Day 8 - Lonely

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Series:  Village of the Acolytes (But also works for regular RQ)

- - - Shadow's P.O.V. - - -

Shhhhhing

The Shadow Sword still sounded like iron when I sharpened it, even though it pulsed with particles of darkness.

I sat quietly beside a portal to the World Below, where I had killed Void only a week ago.  I didn't know where else to go.  I had always just... followed him.

Even now, I couldn't help wondering where Sabre was.  I had sent patrols of darkness to find him, but they came back empty-handed.  It gave me an odd, unsettling feeling inside.  Like insecurity, almost.

The feeling only strengthened over time.  I wouldn't admit it to anyone, certainly not the darkness, but I could feel myself growing weaker.  My very being was the combination of darkness and Sabre's inner fears, and both were very fragile things on their own.  If I didn't have Sabre's fear keeping me alive, I would be nothing more than a puff of shadow in the hivemind.  Powerless and mindless.

I shuddered at the thought, and sharpened the sword more aggressively, examining its razor-sharp edge in the moonlight.

Where is he?

The hivemind had no answer.  It showed me colorful kingdoms of terrified steves, but no player came forth to defend them.  Sabre wasn't there.

Where is he!?  Search harder!

Dark tendrils of panic seized me, and the sword began to glow, feeding off my fear.  I sheathed it quickly, annoyed.  But also... lonely.

I felt so incomplete without him.

And he felt so tranquil without me.  That much, I was sure of.  I could feel his calmness like an acid burning through me, diminishing me to an insignificant wisp of thought.

It made my legs shake as I stood up, summoning more darkness around me.  I needed him back.  I needed his fear.  Why had I left him to heal?  To move on from me?

The darkness around me whispered quietly, their unsettling voices echoing in the night air.

"We're finding him,"  I said firmly.  "If we have to search the whole realm."

Rest while you can, Sabre.  Once I find you, you will never be rid of me again.

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Word Count: 331

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