Feel the Fire (Septiplier story)

Chapter 19.

Mark woke up in a white room. Actually, it didn't look like a room, because he didn't see walls and floor. Everything was just white, but when he stood up he was standing on something so there could be at least a floor. He looked around and started walking somewhere, but he didn't really know where and why.

"What happened? Am I dead?" mumbled Mark, then shouted. "Is anybody here? Hello?"

Suddenly he saw two shadowy figures in the distance, but it cleared as soon as they came closer to Mark. It was a man and a woman in white cloth. The man wore a white uniform and it was decorated with gold and silver. He had white hair, but he didn't look old, he was around 30 or a little bit more. The woman wore a white dress also decorated with gold and silver. She was young as well with long black hair and she had a beautiful white flower crown on her head. She looked surprised and her eyes widened when she saw Mark.

"Mark?" asked the woman. "Is that really you?"

"Mom?" asked Mark back confused, but when he saw the woman crying he knew the answer.

"Mark." said the woman and quickly hugged Mark, who hugged back from the happiness that he saw his parents again, but he didn't understand how he could remember his parents all of a sudden.

When they released Mark turned to the man and smiled at him who smiled back, hugging him too.

"Son."

"Father," whispered Mark, then they released. "What happened? Am I dead?"

"Maybe. But you have choices," said Mark's mom and it made Mark confused more. "You can go back and live again, if you want, but just once."

"What if I don't want to?" asked Mark and his parents looked at each other.

"Why do you say that?" his father asked surprised as he looked back at Mark.

"I'm not worth it. I'm just a burden for everybody. Everything is my fault." said Mark with sadness in his voice and he turned away from his parents. "It's my fault that you two died too."

"No, it's not," said Mark's mom, and went up to his son facing him.

"Yes, it is. If I didn't run away, you would be still alive. If I had my power, I could defend you or something. I was just trouble for you too. I didn't have power and..."

"Mark please, listen to me..." said his mother and grabbed his face to look into his eyes. "That doesn't matter. You were still our little boy and you will be. We were so happy when you were born, it was the best day of our life. We've never looked at you differently because you didn't have power. And you have now anyway."

"We are proud of you Mark, because of who you are." said his father, and Mark looked at him. "Come with me. Let me show you something."

Mark looked at his mother then he followed his father. They went over to a big mirror which was standing in front of them. It was clear and the frame was made out of pure gold. Mark's father stopped and turned back to Mark.

"This mirror shows you the past, the present, and the future," said Mark's father and touched the mirror which showed a happy family.

It was Mark as a baby in his mother's arms and his father was sitting next to her, patting Mark's head and smiling. Then it changed into another scene, where Mark was now in childhood. He was in the garden with his father, and they both held a wooden sword. His father was teaching him how to combat and how to use a sword safely.

Mark's eyes started watering and he soon started to recall all the memories which he had about him and his parents. He remembered all the teachings the games which they used to play when his father had some spare time from the royal things. Of course, the bad memories came back as well, but he didn't care. The only thing he could feel now was the love of his family.

"Touch it." said his father and Mark went closer to the mirror, but he looked back. "It will show you the future if you think you don't want to go back."

Mark looked back and took a deep breath then touched the mirror with only his index finger. The happy image suddenly turned into a dark, evil scene. It showed Zartaria with black clouds above it. Monsters filled the city and some of the buildings were on fire. Then it showed Rufus as he was sitting on the throne and ordered his people around in the castle.

"What is this?" asked Mark with a worried face.

"This is Zartaria after you chose death. Rufus took the throne and let the monsters live in the city. The zartarian people are weak against black magic, so they killed them all. Even your friends." said Mark's father as he touched the mirror.

The picture in the mirror changed and it showed Mark's friends Sydra, Skyrim, and Gloom. They were lying on the floor, dead and lifeless surrounded by monsters.

"No," whispered Mark as his vision became blurry from the tears in his eyes.

"That's not everything," said Mark's mom, and the mirror changed again. "You became a missing person on Earth. Your friends and subscribers became sad and worried. Then they started saying that you are probably dead."

"And your lover..." started his father again, when the picture turned into an image about Jack, who was sleeping in a block of ice. "He will be waiting for you forever to save him until he is going to be dead as well."

"That's not him," said Mark as he turned away from the mirror. "He betrayed me. He doesn't even love me. I was just his puppet because he played with my emotions."

"It was Rufus who played with you." said his mother and once again the picture changed in the mirror.

Mark turned back and saw Rufus as he made a copy of Jack then sent it after him. It turned out that Rufus kidnapped Jack when Mark went to ask for help from Master Shan, but he wasn't there.

"Rufus made a copy of Jack and made you believe that he is the real one," said Mark's father. "The real Jack though..."

"I can't leave him," said Mark with clenched fists as anger took over inside him. "I am going back and I'll save him."

"Are you sure?" asked his mom just to be clear, but she knew the answer already.

"Totally," said Mark, and his parents smiled at him.

"Be safe then." They both hugged Mark and when they released from the hug they placed their hands on Mark's shoulders.