of raw silver and the glowing aldermite he had mined earlier.
We rounded a sharp corner, stumbling into a small, dead-end excavation pocket.
"Block the tunnel! Now!" Kaiser ordered, dropping his bag onto the dirt.
I slammed both hands onto the rocky floor, channeling my earth magic.
"Terra-Wall!" I roared.
The bedrock groaned and splintered as a massive, 10-foot-thick slab of solid stone erupted from the floor, completely sealing the entrance to our pocket.
I collapsed against the wall, gasping for air.
"That won't hold her forever. Vengeful spirits can pass through solid matter, but dense earth slows them down." Kaiser said, immediately kneeling on the floor and organizing his ores.
"Axel, get over here. I need your heat." Kaiser demanded.
I dragged myself over to him.
"What are you doing? We're trapped!" I panicked.
"I'm using alchemy. Do exactly as I say. I need you to melt this raw quartz." Kaiser pointed to a pile of translucent stones.
"Melt it?! I don't have fire magic!" I argued.
"You have lightning. Lightning generates extreme thermal resistance. Channel a high-voltage current directly into the quartz. Don't blast it, just heat it." Kaiser instructed, his hands moving with terrifying precision.
I swallowed my fear, holding my hands over the quartz and channeling a tight, intense current of golden electricity. The stone began to glow orange, superheating under the voltage.
"What are you guys making?!" Lucian asked, hovering nervously over us.
"You don't understand how strong Vengeful Spirits are! They don't just kill you physically! They invade your mind! They show you your worst fears until your brain literally breaks!" Lucian babbled, pacing back and forth.
Kaiser ignored him. He took the chunk of raw silver, placing it near the superheated quartz.
"Melt the silver. Carefully. Coat the liquid quartz with it." Kaiser directed.
Glass and silver?!
What is he making?
I adjusted my voltage, sweating profusely as the silver liquified and Kaiser skillfully manipulated the molten metals together using a pair of iron tongs.
BANG!
The massive stone wall I had erected shuddered violently. Dust rained down from the ceiling.
"She's here!" Lucian shrieked, backing into the furthest corner.
BANG!
A massive crack spiderwebbed across the center of my earth wall.
"We are only halfway done! Keep going!" Kaiser warned.
"I'm trying!" I yelled, my hands trembling.
CRASH!
The stone wall exploded inward.
A wave of suffocating, freezing void mana washed over the room. Out of the dust, the little girl floated forward.
I panicked. I dropped the voltage and threw a massive, jagged rock at her using my earth magic.
The rock sailed right through her chest as if she were made of smoke.
She turned her red eyes onto me.
She raised a tiny, rotting hand.
An invisible force slammed into my chest like a freight train. I was thrown backward through the air, coughing up a mouthful of blood as my ribs cracked.
Before I could hit the jagged wall behind me, Kaiser caught me by the collar, absorbing the momentum.
"Ghk!" I coughed, tasting blood.
"I can finish the rest of the synthesis myself, but I need 2 minutes." Kaiser said, dropping me to the floor.
He grabbed the piece of glowing aldermite from his bag.
"Aldermite absorbs and reflects raw mana. Pour your electricity into this. It will act as the power source for the final reaction." Kaiser shoved the warm stone into my bloody hands.
"Kaiser... I can't... I'm terrified..." I cried, genuine tears mixing with the blood on my face.
"Will this even work?" I choked out.
Kaiser looked down at me, his eyes dead serious.
"It's not guaranteed."
I looked at the girl. She was slowly floating toward us, the temperature dropping so rapidly that frost was forming on the dirt.
I remember being back in the dark forest, crippled from fear. Watching my sister cry because I couldn't protect her.
I was a coward then.
I am not dying a coward today.
I gritted my teeth, gripping the aldermite tightly and flooding it with every ounce of golden electricity I had left. The stone hummed, glowing like a miniature sun.
"Finish it. Both of you." I said, looking at Kaiser and Lucian.
I pushed myself off the ground, my cracked ribs screaming in agony, and ran directly toward the terrifying spirit.
"Stop!" I yelled, skidding to a halt just ten feet in front of her.
Lucian had said they could speak.
The girl paused, her head tilting at an unnatural, broken angle.
"Why... should... I...?"
Her voice didn't come from her broken jaw. It echoed directly inside my head. It sounded like grinding metal and the desperate weeping of a child.
"You... are... all... the... same..." The voice scratched against my sanity.
"No, we aren't! We just want to leave! Tell me why you're angry!" I demanded, gripping my chest.
"They... left... me... in... the... dark..."
Her red eyes flared.
A wave of oppressive, dark magic washed over me. My vision blurred.
"They... promised... they... would... never... free... me..."
My legs gave out. I dropped to my knees, clutching my head as her memories began violently invading my consciousness.
I saw a collapsed tunnel. I felt the agonizing pain of starvation. I felt the betrayal of the miners who abandoned her to save themselves.
"Trust... no... one..." She rasped, floating closer.
"Listen to me! We didn't do this to you!" I screamed, fighting against the crushing weight of her mind control.
"You... will... stay... in... the... dark... forever..."
She raised her hand, her rotting fingers reaching for my face.
This is it.
She's going to take me.
In a final, desperate ditch effort, I raised my hand and fired a blinding bolt of pure electricity directly at her face.
It didn't hurt her, but the sudden flash of light illuminated the cavern.
"Axel! Move!" Kaiser's voice roared from behind me.
I threw myself to the side.
Kaiser stepped forward. In his hands, he held a massive, perfectly smooth mirror crafted from the melted silver and quartz.
He caught the fading light of my electrical blast perfectly on the mirror's surface, reflecting a concentrated, blinding beam of pure light directly into the girl's face.
"SCREEEEECH!"
The girl shrieked—a sound that shattered the remaining rocks around us—flinching backward and covering her eyes in genuine, burning pain.
She was immune to physical magic, but the pure, reflected light burned her spiritual form.
Kaiser sprinted forward, sliding next to me and shoving the heavy silver mirror into my hands.
"Your turn." Kaiser commanded.
He pulled out the aldermite core I had charged earlier. It was still glowing with an intense, sustained golden light.
"I'll shine the light. You reflect it." Kaiser said, holding the stone up.
I stared at the mirror, my hands shaking violently.
"Why me?! I'm terrified! You do it!" I panicked, trying to hand it back.
Kaiser pushed the mirror back to my chest, his eyes locking onto mine with absolute conviction.
"Because you're brave, Axel. Only you have the courage to face her head-on, and only I have the precision to aim the light." Kaiser said, his voice cutting through the fear.
He believes in me.
The sociopath actually believes in me.
I gripped the edges of the mirror, gritting my teeth and standing up.
"Do it." He ordered.
The cavern plunged back into pitch blackness as the residual flash faded.
The temperature dropped to a freezing, agonizing low.
"I... trusted... you..."
Her whisper didn't come from in front of us. It echoed from the ceiling, directly above our heads.
"Up!" Kaiser yelled.
I whipped the heavy silver mirror upward. Kaiser instantly flared the aldermite core, sending a brilliant beam of golden light bouncing off the mirror and striking the ceiling.
The light hit her directly.
Thick, black, decaying shadows burned off her rotting dress like smoke as she shrieked, throwing her arms over her face to block the reflection. She scrambled backward, retreating into the darkness.
We both collapsed onto the dirt, my arms aching from the weight of the mirror.
"She's too fast! We can't see her!" I panicked, scrambling to my feet as Kaiser dragged me toward a jagged rock formation to hide.
"You... came... one... by... one..."
Her voice drifted from the left.
"Left!" Kaiser commanded.
I spun, aiming the mirror as the aldermite flared. The light caught her crawling along the wall like an insect. Her black shadows decayed instantly under the glare, and she hissed in agony, dropping back into the abyss.
"You... caged... me... here..."
The whispers were getting louder, burrowing into my skull. The sheer agony in her voice was paralyzing.
"You... killed... my... will... to... love..."
"Right!"
I swung the mirror again. The light blasted her as she rushed us from the side. The reflection burned the flesh off her rotting arms, forcing her to retreat once more. My chest heaved, my breath turning to white mist in the freezing air.
"And... then... you... threw... me... down... here..."
Her voice was no longer a whisper. It was a deafening, reality-tearing scream that vibrated the very marrow in my bones.
"YOU WILL NEVER KNOW MY PAIN!"
"Axel! Brace!" Kaiser roared.
She didn't try to hide this time. She materialized directly in front of the mirror, closing the distance in a fraction of a second.
Her rotting, jagged nails slammed onto the surface of the silver glass. The sheer force of her dark magic clashed violently against the pure light of the aldermite.
For one, single second, the aldermite flared with blinding intensity, reflecting her true face in the mirror.
It wasn't a monster.
It was a normal, terrified, crying little girl.
Then, the mirror completely shattered.
CRASH!
The glass exploded outward, raining shards over us as the aldermite core violently overloaded and detonated, plunging the entire cavern into absolute, ringing silence.
I hit the floor hard, my head slamming into the stone.
My vision went dark.
...
When I opened my eyes, a faint, flickering light illuminated the cavern.
My head was spinning. My ears were ringing.
I looked up.
Dozens of human figures were slowly walking toward me from the surrounding tunnels. They were all wearing rotting miner uniforms. And every single one of them had their jaws broken and unhinged, hanging completely open.
The miners.
The ones who died here.
I tried to scream, but my throat was paralyzed with fear. I slowly turned my head to look in front of me.
The little girl was lying on the stone floor, her demonic red eyes flickering weakly.
Kaiser was crawling toward her on his hands and knees, his clothes torn and covered in dust.
She looked at him, her broken jaw trembling. Tears—actual, human tears—welled in her red eyes as she stared at him, pleading for mercy.
Kaiser didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, grabbing her tiny, rotting throat with his bare hands.
He began to choke her.
I watched in absolute, paralyzed horror.
Around us, the dozens of approaching jaw-broken miners suddenly stopped. As Kaiser choked the little girl, the monsters all reached up, grabbing their own throats and choking themselves in unison.
Kaiser's face was completely neutral. His ice-cold eyes stared down at the crying, suffocating girl without a single ounce of empathy, anger, or pity.
He was entirely indifferent to her suffering.
She thrashed, her tiny hands clawing at his arms, but his grip was like iron. He squeezed the life out of her until her red eyes finally rolled back, and her body went completely limp on the stone floor.
Kaiser slowly stood up, looking down at her lifeless corpse.
He reached into his pocket, his face still devoid of any emotion.
He pulled out the crushed ashes of the detonated aldermite core and sprinkled them over her body. Then, he flicked his cheap iron lighter and tossed it onto the ashes.
FWOOSH!
The girl's body erupted in golden flames.
All around us, the jaw-broken miners simultaneously burst into identical golden fire, burning away into nothingness.
I stared at Kaiser as he watched the flames.
The Vengeful Spirit was terrifying.
But watching Kaiser Everhart look at her pain, her misery, and her death with complete, sociopathic indifference... it was the scariest thing I had ever seen in my life.
My vision blurred again, and I passed out.
...
When I woke up the second time, the air was warmer.
I groaned, pushing myself up into a sitting position.
Lucian and Kaiser were sitting against the wall a few feet away. A small, glowing orb of electricity—sustained by Kaiser using a piece of wire and an ore—illuminated their faces.
"What happened...?" I coughed, clutching my ribs. "How long was I out?"
Lucian looked at me, his black eyes wide.
"You were out for 20 minutes!" Lucian answered, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I was too scared to come out during the fight. But Kaiser told me what happened. He said her body is gone now. The entities... they're all gone!"
I looked at Kaiser. He was wiping dirt off his coat, completely unbothered.
"How?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"That wasn't a ghost." Kaiser said coldly, not looking up.
"It was a parasitic entity known as a Grief Weaver. They are ancient, formless parasites that feed on profound emotional agony. It found that little girl dying in the dark years ago, and it latched onto her weak, suffering soul to manifest a physical form. It hijacked her consciousness, amplifying her anger into a mind-controlling vengeance." Kaiser explained analytically.
"She wasn't the monster. She was the victim." Kaiser stated.
My stomach twisted into a knot.
"Then how could you burn her like that?!" I demanded, my voice cracking with horror. "You choked her! You set her on fire!"
"The aldermite ashes contained the residual, highly volatile electricity you poured into the mirror." Kaiser explained calmly. "It acted as a perfect thermal fuel for the lighter. Destroying the host body was the only way to sever the parasite's connection to the physical plane."
I stared at him, disgusted by his lack of humanity.
"So... is it truly over?" I asked quietly. "Is she gone?"
Kaiser finally looked at me.
"No." Kaiser said flatly.
"She's not gone. The parasite is dead. But her soul is still present with us. She's just hiding because she no longer has a body." Kaiser explained.
He reached into his bag, pulling out a small, uncharged piece of raw aldermite.
He placed the stone directly in the middle of the cavern floor between us.
We all stood up in silence.
For a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened.
Standing in the center of the room, looking at us with wide, sad eyes, was the spirit of a normal, uncorrupted little girl.
She didn't have red eyes. Her jaw wasn't broken. She was just a child, trapped in a glowing, translucent form.
Kaiser slowly took a step forward, reaching his hand out toward her.
The little girl violently flinched, scrambling backward until her spectral back hit the cavern wall.
"Stay back!" She cried, her voice echoing with raw, unfiltered terror. "Don't touch me! Are you going to take me forcefully too?!"
Lucian and I watched in stunned silence, our hearts breaking at the sheer panic in her voice.
Kaiser stopped immediately. He didn't step closer. Instead, he slowly lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the dirt so he wasn't towering over her.
"I'm not going to touch you." Kaiser said gently. His voice was completely different from the cold, clinical tone he had used just minutes ago. It was soft, grounding, and undeniably safe.
"My name is Kaiser. What's your name?"
She hugged her knees to her chest, trembling.
"You're... you're not going to hurt me?" She sniffled.
"I just burned the monster that was hurting you." Kaiser replied calmly. "You're safe now. You are in control. Take a deep breath, and just talk to me. Tell me about yourself."
The girl looked at him, then at me and Lucian. Her trembling slowly subsided as Kaiser's grounding presence anchored her scattered soul.
"I'm... I'm Cherrie." She whispered. "I'm nine years old."
*
Eleven years ago.
Cherrie sat patiently on the wooden stool in her small, sunlit bedroom. Behind her, her mother—a woman with warm eyes and a gentle, protective smile—was carefully tying her daughter's golden hair back with a small, silver hairpin.
"There you go, my sweet girl." Her mother kissed the top of her head.
Cherrie beamed, jumping off the stool.
"I'm going out to play with Jacky!" Cherrie announced, grabbing her small woven basket.
Jacky was a massive, shaggy golden retriever mix. He was fiercely loyal, possessing a loud bark and a heart of absolute gold. He waited by the front door, his tail thumping against the floorboards.
"Don't worry, Mommy! Jacky will always protect me!" Cherrie giggled, petting the dog's head.
Her mother's smile faltered slightly, a shadow of worry crossing her face.
"Cherrie, listen to me." Her mother knelt down, holding her shoulders. "Do not go near the Deepvein mines. Do you understand?"
Cherrie pouted, crossing her arms.
"But why? The miners are always so nice! They give me chocolate when I wave at them!" Cherrie argued innocently.
"I don't trust them." Her mother said firmly, her eyes darkening with grief. "The mines are dangerous, Cherrie. Your father was a miner. He lost his life in there. Please, promise me you won't go near the shafts, and don't ever get too far from Jacky."
"Okay, Mommy. I promise." Cherrie nodded, though she didn't truly understand the fear in her mother's eyes.
For the next few days, Cherrie kept her promise. She and Jacky played in the sunlit fields near the edge of the mining camp. They played hide-and-seek in the tall grass, and Cherrie picked wildflowers to weave into crowns for her loyal dog.
Mommy is just sad about Daddy, Cherrie thought to herself as she lay in the grass, staring up at the blue sky. She's distrustful for no reason. People are kind. If you are kind to others, they will be kind to you!
As she sat up, a heavy shadow fell over her.
Standing at the edge of the field was a burly, dirty miner with a jagged scar running down his cheek. The other men called him Gregor.
"Hey there, little lady." Gregor grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. He held out a piece of foil-wrapped chocolate. "Want some more? The boss said we could take a break."
Cherrie smiled brightly. "Yes, please! Thank you, Mister Gregor!"
She reached out, but before she could take the candy, Jacky lunged forward.
Bark! Bark! Bark!
The massive dog bared his teeth, snapping viciously at Gregor's boots.
"Jacky! Stop it! You're being mean!" Cherrie scolded, pulling on his collar.
But Jacky didn't stop. The dog stood between Cherrie and the miner, growling low in his throat.
Gregor's grin faded into a scowl. He slowly backed away, tossing the chocolate onto the dirt.
"Catch you later, kid." Gregor muttered, walking back toward the dark maw of the mine.
Cherrie picked up the chocolate, petting Jacky's head. He was so kind, she thought, unwrapping the candy. Jacky just doesn't understand.
Three days later, the sun was beginning to set.
Her mother was asleep on the couch, exhausted from her double shift at the town bakery. Cherrie quietly slipped out the front door, leaving a carefully scribbled note on the kitchen table.
Going to play! I'll be back by evening! Promise, Mommy!
She ran into the fields, calling for Jacky.
"Jacky! Here, boy!"
But the dog didn't come.
Cherrie wandered closer to the edge of the mining camp, her heart beating a little faster. Then, she saw it.
A trail of fresh, wet blood leading toward the heavy wooden barricades of the Deepvein excavation site.
"Jacky...?" Cherrie whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
"Oh no, Cherrie."
Gregor stepped out from behind a stack of wooden crates. He looked down at her with wide, fake sympathy.
"Your dog... Jacky was bit by a rattlesnake. He got spooked and ran straight into the mines." Gregor lied smoothly. "Come on. I'll take you to him before he gets lost in the dark."
Cherrie didn't hesitate. Her heart ached for her best friend.
"Is he okay?!" She cried, running up to Gregor and grabbing his large, dirty hand.
"He's just scared."
"Please, Mister Gregor, hurry! He doesn't like the dark!"
"I know, kid. We're almost there."
"Will you carry him out? He's really heavy."
"Sure thing. I'll carry him."
"Thank you... you're so nice." Cherrie sniffled, trusting him completely as he led her deeper, and deeper, into the absolute blackness of the mine.
They walked for twenty minutes until the natural light from the surface was completely gone.
"Mister Gregor? Where is he? I can't see anything." Cherrie asked innocently, her grip tightening on his hand.
Gregor stopped.
He looked down at her, and the fake sympathy melted off his face, replaced by a sickening, predatory grin.
From the shadows, three other miners stepped forward.
One of them kicked a heavy, bloody sack onto the stone floor directly in front of her. The sack fell open, revealing Jacky's lifeless, beaten body.
Cherrie stared at the dog, her mind entirely failing to process the horror.
Then, she screamed.
She turned to run, but Gregor's heavy hand clamped onto her shoulder, slamming her into the stone wall.
She was trapped.
*
In the real world, the glowing spirit of Cherrie sobbed, her translucent hands covering her face.
"They didn't stop..." Cherrie cried, her voice echoing with profound, unimaginable trauma. "I begged them... I said please... but they just tied me down..."
"When they were done..." Cherrie hiccuped, her spiritual form violently flickering as the memories threatened to break her all over again.
"They threw me down a deep shaft... into the abandoned sector... so my Mommy would never find me." Cherrie wept, looking at Kaiser.
"I laid there in the dark. I was bleeding. I couldn't move my legs. I was so cold... and then... the monster came."
"It ate me." She wailed, finally unable to hold the agony in anymore. "It ate my pain, and it took my body, and it made me do terrible things! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I just wanted my Mommy!"
I stared at her translucent, trembling figure.
My chest felt so tight I could barely draw in a breath. I looked at the faint outline of bruises on her spectral wrists. The reality of what those men did to her, how they broke an innocent 9-year-old child and tossed her into a pit like garbage... it sickened me to my core. The Grief Weaver hadn't created the horror. It had only fed on the absolute, pure despair she left behind, morphing her agony into a lethal anomaly.
Kaiser slowly slid closer to her.
Cherrie flinched violently, shrinking back into the cold stone corner.
"Don't... please don't hurt me..." She whimpered, tightly closing her eyes as she prepared to be struck, or worse.
She waited.
But the blow never came. Instead, a gentle, warm weight wrapped around her shoulders.
Kaiser had pulled her into a quiet, protective hug.
Her translucent eyes snapped open in complete shock. She froze, her spectral hands hovering in the air before slowly, hesitantly clutching the back of his dirty coat. She burst into fresh, soft tears, burying her face into his shoulder.
"It's over." Kaiser murmured, his hand gently patting her back. "No one can touch you anymore. You don't have to hide in the dark."
"I'm so tired..." Cherrie whispered, her voice finally sounding like a normal child.
"I know. You can rest now." Kaiser said softly.
He held her for a long minute as her form slowly began to dissolve into warm, soft particles of light, absorbing peaceful energy back into the aldermite core.
Kaiser looked up at us, his expression returning to its usual neutral mask.
"Axel. Lucian. Head down the eastern passage toward the ventilation shaft." Kaiser instructed. "I need a few minutes here to properly seal her spirit."
I nodded slowly, still shaken by everything. "Yeah. Alright."
Lucian and I turned, walking down the narrow, damp tunnel.
The air was still heavy, but the terrifying hum of the little girl was completely gone. In the quiet, Lucian walked a little ahead of me, his steps erratic.
"That was really sad." Lucian said, his voice echoing in the tight space. "She really reminded me of my sister. My sister is always crying when she's sick. I hope I can save her."
"You will." I said, trying to sound reassuring. "We got the cinderite. We'll get out of here soon."
"Do you have a sister, Axel?" Lucian asked, turning his head back. In the dim light of my spark magic, his pitch-black eyes looked incredibly wide. Almost too wide.
"Yeah. A younger one." I muttered, thinking of home.
"Where do you live, Lucian?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Oh! In a small settlement near the western plains! Oakhaven. It's very far from here. Lots of trees and flowers." Lucian answered quickly, pointing down a branching, steep tunnel to the right. "This way. The map says the shaft is down this corridor."
We turned into the tunnel. The ground sloped sharply downward, ending in pitch darkness.
"Are you sure this is right?" I frowned, looking around. "It feels like we're going deeper, not up."
"It's just a shortcut!" Lucian smiled, his bubbly tone returning. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, rough green stone, placing it in my hand. "Here. This is a piece of cinderite. It's a miracle ore. Can you please... hold it for me? Just walk a bit further."
I held the warm stone, looking down at it.
We continued to walk quietly for a while.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed behind us.
Before Lucian could react, a pale hand shot out from the dark, clamping violently around the boy's throat.
Kaiser stood there, his eyes cold and deadly.
He lifted Lucian completely off the ground. The boy kicked his legs frantically, his black eyes bulging.
"Kaiser! What are you doing?!" I screamed, rushing forward. "Let him go! He's just a kid!"
Kaiser didn't say a word. He walked three steps forward and tossed Lucian's thrashing body directly over the edge of a massive, bottomless vertical crater that dropped straight into the abyss.
"No!" I lunged forward, trying to grab Lucian, but Kaiser held me back.
As Lucian fell, Kaiser flicked his lighter and dropped it into the pit.
A sudden, violent burst of golden fire erupted from the darkness below, consuming Lucian's body in a silent, flash-burn before he even hit the bottom.
I shoved Kaiser back with all my strength, my face red with fury.
"Are you out of your mind?!" I yelled, tears of anger stinging my eyes. "He was trying to help us! He wanted to save his mother! What is wrong with you?!"
"Look down, Axel." Kaiser said flatly, pointing at the edge.
I stepped forward, looking down.
Just two feet in front of where I had been walking was a sheer drop-off. A vertical shaft that fell hundreds of feet into a jagged pit of spikes and toxic gas. If Kaiser hadn't stopped us, I would have walked straight off the edge.
"He was leading you into a death trap." Kaiser explained calmly.
"But... he gave me the map! He gave me the cinderite!" I stammered, looking at the green stone in my hand.
"The Aethelgard Tribune." Kaiser said, crossing his arms. "It was a local newspaper that existed 5 years ago. It shut down due to lack of profit. There is no way he could have gotten information about cinderite from it in these times."
My breath caught in my throat.
"Second clue. He said he was trapped here for 'a day,' yet he was perfectly healthy. No signs of dehydration or starvation. In a mine with zero water and dead oxygen." Kaiser continued.
"And third. He told us the little girl was a Banshee-Class anomaly and to turn off our lights. He was trying to get us killed. Lucian Aston died years ago, Axel. The Grief Weaver took his body and used his memories to lure more victims down here."
I stood frozen, the reality washing over me like ice water.
The kid who wanted to save his mother. The bubbly, energetic boy who talked about drawing.
He was just another corpse.
Puppet for the monster.
A heavy mixture of rage and profound sadness settled in my chest. I wanted to scream, but the cold weight of the mine silenced me.
"Come on. The real ventilation shaft is this way." Kaiser turned, walking back down the main tunnel.
I followed him silently, my head down.
"How can you be so cold-hearted?" I asked quietly as we walked. "You didn't even hesitate. You just... saw a kid and decided to kill him."
"I saw a threat." Kaiser answered.
"I hate this." I muttered, wiping my nose. "I hate that I trusted him. I always get trapped. I always let my guard down because I want to believe people are good."
Kaiser stopped, looking back at me.
"You're better than that, Axel." Kaiser said, his voice surprisingly firm.
"You were terrified, but you still stood in front of a Vengeful Spirit to buy me time. You used the mirror. You fought. That's not a coward."
I looked at him, surprised. A small spark of courage returned to my chest.
He actually complimented me.
We kept walking, and 25 minutes later, the air grew fresh. We climbed up a rusty emergency ladder and pushed open a heavy iron hatch, stepping out onto the cold, windy mountainside.
The night air was freezing, but it felt like heaven.
I checked my expensive watch. The hands had stopped spinning.
It was 9:27 PM.
"Kaiser." I said, stopping on the gravel.
He looked back. "What?"
"I have a request." I held up the piece of cinderite Lucian had given me. "Lucian's soul... it was still in there somewhere, right? The Grief Weaver only hijacked his body. But the things he said about his mother, the Hollowing Fever... that can't be a lie."
Kaiser frowned. "We got the aldermite and platinum. Let's not waste time on things that might be a lie."
"Even if it is a lie, we only waste a couple of hours!" I argued, stepping closer. "But if it isn't... we can help a family whose only regret was losing their son. Please, Kaiser. Do this for me."
Kaiser stared at me, his neutral face unreadable in the moonlight.
"Where do they live?" Kaiser finally asked.
I smiled, a genuine weight lifting off my shoulders.
"Oakhaven. He said it's near the western plains."
Kaiser let out a small, quiet sigh, a tiny smirk playing on his lips.
"You little fool. I suppose we can pay them a visit. The outer district teleporter connects nearby." Kaiser said, turning toward the path.
I grinned, running to catch up with him.
Maybe he's a sociopath.
But he's my friend.
*
[10:52 PM - Oakhaven Settlement]
The outer district teleporter deposited us onto a quiet, dirt-paved road lined with rustic wooden fences and sprawling fields of wheat. The air here was pristine, smelling of blooming night-jasmine and fresh soil.
Compared to the towering, modern skyline of Aethelgard, Oakhaven felt like a relic of the past. It was a humble farming community, far removed from the political warfare of the academy.
We followed the address Lucian had mentioned, eventually stopping in front of a small, weather-beaten wooden cottage. The porch light flickered dimly in the night.
I stepped up and knocked gently on the wooden door.
A few moments later, the door creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a young girl, about 14 years old. She wore a simple, faded countryside dress. Her hair was pitch black, matching her wide, exhausted black eyes.
"Who're ya... cough... who're ya lookin' for at this hour?" She asked, a thick countryside drawl lacing her raspy voice. She covered her mouth, coughing heavily into her sleeve.
"Hi. I'm Axel. This is my friend, Kaiser." I introduced us, trying to sound as unthreatening as possible. "Are you living in this house?"
"Yeah, I'm Hazielle." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why?"
"We wanted to give you this." I held up the glowing green piece of cinderite. "It's a miracle ore. It's for your mother. Lucian wanted us to give it to her."
The moment the name left my mouth, Hazielle froze. The suspicion in her eyes vanished, replaced by an overwhelming, frantic desperation.
"Lucian?!" Hazielle demanded, stepping out onto the porch.
"Where is he?! Where did you see him?!" She grabbed my jacket, her small hands shaking.
"Did he send you?! Is he coming back?!" She peppered me with questions, her voice rising in pitch. Then, her face crumbled, tears instantly welling in her eyes. "He... he went missing 6 years ago..."
Six years.
He was trapped in that mine for six years.
Kaiser stepped forward, his expression softening just a fraction.
"I am sorry, Hazielle." Kaiser said quietly. "He died years ago. We found him in the Deepvein mines. We gave him a proper burial."
Hazielle stared at Kaiser.
"No..." She whispered, shaking her head.
"It's a lie!" She screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. She lunged forward, her small fists weakly hammering against Kaiser's chest. "It's a lie! My brother promised! He promised he'd return with the cinderite! You're lying!"
She sobbed uncontrollably, collapsing against Kaiser, who didn't push her away. He just stood there, taking her weak hits.
"Hazielle? What's all this shouting...?"
A weak, frail voice echoed from inside the cottage. An older man, his hair greying and his posture hunched, leaned heavily against the doorframe. He was coughing violently, clutching his chest.
"Papa!" Hazielle cried, turning and running into her father's arms. "They said... they said Lucian is never coming back!"
The older man froze. He looked over his daughter's shoulder, his exhausted, hollow eyes meeting Kaiser's.
The sheer, soul-crushing grief that shattered across the father's face was unbearable to look at. He squeezed his daughter tightly, burying his face in her hair as silent tears streamed down his weathered cheeks.
I stood there, watching them cry.
My chest tightened. A profound, hollow sadness settled deep into my bones.
If I had died in that mine today, my family would be crying exactly like this. My little sister would be standing at our door, sobbing for a brother who was never coming home.
I never want to cause them that pain. I never want to be the one lost in the dark.
I can't afford to be a coward anymore. I have to be brave, not just in words, but in reality. I must become stronger. I have to become someone who can take care of them, no matter what happens.
*
A little while later, we were sitting inside the modest, warmly lit living room of the cottage.
Hazielle's father, Arthur, sat across from us in a rocking chair, holding the piece of cinderite in his trembling hands.
"Can this save your wife?" I asked gently, leaning forward.
Arthur looked up, offering a sad, broken smile.
"My wife passed away, son. Six years ago. Shortly after Lucian disappeared." Arthur explained, his voice thick with grief. "But... this... this is enough to cure my daughter. The doctors said she only had a few months left."
Arthur looked at us, tears in his eyes. "Thank you. Both of you. You brought my boy's final wish home."
"You're infected too, aren't you?" Kaiser interrupted smoothly, looking at Arthur's pale complexion.
Arthur sighed, nodding slowly. "I am. But the cinderite is rare. There's only enough here for one full dosage. I will give it to Hazielle."
"That won't be necessary." Kaiser leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"The Hollowing Fever is caused by a rapid calcification of the bone marrow due to mana stagnation. Cinderite acts as a high-frequency mana conductor." Kaiser explained analytically.
"If you synthesize the cinderite with standard aether-root extract and a base of diluted zinc-oxide, you can create a catalytic reaction that exponentially multiplies the ore's medicinal properties. You don't need to consume the whole stone. A 10% shaving, chemically fused with those antibiotics, will create a potent enough serum to reverse the calcification in both of you."
Arthur stared at Kaiser in complete awe, understanding just enough of the chemistry to realize Kaiser was giving him a literal miracle.
"The heavens sent you..." Arthur whispered, wiping his eyes. "You're like prophets. You saved my daughter's life... and mine."
"Don't thank us, sir." I smiled softly. "Thank Lucian. He was the one who found the cinderite. We're just the delivery boys."
The kitchen door swung open, and Hazielle walked out carrying a tray with three cups of hot tea and a plate of rustic, homemade biscuits. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she offered a small, grateful smile.
"Thank you. Are you two hungry? I can make some soup. Hazielle set the tray down.
I looked at the biscuits and my stomach instantly churned.
I had zero appetite after almost being eaten by a Vengeful Spirit.
"I'm alright, thank you." I politely declined.
Kaiser, on the other hand, immediately grabbed a biscuit and took a massive bite, washing it down with the hot tea.
"Thank you for the dinner. The day wasn't exactly easy. I'm starving." Kaiser said nonchalantly.
I elbowed him hard in the ribs, glaring at him to show some tact, but Kaiser just grabbed a second biscuit.
"It's very late. You boys should rest here for the night in the spare room." Arthur offered kindly.
"Oh, no, no. We have classes tomorrow morning back at the academy." I waved my hands, not wanting to intrude any further on their mourning.
"A day won't hurt." Kaiser said, leaning back into the couch. "I need a break anyway."
I stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
Kaiser Everhart, the guy who never stopped moving, wanted to take a break?
"Fine." I gave in, sighing.
"Do you need help chemically fusing the cure tomorrow, Uncle?" Kaiser asked Arthur.
"No, son. You've done more than enough." Arthur smiled warmly. "The doctors at the clinic have been treating us for years. With the recipe you just gave me, they can synthesize it perfectly."
Hazielle sat down on the floor next to her father's chair, looking up at me with hesitant eyes.
"Axel... what did he say?" She asked quietly. "Before he was gone... what did my brother say?"
I looked at her, my heart aching.
"He said he wanted to save his family." I repeated the ghost's words, softening them. "He said he loved you, and that you guys were his whole world."
Hazielle buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried again. Arthur wrapped his arm around her, comforting her while holding back his own tears.
I sat back against the couch.
This feeling... helping people.
It feels a million times better than looking down on them.
*
That night, Arthur gave us the spare bedroom. It only had one small bed, so Kaiser took the floor, wrapping himself in his dark coat and falling asleep instantly.
I, however, could not sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the jaw-broken miners staring at me. I heard the Vengeful Spirit whispering from the ceiling. I tossed and turned, staring at the dark corners of the room, utterly terrified that a demon was going to crawl out of the closet.
I ended up keeping a small spark of electricity dancing on my fingertip the entire night just to keep the room lit.
*
[March 4th, 2012 - 11:00 AM]
The next morning, we woke up incredibly late.
We had completely missed our morning classes, but for once, I didn't care.
I rubbed my tired eyes and walked over to the wooden window, looking out into the sunny, vibrant fields of Oakhaven.
Outside, Kaiser was standing by the wooden fence, speaking quietly with Uncle Arthur. He was gesturing to a piece of paper, likely writing down the exact chemical formulas and dosages for the cinderite cure so Arthur wouldn't forget.
I watched him, a newfound sense of immense respect washing over me.
He's an anomaly.
He can brutally choke a monster to death without blinking. He can navigate a paranormal mine using pure science. Yet, he can also gently comfort a broken spirit and save the lives of a dying family.
He's incredibly smart, incredibly capable, yet he never takes anything from others. Well, except maybe their biscuits, but that's beside the point.
An hour later, we were standing on the dirt road, ready to head back to the teleporter.
"Thank you." Hazielle hugged both of us tightly. "Thank you for bringing this home to us."
"Take care of yourself, Hazielle. Make sure your dad takes his medicine." I smiled, patting her head.
"We owe you a debt we can never repay." Arthur shook Kaiser's hand firmly.
"Just live well, Arthur." Kaiser nodded.
We waved goodbye, walking down the dirt path toward the outer district teleporter station. The sun was shining brightly, the warmth chasing away the lingering chill of the mines.
"Alright. You should head back to the academy, Axel." Kaiser said, stopping near the station.
"What? Where are you going?" I asked, confused.
"I have an errand to run." Kaiser adjusted the heavy bag of ores on his shoulder.
"After yesterday?! Are you insane? We need to rest!" I argued.
"I told you, I have an errand to run." Kaiser stated flatly. "Go back to the dorms. I'll see you in class tomorrow."
"You're really just going to ditch me after I saved your life with a mirror?" I joked, crossing my arms.
"I told you exactly how to make the mirror." Kaiser retorted seamlessly.
"Whatever. Stay out of trouble." I rolled my eyes, smiling hesitantly. "See ya, Kaiser."
"Goodbye, Axel."
We separated at the fork in the road. Kaiser headed toward the deeper transit lines, and I stepped onto the academy-bound teleporter pad.
As the magical runes lit up around me, I let out a long, exhausted sigh.
How did I end up having the most terrifying, adventurous, and emotionally exhausting day of my life all in the span of a few hours?
It feels like an entire lifetime passed down in those mines.
I still don't know why Kaiser is so obsessed with gathering platinum and aldermite. I don't know what kind of weapons he's trying to build.
But as I watched him walk away, I knew one thing for certain.
I had a genuinely good friend. A friend I actually looked up to.
*
Perspective: Kaiser Everhart
[March 3th, 2012 - 8:35 PM]
[Deepvein Excavation Site - The Previous Night]
I watched Axel and the Grief Weaver puppet walk down the eastern passage until their light completely vanished into the darkness.
I turned back to the glowing, translucent spirit of the little girl.
She was still hugging her knees, looking up at me with wide, tear-filled eyes.
"What... what should I call you?" Cherrie asked softly, her voice barely a whisper.
I knelt down in front of her, keeping my posture relaxed and unthreatening.
"You can call me your brother." I said gently, my voice lowering into a warm, familial tone.
She sniffled, rubbing her spectral eyes. "Okay... Brother."
"Brother... can I ever meet my Mommy again?" She asked, looking up at me with a heartbreaking glimmer of hope.
I looked at the heavy stone walls around us. I could lie to her. It would be easier. But this child had been lied to enough by the monsters who brought her down here.
"No, Cherrie." I gave her the hard truth, my voice steady but gentle. "Your physical body is gone. Your spirit is bound to the mana veins in these mines. You can't leave this place."
Her face crumbled. The small spark of hope in her eyes shattered.
"But... but I promised her!" Cherrie sobbed, her translucent hands covering her face. "I left a note! I told her I would return by evening! She must have been looking for me everywhere! Mommy... Mommy must be so sad..."
The sheer agony in her voice rippled through the cavern.
Suddenly, from the pitch-black tunnels surrounding us, a dozen formless, black, shadowy entities began to slither along the ceiling. They were drawn by her fresh grief like blood in the water.
Grief Weavers.
Cherrie gasped, shrinking back against the wall.
"Brother, run!" She cried, her voice trembling. "They're the monsters! They... they take control of your mind! They read your worst memories!"
She stuttered in pure terror, pointing at the shadows. "They make you see terrible things! They control your body! Please, you have to escape!"
I didn't move. I didn't even draw a weapon.
"It's okay, Cherrie. Stay behind me." I said calmly.
I turned my back to her and faced the creeping swarm of void parasites.
"Go ahead." I challenged the entities, my voice dropping into a dead, ice-cold register. "Read my memories. Let's see what you find."
The shadows lunged, their formless tendrils shooting straight into my mind.
They didn't resist. It opened the vault of my memories and I let them see exactly who I was.
"Back in my orphanage in Celestine, we had an infestation of your kind." I spoke out loud, letting Cherrie hear the tale as the parasites dug into my brain.
"We were poor. We didn't have High Sorcerers to come and cleanse the area for us. And my friend elfie was terrified of the dark." I explained, my eyes tracking the shadows.
"So, I would sneak out at night. And I would set traps."
Suddenly, the parasites stopped.
Their shadowy forms convulsed violently. A psychic shriek of absolute, primal terror echoed through the cavern.
They saw my memories. They saw what I did in the dark.
The Grief Weavers scrambled backward, desperately trying to detach themselves from my mind. But the terror they witnessed was too profound. Three of the shadows froze completely, their forms vibrating before they literally tore their own spiritual cores apart, killing themselves on the spot rather than face me.
Cherrie peeked out from behind my coat, her jaw dropping.
"How... how did you do that?" She asked in awe.
I reached up with lightning speed, my hand snapping around the spiritual throat of one of the fleeing parasites. I squeezed my fingers, flooding my palm with high-voltage electricity that acted as a physical cage.
"I used to capture these things." I explained, slowly turning to look at the struggling, shrieking parasite in my grip.
"I realized they fed on fear. So I wanted to see what happened when they felt fear themselves." I squeezed tighter, the entity thrashing in sheer agony.
"I brought their entire local species to near extinction." I stated, my cold indifference bleeding into my voice. "I captured them. I tortured them. I dissected their bodies while they were still conscious. One after another. Day by day. Until there were none left."
The parasite in my hand let out one final, pathetic squeak before I crushed its core entirely. It dissolved into black ash.
I turned back to Cherrie, kneeling down again.
"They won't ever come near you again." I promised her. "They just realized that I am the predator here now. Without you as a host, they will slowly starve and go extinct."
Cherrie stared at me, her fear completely replaced by wide-eyed wonder.
"Cherrie, I need a favor." I asked gently. "Can you help me?"
"How?" She asked, tilting her head.
"I need to locate special ores in these mines. Platinum, aldermite, diamond, gold and many more." I explained. "I need them to protect the people I care about on the surface. When I visit, can you help me find them?"
She blinked. "You... you want my help?"
"I do. I want you to be my friend." I smiled softly. "I know your soul is stuck here. But you don't have to be a monster. You can take this form, and you can still be yourself, even in the dark."
"And if you help me, I promise I will bring you the best toys and sweets from the capital every time I visit." I offered.
Cherrie burst into tears again, but this time, they were tears of overwhelming relief.
"You'll really return?" She cried, wiping her face.
"I promise." I nodded.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small, silver hairpin. I had swiped it from her skeletal remains before destroying the host body.
I held it out to her.
"Cherrie. Can you tell me where your Mommy lives?" I asked quietly. "And what you want to say to her?"
She looked at the hairpin, and then up at me.
The absolute, unshakeable trust she had lost to the cruelty of the world 25 years ago was completely rekindled in her eyes.
*
[March 4th, 2012 - 2:27 PM]
[Present Day - East Riverton Village]
The afternoon sun was warm as I walked down the cobblestone path of a small, peaceful village far outside the boundaries of Aethelgard.
East Riverton was quiet. Children played near the water pumps, and farmers tended to their crops.
I walked up to a group of young boys playing with wooden swords.
"Excuse me. Do you know where Martha Gable lives?" I asked politely.
"You mean Grandma Martha?" One of the boys pointed down the lane with his stick. "She lives in the last house with the blue roof by the river!"
"Thank you." I handed the boy a small copper coin and walked down the path.
The house was small, but incredibly well-kept. The front garden was overflowing with bright, golden sunflowers.
I stepped up to the wooden door and knocked twice.
A moment later, the door opened.
Standing there was an older woman, perhaps fifty-seven years old. She wore a simple, knitted cardigan over a modest floral dress. Her hair was greying, but her eyes—a striking, warm hazel—were identical to Cherrie's.
She looked down at me, her kind expression softening even more. Since I was only twelve years old, she simply saw a little boy standing on her porch.
"Well, hello there, young man." Martha smiled warmly, her voice gentle and polite.
"Are you lost? Can I help you with something?"
I didn't answer right away. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the small, silver hairpin, holding it out to her in my open palm.
Martha's warm smile froze.
Her breath hitched. Her hazel eyes widened, staring at the tarnished piece of silver as if it were a ghost. Her hands began to tremble violently as she slowly reached out, her fingers brushing against the cold metal.
"Where..." Martha choked out, her voice cracking. "Where did you get this?"
"I found her, Mrs. Gable." I said quietly, my voice utterly devoid of its usual clinical edge. "I'm sorry. She's gone."
The silver hairpin slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the wooden porch.
Martha stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth to muffle a soul-tearing sob.
"No..." Martha shook her head frantically, her knees giving out. She collapsed onto the porch, clutching her chest as 25 years of desperate, agonizing hope finally shattered into dust.
"No... I thought she'd come back..." Martha wailed, her voice breaking the peaceful quiet of the village. "I asked them! I asked the miners! I asked Gregor! He swore to me... he swore she just got lost in the Blackwood forest! I waited! I waited every single day!"
A mother's grief—raw, agonizing, and infinite. She had kept that front porch light on for 25 years, hoping that one evening, her little girl would come running back up the path with her golden hair shining in the sun.
I didn't tell her what Gregor and the miners did. I didn't tell her about the Grief Weaver. Some truths are too heavy for a mortal heart to bear.
Instead, I reached into my coat again and pulled out a small, folded piece of parchment.
I had written it down exactly as Cherrie had dictated to me in the dark.
"She wanted you to have this." I knelt down, placing the note into her trembling hands.
Martha unfolded it. The handwriting was intentionally messy, mirroring the clumsy, innocent script of an eight-year-old girl.
Dear Mommy,
I'm so, so sorry I broke my promise. I didn't mean to go far. I know you were waiting for me by the door, and I'm sorry I made you cry. I won't be coming back home for dinner.
Please don't be sad anymore, Mommy. I'm not in the dark anymore. I found a friend, and I'm safe now. Thank you for making my hair look pretty. Thank you for loving me.
I love you, Mommy.
Forever and ever.
—Cherrie.
Martha stared at the paper, tears blurring the ink.
"I waited..." Martha sobbed, clutching the letter to her heart as she rocked back and forth on the porch. "I waited so long for you, my sweet girl... why didn't you come back...?"
I stood there, watching her cry.
My chest tightened, a cold, dark abyss opening up inside my mind.
The world is unsafe.
It is cruel, apathetic, and vile. Innocence is treated as a weakness. Kindness is treated as an invitation for exploitation. If I only had the power... if I had the absolute authority to reverse death, to protect those who cannot protect themselves...
Suddenly, Martha looked up.
She struggled to her feet, her face stained with tears, and lunged forward.
She wrapped her arms tightly around me, pulling me into a desperate, crushing hug.
"Thank you..." Martha wept onto my shoulder. "Thank you, sweet boy..."
I stood rigidly, my hands hovering in the air.
"Why are you thanking me?" I asked quietly.
"For bringing her back to me." Martha cried, stepping back and wiping her face, though the tears kept falling. "For 25 years, I didn't know if she was cold. I didn't know if she was scared. I didn't know if she thought I abandoned her. But you brought me her final memory. You gave me peace."
I looked past her, into the hallway of the cottage. Resting on a small wooden drawer was a framed picture of a younger Martha smiling brightly, holding a little girl with golden hair.
My dark abyss grew colder.
"I couldn't save her." I admitted, my voice hollow.
Martha offered a sad, deeply mature smile, resting her hand on my cheek.
"I know you couldn't, sweet boy. You are just a child yourself." Martha comforted me, her thumb wiping a speck of dust from my face.
"But you are an angel for bringing her home..."
*
[March 4th, 2012 - 10:45 PM]
[Asura Academy - Class C Dormitories]
The night air was biting as I walked the final stretch toward the Class C dormitory building.
The darkness of the campus felt entirely different from the darkness of the mines. Here, the shadows hid politics, arrogance, and the elite ruling class.
My colder, darker side—the side that had methodically tortured the void parasites—was fully taking over my consciousness.
This world is tainted.
It isn't just the academy. The entire world, the Asura Empire, Celestine, Valerion, Elysium—they are all infected with sins. Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth.
It encompasses all the races. Humans, elves, dwarves, demons, beastkin, fairies. They all hurt others for their own twisted benefits. They will exploit the weak. They will even torture and murder children just to satisfy a fleeting, sickening urge.
If only I had the power.
My boots clicked against the stone pavement as I approached my door.
No.
I have the power.
Even if it isn't magic. Even if I am just a defective human relying on batteries and science. I know I can do something. I will accumulate wealth. I will accumulate absolute authority. I will forge weapons that even the Gods will fear.
I will ensure that there won't be another Cherrie dying in the dark.
There won't be another Martha waiting on a porch for a daughter who will never return.
I looked up at the moon, my ice-cold eyes entirely devoid of empathy for the world.
I hate every race.
I pushed open the heavy wooden door to my dorm room.
"Kai!"
Before I could even take a step inside, a small, warm blur collided with my chest.
Elfie wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, burying her face into my coat.
"Where have you been?!" Elfie demanded, her voice muffled but frantic. She pulled back, her silver eyes wide with genuine, unfiltered worry. "I was worried sick! You were gone all night and all day! I thought you went missing!"
I stared at her, slightly taken aback.
"I spoke to Axel this morning!" Elfie continued to nag, her hands gripping my shirt tightly. "He said you went somewhere dangerous! Where were you?! Answer me!"
I slowly moved back, taking in her face. Her usually bubbly, cheerful demeanor was completely replaced by frantic anxiety. She had been waiting up for me this entire time.
This world possesses the evil that can hurt her.
The world could ruin her innocence. It could take her away and throw her into a dark shaft.
But I won't let it.
"Just a moment longer." I whispered.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight, highly possessive hug. I buried my face in her pink hair, inhaling the faint, sweet scent of vanilla.
Elfie went completely quiet, her frantic nagging dying instantly.
"Kai...?" She asked softly, sensing the heavy, dark tension radiating off my body. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I murmured against her hair.
We stood there in the quiet of the doorway for a long time.
"Are you hungry?" Elfie finally asked, her voice impossibly gentle.
I let out a slow, tired breath. The sociopathic hatred that had been boiling in my veins slowly began to cool.
"I am." I admitted.
Elfie hugged me back, her small hands gently rubbing my back in soothing circles.
"Please don't leave me like that again." She whispered softly, resting her cheek against my chest.
I tightened my grip on her slightly.
"I won't." I promised.
Elfie shifted, reaching up with one hand to gently stroke the back of my hair. Her touch was incredibly tender, a quiet, intimate reassurance that I was safe, and that she was here.
As she stroked my hair, the dark, hostile abyss inside my mind finally went quiet, comforted by the one person in this world I swore to protect.
Elfie being the only reason I haven't turned into a full-fledged mass murderer yet.
Or...
Had destroyed the entire world.