In Between

Chapter: III

back in the  prison cell, Aden's body lay stiff and pale, soaked in a puddle of its own blood. As the night descended the cell was covered in a silk black blanket of darkness, the sword slipped out of Aden's chest, the hole in his chest slowly healing by itself.  Aden's eyes opened to a room wrapped in black, his eyes transformed quickly the sclera fading into a bloodshot red , his iris a full pitch black. Standing to his feet he gazed around the room, which was pitch black he shouldn't be able to see anything, but something was different. His vision was crisp clear, better than he could ever remember. He could see the blood stains of past prisoners which covered the three walls around him from both left and right and the stone wall that stood behind him.  The dry blood and scratch marks on the floor from past prisoners who were dragged in and out daily against there will.  Even the puddle of blood that had just poured out from his own body and into the cracks of the stone floor.  It seemed as clear as daylight. How was this possible? Was this part of the deal, was it included in the agreement upon that handshake that burnt a whole into his right palm? Ideas and answers were scarce, but the simple fact that he was alive was all that mattered  for now.  

He spotted a guard slowly approaching his cell he came to a full stop and stood outside Aden's cell, thanks to the darkness that devoured the cell, he didn't even notice Aden's body was missing. Aden picked up the sword from the ground quietly and tiptoed his way over the stone floor until standing right behind the guard; with one silent movement, his sword sliced through the guard's back ripping out through his chest. Oblivious of the danger he was in, the guard wasn't give the chance to so much as scream for his life. 

By the time Aden pulled his sword back, the guard's body simply dropped to the floor like a weightless plastic toy, a chance for last words or farewells was unimportant to Aden, he dragged the guard's body over to the center of the room, where he had awakened just minutes ago, he laid him in the same exact position as his body, before moving into a near dark corner to wait for the next guard. The second guard came rushing towards the cell to help move Aden's body to the pit where it would be cremated. The guard searched for his partner but saw no one,  he slowly entered the cell pacing himself staring into to the darkness seeing absolutely nothing.  He reached down toward the body to drag it out of the cell.  Something didn't feel right, where was the other guard, why was the prison cell left unguarded after a prisoner had just killed himself, and even more when the suicide was committed with a weapon that inexplicably just showed up magically in the prisoners cell.  He dragged the body over to the bit of light that  shed into the cell through  the small barred window. He froze as his eyes caught a glimpse of the body.  It was the body of the other guard.  if this was the body he dragged through the dark cell, where was Aden's body.  Even worse who killed the guard, it couldn't have been Aden.  That was impossible.  He personally saw with his own two eyes the sword slicing through one end and out the other.  No one could survive that.  He felt dizzy and confused.  He consoled himself by repeating the same thing over and over, it couldn't have been Aden, just to remain calm, right before his roaming eyes fell on the red glow from a corner, which lit up like small flames. A bolt of fear raced through the guard's veins as he trembled vigorously. 

"Looking for someone?" slowly stepping out of the corner.  Aden curved a smile at the guard. 

Knowing he had the advantage, he stepped forward in a slow pace, feeding into the tension and fear. The guard quickly pulled on his sword, but with one swing, Aden's sword slashed right through the guard's right wrist. The guard's hand dropped to the floor, his wrist gushing out blood, which sprinkled across the room painting the stone walls and floor in red. The guard fell to his knees, screaming in agony, begging for mercy.  Aden looked down at the guard with rage.

"So, you don't know?" Aden smiled. Stared back at him while pain radiated through his body

"There's no such thing as mercy," Aden still smiling decapitated the guard  leaving his body to soak in its own blood, the same treatment that awaited him after his execution.