Shadows of our end - KDA x Male Reader (Original)

Act 2 - 038

I wave Memory away to give me some privacy as I walk up to Sam who is hovering around watching a group of people in the distance. I silently rest beside her as she shoots me a quick smile before telling me everything that's on her mind.

"It feels like people have been doing their best to make the most out of the worst, no?"

I nod. "It sure does look like it, doesn't it?"

"Is it all in vain?" Her smile fades away. "With these Nightmares... I don't know just the concept of them just feels like a be-all and end-all situation."

I breathe out, "Memory has... well his idea is to make me like them."

She looks up at me. "At what cost, I mean... do you need to sacrifice anything to be like them? What do you look like?"

I shake my head. "From what I know it feels like establishing grounds that reality has to acknowledge. Like an ascension where the fabric of reality has no choice but to accept it for what it is and now like the Nightmares I feed off the emotion dread."

Her eyes drop down to the ground. "Couldn't have been something a bit more hopeful, could it?" she chuckles to herself before answering the question for herself. "Hope somehow doesn't fit in the word Nightmare, does it?"

"I don't think the world would recognize Virteus."

"Angels, maybe?" She counters. "Just a thought, there must be something out there that once opposed them but I guess Memory does have a solid idea. What better way to kill a Nightmare than by creating another."

"I have no idea," I admit. "Had your eyes on any boys around here?" I ask her, trying to pull away from the topic, Sam doesn't need to shoulder this alone but I want my family to know what I am doing to combat the monsters coming for us.

"Boys?" She snorts at me. "Hadn't had a proper time to look at friends to even worry about anything romantic. But," she crosses her arms as she watches the group in the distance, "maybe when this is all over, you know? Maybe we can all walk away as different people."

"There's no time like the present, Sam."

"I know that, but it just doesn't feel like the time for it."

I shrug as I rest my arm on her shoulder. "I won't force you into it, if you are fine with just your family then... well you won't find me complaining about you not having any relationship troubles."

"I doubt I'd be worse off, I had you to learn from example."

"Good god, please don't look at me because I had a bad record growing up."

She arches her brow at me. "That's why you have a grown woman that shares the same bed as you and probably can't and won't live without you?" I pull a face that says no clue as I shrug at her question. "Both know that you have admirers, (Y/N)."

"And a lot of haters."

"Yeah, know that. Some kids still think giving you that position is a mistake and others hope all of this blows over without any further problems because they can feel that once you make a move the entire world will explode around us."

It does feel like Azreal is waiting for me to take the first action.

"Can't escape it."

"And him?"

I twist my lips to the side. "If I could kill him right now, I would. But in the end, there's too much riding on the fact that Azreal is hoping I step out of line so that I can hang myself with the rope that he gave me. I need him out of the picture, I need just cause."

"Is revenge not enough just cause?"

"I need to be sure I can protect the people close to me when the time comes." So that means going through that world as quickly as possible and claiming all the power within it so that I can come back and make my stand.

I am by no means weak. I just have to make sure that whatever is standing against me will be overpowered. That they won't stand a chance, that way I feed into the thing that makes me a nightmare.

Dread.

"Sorry," she breathes out. "Must be annoying having so many people wanting you to do something."

"Nah, not really."

"Liar."

"Rather that than sounding like a bloodthirsty creature."

"It would be easy to paint you as the villain, especially the way you showed up."

"Right? That's the first thing mom promised me is that they will never see me as anything more than a villain."

"They could learn to see that your shadows aren't that."

"It's the nature behind it, I suppose." Glancing up at the darkening skies. "Mom said that the power is chaotic and all-consuming and control alone is what's keeping it at bay. So letting go would probably unlock the potential behind it fully but at the cost control."

"What happens if you can't control it?"

"We should ask Mom, she lost control once, and even after I heard her tell the story she never once told me what it felt like."

"Maybe she liked it?"

I take a deep breath before smiling at her. "Would that be a scary thing? To think that our calm and composed mother who has been keeping herself under control all this time would like a reason to let go of that control. To let it all out."

"A bit yeah," we share a laugh. "Maybe it scares her that she enjoys letting go, afraid she might hurt the people caught in the crossfire."

"Maybe."

"Maybe." She smiles at me. "Are you going to make more nightmares?"

"Want a name?" I ask her.

"Can you give me one?"

"I don't know. I've been curious about that one, make more Nightmares that all branch out from Dread." I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, and make my way to leave for the mission I am supposed to be a part of. "Some food for thought, right?"

"Stay safe. Please."

"They can't get rid of me, I already got back once." She smiles at me. "You should go talk to them, we need friends."

"I'll try my best."

"Go on then."

"I am going," she awkwardly pushes herself away and towards the group.

I hover around to watch them bring her into the group with attention resting on her for a bit before she perfectly blends into the group of kids her age. I don't know how many Nightmares there are but I will either subjugate them or erase them.