Bright Nights Among The Stars

Chapter 2

Michael looked down at the tea cup he was holding, it was still warm from the touch and smelt like roses, "Where have you been this entire time son?" Michael looked at the liquid, then up at a aged elf, he had a black beard and that was all, his face was heavily scared, his eyes were gone and in place sown up holes where they should be "You know after your little tantrum and run off we were shocked to see you'd joined the adventurers guild despite our deep opinion on them, it hurt especially when you knew them.... But to not scare you away, I have not mentioned it this entire day now I ask where have you been?" Michael gripped the tea cup harder "I've been a bit of everywhere, but I left the adventurers guild life, not the guild itself but I'm sorry." Dad looked confused and shocked, his arm stumbled a little before he reached out and touched Michael face emotional tears came down through his non existent eyes,"ever since you were young I'd fear you'd fly too close to the stars..." Michael eyes opened widely as he began to remember some parts of his life before this, the halls of his prison were long and lasting with no one in sight yet other creatures like him huddled around old abandoned rooms with old abandoned furniture, everything in the rooms were not as it once was some time ago yet time kept it from decaying and as one of those creatures he heard a tale of a boy who had went into the night sky never coming back to his family.

Soon Michael was brought back to reality his memories were shaking and appearances morphed, instead of an eyeless man he had been looking at he'd find himself starring at a older man with bright reddish eyes, his beard was gone just like the rest of his hair and the only scar left was a gash on the side of his cheek "Your face." Michael said confused the man looked almost as confused as him "It's changed, you have eyes no beard." He said confused dad took his arm away then looked at him worried "Michael, are you okay did you do too many explorations in the ancient buildings?" Michael didn't answer he only looked even more clueless as ever "You didn't get touched by a revenant did you?" Michael shook his head then dad stood the room was warm with a fireplace next to where they were sitting, dad slowly walked towards it and hovered his hands over "Those things, their dark and dangerous they were here before the fall of the original 2 races and they'll be here when we all go extinct, but I don't want you to die before me." Michael nodded he stood drinking the rest of the tea quickly "I think I should head to my room." Michael walked over to the door, he smelt cinnamon and vanilla, something he didn't smell til now he left the room closing the door behind him. He saw a room connected to a set of stairs the floors were stone while the walls were wood the room was practically empty with no smells or tastes, Michael walked up the stairs using his memories to lead his way to his room.

Once he was at his door he opened it, his room hadn't changed with a single bed on the left corner and desk in front of a window and some books Michael sat down on his bed his minds still began to play tricks on him replacing the old dusty smell of the room by a sweet cinnamon and vanilla scent his memories slowly faded then something appeared a dark figure sitting at the desk staring out the window it muffled something but like it's appearance Michael couldn't understand it, Michael laid down on his bed he closed his eyes and began to dream not soon after falling asleep, he saw a field filled with flowers, and with trees and with children then it ended how it started with him awaking from his sleep he sat up and quickly saw his dad and mom who were at the door "Why did you lie?" Dad said Michael looked away "Fine, two months ago I was... touched by a revenant I felt it passing through me too. Now ever since I don't feel like myself, I've been seeing things my personality has changed so has my appearance... and I killed someone." Dad looked away then back at his son he sighed "If only you'd come to me sooner I'd might be able to cure you but it's already progressed to far for that." 

Michael stood up and looked at him confused, dad suddenly started to fumbled with his hands "Revenants when they touch you, they lay a curse, if it was a simple touch it would just be memories that aren't yours appearing throughout the rest of your life, your magic would change, and be unaligned with your personality's for most mages it makes them unable to cast magic because they don't know what personality their new magic is alighted with... but if a revenant passes through you it's different your personality will change, everything will change and the old you will essentially die this type of curse is uncureable, the new personality... the revenants will replace yours within 10 months." Dad said soon they heard a knocking at the door dad looked back at mom confused "Are we receiving guests?" Michael looked away "I'll go check."

Michael knelt down towards his bed under it was a white wood staff with a gem at the top he grabbed it pulling the staff out he walked out of his room, soon the knocking got louder and louder til he was at the door he wrapped his hand around it and opened the door to his shock a man with bluish eyes stared at him it was like a dream til the man touched Michael's chest causing him to awaken back in front of his parents who seemed worried but not as worried as expected "Your not fighting are you?" Michael looked to the ground he was still sitting on his bed he moved his hand to his laps "What's the point all curse work the same way in one way, in that at some point in the cursed life they die... this isn't any different, any real difference is my body will still be alive and I just won't be me." Dad frowned at host words but he knew deep inside his son was right but non the less he slammed his foot "I won't have you giving up!" He'd yelled Michael smiled "Except I'm not, the gods made all life including the first ones and revenant meaning in some fucked up way this was always my fate, my personality overwritten my face changed and loved ones lost." Dad frowned he looked to the ground he felt a mix of emotions including anger, yet he knew if he'd pressed the situation it would only drive a further division between them and he loved his son too much to want that. Instead he turned towards the opened door and left mom sighed yet she seemed to understand him "Please honey take care." She'd said and like dad she left.

Michael sighed as the door closed he looked to his desk and there a figure appeared it was mostly a dark figure his or her face obscured by shadows the only thing he could see were it's eyes which were a light brown "This place..." it said, somehow Michael could hear it and feel what it feels it stood up and looked at Michael "You..." it walked closer to Michael, reaching its hand over to his chest but stopping last second "I touched you, yet I'm still trapped here. Why is that?" The revenant said Michael's heart pounded but slowly he began to calm down "Not yet, I'm not fighting with all my strength but I am fighting enough to slow the process a little. I won't die till I figure out something." The revenant seemed to be happy yet confused "Why aren't you broken, I made you kill someone, I made you watch." Michael stood up causing the revenant to back up a few "Please I've killed people before as an adventurer, the only thing different thing time is she was a team member."

The revenant was a little shocked but still turned and walked forward a little, it sat back down at the chair in front of his desk, soon it opened a drawer on his left and saw some papers "Your researching on that church the one for... the magic god?" Michael nodded a little "I and someone I knew was inducted into their mages sector when I was young, that someone disappeared one night due to something I wasn't told about what had happened to her... I just want to figure this whole shit out." Michael wiped tears away from his face, The revenant sighed, "Sympathy gets you no where." Michael and turned towards the door "I'm not trying to get you to sympathize, until I see what happened to her your not getting full control over my body." Michael said he turned once more but towards an empty wall with only a portrait "I can't leave the obvious way so I have to be creative." He raised his hand in the middle of the air and out of nothing but light, a staff appeared.

It twirled with no one touching it causing the wall to open, Michael walked forward and the revenant was forced to follow, the tunnel was dark causing Michael to cast a small light hall into the air.