Darklight: Precipice

Part 30: Dark Truths

She stormed into the office bathed in blue light from the water above.

"I'm sick of this waiting!" she roared, not even taking the courtesy to knock before careering through the doors into his office.

"We make our move now, with or without you and your men. I'm done cowering in this hole".

He didn't even look up from the old and dusty book he was reading. It was so worn that she couldn't even see the title. It was faded black with silver metallic edging.

"Do you know why they are called 'The Dark Ones?'" he asked, seemingly ignoring the frustrated demands of the former Lord Of Utopia standing in front of him. Regina looked at him, silently outraged by his utter lack of interest. After a few seconds she flung her hands in the air, giving up on her commands to him.

"What?" she retorted.

"My masters" The man replied simply, still without looking up.

"Why don't you tell me?" She laughed back sarcastically. He finally looked up from his book, closing it and placing it on the tattered old metal desk. The lightbulb was swinging from Regina's dramatic entrance and cast long, sweeping shadows across the man's face. He sighed to himself.

"Two days" he told Regina.

"I'm sorry...?" She asked, folding her arms. "I thought you were going to tell me about 'The Dark Ones'".

"You are unwise to mock that you don't understand" he warned. She raised an eyebrow in protest.

"We strike in two days, when Soran and Draz are distracted".

"Distracted by what, exactly?" Regina demanded.

"You have a lack of faith, Katherine" He jeered. Regina uncrossed her arms in protest.

"I have plenty of faith, in myself" She spat, pointing at her own chest. She then leaned forward and pointed directly at the man's face.

"And to you I am Lord Regina. Don't forget that".

"A Lord of a state long gone" He smirked.

"That's the point of the attack, unless you were forgetting. I want to know what's happening in two days". The man sat silently for a moment, assessing whether it was worth him divulging information to Regina.

"I have it on good authority" He said, head tilted to one side. "That a third party will be making a move on the city of Precipice. Utopia and the Skry Nation will have their eyes off the ball. We will use the opportunity to strike".

"Really?" Regina laughed. "No-one else, no other group on the planet has the power or resources to take on Utopia, Eresmai or Precipice. No-one but us!".

"My masters have whispered to me, and it shall be true" He said simply.

"Oh yes, god forbid I talk out against your 'Masters'".

He grinned a toothy grin which could belong to mental patient.

"My father taught me the truth. The real name of The Dark Ones has been lost to time, it's been said that it can't be uttered by those with a mortal tongue. But every time you see something in the corner of your eye" He shuffled in his seat, seemingly getting excited. "Every time you hear something late at night, every time you catch a glimpse of something in the mirror which is gone the next moment" He got to his feet, hands on the desk and face pushing towards Regina as she stepped back in fear.

"Every time you feel someone watching you, feel the breath on your neck and turn to find no-one there" He walked around the desk and began advancing on Regina, staring into her eyes.

"That's them. They watch, influence, whisper to your conscience at all times. They may not be able to reach this realm, this reality in which we live..."

Regina's back hit the door which seems to have closed. The shadows were creeping up the walls, consuming the light of the small swining bulb.

"But they know it's here. And they yearn for it. They are the opposite of the Arcane. Arcane is knowledge, light, power... The Dark Ones command shadow which consumes light, shadows which contain the truth of the universe..." He was so close to her that their noses almost touched. She could smell his rancid breath, smell him as his arm was extended and placed on the wall beside her head, pinning her there.

"Who are you?" She whispered.

"One thing you should know" He whispered back. "Names hold power, secret names – names forged in the shadows... Words hold more power than you know..." The light flickered, it was only a dull glow now. He put his mouth to Regina's ear. She was covered in a cold sweat, pinned to the spot helplessly.

"My name" He breathed. "Is Mephistov".

The light bulb shattered.