Finding Darkness

Chapter 34

~Black Mist~ After I whisper my little surprise to Astral, I pull away, still holding on to him.

"My...brother...?" Astral looks at me with a confused daze. He shakes his head angrily. "You cannot be my brother! It cannot be!"

"But it is," I argue slyly. "We were the type of siblings who didn't get along at all. When we did, though, nobody could tell we hated each other. That was how it was like that day. The day you joined the Light Forces, and I, being a Dark Number Spirit, got sent to the Prison at such a young age. We were about five-years-old in human years."

"Lies!" Astral spits.

"It's the truth. You just don't wanna accept it." I lean closer. "Can you guess who put me in that Prison in the first place?" I whisper into his ear, "You."

~Astral~ I cannot process all of the information Black Mist is giving me. Brother? That cannot be right.

"You can't deny it, Astral," Black Mist purrs. "I should probably mention that out of the two of us, I'm the one thinking straight here."

"What?" I blink in confusion. "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Black Mist chuckles. "You're the one who's thinking nonsense, Astral. Your mind's being eaten away as we speak. Your sanity is shrinking like in Amnesia."

Shrinking? That may explain why I keep seeing what is not there. Wait, no! I simply cannot believe what Black Mist says! It is madness.

"Madness?" Black Mist flings me angrily away from him, and I crash into the window, shattering it. I get another harsh fall, and this time the injuries include blood. "I'll tell you what's madness." He floats down to me. He grabs my neck and pulls me up, making the shards of glass fall from my back. "Madness is having your own brother turn you in to the Light Forces at a very young age." He pulls me closer and hisses, "Do you even know what that does to someone?"

I do not answer. I hold my ground and wait for the end.

~Black Mist~ When Astral doesn't answer, I squeeze my hand tighter. He whimpers, and I snarl.

"It ruins their entire childhood, Astral," I growl. "And now, I'll ruin your entire life by ending it!" I smirk. and brandish my knife. "Too bad you won't get to see another day. I'd love to see how your blood will mix with the blood that's already on here."

"Astral!" a human's voice calls down in alarm.

I look up. I recognize him, but I can't place a name with that face.

"Y-Yuma," Astral says softly.

"So that's his name." I release Astral and smirk. "Thanks for that, Brother." I float up after Yuma.

"Yuma," I say. "I've never known your name until now. It's pretty stupid of me because I could have just read your mind to tell." I rest my arms on the windowsill. "Tar, would you take my brother to my hideout?"

Edward, always my ever faithful dog, materializes out of the shadows, wraps Astral's limp body in his cloak, puts him in the car, and drives off to his wreck of a house.

"Edward was working with you this entire time?" Yuma gasps.

"Of course," I laugh. "And it was so helpful getting hints of where you were and what you were doing. He also told me that you've gotten proof of Astral's innocence."

"How did he know?" Yuma glares at me.

"Yuma Tsukumo. He was there the entire time." I smirk. "He's the best spy ever! Then again, I gave him powers that helps him sneak around."

"You did what now?"

"Well, I'd love to chat some more, but I have to go. See you around, my cursed slave." I touch Yuma's forehead, and his eyes go blank.

"Yes, master," he says in a hollow voice.

~Astral~ When I awake, I am hit by a series of horrifying images. Gruesome images filled with blood, murder, and other things. The shadows morph into beasts looking to rip my heart out. I try to scream, but no sound can get out. I struggle to move my body, but I cannot. The beasts advance, and I shut my eyes to and try to get back to reality.

"I'm sorry I had to do this, Astral," Edward says from somewhere in the room. "Number 96 said you would be meddlesome, and meddlesome you were."

Again, I struggle to free myself. Finally, I resort to mental communications.

"Why are you working for Black Mist, Edward?" I ask. "What do you expect in return?"

Edward chuckles. "Number 96 has already given me the ability to control the shadows. What else would I ask of him?" He raises one shadow and forms it into one of the beasts I saw. "Was this what you were seeing?"

I recoil in fear. How did he know?

"Number 96 has also given me the power to read minds, much like you and him." He chuckles again. He then materializes right in front of me.

I take a quick scan around the room. Yes, it is definitely familiar. I have been here twice.

"Guess who's back!" Black Mist calls cheerily from the window behind me. He comes around and inspects the knots around my wrists and ankles. "Very nice, Ed. You've done exactly what I expected of you." He rips off the rope, which rips my skin deeply, and wraps a new layer of bindings. "These'll hold better, though."

"Should I leave, Number 96?" Edward asks, already getting up to leave.

"Yes," Black Mist answers, replacing around my ankles. "Come back when I say so."

Edward leaves the room silently.

Black Mist settles on the floor in front of me. "Now, about the prize I gave you?" He reaches a hand out, claws ready to rip off the bandage and my heart out.

I try to summon the light within me, but to no avail. I cannot remember the words. It is just like in my nightmare. A pitch-black room, no light, unable to think, unable to move. I brace myself for the pain that is sure to follow.

~Black Mist~ I rest my hand on Astral's chest, ready to just rip the cloth into shreds.  How I've longed to see how the scar developed, staining Astral's light until there is naught but darkness. I grin.

I rip the cover right off, revealing Astral's faded scars from weeks before and one long, unhealed, black cut. There it is! Now it's different. Beautifully different.

"How about you give me your soul now?" I purr.