41 The Haunted Past

Xavier

When I finally regain consciousness, I was leaning against a tree at the edge of the bloody clearing. Epoch stood over me, concern in his eyes.

"What happened?" My throat was extremely dry. It hurt to talk, a metallic taste was overpowering in my mouth.

"Just remain calm." Epoch said as he lifted me to my feet.

"Why?" I barely croaked out the word. It was now I realized what was wrong. I had two arms, one draped across Epoch's shoulders and one holding my side. I looked down, horror filling every atom of my body. A black, leathery arm was there. The pointed tips were digging into my flesh, bits of black blood rolling down.

In shock, I push away, stumbling to the floor. My other arm was black. I stared into Epoch's bright gray eyes, looking at the reflection of a black thing. Yellow dots were centered in the shape. "What am I? What happened?"

Epoch never answered. Someone else did. "You are now… Kalakrath." It was inside. Inside my head.

"Get out! Get out of my mind! I am Xavier Nightrider. Xavier Nightrider." I screeched at the top of my lungs. Clutching the sides my head, stumbled away. Into the forest.

The voice protested. "Go back. Kill him. He did this to us." On and on and on and on, the voice droned on. I wanted to die, to stop the voice. I brought my sword into my chest, only to have the blade shatter against my chest. "No, no, no, no, no." I could only wallow in despair, heading deeper and deeper into the woods.

From behind, Epoch watched in hopelessness.

Solskin

I listened to Epoch with almost contempt. In my mind, Epoch was just a cohort of a vile monster. These demons had caused so much suffering. Xavier is one of them. He didn't deserve my trust or my sympathy. He deserved to die.

With this mindset, I practically ignored the entire story, storming out the room as soon as it ended. It only made me angrier. The monster that killed Erik was by my side. I looked up to It. Blood boiling, I walked outside into the cool night air. I am going to find him and make him pay. I will kill with my own blade. For Erik, my true hero.

"Now, where is that bastard!"

Persephone

I had the complete opposite reaction of Solskin. While the story caused his face to go to a violent red and to storm off into the night, I felt sympathy for Xavier. He was a man of unfortunate circumstance. A man who made a hard choice and now had to live with it. It just didn't feel right to blame him for everything.

I felt like that is what we owed him since he save our lives more than once. I stared at Epoch for a while, a long silence falling over the room.

"You should probably chase him down." Epoch was the first to break the long silence.

"Probably." I replied before turning to leave myself. I quickly caught up to the angry form of Solskin, bracing myself for the long argument ahead.

??????

The hunt is over. My prey stared directly at me. As fast as I could, I charged towards them, pulling out my sheathed knife.

"Watch out!" Vrak jumped back. He began chanting a spell. However, I moved too swiftly, covering the distance within a few moments. Shiraa raised her hand and blasted me away with a gust of wind. Slamming against a bookshelf. Books fell off, creating a cacophony of crashes. Now, every mage has become my enemy. Throwing my knife, I caught Shiraa off guard, who was preparing her next spell. The knife planted itself inside her gut. She quickly collapsed to the ground. Savah screamed, "NO!"

I got back up, charging at Vrak. But, he had finished his spell. Bracing myself for the worst, I was ready to meet anything. A bolt of lightning, a summoned monster.

I continued to charge, pulling out my knife on the way there, throwing caution to the wind. Vrak looked at me, his eyes glowing with spite and courage. His eyes were literally glowing with red flames. His body wreathed in flames, ready to fight me head on.

Bringing up my knife, I sunk into a primal state, kill or be killed. The struggle was brief, but agonizing. Flames blazed across the room, forcing everyone away, including Savah.

He watched with a quiet stillness, like he knew what will happen, as if everything as playing along a script written long ago. It was unsettling, i wanted to stare at him instead of fighting his father

Meanwhile, Vrak's eyes remained fierce, clinging onto life. Up until the blade went through his throat. I don't remember what happened in the fight. Everything a just a flash of vibrant colors and red haze and his eyes. His goddamn eyes.

Using Vrak's body to cover myself as I ran through the flames, I barely escaped with my life. Burns ran up and down my torso and legs. But, I limped to safety, waking up days later in the Three Kings base.

Vrak's eyes haunted me. I had ended a life. With my own hands. The guilt was beginning to seize my mind, preventing me from doing anything. I had to move beyond this somehow. Emmyth's life depends on it. I will save my brother if it is the last thing I did.