Adrastos

Chapter 10

Epiales sat on his bed and suggested that Mason join him. Mason rejected the offer but when the room began to melt, he quickly sprinted to the bed. And so Epiales thought it would be wise to narrate a story to Mason, telling him about how it began and why his family got killed, including how the past murders were not entirely on Epiales but by the curse it comes with.

"But I'm still alive, " Mason shot, thinking about why he survived that whole incident.

"Only because he thought his assassins killed you. "

" So, are you the bad guy? " Mason inquired. Would a bad guy say, yes, I'm a bad guy? But he hoped that he was good despite the evil look that Epiales had.

" Trust me, people like me are always tainted because I'm different. People fear difference so they side me to the bad side no matter how much good I did."

"Maybe because you did it in all the wrong ways," Mason accused, taking a step away from his bed, a step further from Epiales.

"Sometimes the right thing to do often involves doing the hardest thing," he explained, turning his back on Mason, ashamed of his past.

"You're just evil."

"Because I was cursed with this power I'm the evil one," He laughed sarcastically, "you cursed too, does that make you evil," Epiales snarled at Mason from over his shoulder.

"No," Mason indignantly said.

"Why not? "Epiales challenged, turning his whole body to face Mason.

" Be... Because I'll do what's right," Mason snapped. How could Mason harm anyone, he could barely harm a fly, and he was too much of a coward.

"What is right! Who knows what's right or wrong. Everyone is just winging it," Epiales scoffed, "listen, kid, I won't expect you to understand because you haven't lived enough centuries to understand."

Mason hopped back on his bed, lying like a starfish, trying to calculate the Demon's age. "Geez, talk about old," he mumbled while Epiales muttered something about youngsters. "so is this a dream or not because I'm having a hard time distinguishing what's real and what's not."

"wow, no, it's all real like the room didn't just warp. Which part of this screams dream, go on I'll wait, " Epiales mocked, "oh tick tock. We don't have much time. I think you're dying," Epiales admitted.

"What!" Mason snapped, "I'm dying! Why?"

"Remember I told you that no one could survive my curse," he scratched the side of his smoke of a face. "yeah, you've been dealing with that curse for a very long time."

"I have? " Mason questioned. Are the nightmares his curse or what?

" Kid, if you listened carefully... The one who guards my gates is the Cerberus. I've watched her trample you a couple of times.

"her? Cerberus is a girl, " Mason laughed. Damn like how does Epiales know that it's a female. Was he checking, and how do you even check such?

"Yep, don't ask how I know."

Mason held back a laugh and got serious, " you watched me get hurt but never did anything to save me."

"Well, I needed more power to do something. Thanks for that. I've been enjoying the fear you and your friends gave, " Epiales explained cheerfully.

" Woah, wait a sec. You get your power from fear," Mason stated. The pieces of the puzzles finally fitting.

"I know where you're getting with this, but just listen..."

"Son of a..." Mason bit his tongue, Epiales was the cause of his nightmares. He was the reason why he couldn't have a decent night's rest, the reason why he got puffy eyelids, and why his eyes look like a panda.

"Just listen..."

"Listen to what, listen to the fact that you've been making me suffer for my entire life," Mason snapped. Crossing his hands in front of him, "listen to you lie. All you care about is your freedom."

"That's not true," he confessed.  "Anyway, I need to train you to fight the beast. Otherwise, you will die," he added, but before he could finish his sentence, a door opened, and a hand with long nails pulled Mason in.

Mason sprang up in bed. The last thing he saw was his alarm clock flashing 03:00 before she pushed her long rotting nail through his chest, her other hand muffling his screams. Mason bolted upright, sweating bullets, relieved that it was just a dream. But his eyes widen when he saw his alarm clock flashed 02:59, the closet door creak open.