Finding Darkness

Chapter 36

~Black Mist~ I lead the zombiefied Yuma to my dark lair. Once we're inside, I face him.

"You're gonna help me kill Astral, got it?" I tell him, knowing that he'll do whatever I say in this state.

Yuma nods.

"Whenever I call you, you'll answer. I don't care if you're in the middle of an important conversation, you will answer, got it?"

Another nod.

"Good. Now, I need to be alone for a while. Go to your friend for now." I wave him away, only releasing the control when he's well away from here.

I wonder how Astral's gonna handle the news of his buddy working for me. I already know he wasn't fully asleep, that he was listening in. I grin. This might just sever their friendship.

~Astral~ I make my way slowly to the house, still weakened from the darkness. I wonder if it is still spreading. More than likely it is.

Every few hours, I am hit by the evil flowing in my veins, making my journey much slower. Soon, those hours become minutes, and those minutes become seconds until I cannot even get up without being struck by a wave of nausea.

Why did I have to open the door to Black Mist's domain that first time? I should have ignored the voice in my head! I curse my insolence, and I curse Yuma.

"Why Yuma?" I wonder aloud as I feel myself become lost in the darkness. "Why did you betray me?" Everything goes black for the hundredth time.

~Black Mist~ I finally decide to get out of my room. I need a change of scenery badly. I've been looking out of this window for two years, the scene bored me a long time ago.

I float around the house for a while, exploring all that I can. That time where my rage broke didn't really give me much of a chance to look around.

"So, you've finally decided to come out, Number 96?" Tar asks from behind me. I can smell the cigarette he's always smoking.

"Seriously, Tar?" I turn to him, scrunching up my nose. "You're gonna need serious help getting off your smoking addiction."

"That's not important right now."

"It is to me," I mutter. "It stinks, it's annoying, and you might die from it. If that happens, I'll have to get a new place to stay, and frankly, I feel too lazy to do that." I brush around Tar. "We've only had one minor setback, but it's nothing we can't take advantage of."

"And what setback would that be?" Tar asks as he snuffs out his cigarette.

"Yuma Tsukumo opened the letter meant for Astral," I explain.

"So, that means he's meant to die at some point?"

"Yes, but the good news is it makes him easier to control. That way, I can sever their friendship, tearing their trust toward one another." I grin. "See, Ed? Nothing we can't take advantage of."