Dueling The Mystery That Lies With-in

Chapter 24: Sebastian's Game

“Yumi, Yumi….” A voice called out to me. My eyes shot open. Before me was nothing but black and grey smoke, but I could still see as though the room was flooded with light. I was lying on the ground on my side. I rolled over onto my back and than sat up so I could scan my surrounding. ‘Nothing but smoke and blackness.’ I thought to myself.

“Who’s there?” I call out into the darkness, hoping to get a response from the disembodied voice. I slowly stand up off of the ground, but I can feel dizziness begin to consume my head. I fall back to the ground on all fours, a cold sweat beginning to form along my hairline, ‘What is happening?’

“Look at you,” the voice says in a menacing tone, “you were once the strongest in the world, but those friends of yours are making you soft.” I looked up into the smoke and saw a figure begin to emerge from the darkness. The person was tall, six foot-something and male. From the silhouette I could tell his hair was cut short. I could see the outline of a form-fitting t-shirt and jeans. “I can make you the warrior you once were.”

“My friends have not made me soft,” I said in a stern voice, “Nor will they ever. They have made me stronger.” I again tried to stand up, this time I was able to reach my feet.

“Wrong!” The man bellowed, “Yours so-called friends have been nothing but a distraction! You need to be by the side of others that are like you!”

“Who the bloody hell do you think you are!?” I yelled out, taken aback by the ludicrous statement the man had made, “My friends are of none of your concern! And I think I am perfectly fine with were I am at!” I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned all of my weight to one side. Then I felt the unfamiliar fabric under my hands.

Out of the bottoms of my eyes I looked down to see the clothes that I was apparently wearing. I was wearing my old fighting shirt. A black, long-sleeve, form-fitting shirt that cut off a few inched below my chest. And on the bottom I was wearing black spandex shorts. I wasn’t wearing any shoes and my hair was let loose, standing up in all different directions. ‘What? I don’t remember changing.’ I looked around out of the corners of my eyes, making sure to keep my head straight and pointed towards the man, ‘I fact, I don’t remember this place at all.’

“Something seems to be troubling you, my dear.” I heard the man say. My eyes darted back to the figure in the shadows. He began to come out more, but only to the point where I could see his clothes and the bottom corner of his face

“The only thing that is troubling me is you!” I retorted sourly, “Now if you don’t mind I would like to be able to see the face of the man’s ass I am about to kick!” The man seemed to laugh a bit to himself.

“Oh Yumi, that temper of yours hasn’t changed a bit,” the man said as he snickered to himself, “So be it.” The voice of the man seemed to change, into a voice I know all to well. I felt my heart sink as the figure began to step out of the darkness. His features were as sharp as a katana blade, his hair as white as a silver moon, and his eyes the color of blood. “It’s good to see you again,” he bent down into a deep bow and brought his right hand above his heart, “my love.”

“Se-Sebastian! H-how…” I began to stutter and shake, I felt dizzy, I felt frightened. I took steps back to create distance, but of course that doesn’t help. I lost my footing and fell to the floor. Sebastian began to move towards me, but I was so fear-stricken that I could not move. Every fiber of my being told me to run, my brain told me to blast him into next week, but my heart wouldn’t allow me to move. That is just how much fear this one person has placed inside my heart.

“Come now Yumi,” Sebastian said, only feet from me, “I don’t bite…much” he said as a sinister smile crept onto his face. I still could do nothing but sit there and cower to myself. He reached me and crouched down so he would be eye level with me. His gaze traveled over every inch of my body, he was studying me. “My how you have grown.” He said as he stood up once again.