"Kali, haven't you noticed that we've been doing the same thing repeatedly?" Lucas turned to Kali with trembling hands. "We're all doomed."
Kali let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky. The sun was already setting on the horizon, and it was getting dark. She could see the stars twinkling above them, "it took you long enough to notice, you moron!"
A sadistic and cruel tone replied to Lucas's statement.
The words struck Lucas's head so hard that they started to spin around. He rubbed his temple as he stared blankly into the air.
"I don't know what you mean..." Lucas said weakly. His face had become pale from the pain in his head.
"You were the one who asked me to teach you how to fight, right? Well, here's your chance! Don't give up now..." The voice was deep and strong. It seemed like it had never given up before.
It was a man's voice. It sounded so familiar. But why would someone be talking about fighting? They couldn't even stand up straight anymore. And why was he using such an odd word for it?
"Izek....?" Lucas muttered. He tried to remember where he knew this voice from. A memory flashed through his mind, but it was vague. He didn't think it was important enough to remember.
He shook his head, trying to erase the memories.
But there was something different about him today. Something strange. There was no sadness or anger in his eyes. No tears flowed down his cheeks. He just stood there, staring at the ground.
Lucas felt a chill run down his spine. Was the boy dead? Did he die on their journey?
This can't be happening... I'm losing my mind... he thought. Maybe this is the end. Maybe I'll have to cross over soon.
Then suddenly a glass shattered into pieces, giving him a mirror effect. In every piece of it, Lucas was seeing a small memory of his from this long journey.
"Hey, you have to tell me everything that happened when we met."
That day. That moment. He remembered now. The memories were coming back to him slowly, but surely.
"I wanna know your story,"
Then another dialogue appeared in the glass.
"Don't worry about me. You should focus on yourself."
Another conversation. Another memory. This time it wasn't so distant.
"If you don't want me to stay by your side forever then just say so. I will leave without you if you wish."
"Who are you?! What do you want?!"
Just like the other times, his head began to hurt again.
"There's no point in telling you anything. I am the Dark One."
"What did you just say!"
"Just get lost!"
A long time ago. Just before they left.
The sky above him had turned completely black, Lucas placed his hands on his head, forcingly closing his eyes. Then he saw it.
The memories weren't fading away anymore. Not like before. Now, they were coming back stronger than ever.
They told him about his past, and also his future. All of them were painful. The memories kept replaying themselves until he couldn't take it anymore.
***
"So you really believe that I'm the Dark One?"
Izek stared at the white walls in front of him. He was locked in a room.
He could hear footsteps behind him. Someone was approaching him.
"Yes, I believe you are. Why else would you be locked up here and thrown in the deepest part of this tower? If you're not the Dark One, then what are you?"
Izek heard a woman's voice as she spoke to him.
She was wearing a light blue dress. Her hair was tied into two braids, which fell down her shoulders. She had green eyes and pale skin. She was quite pretty and looked like she was in her twenties.
"I don't know. I don't even know who or what I am."
"I see."
She walked up to him and kneeled down in front of him. Her face was inches away from his. She was looking straight into his eyes.
"And this has nothing to do with me?"
"Of course it does. How could I live with myself if I didn't help you?"
"Why would you help me?"
"Because...I feel sorry for you."
Izek could see tears rolling down her cheek, this made him smirk a little.
"Is that so?" he said with a mocking smile.
Izek knew that the girl was lying to him, but he decided to play along. He wanted to test her for some reason.
"Alright, fine. I might be a killer, but I won't kill anyone unless they try to harm me first. So don't worry. You're safe. As long as you don't betray me..."
"Do whatever you want with me, I don't care anymore."
Izek got up and walked back to the window, staring outside.
The sun was almost setting. He had been living on the top floor of the tower for several days now.
His life was empty. He had no purpose. He hadn't eaten since he arrived here, so he hadn't had anything to drink either.
He sat back down in front of the white wall, thinking about his situation, 'what is this?' Lucas was seeing another memory of Izek, while floating in the dark abyss, watching everything from above in silence.
"You don't need to understand. You just need to obey. I will guide you step by step and you'll learn everything eventually, and then you'll become stronger!"
The guy laughed mockingly as he spoke.
Izek felt himself being dragged by the hand and pulled to the centre of the room. He was surrounded by magic circles.
Izek was shocked to see what was inside those circles. A single person's body lay on the ground with its head wrapped in bandages. The man was naked; he had no arms and legs.
Izek felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the man's face. He recognized the man's face.
"This is the real you? Is this what you really look like?"
"Shut up. Don't judge me based on your own ideals. You don't even know who I am."
The man's words echoed in the empty room.
"This is the true form of the Dark One. I have to hide my human form around humans to prevent them from running away, but I can show it to you because you're a monster like me."
Izek's heart skipped a beat when he heard the Dark One's voice. He knew that voice. He had heard it before. But he couldn't remember.
"Why did you bring me here?" Lucas was shouting in the abyss, watching Izek fight an imaginary man that he couldn't see, but nothing happened. His shouting and begging went in vain as no one listened and he was forced to keep watching the void.
Izek tilted his head to the right, staring at the figure on the floor.
"Are you alright? Do you really not remember me?" he asked.
Izek knew this question would have an impact on the woman that was in the room with him. But he didn't care. He needed an answer.
"No, I don't know who you are."
Izek smiled, feeling happy that the girl gave him an honest response.
"Now that we've cleared that up, I'll get straight to the point. Are you the Dark One?"
"Look here, I don't know what the hell you're talking about! Let me go! I'm going insane here!" The woman screamed, but there was nothing anyone could do.
Izek tilted his head to the right, looking at the girl. He was intrigued. He had never seen a girl with green eyes before. She reminded him of the woman he killed. The only difference between the two was that she had a dress on.
"I can't believe that you don't remember me. I've been teaching you everything about your powers. Isn't that right?"
"My powers? What are you talking about?"
Izek was confused, so he decided to ask the girl.
"Well, aren't you curious? Didn't I teach you how to use your powers?"
Izek nodded in agreement. He knew that the Dark One had taught him about his power.
"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about my powers."
"I see. So you're saying that you don't have any powers?"
Izek looked towards the girl, waiting for a reply.
But there was none.
"How could you forget me? I've been with you for a long time now. I've tried to help you whenever you needed assistance."
The Dark One's voice was echoing in the room, making it seem like she was talking directly to him.
"Stop lying. You've never done anything for me. I'd rather be alone than have someone like you by my side."
Izek was furious now.
"What did you just say?"
Izek opened his mouth wide as he yelled.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any powers."
Izek was standing up, facing the wall.
"That's impossible! How could you say that? Don't you remember all the things I've taught you?"
The Dark One was staring at the ground, her face full of sadness.
"I remember everything you've taught me. But I still don't have any powers. I'm sorry, but that's the truth."
Izek was getting angrier and angrier.
"Fine! Let's make this fair. We'll have a contest. I'm going to show you how powerful I am. And then you must acknowledge my strength."
"What are you talking about?"
Izek shook his head in frustration.
"If you lose, then I'll let you go free. If you win, I'll train you and teach you everything there is to know about your powers. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
Izek felt the pain in his body disappearing, but he didn't care anymore.