[The Shadow In The Darkness] [Valt Aoi]

Part 1

My name is Valt Aoi. I'm known as the wonder boy for the miracles I perform in the stadium. I am the number one blader, and this is the story of how I died. 

Just kidding! ... I think.

I know the beginning bit of the story all too well, but the ending is a bit hazy. And I know I'm telling the story right now, but I don't know how much longer I have. I'm called the wonder boy for a reason, y'know? My miracles don't just stick to the stadium, unbeknownst to most. So, sorry if the ending seems a little iffy. 

Well, let's start this story of good and evil; hope and despair. Hopefully, you'll face the truth for me, because sometimes it can be haunting and I don't always want to face it, even if I have to. Maybe the reader has more of an influence than I ever knew. Do you think your powers can rival that of the wonder boy?

"VALT! HURRY UP AND GET OUT HERE, YOU'RE ALREADY TEN MINUTES LATE TO THE FESTIVAL YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HOSTING! LUI IS PISSED, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE AN ACT OF ARSON ON OUR HANDS IF YOU DON'T MOVE IT!" That's Shu. I guess I better get going. I hope you stick around until the end. You might just have the fate of the wonder boy in your hands. Good luck.

I walked outside to see Shu pacing up and down the garden. For someone who is stressed 24/7, he looks fabulous, and I hate it. If I don't get enough sleep I look like dirt, but he can do anything and still look like roses, and it is really not fair if I'm honest.

"Hey, Shu." I smiled, waving at my friend who only rolled his eyes and sighed before dragging me away. Someone's in a hurry, like geez, have some chill.

"Only you can be this late to your own event. Luckily, we had Zac to take over. You should be grateful that he bothered to come, otherwise you would be screwed and Lui would have snapped a lot quicker." I'm surprised he's lasted this long if I'm honest. I think it's a new world record for him.

"Alright, let's go," I ran towards the event, ready for the day ahead. Oh, how I wish I had just stayed home. Maybe then this would have never happened. Maybe then I could have saved them all. And it would be selfish to say something good came out of it, even if it's true.

The festival was to celebrate me becoming the world champion, and managing to get Shu back, which is awesome. Sure, it was my idea, but at the time it seemed like a great idea. Who knew it would come back to haunt me? I felt a pair of eyes on me as I dragged Shu away, and glanced around the street but saw no one. I put it off as an act of paranoia and kept running, my thoughts on how much destruction Lui had caused by the time we got there. 

It was quite fun there, actually. We danced and laughed and battled together - it was a worldwide tournament. Something so many people had come to be a part of. And I had not seen Shu smile like that in so long. Even before the Requiem project, it was like he had lost that smile of his. I'm glad it was finally back. I missed it.

 I watched the commotion as people started realising I was missing from a small monitor in the back of the van. Lui had 'accidentally' set a stand on fire, and it spread across the festival. And the chance was taken - someone kidnapped the wonder boy. There were a few injuries, but nothing fatal. But still, nobody could find me. I was already being driven away, so they weren't going to find me any time soon. They had planned ahead, down to every last detail. And I watched the despair of many before the monitor finally lost signal. 

The face that hurt me the most was Lui's - he looked so guilty, even though it wasn't his fault. They would have found a way to get to me, whatever happened. But you can't stop yourself from wondering what you could have changed to save people. I know that better than anyone. My eyes wandered to the box that held Valtryek. If I had her, then I could escape. She's sharp enough to cut through the rope. I guess that's why she got taken off of me.

What's the point of escaping, anyway? It's not like I'd be able to get far without them catching up to me and capturing me again. I'm doomed either way. I'm sorry, buddy. I'm failing you again. I'm sorry, everyone, I know we didn't have long together after the Requiem Project, but I'm already beyond saving. This could only be one person, and I don't think I stand a chance anymore.

Before we get any deeper into this little story of good and evil, hope and despair, and how the hero is "oh-so-perfect" and the villain is just a "degenerate antihero", I would like to say a few words to you all.

"I bet you were expecting a hero's story. How I conquered my demons and slayed them. The small group of "friends" that got me through all of this. The ending where I give mercy to the one who hurt me. That's not this type of story. This is a Villain's Tale. I didn't conquer my demons and slay them. I enslaved them. I didn't have people looking out for me. This is the story of how I killed the hero. And let me tell you, it was a blast."