Those who lose hope
Jäwell was checking the maps and the plans Dante had just made. He scoffed in excitement as it was almost the time for action to begin. This was all about freedom, the freedom to be human again. The words of Archanium echoed in his mind, they were similar, searching to be free from their mind. They do not think about the consequences and embrace death if it comes to them. The thrill of the fight, the fear of defeat, all these emotions that were so human and made them feel alive.
When it was decided, Jäwell deployed his wings inside the room and rushed outside through the wall. He was so passionate that he didn't even take the time to use the door. The prince just demolished the black surface of the castle and flew to Tarim. He had waited for so long. Jäwell has been king and, then, prince, for centuries. He had enough to have to behave, he wanted to retrieve who he was for real and this could not wait any longer.
He missed him. This feeling of seeing someone in the mirror that was not him, and the pain of feeling alone, abandoned by his loved ones but also by himself. All of this was what pushed him to go faster, flying without even taking the time to breathe. The hope was making his heart pump like crazy in his chest.
After all, Archanium understood this need. He was not alone in his desire to be someone again, and the idea of fighting the god after returning from the campaigns was the icing on the cake. Jäwell felt respected, deeply, when Zarkhaïm and Miroïr would have done everything to stop him and trap him in a cage of politeness and protocols, Archanium was helping him to decide to assume his freedom and his true persona.
On the way, he had absolutely no thought, only the joy to be delivered from his incredible boredom was overwhelming him. The dragon was in sight in no time and Jäwell landed, almost crashing to the floor. Tarim was surprised to see him in such a state of excitement but understood quickly that the time had come.
Talim held the paw of her brother and showed concern, "Will it be painful?" She asked with a trembling voice.
But Jäwell raised his head in her direction and his tone was icy, freezing the air around them as he said, "I don't care."
The prince stood with all his strength, showing off his dominant aura. For once, anyone could see the tyrant he could have been if he wanted to. The selfish being in him was speaking, there was too much at stake for him to consider other parameters and a bit of pain was nothing compared to what he was waiting on the other side of the night.
Jäwell rushed to Tarim and didn't give him the time to think. He placed his hand on his neck and started to let the shadows invade him. Everything was dark around them and Talim could not even see her brother anymore. There was nothing else than the emptiness, the shadows had absorbed all light. Talim was taken by an incredible sadness and a great fear. She could not see her hands anymore but she heard Tarim roaring in pain.
She truly panicked when she heard Jäwell yelling furiously, "Why?! Why doesn't it work!"
Her blood froze, her brother was suffering incredibly, being taken by the shadows from part to part like a million needles piercing his body. It didn't take long before she could smell the scent of the dragon's blood. Her heart was racing, and the dark blood in her was pumping stronger.
"Tarim! Where are you?!"
But there was no answer, only the deep breath of suffering from the beast agonizing. It was common knowledge that the creatures of the night, the children of Zarkhaïm's blood, could not die, but she started to doubt. What if the dark blood could take back the life it had given? She swallowed, powerless. Talim tried to run in front of her in a desperate attempt to find her brother.
"Tarim!!!"
And there was still no answer, she continued screaming again and again until Jäwell's voice echoed brutally, "Shut up!"
Talim was living a nightmare, she stopped herself immediately. Her voice was lost in her throat and she had the reflex to place her hands over her chest, where Tarim gave her his blood to form her new heart.
The heart she was able to cherish as a gift from a beloved, the same beloved that was agonizing alone in the darkness with a monster over him trying to use him like a puppet, and she was here. Hearing the distant and weak breath of her brother, slowly vanishing into a memory.
Talim could only hear the heart in her chest beating so strongly that it was painful. Tears ran over her face and her mouth opened in distress, trying to grab some air, but even the air was hard to gather. The shadows had taken the place of everything.
"You are weak! Take it all!!!" Jäwell screamed, and this was followed by the loud noise of something heavy falling to the floor.
Talim knew her brother passed out. She felt it in her stomach, and she fell to her knees in despair. She placed her hands on the floor and tried to find something to indicate to her the direction of Tarim. Anything, any clue, but there was nothing around her.
She prayed in her mind for help, until she thought about the feather Archanium gave her. This one appeared magically in her hand and its dim light was helping her to see a bit through the darkness.
Talim stood up thanks to this new hope and she started to walk around, trying to find her position. With the light in her hand to push away the shadows enough to let her breathe and collect herself, she found Jäwell. Not exactly, she saw the tremendous shadow of Jäwell's wings on the wall, but when she came close, she noticed that Tarim was on the floor unconscious.
She ran to him and embraced his neck in her arms, there was no pulse since he was transformed and she had no idea if he was going to make it or not. Talim tried to squeeze him, then shake him, but nothing happened. She raised her wet eyes in the direction of Jäwell standing over the body.
He looked like a madman. His eyes were crimson, injected with blood. His fangs were incredibly longer than what she saw from him before, there were dark wrinkles all around his face and his hair was falling. Talim was terrified by the view. The silver claws were as long as blades, and he was panting like a demon.
Jäwell was barely recognizable. This thing was coming from the deepest and lowest bowels of the Ombrae. It was no prince, it was a creature of destruction, and Talim saw what could happen to the world if Jäwell were to lose hope.
Because this freedom was all he had left. He yelled in rage, like a man who lost his mind. A man who lost the ones he loved, who lost his reason to continue to live.
The shadows were surrounding everything, the feather of light was even shaking and menacing to shut down. Talim saw the power of the despair that was in him, understanding that someone needed to stand against Jäwell.
Talim understood the importance of Archanium and the importance of balance. No camp was supposed to have the upper hand, this was what she was warned about. When dealing with such forces, it was needed to have an exact opposite to fight them.
Jäwell turned his eyes to Talim, she trembled in horror. There was only a predator in him and she could guess easily that he was about to kill everyone and destroy everything. The former prince raised his hand, he grabbed his right wing, and used all his force to rip it out of his body.
The cry of pain that followed was a heartbreaker. Blood spread everywhere and Jäwell's pain could be heard in the whole world. His blood splattered on the walls and the ceiling, then, there was a wave of blood filling the place. Talim had the impression that the shadows were turning into the red liquid as there was way too much blood for it to come from Jäwell alone.
Talim slid under the head of her brother and tried to elevate his head to prevent him from drowning because this was what everything was about. Jäwell was flooding the world with his wrath.
The blood covered the feather and Talim was plunged into the darkness once again, even Archanium's light was not enough to guide her at this moment. Blood entered her brother's mouth as he was too heavy to be carried high enough and she quickly was swimming next to him.
She tried to speak into his ear to wake him up and fly away from here but she could not open her mouth in these circumstances.
And in the sky, Archanium shook his head in sadness, "What a shame, with you losing hope, it seems that Zarkhaïm will have to come back to kill you, little one."
Before a smile spread on his face, "I can't wait to see how my brother will kill his protegee. Maybe he will lose hope too. Who knows."
A winged woman came to sit next to him and chuckled, "Do you want wine with the show, my love?"
Archanium nodded and she went to search for a cup, he whispered with a dark grin, "I really can't wait to see how you will manage this one, little brother."