Darkness Within

I Am Back

After Khalil "talked" some senses into Stephen in the streets over the time of a month, Stephen had been tolerating Khalil following him around the streets. Stephen was surprised that Khalil somehow got enough money to get a room with two beds for rent for a good half year. Khalil was secretly surprised too as the money seemed to appear out of nowhere and when they needed the most. "It was angels' doing." Khalil would sign to Stephen, with Stephen rolled his eyes, often replying with a "We never believed in angels and demons, gods or devils, Khalil." With time and Khalil's hard work with the relatively kind dullahan, Stephen became more calm and less angry about everything about the world, and slowly with practice, Khalil can sign what he wants to say better and better.

It was about the middle of the 4th month after Stephen came back from the dead, Khalil started to have nightmares of Stephen's death and how he killed his own brother over and over again with their aunts grinning like a chasse cat on the sideline. Stephen had to go into his dreams and literally drag him out of the dark land. It was on a Friday morning when Stephen got shaken awake by a very panicky Khalil. "Brother, the house is on fire." Khalil quickly signed and Stephen sat up immediately and recognized the smoke. "Run, I got this." Stephen told Khalil, who had a very wary look on his face. Although last time a building was on fire was around three years ago and magic was weaker back then, three events too many to make Khalil weary of fire, either of his own fire or other kitchen explosions. Khalil nodded, and started to sprint out of the building, hoping that Stephen could put off the fire before he was lost again. Khalil sprinted about 5 minutes before stopping, panting, forgetting that he could have used the air magic to help him. He turned around and just watched water exploding from his brother's figure, suffocating most of the fire. This time, instead of anger and shock, a feeling of panic came through. "What if he can't make it out this time?" He thought to himself although he knew fully well that Stephen could make it out of the fire alive. Out of impulse, he flew towards the remaining fire as Stephen turned around to find him and he did what he could to get the rest of the fire out. At that moment, the first time Stephen smiled, and he hasn't smiled since he started to learn magic in school. Khalil caught a glimpse of the smile before it turned into a frown, confident shot through him. "Brother, are you proud of me?" Khalil asked, smiling through his eyes. Stephen snorted and just replied before walking into the forest, "You can do better. Besides, she is coming."

At that moment Khalil heard that, fear and shock went through him. "Already?!" He murmured under his breath, cursing, before he landed on the ashy ground and springing to his brother's side. "I am not ready yet." "She would not and shouldn't know where I am as long this shield is up. While you fight, I will try to find a way to make a curse that is effective on her. I will let you know when I finished." Stephen said loudly before he puts on a shield that goes around him and makes him look invisible while he is inside.

That's when Khalil took the time to look around. It was a patch of forest that he didn't remember being in. 'Maybe, just maybe I forgot this place....' Khalil thought to himself before he got interrupted by a wailing scream of what seemed like a woman in white. 'A banshee!' He thought to himself, surprised after realizing where that scream came from. 'I had never seen one so close... Doesn't a banshee's scream meaning that one of my family members will die?'

After a good thirty seconds, the banshee stopped screaming and quickly fled the place. "Strange." Khalil murmured under his breath before realizing that his aunt was standing not too far from him. Khalil realized who she was and said sarcastically, "Aunt Mary! Welcome back to the living! I missed you so much!" "Where is the failure of a brother of yours at?" She hollered as another patch of her skin being peeled off by her long rotten fingers. "I don't know. Even if I know, I wouldn't tell you anyway. Sooo... yes, over my dead body if you want to know where he is." Khalil smiled as he saw the anger build up more and more with each word he said, taking in the enjoyment of watching someone like her lose control of anger. By the time Khalil finished his sentence, a gigantic slim ball sent flying Khalil's way. Remembering how to summon a shield to deflect the attacks and send the power back whoever was attacking to use it against them from school, he quickly put up a shield just enough time to put it up, deflecting the slim ball. As the two carry on the fighting, Stephen is on the sidelines trying to figure out a curse that can somehow trap and ban Aunt Mary to haunt the living world again in the safety of his own protective shield. Although Stephen would be the one who creates this curse, he didn't know the side effects to the full extent. It may be simply losing a useless tooth in the back of the mouth, to losing one of the five main senses on someone else, to the world might not have stable weather, which can lead to a food shortage. Although Stephen knows that it would probably take away his twin's voice, but at this point, he doesn't really care if Khalil became silent as Khalil had become fluent in sign language. Stephen was always proud of his brother, although Khalil can be unpredictable on his temper.

After a good 10 minutes trying to make the curse with a string of curses murmuring under his breath as Khalil was being flung around by Mary's tornados and Aunt Mary was being trapped by ring of fire that Khalil created, screaming on both side, Stephen finally confident enough with his curse; he went to his brother side in the air and tapped on Khalil's shoulder, letting he know. Khalil sensed that his brother had come next to him and the tapping on the shoulder, the corners of Khalil's mouth had pulled up into a toothed grin. Khalil strained the tornado's strength so he could be let down by the wind. As both of their feet touch the ground, Stephen's shield faded away, letting the formal teacher see him and at that moment, Khalil saw the anger in his brothers eyes and horrified expression in the half burnt zombie-like state of their aunt. Immediately, he stepped away, letting Stephen do his job knowing that if he tried to cast Stephen's spells, it would only mean that he would lose more than his hearing as he knew from the past, both brothers would lose their minds. As much as Khalil knows that he will lose his voice for the sake of Stephen coming back, and he had mentally prepared for this as he knows that his brother is finally back now, he knew that he himself isn't powerful or confident enough to cast anything that restrains a being. He always had faith in his brother, no matter what. Although they are merely brothers, they always balanced each other out as Stephen is the moon and the future as Khalil is the sun and the past. Khalil would never tell Stephen but he really appreciated him. The months without his brother had been worse than the worst thing he encountered, which was losing his parents. "Stephen, thank you." Khalil murmured as he stood on the sideline.

For once in a long time, Stephen's eyes were no longer red and black. They had finally gone back to the colours of blue. "Mary Stars, you had hurt your brother and his sons, my brother and me. Your brother loved you but you know, he will never forgive you for what you have done to him." He said smiling, using her maiden name, reminding her that she was one of the family members, that she was in fact, once a Star just like the boys. "And you know what, it is the time for you to go to the place where you belong." With that, the trees bent over, grabbing the woman with the branches, as creatures of big and small came out of the darkness of the forest grinning. "My friends here," Stephen smirked, as he spotted the dark elves, the dullahans, gromes, and many more surrounding her, walking up to her. "Had been telling me how you mistreated them, both in the past and the other side." With a hand signal, two of the strongest dark elves came up, and held Mary by the shoulder and arms after the trees let her go. Stephen walked up to her, murmured the curse, and gave her a hard back hand slap on the side of the burnt face. "You may not come back, and you can't no longer haunt anyone." Stephen said darkly at her as Mary suddenly started screaming, throwing and trying to get out of the beholders' grips. Within seconds, the elves are holding nothing but ashes, and in that moment, Khalil's shield dropped and ran to his brother's side.

"Thank you, my friends. Please continue to guard my forest." Stephen said, as everyone smiled, bowed, saying their thanks and gratitude, and started leaving one by one. After the two are left alone, Stephen turned to Khalil, "Speak Khalil, try to use your voice." Khalil was shocked by the fact that Stephen asked him that as he never talked about losing his own voice after the fight, but Khalil still tried, nothing came out. Although smiling bitterly, he was relieved and Khalil signed to Stephen what happened and in the longest time, Khalil saw his brother as himself, smiling. "I did it, Khalil. The curse worked. I am here now." Stephen grinned and a drop of tear came out, relieved. "Finally." Khalil signed, tears near his eyes. "Thank you, brother." With that, Khalil finally hugged the person who meant the whole world the first time after he broke him.