Sentient Darkness

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This world that is consumed in darkness is my home. This desolate, unwelcoming place is were I thrive. How different this world is to his... It remains unexplored for I have no reason to go beyond this center. Cal stands and sweeps his hand through the fog that surrounds him. Perhaps, it is time for that to change.

Cal walks through the fog. It thickens as he moves further out. The fog starts to sting as the wind picks up loose dirt. What is this? He raises his arm to shield his eyes as he staggers through the wind.

He stumbles over a spire partially buried beneath him. A tower...buried here? He pauses to inspect it. The wind stops suddenly and the debris in the air remains suspended. A muffled noise can be heard within the spire. He places his ear against it to listen closely. It sounds like someone is trapped. It can't be her.. He starts to dig at the ground, making no progress. Conjuring a shovel from the darkness around him, he continues. The muffled noise becomes a shriek. He digs furiously. "Hold on, I'm here to help!" 

He realizes the futility in his actions and starts to bash against the spire. A crack appears and he winds back his hands, a sledge hammer appearing instantly. He slams down on the crack and the ground around him shatters. The ground trembles and the spire collapses. 

Trying to keep his balance as the ground falls around him, he sees an arm attempting to find a hold to climb out of the spire. He grasps the hand and pulls. The pull of the person overpowers him and he stumbles toward the spire. I'm being pulled in! What is happening? He shreds at the ground looking for a hold. The wind picks up and he winces.

He manages to break away. "Please don't abandon me, Cal." He turns to look at the spire. The upper half of the person's body lays exposed to the bite of the wind. Blood streams from tiny fragmented stone embedded in the person's skin. Cal scrambles to get to the person. He lifts one arm around his shoulder to carry the person.

"Idiot!" Cal glances curiously at the giggling person. The person's voice mimics the one voice that he holds sacred, his beloved. "Help me, Cal.. Help me, Cal." Before he could react, the person catches him in a neck hold. He struggles and attempts to drive his elbow into the person's stomach but it's sails through the person's body without impact. He begins to panic as the person drives it's knee into his back and drops him to the ground. He groans and tries to stand but the ground under his feet fall. He finds his footing and jumps to a more secure area.

The person grins widely and it's stance shifts to that of a lunatic ready to kill. The ground is breaking away around me. I need to find a way out before it's too late. The person stalks forward, a high pitch laughter carrying on the wind. The wind swirls around him. Cal shields his face again and stumbles back, almost slipping from the pursuing edge. What is this??  

The person rushes Cal; it's arms grow blades as it slashes for Cal's throat. Cal ducks down and punches out, his fist phasing through it once again. Cal jumps back and lands on a shifting piece of ground crumbling off. His eyes go wide as he falls. No! 

The person stakes one of it's blades through Cal's wrist, catching him. Cal yells in agony and grips his forearm. The person pulls him up and tosses him over the edge. It's body begins to morph into a strange winged beast with talons. It's head still remains the same. He leans on his arm but slips as he realizes the blood draining from the wound. He holds out his hand and darkness collects around his hand, extending out into a blade. 

"Help me, Cal!" The beast screeches as it lifts from the ground. Can I truly survive? Cal takes his stance. The beast swoops down, talons leading. The exchange of blade and talons is too quick to see. Cal falls to his knees, clutching at his chest. The beast falls limp to the ground; the blade protrudes from it's chest. The ground collapses underneath it, dragging the beast to the depths below.

Cal stands and stumbles around, his vision blurring with each step. I need to get out...but where do I go? Cal falls to the ground. He reaches forward to pull his body. I must keep going. He feels his body becoming light. His eyes begin to close slowly. He forces himself to be alert, realizing he is falling. He rakes at the ground for a hold. He catches himself, but his arm is too weak to support his weight. He feels something warm drip onto his cheek. "Blood. Do I even need to look?" He mumbles. He feels it again. He struggles to lift his head. Blood is thicker. Don't tell me another rapid beast has come to drool over my corpse.

"If y-you're looking for a next meal, you won't find it here."  Cal looks up to see an unexpected face. Tears... "Why have you come?" "Will you really question that or will you let me assist you?" She grabs his arm and he bites his lip to hold back the pain. Helping him over the edge, she leans him against the spire.

"Why did you come?" He finally manages after a moment of adjusting to the pain. She places a hand over his wrist. "Do I need a reason?" "Yes. After what I said to you, I do not expect you to remain here." She removes her hand and places her palm against his chest. Leaning against him, she whispers in his ear, "I love you." He turns to look into her eyes and they remain there for a moment. She breaks the silence and walks away. "Wait, where are you going?" Cal reaches out for her. She fades into the darkness as she waves. 

Cal scrambles to his feet and runs after her. He pauses and looks down at his chest. The wounds are healed but his tunic is shredded. He closes his eyes and  lifts his head to the shadows above him, once again. "Thank you, dear. Forgive me."

He opens his eyes and starts to walk. Where am I headed? Should I continue? What if another beast spawns to kill me? He glances around him. I don't see a way for me to return now even if I wanted to. He continues to walk. 

A light flickers and catches his eye. He turns to regard it and sees it growing larger. He ducks to the side as the spear soars past him. The spear pierces the shadows above him and a rift opens. He looks at the direction from which the spear was thrown. A claw reaches from the tear and closes around Cal. He squirms as it jerks him through the rift. 

A person dressed in a thin layer of leather clothing emerges from the fog wielding a spear. He nods as the rift closes.