Escaped - Sanders Sides

Chapter Eleven

(POV: Virgil)

I trudged into the main living area with my old black jacket around my shoulders and smeared eye shadow caking my cheeks. Not only had it smeared from crying, but also from not removing it before I took a shower. Ever since I've come back to the Dark Mind Palace, I feel...calmer. More so, like me. Like I can walk around here looking like an on fire garbage bin and no one will say a thing about it.

Wandering into the kitchen, I grabbed a mug and put it under the coffee maker. Glancing over at the kitchen timer, it was almost midnight. That didn't stop me at all though. As the coffee beans grinded in the machine to create the energizing liquid, I heard a door shut from upstairs.

Down came Janus, wearing his usual ensemble minus the cape, hat, and gloves. I knew he was strange, but I didn't know he slept in his clothes either.

I chuckled to myself, making my presence known to him.

"Something the matter, Virgil?" Janus questioned with a concerned ring to his voice.

"Just laughing at you and your ridiculousness. I mean, seriously. Who's pajamas are the same as their everyday attire?" I giggled, having a hard time putting the coffee to my lips.

The snake rolled his eyes at me. Slowly he came closer.

"Says the person who wears day old eye shadow and wears one solid color all the damn time! Are you a walking funeral, or what?" He teased to which I could help but laugh.

"Is that the best you could come up with or are you secretly jealous of me?"

Janus didn't respond besides a light hum while he stuck some bread in the toaster. His watchful eye stuck to me again before a smirk slithering on his skin.

"I see you're growing more comfortable around us now, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess. I don't know what it is but I feel really good right now!" I admitted.

"Silly, Virgil. Your strength and power is flooding back to you again! The Dark Mind Palace is calling out to you, as it once did many years ago. But now that you've answered it, all is becoming clear, isn't it?"

"It is! I... think?"

"Here, let me show you," Janus said with a smile.

He held out his hands and a glowing yellow light began pulsating in the palms of his hands. Slowly, the light grew brighter and formed two orbs hovering in the air next to us.

I gasped and reached out to touch them. Just before my finger brushed against it, the orbs vanished in sparkling dust.

"Wow! Janus... that was incredible! How did you do that?" I asked excitedly.

"Here in our part of the Mind Space, we have powers. Powers that fit our personalities, and represent us in a way. You actually have that too, but now, you're finally strong enough to unlock them."

My mouth formed an O, making the deceptive trait chuckle. He took my hand and led me outside. With the snap of his fingers, Janus made a large field appear before us.

"You can train here," he said softly, letting go of my hand. "You may leave soon, but for now, I want to make sure that you're happy. You'll at least get to learn about your powers before you go."

"I-I don't know yet. About leaving, I mean. I'm still confused, but I feel more alive here. Like I can be myself without the others worrying about the way I act and dress. I don't have to be afraid here," I thought aloud.

Janus sighed and held my chin, staring into my eyes. "Take those feelings and shape them into something. Anything at all."

I stared at him in confusion before closing my eyes. I thought of my friends and my worries. Letting down Thomas, hurting Roman, losing Patton and Logan.

I brought all of those thoughts to the center of my mind and clumped them together. They lost shape and meaning, forming a bulging mass of anxiety. I forced out the collection of thoughts and threw them outwards. My eyes snapped open as I saw Janus lying on his back in the grass. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Virgil, you did it!" He cheered, standing back up. "You see that?" Janus pointed to the purple and black dust on his clothes. "That was from you!"

I held a hand over my mouth in shock. "Did I h-hurt you? I-I'm so sorry... It's all my fault. I was being careless and-"

"Virgil," Janus said holding my face in his hands. "You did nothing wrong, in fact, you did everything right."

That all hit me really fast. Me? Doing...everything right? That's never happened before. If anything, I always screw things up. Maybe Janus was right all along. Maybe I was never meant to be a light side. A was always a dark side.

"Come on, do it again!" He pushed. So I did exactly that. Bunching up all my anxieties together, I watched a sparkly purple ball form into my hands. My face lit up with glee as I threw it into the air, watching it explode like a firework.

I couldn't stop smiling. Is this what pure happiness was? I've never felt this good in my entire life!

One after another I shot orbs into the sky, watching with wonder as they blew up. Soon, yellow orbs started crashing into them. I turned to Janus, who had two orbs in his hands and a sly grin.

"You'll have to learn to fight to protect yourself around here!" He commanded.

With a subtle nod, I formed orbs around my fists. We began to fight, throwing and dodging each other's magic. Power flooded me every time I landed a hit on the snake. Eventually, Janus surprised me. First, he threw an orb at my shoulder, which I blocked. But right after, I took a hit to the knee, making me fall.

I could feel the power drain from my bones. That rush fading away. Panting and sweating like a dog, I struggled to get back up. Janus smirked as he slithered over to me, getting me back on my feet.

"Do you like that power?"

"Like it? I love it! This is the best I've ever felt!" I cheered.

"So, would you say...you're never going to leave us again?" He questioned darkly, eyes highlighting a piercing yellow hue.

"I'm never leaving again!" I repeated happily.

"Good."