Spirits: Waking Up Alone

Terror In The Dark

     Kiara sat bolt upright, her breathing panicked. She was in the middle of a dark room, laying on a cold, hard floor that made her side ache. The only light filtering in was through a few spots on the domed ceiling above that was warped and distorted in a way that cast eerie black specks on the surrounding walls

     She got to her feet, racing over to the wall and pressing her hands against it, pushing hard. The crystal didn't give in the slightest bit.

     Kiara began to bang her fists against it, shouting desperately.

     Then there was a flash of purple flame, and there was suddenly a tall man standing in front of her, a familiar staff in his hand. But the black crystal that had sat on top was gone. The man smiled at her obvious confusion, striding casually forward with long, confident strides.

     "Kiara," he greeted her, "Pleasure to find you are finally awake. How are you?"

     She didn't reply, just watched him with a cold glint in her eye.

     "Well, I suppose we ought to get down to business. We are wasting time, after all," he sat down cross legged in front of her, "I am Carnirus, ruler of the entire Shadow dimension. Everything here is mine. With the exception of you, of course."

     "Why am I here?" Kiara asked coolly, sitting slowly down in front of him. She kept her face as expressionless as possible, trying to keep her eyes guarded.

     "To die." Carnirus replied calmly.

     "And what good would that do you?"

     "Guess where you are," he told her, "Go on, guess. If you guess, I'll tell you why I need you here."

     Kiara was quiet for a long moment, her eyes roaming across the speckled ceiling, then realized, "We're in the crystal on your staff. You've got me trapped inside it, and I'm willing to bet your presence is just an illusion."

     Carnirus looked delighted, "You got it!"

     Kiara stared at him. For a bad guy, he didn't seem that evil.

      Carnirus shrugged his shoulders, "I've been alone for centuries with nothing but dogs to keep me company. It's good to finally have some intelligent company around. So anyway, to tell you the truth, I'm here to kill you, absorb your soul, and switch it to mine. Two souls in one body can't hold, but with some black magic involved, that'll cause my form to condense into that of a mortal. Well, mostly. I'll still be able to see your kind and rule the shadowbeasts. So then will began the mass slaughter." he smiled, getting to his feet, "The soul of a human being is lost in their bodies. But it is far more active. Shadowbeasts only usually eat ghosts because they can scent their souls easily, and they're much easier to withdraw and devour. That is why humans are safe from these beasts. "

     Carnirus turned away, sounding pleased as he continued on, "But, once I am mortal, I can control those that are mortal. Therefore, I can allow my shadowbeasts to eat the mortals. Three mortals will bring them into the world of the living. Then they must eat flesh and blood to maintain their life, but they will be an army against the human kind."

     "So you want world domination," Kiara summed up with a frown.

      "That's an added bonus," he told her with a wicked smile, "But my tire goal... is revenge. Revenge on those who wronged me."

    "And that would be...?" she prompted, hoping to gather as much information as she could.

     Carnirus smirked at her, "Now why would I tell you that? I've already said too much, so you'll just have to be content with that. Also, I'd rather you didn't waste your time on escape. The only way out for you now that your soul has been absorbed would be for me to command to be released. That or dragon fire, which is impossible to get," he laughed, "Well, it was nice chatting with you, but I don't need you for another two days. So have fun." the Shadow King laughed once again before being coated with a wave of shadow and disappearing.

     Kiara sat there, staring at the spot where he had stood, her eyes glazed. She was trapped in here, no way out. And the only time Carnirus would let her out would be on her death day.

     The ensnared spirit tilted her head back staring at the arched ceiling above as she whispered, "Hunter... Do you know where I am? Do you know what's happening?" her gray eyes slowly slid down the jagged walls until reaching the slick floor in front of her, "Where are you?"