The Overlord Trilogy: The Darkness

16 • Chance

Thomas: It's been years since I've run away from my life, fleeing everything that was too hard for me to control. My wife dead and now my daughter under the care of the Nightlocks. I know I should have kept her but I keep that thought in the back of mind, it tearing me apart inside if I don't. I keep this all in mind as I kneel before James Nightlock, my leader for the last couple years of my life.

"You will find four women and bring them to me alive. They are Kali Lane, Kelsey Lyrane, Amber Lyrane and Elizabeth Lyrane. Got it?" I nod, keeping back my shock at the mention of my daughter's name. I know why he assigned me to this mission, it's a punishment for giving her away. I can't help but smile at his thinking, his perseverance to make sure I realize what I gave up.

"I will do as you command me Lord Nightlock." James smiles down at me, lifting his hand up.

"Stand up Thomas." I stand up slowly and look James in the eyes. His eyes seem to be lit by a fire, something I haven't seen in them for years. "Use what I granted you to complete the mission and make sure they are all brought back to me."

"Yes my lord... I will do as you command." James nods and motions for me to leave. I bow to him once before walking out of his main chambers, the soldiers saluting me as I walk out. I nod to them and walk to the main hanger, getting into an Oracle and flying out to my personal Guardian. My soldiers greet me as I land in the hanger and step out of the Oracle.

"Good evening General Lane." My second in command, Alex, walks up to me and salutes.

"Good evening Alex. We are heading to the planet of Overgaard, we have some people to retrieve." Alex nods and walks with me to the main control room of the Guardian. Soldiers run past us as they prepare to land on the planet, everyone prepping for the next cleansing.

"Is Lord Nightlock going to be arriving at the planet after us as well sir?" I nod to him as we step into the control room.

"Yes. Make sure they are ready to take out the main cities so Lord Nightlock can depart to the ground." Alex nods but mutters something under his breathe. "What was that Alex?" Alex rolls his eyes and smiles at me, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I was just wondering why Lord Nightlock always has to go down to the surface to fight when he has soldiers to do that for him." I shrug and stand at my post, Alex walking up next to me as everyone gets ready to set in the coordinates.

"I guess it's because he wants to show his soldiers that he's willing to die for his beliefs."

~~~

I watch as Amber walks inside one of the destroyed buildings, Elizabeth and Kali still outside talking to each other. I hold back an urge to run to them and reunite myself with my daughter, it almost taking over more than once. Storm clouds soon roll in above me, rain pouring down and drenching Kali and Elizabeth. I, again, resist the urge to run over to them and help them. Maybe Kali would forgive me if I explained myself, maybe we could go back to normal again. The tree shakes as thunder booms from above me, the device on my arm lighting up. I lift my arm up and swipe on the device, a hologram of Alex appearing. 

"Sir the storm is preventing us from sending down anything to pick you up." I nod and look up towards the building Kali, Liz, Amber and Kelsey are staying in. 

"That's fine. I don't expect to get the targets until after the storm." Alex bows as I shut off the transmission, laying back in the tree as I wait for the storm to pass. 

~~~

Kelsey screams as the man kills her, stabbing her through the stomach. I shake my head as he carries Elizabeth out of the cabin, blood pooling out the door and onto the grass. The little girl follows closely behind the man, calling him Onii-chan. Kali and Amber follow after them, continuing to follow for a couple days. None of them notice me, or if the man does notice me he doesn't say anything. My army has managed to surround the rest of the Alliance Of Overgaard army into the city of Bridge Haven, the true fighting beginning in a couple days as James' warship moves towards the planet. 

I hold back the urge to attack the man as he moves towards where Kali and Amber are sleeping one night, looking up at them with his sword drawn. If he moves to attack I'll kill him. I'll protect Kali and then she may be able to see me as a father again. He sheathes his sword and moves back to where Elizabeth and the little girl are, waking them up. I watch as the three continue on in the night, Amber and Kali completely oblivious.  

In the morning Kali and Amber begin to argue with one another as they try to figure out where the others went, my heart beat quickening as Kali mentions going to Bridge Haven. I bite the inside of my mouth as I fight the urge to yell to her not to go to Bridge Haven, to stay with Amber and go in the opposite direction but I don't. I stay on the tree branch like a coward as Kali walks away from Amber and goes towards Bridge Haven. I don't go after her, instead I follow after Amber. If I follow after Kali I won't be able to hold myself back from talking to her, disobeying the mission and the man who saved my life. 

I move with Amber and the others as the man knocks her out, his sister Zoey trying to calm down Amber and be a friend to her and Elizabeth. Poor girl, kids truly are naive. I jump up as I hear the man mention Bridge Haven. They're moving to Bridge Haven too which means I may be able to still find Kali before James does. If I find her first I can explain everything and maybe she'll join us instead of being afraid. 

As they walk through the woods towards the city I attack, diving down and kicking the man into the tree before flying and lifting the wheelchair into the air. Elizabeth jumps out of it, hitting the ground as I throw the wheelchair to the forest floor as well. It misses her and hits the ground a couple feet from her. In seconds I knock out Amber and Zoey, putting bags over all of their heads and taking their weapons. I lift up my arm and press the device, the device flaring to life. Alex's hologram appears within seconds. 

"Yes sir?"

"I have Amber and Elizabeth. I also have two others, a man and his sister Zoey." Alex nods and presses something off screen. 

"Okay we will bring you back up to the ship, there is someone up here waiting for you too." I nod slowly and shut off the transmission, putting everyone near Elizabeth as I put her back into her wheelchair. Soon a white beam comes down on us, teleporting us back to my Guardian. We appear in the hanger of the ship, Alex standing there. His face is tense as he salutes me, James stepping towards me. 

"Good work Thomas. I am very pleased with your work, you also got two others with you." I nod and salute him. 

"Yes sir, the little girl's name is Zoey but I do not know the man's name." James nods and looks from Amber to Elizabeth before looking back at me.

"Kali is on my ship, in my special holding bay. I found her in Bridge Haven, I assume you went after Amber and Elizabeth instead of her which I find noble but disagree with." I nod. 

"I apologize Lord Nightlock, it won't happen again." 

"It better not. Now follow me and you can see your daughter." I nod and walk over to him, grabbing his extended hand. In seconds we are on his ship, right outside a door. "This is the holding bay for all the female prisoners. She will be in here, just be wary. She just experienced a little girl's death so she may not be in a good mood." 

"Yes sir." James walks away as I turn towards the door, the guards next to me continuing to stare forward. Once James disappears around a corner I take a deep breath. I rehearse the things I would say to her, all the things I have to apologize for. All the bad I have done and all the good I'll do for her in the future. I will be a good father now, I will be who she wants me to be. I smile as the door opens, stepping inside as the light slowly comes on in the room. "Ka-" My eyes widen as a girl charges at me, plunging a pointed pipe in my hand as I raise it in defense. The guards do not move as I fall onto the ground, backing up quickly before pulling out the broken pipes. Tears fill my eyes as Kali looks down at me, her eyes widening as she recognizes me. 

"D-Dad?" I nod slowly and stand up, stepping towards her. I bring her into a tight hug, holding my hand out away from her as blood drips onto the floor. Tears run down my face as I continue to hold her in my arms, Kali's body shaking slightly as she begins to cry as well.