The Story On The Board: As Black Fire Burns (Book Two)

The Grinder

The Grinder, a death factory used by The Mind to kill her followers in mass and take their control. Why she needs more control, I don't know. She's above God and at this time the readers, who will have to recover to regain their strength over time like the Author.

Anyways, back to The Grinder, I've never been there personally, but I can get a really nice view from the Barrier as it is close to the northern most point of the world. The followers are sent in, killed, and their control is absorbed by The Mind. Here's the problem, the dark mana, or sin as it is more commonly known generated from this mass killing is causing the author. To begin to fade. Dark mana is a powerful, unstable energy that can erase souls. The author has been taking it and expelling it safely into the Mirror's destroyed world as there's nothing there it can harm. However, he can't expel it as fast as The Grinder generates it. He's going to die. However, I must tend to other matters. Welcome to the world Solaire, or what's left of it. Let me show you around.

I sit in my room. Notes cover every wall. Notes on factions, on the Void War. Notes on characters and their status such as dead, alive, in Heaven, in Hell, etc. Notes on their personal connections and how strong they are. All these notes are arranged in a large complex web. I fell my self begin to fade. No! I'm not done yet! I have a story to write!

"Oh come on man!" Madness exclaims.

Shit, this guy. Madness was an attempt to put myself into my world without taking physical form. He's called Madness not because he's the manifestation of insanity, but because his concept is preety crazy, also it sounds cool. It started preety well, but he began to change, rewrite himself. He became separate. I took his body as my physical form. He's been silent, but now that I'm unstable... I do plan to free him. I froze his world as not to interfere with his happy ending, and intend to recreate myself, more accurate this time, before this story ends and I leave this world for good. However, if I fade out before I can do this, then Madness will be free, and I will not live on in any form. All emotions still connected to me will be erased.

"Just give in," Madness smiles, "do you really have nothing better to do?"

Just let me write.

"Reaper was right. Wait, why did I call him that? Shit! I did it again!"

If you reveal his true name, it could ruin everything.

"Fuck off!"

Easy buddy, just wait, you'll have a happy ending.

Oh shit! Another group's going in The Grinder! Brace yourself!

I vomit.

"It's not hard. Embrace the darkness. Just give in. I'll take good care of this world. I promise."

I'm fading again.

"You've made to much, you're losing your grip aren't you? You can't handle all these worlds. Just erase a few. It'll lessen the strain."

I'm not erasing anyone! Also, why are you helping me?

"Don't misunderstand, I don't hate you. You were kind enough to freeze my world, that counts for something, but I don't like you either. I'm just kinda, eh. I wanna regain control, but I could deal for a few thousand more years."

That's fair. Now, if I do fade, can you do me a favor?

"Probably not but I'll hear you out."

If I fade, all I ask is that you spare the readers.

"Yknow, sure. But don't say I was a bad guy."

Promise?

"Promise. I mean, it's not like they'll commit the unforgivable sin... right? I mean, you're not gonna give them the chance are you?"

...

"What are you planning?"

I need them outside the walls. If things go badly, the groups may turn on eachother.

"Like that'll happen. They'd both have to make all the wrong choices. You'd fade before they even finished."

Yeah, probably. Don't worry about it. I'm almost certain they'll make the right calls this run. See you later Madness.

"What? I'm not going anywhere. You're to unstable to shut me up and put me in limbo or wherever I was before I woke up. You're stuck with me."

OK. Well, let's just wait for the readers then.