Shadow Beings

62. Fear

Tranquillity surrounded me, the energy of unity dissipating the smallest shred of uncertainty away. The shield was as brilliant as the moon, shifting between white light and a certain mix of seven colours.

I returned to reality, looking for Vlad's aura. A powerful and unsettling vibe passed through my left, but the aura affected me no more. A presence to acknowledge, not succumb to.

Cautiously, I moved around and pushed into his senses with the power of the combined energy. His power was greater than anything I'd ever witnessed, but when such determined fragments came together, they really could survive in this conflict.

Conflict, huh. Almost like a war... of the Shadow Dimension.

A wise, hoarse voice continued my trail, soft like a lullaby yet wakeful with the touch of reality.

Overcoming conflict is the way of life, the rule of order and chaos. Not one that is caused, but one that is an effect of nature, the whisper perhaps echoing subdued words a subconscious section of my mind. My senses then brightened and I could feel the effort of my friends and Jay as they pushed into his mind. An immense mental enthalpy had released now, though in our dimension sentient energy accompanied thoughts.

Sentient energy... who was Vlad?

As I moved through the dense atmosphere, I could feel our shield weakening. I connected to Evelyn's mind, asking her to help strengthen the shield. With my eyes still closed I moved my hand towards the sphere of positive energy. White light flowed out of my fingers with ease, bringing to me a sense of content as I shared a part of my positivity.

Certain limbs moving as they always did in a different manner for different reasons... sometimes producing the same joy and peace and frustration and sorrow and blend of emotions.

I slowly opened my eyes and for the first time in my entire life, I was actually in awe of myself. A soft white glow was emitted from my eyes, matching the sparkling wings behind me. The seven circles of light radiated from me, spreading in all directions.

Suddenly, I noticed a sword coming towards me with great speed and I noticed a smirk underneath Vlad's hood, though for a brief moment it seemed insincere; the chief Demon Knight's aura was twisted, forced, but it held on to the force it sent my way. I had enough time to either dodge the attack or block it but if I did either, I would risk removing the force of energy from Vlad's mind, endangering all the mind-controllers, or the shield could be broken too. I'd rather have the blade hit me than harm so many more. It wasn't as if it would kill me instantly anyway. Not in this state. I could sustain myself.

I sighed, embracing myself for the impact, a defiant look in my eyes. I let the white light flow with grace as the shiny metal tumbled towards me. The shield grew stronger and I could sense my friends moving further into his dark abyss, getting closer to their target.

Out of nowhere, when the blade was at a distance of approximately two feet away, a tall figure appeared in front of me and swiftly deflected the blade. He turned towards me in a smooth motion as the sword fell on the ground, his hair moving slightly with the wind. Galen flashed a confident smile towards me and I smiled in gratitude. With a gentle chuckle he ran back to the others, keeping a lookout for any similar attacks.

After what had happened I felt a sense of relief within me. Brighter, dazzling light flowed towards the sky, as if my energy was exponentially amplified. I pushed further into Vlad's mind, seeing a small, black hole present in the centre of all the chaos. The atmosphere was now pressurising and I could feel my head pound slightly. If this continued I would be exhausted soon, and Vlad had already begun affecting our shield.