Her New Life

Chapter 45: Memories

"Hello Seth." Sheer leans towards Seth's ear, "Who exactly are you talking to?"

Seth twirls around and calms his surprise to his usual stoic expression, "Sheer, I was just talking to Spectre."

Sheer chuckles before giving Seth a serious look, "I'm not as naïve as Spectre, I won't believe that blatant lie. Listen, I know you're planning on rescuing Dark and I want to help. I feel like I owe it to her."

Seth raised an eyebrow questioningly but he let his question go. "Make sure she's in the training area when we come in a few days." He turned away from her before speaking again, "And make sure she can actually walk, with the state you guys leave her in constantly, she almost completely shut down both mentally and physically."

Sheer watches him go, "Shut down?" She questions aloud as she wanders the halls. She thinks through everything she's seen of Dark, of who she knows Dark is.

"Hey, Sheer, what's space like?" Dark asked cheerfully, curled up next to her as they lay on a sea of olive colored grass that sways in the night as wind blows. Dark is staring up at the sky but Sheer seems more interested in staring at her.

"Oh-uh, well. It's very," Sheer pauses and stresses the next word, almost in confusion, "colorful?"

Dark chuckles lightly and gives her a playful poke in the cheek, "Really? That's the best description you can give?" She teases.

Sheer grabs her finger and uses it to poke Dark, "How about this then, space itself is like eternity and each galaxy is a swirl of its own possibilities. And every star is a person and what they can become, every sun is the hope that brightens each possibility. And the planet, well, in truth. They're important but rather simple, they're just an environment that connects everything."

"I guess you could say that this planet is what connected us." The way it's phrased makes it seem like more of a question or proposal hidden behind a simple statement. But that sentence is what makes Sheer notice the strange feeling inside her again. Dark weaves their hands together and a soft glow thrives inside Sheer. Sheer closes her eyes in bliss, enjoying the moment.

A cold feeling washes over her within an instant. She jolts up but realizes she's already standing. Standing over Dark as she laid in the net, bundles up in rope with stale blood staining her lips and cupid's bow. She had dark bruises all over and even as she laid unconscious, Sheer felt the heavy weight of betrayal on Dark's face. The soft glow died out, choked out by something else. Regret, perhaps? Shame? But the feeling only eats a little bit of her, so Sheer ignores it and heads on with her job.

She stumbles as she holds Dark's unconscious body and suddenly, she's in the cell that holds her. Dark lays lifelessly on the makeshift cot, her eyes have heavy bags that weigh down on them and her haggard appearance is frightening.

"Please be alive," Sheer mutters, confused by why she would.

Dark's head slowly turns to her and she waits for the instruction to get up and walks towards Sheer. Before Dark reaches Sheer, Sheer blinks and finds herself flying above Maximus and holding a move card in her hand. Dark is barely standing up a few metres away, she's bruises and blood, she looks like a walking murder victim. Sheer hadn't looked closely at her face during this time but now she did. Dark's face was streaming with tears that tracked messily down her face, no doubt stinging her open wounds. Sheer's face widens and whatever ate away the soft glow, grows and pierces Sheer.

Sheer stands in front of Dark, who sits on the edge of the cot, holding Sheer's hand. It's not a warm, loving touch like all those times before. It's as blank as Dark's face, eyes with prominent red streaks look up at Sheer.

"Dark, we have to talk." Sheer says and it finally dons on her what Seth's words meant.

Author's note: Happy Holidays everyone and Happy New Years!