From Darkness To Light

Chapter 7 - The Aftermath

People talk of having out of body experiences. Where they've been a passenger, a stranger in their own mind as someone else drives the controls. It's one of the most common excuses for criminals in our time, various mages and broken people screaming and crying about how it wasn't them, it was the voices. However this lie has a truth that strikes within me, especially now. Shadow was my voice, the one who causes the pain and suffering that torments so many people's nightmares, the source of grief for so many families and children who've lost their parents at his hands. Yet even as a passenger, their blood remains on my hands and there is nothing that I could ever do to redeem myself.

Victor stood in front of Shadow, the knife twirling in his hands as he tried to understand Shadow's statement. Confusion and confidence warred in his steel grey eyes as he searched my own, watching as their once brilliant blue was marred by the blackness of the shadows. Although he knew that I - the host, had my own weakness, Victor had no knowledge of how to handle a demonic entity such as Shadow and all his cards were on the table. Shadow walked past Victor, barging him aside with my shoulder on his way to Star's side - causing a grunt of pain to escape Victor's mouth. Wide, fearful eyes met my own and Star shrank away from Shadow, unable to remember that I was still in there somewhere as he reached towards her wounds. Sighing at her reaction, Shadow turned away to face Victor once more who was muttering into a radio that we had failed to notice in the beginning. We both knew how this situation was going to end and Victor was doing all he could to avoid his grisly fate.

Let the girl go Victor. Your fight is with me and my host. She has no part to play in the events to come.

Guards began to pour into the room, surrounding me from all sides as Shadow backed up against a wall, ignoring Star's whimpers of pain as he dragged her along. Victor's confident smirk had returned as his guards entered and he strolled over to stand toe to toe with Shadow, attempting and failing to become intimidating. Shaking his head, he spoke in a mocking tone:

Now, now Shadow. Where would I be in this little game of ours if we didn't have some leverage to even the playing field? You are not escaping this place and you are not taking that girl with you. Turn around, chain yourself back up to that wall and maybe if I'm feeling nice, I won't murder your friend on the spot. Got it?

I knew what was coming next. People had made the mistake in the past of threatening Shadow and I, with varying degrees of success. Some were instantly decapitated, others tortured and scarred for life and some merely shown our capabilities and left shaking in fear. I could only observe as Shadow raised our hand, the shadows building up within them - presumably to be thrown through Victor's head and to slice through all his goons. However Shadow surprised me, as he suddenly turned to Star and threw the ball of darkness, causing me to battle against his hold on my mind in fear of Star being hurt. A flash of pain went through my mind as Shadow hushed me, making me watch as Star vanished into thin air.

No! Shadow what did you do! How could you!

Don't be silly Caitlin. The water one has grown on me in the past few months, she has been removed to a safe location. If we make it out of here, we shall meet up with her later.

B-But. Can't you just do the same? Teleport out of here?

A vicious snarl echoed across the room and I knew it came from Shadow. I had been tortured constantly for over a week and these hunters had caused so many nightmares. Shadow would not stop until he had slaughtered them all, no matter how much I screamed. I felt my consciousness being silenced, pinned into a tiny corner of my own mind as the darkness took over, leaving me to watch as Shadow put more blood on my hands.

I could hear gasps echoing around the room, everyone's eyes were fixed on the spot where Star had previously stood and whispers of fear, astonishment and envy were bouncing off the walls before Victor decided to make a move. Raising his gun and levelling it at Shadow's head, the guards followed suit and I was forced to watch as countless bullets flew towards us. Suddenly, a wall of shadows rose around me and the bullets were frozen in mid-air, to the shock of those who had fired them. A chilling laugh erupted from my mouth, causing goose bumps to appear on the visible skin of every human in the room. They may have hunted dark creatures and powerful beings for dozens of years, but they had never faced anything like me before.