Hidden World

Chapter XXVII - Fighting the Darkness

By definition, darkness is the absence of light but when talking about one's dark side we talk about their selfishness, jealousy, anger and violent tendencies. We look at it as it is something that must be eliminated rather than embraced. Darkness, the element of chaos that hosts the feelings of loss, sadness, despair. Darkness, the element of the Underworld and death. One of the primordial elements that existed way before others. One hard to tame, but not impossible as it is not only present in magic but is part of human nature as well.

Rose laid under the covers for hours drifting off into the land of dreams for short periods of time. Unfortunately for her, each time only made her face some of her worst fears. It felt like her subconscious was trying to warn her that if she was not strong enough, thing won't turn out in the way everyone hoped.

Her heart was filled with a silent sadness and a constantly growing anger while her mind was filled with images from her past. Images that showed the ugliest side of her.

She got up from the bed and walked to the mirror. She could not recognize herself as her blue eyes were replaced by the eerie red and gold ones. The patterns that formed on her skin, drained any color from it. It made her look more dead than alive and in a way that is how she felt.

She felt like a shell fueled with wrath, while the voice in her mind kept telling her that she should run away. She was lost in her own world as she tried to block any attempt from the others to reach her.

Leo came a couple of times during the night to see if she was all right, but she just ignored his presence. She pretended that she was asleep.

She looked down at her arms and she tried to scratched them out with her nails, drawing blood each time but the outcome was always the same. Her skin healed under her eyes, only the dried blood leaving any indication that she tried to erase them. She wanted them gone, wanted her eyes back to normal but she did not know how.

She walked to her door and locked it before walking back to the bed. She thought that the trick with the wings would help her this time too. She had a slight glimpse of hope, but it was hard to hold onto it.

She sat on the bed and looked around the room. Most of her belongings were now on the floor, a mess of books, plush toys and clothes. She sighed as she crossed her legs.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the patterns vanishing and her eyes going back to normal but her mind was her worst enemy.

Monster

The word kept coming into her mind. She tried hard to fight it, but she knew that it was only the truth. The blood of all the people she killed in the past was still staining her hands and the blade of her sword.

She opened her eyes and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "This is not working..." she told herself before getting back up and walking to the balcony. To her surprise, the journal was waiting for her there. She sat down on the bean bag and opened it.

"July 6th, 1850, England

A couple of months back I met her and honestly; I will never understand Sebastian. His hatred for her is unjustified. I listened to her side of the story and it seems that he is the one at fault. Her only guilt was her love for him, one unconditional as he was human, and she was not.

I am happy we became friends, which makes my task only harder. I am now torn apart by my own heart. I must choose between the man I came to love, the man I've know for hundreds of years and her.

I think I should tell you how it happened. It was the month of January and I just arrived back on the British soil, I think it was a little after the new year's. Sebastian told me that he will follow shortly after, so I was alone for the first time. I knew who I had to look for, I had a small portrait of her that was painted decades back. A short woman with deep brown hair and blue eyes. When I first approached her, she was reluctant, she did not want to interact with me at all. I was lucky that her friend, Eliseea, a sweet blonde girl, took a liking in me. Now that I look back, I feel so grateful.