Silvershore

Prologue || ACT II - Veracity

Dead silence crept through the crowd, paralyzing and suffocating Stormjay. It pressed down on his chest and ears until he had the urge to cover them to feel the pulse running through his paws and ears, to feel alive and fearless. The air was so tense he could almost imagine tasting fear - bitter on his tongue, his limbs paralyzed in soundless terror.

Stormjay felt disgusted in what little body he had left, and wanted nothing more than to become less and less and reduce the hideous mass of bones and skin he was imprisoned in. The light inside him had long gone out, leaving a tiny black pulse that beat slower every day, fading every hour. And then he was slipping, faster and faster, into an abyss that he had stirred himself towards, not knowing what was beyond - but he knew it now: absolute and complete nothingness.

Earlier, when he had been chasing Bright Moon, he felt a head rush that caused every surrounding sight and noise to speed up immensely. But now, he felt a similar pounding in his head, only this time everything slowed. Seconds were minutes, minutes were hours.

After just waiting and waiting for someone to do or say something, the awful, fatal silence was broken.

"...What do you mean, he's working for you...?" Jupiter interrogated.

"...I mean, he's working for me, buddy." Daruk responded.

"Don't fucking call him that, you...you little bastard." Roscoe cursed.

"...Explain this." Wood's cold, emotionless voice rang in Stormjay's ears. He had expected his father to raise his voice in this moment. To use that irritated voice that always immediately silenced everyone with intimidation. But there was no emotion in that voice. It was so, so much worse than his angry tone.

"Well...want me to start from the beginning?" Daruk asked.

"It doesn't matter," Loki growled. "Just...tell us...why."

"Okayyyyyy, I'll start from the very beginning." Daruk grinned. "Pfft...I don't even know where to start." He giggled. "Well...everyone, let's take a look at Aries here." He pointed his muzzle towards Aries. "We'll start from there."

Aries was still silent as death. Completely unmoving and emotionless, staring right through everyone.

"Don't you think something's off about him?" Daruk questioned.

"Yeah, no shit," Roscoe snapped.

"Say something, Aries," Loki spat. "You're still part of all this."

Aries said nothing.

"How cute does he look?" Daruk grinned. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet this form of Aries, my lifelong project~!"

"Lifelong...project...!?" Misa's ears flattened as far as they could go.

"What kind of...bullshit is this...?" Stormjay trembled.

"What did you do to him..." Wood coldly demanded, wording it like an order instead of a question.

"I-I can't keep up with this..." Jupiter lowered himself.

"Okay, if you're still not understanding, I'll explain everything. One by one." Daruk cackled. "You already saw my demonstration earlier...Aries is like, a slave. He will do everything I say, no matter what. Everyone sees this?"

No one responded.

"Aries, say something." Wood finally ordered.

"...That's no use. He can only react and respond to me." Daruk giggled.

"Wh-what the heck are you doing!? Hypnosis!?" Roscoe yelped.

"Settle down...okay, I'm gonna begin now." Daruk took a deep breath with that same smile on his face. "So...everything happened way back when we were very young pups. I can't remember if I knew this at the exact moment I was born, or if it I figured it out later on, but...I'm just...not even gonna sugar-coat it. I am better than my peers in every way. Talent, personality, skills...I am gifted. But, as I realized that...Aries must've noticed it, too. That I was a prodigy in everything I do. I guess as a pup, he was jealous of me...and when he realized it, he kinda...bullied me."