16. Galen
I awoke with a strange sense of disorientation, as if a veil of confusion had enveloped the room. Alex's absence from my side only intensified my confusion. I searched for his eyes and his reassuring smile, but the reality that confronted me was an empty bed. A knot formed in my stomach, a harbinger of a truth I didn't want to accept. It was then that my eyes fell on the note lying on the bedside table.
I read those words over and over, as if repetition could make them less real. Why did he leave without a word? Was there something he didn't share with me? The room, once warm and comfortable, became cold and hostile. I felt abandoned in a sea of dark thoughts. After all, Alex had his priorities.
My irritation grew as I remembered the recent demon attack. We were supposed allies, destined to fight the demon hunters together.
I decided to leave the apartment in search of answers.
As I walked, my mind filled with tumultuous thoughts. I recalled the moments when dark magic gripped me, when demons whispered promises of power and vengeance. Although I craved answers, I also desired freedom from demonic influence. Every step became an act of resistance against the dark powers that sought to claim me completely.
In the silence of the city, my mind wandered through memories of a simpler life. What would it be like to simply be Galen again, without the shadows lurking around every corner? The idea of being a normal person, away from the dark secrets and corrupt magic, became a desperate longing. To wrap myself in Alex's arms without our past compromising us. However, reality insisted that release would not be easy, and the search for answers became intertwined with the desire to redeem myself.
The wind was blowing strongly, as if nature itself shared my restlessness. The city, shrouded in mist and mystery, stretched before me like a labyrinth full of dangers and revelations. At every corner, the duality of my desires collided, forming an internal conflict that I had to resolve before the shadows completely took over my being.
I arrived home looking for answers, only to find that everything automatically closed behind me, as if the doors and windows were guardians determined to keep me a prisoner of my own existence. The feeling of being trapped intensified with each lock click, like invisible chains closing around me. Claustrophobia gripped me as I watched helplessly as my home was transformed into a cage.
In an act of desperation, I searched for answers in the mirrors that adorned the walls. I faced my reflection, demons emerged among the hundreds of reflections. Their distorted figures materialized in the glass, speaking to me from another dimension. Their voices whispered seductive promises and veiled threats, creating a haunting echo in my mind.
"You have done well, Galen," murmured one of the demons, his voice echoing like the distorted echo of a dark dream. "Your fate is intertwined with ours, and there is no escape."
I was forced to contemplate my own vulnerability as the demons continued their speech from the other side of reality. Each word was like another chain adding to my sense of being a prisoner of forces beyond my comprehension. My eyes met his in the reflection, and his gaze seemed to penetrate my soul, revealing hidden secrets and deep fears.
In that labyrinth of mirrors, the duality of my existence was reflected in a distorted way. I searched for answers, but what I found was a truth more complicated than I could have imagined. Amidst the infinite images of myself, I realized that the search for redemption and liberation would not be an easy task. I faced the reality that my connection to demons was deeper than I wished to admit, and the path to the truth was filled with shadows and unknown dangers.
Their distorted figures reflected in the mirrors spoke to me softly, as if they were concerned friends. One of them, with a smile that concealed darker intentions, said:
"Galen, you have delivered the Gem, and we thank you for that. Now, you must trust us to reach your true potential."
"I cannot simply trust you after all that has happened. How do I know you are not manipulating my fate for your own dark ends? One of you tried to kill me, if it weren't for the demon hunters you hate, I would be dead," I retorted with a look of distrust.
"A minor demon who was punished for breaking the rules, don't worry Galen, it won't happen again," said another one of them, causing my irritation to increase.
Another demon, in a hissing voice, continued, "Your mission is not over, Galen. You must eliminate Alex to complete your purpose and unleash your full potential."
"I have no intention of harming Alex. I have already delivered too much without fully understanding the consequences. I need clear answers, not manipulations," I responded with determination, meeting his words firmly.
The shadows in the room seemed to intensify as the tension grew.
"Your words are like deceptive whispers in the wind. Why should I believe that you seek my welfare and not just your own benefit?", I questioned, seeking answers that went beyond the demons' skillfully crafted words.
The demons exchanged glances with each other, as if assessing how to approach my resistance.
"Galen, we just want to free you from the bonds of your past. The demon hunters killed your family, you seek revenge, just as we do," one of them insisted, trying to assuage my doubts.
"I cannot trust beings who hide the truth and manipulate as they please. I will put an end to all this. I need to find a way to break these ties that bind me to you and discover my own destiny," I declared with conviction, confronting them with words that reflected my determination to free myself from their dark influence.
The demons, sensing the threat to their control over me, intensified their attempts at persuasion. A dark aura began to envelop the room, as if the shadows themselves were concentrating on stifling my resistance. My mind struggled against the mounting pressure, as their voices echoed more insistently.
"Your fate is intertwined with ours, Galen. Do not resist the inevitable current of your purpose," one of the demons whispered, his voice now deeper, more penetrating.
The dark aura around me increased, as if each word from the demons was an additional weight on my shoulders. I felt the pressure in my chest, and my heartbeat seemed to slowly fade. The room went dark, and the feeling of being on the brink of death enveloped me.
"Do you really think you can stand against us, Galen?" another demon muttered disdainfully. "Your powers are insignificant compared to the vastness of our influence. Surrender before it is too late."
The darkness enveloped me tighter, and the feeling of suffocation gripped me. Stripped of my powers, I faced the stark reality of my vulnerability. The demons voice echoed with a more somber tone, "Surrender now, Galen. There will be no second chance for you. Choose between your loyalty or your life."
In the midst of the darkness, I felt trapped at a desperate crossroads. My thoughts became tumultuous, and the threat of death loomed over me. In a last-ditch attempt at resistance, I fought against the oppression, but the choice presented itself to me as an unavoidable crossroads: give in to the loyalty demanded by the demons or face the grim prospect of my own destruction.
In the midst of the dark crossroads, the idea of yielding to the demons was unbearable to me. I would rather face death than cheat Alex again. My thoughts turned to the night I shared with him, where I experienced true love and not an illusion. That memory became my last refuge of resistance.
"I will not surrender to you. I would rather die with the truth in my heart than give in to your dark designs," I declared firmly, finding strength in the memory of the authenticity I shared with Alex.
The demons, at my refusal, responded with a threat fulfilled. An immense pain pierced me, as if a thousand needles of shadows pierced my being. I writhed on the floor, feeling the darkness consume me from within. Every fiber of my being shuddered with torment, but amidst the pain, the clarity of my choice remained steadfast.
"You will die for your stubbornness, Galen," the demons whispered, their voices echoing like a ghoulish echo in the abyss of my suffering.
In the midst of excruciating pain, my mind clung to the truth I had chosen. I preferred to face death with the integrity of my love for Alex, rather than submit to the dark machinations of demons. In my final moments, I remembered the authenticity of that special night, knowing that my decision, though painful, was an act of resistance against the shadows that threatened to envelop my essence.