Chapter 8

ALVIN

He took me to some sort of chamber that had several rune-like carvings across the walls, floors and ceiling. He explained to me that the runes helped to trap pure sunlight, which is beneficial to Lighters. As for how the runes were able to do that, he just shrugged. Taking a look around, I speak "So my possible companion will test me here?" He responds "Yes"

"Well then, where is it?" Suddenly, the runes started glowing like they heard my question. Five metres from me, something like sparks appear out of thin air and ignite. Light rays solidify and coagulate to form a somewhat humanoid figure. I turn to the side and notice that Terrence is gone. Great. Taking a step forward, the figure stretches out a hand and speaks in a light female voice "Come Alvin, It is time."

* *** *

BIANCA

Waves of anguish hit me as past memories resurface and threaten to pull me under. The first memory was the day Alvin was born. I could swear that he was glowing. Mum held him with a smile on her face and Dad was in joyful tears, shouting something about Light. I didn't get it then. I never understood what was so special about him. But he grew, and there were times when I felt like he always had this intimidating aura around him. But then they died, and I saw him as what I should have always seen him.....Not a competitor, but my younger brother. What hurt me the most was that I didn't like him, feeling angry at him for no reason. I felt depressed. But it all changed when he, a 6-year old at the time, told me that he would not allow any useless- as he said it- man to make me cry. I saw it in his eyes.....He truly cared. And when I started crying, he slapped himself, saying he was a useless man. I laughed and hugged him. Smiling, I push against the waves and break above the painful memories that threaten to leave me broken. Shoving them away, a picture of Alvin dominates my mind and I break through. Waking up, I see a smiling demon.

* *** *

ISAAC GRAVIT

Looking at the person that saved me from the collapse and in other words kidnapped me and brought me to a cursed forest to hunt Zarkians and Gimlets -as he called them-since I was to be within 2 feet of him at all times, I couldn't help but compare myself to him and see myself losing by a wide margin. With a somewhat bulky build, untamed hair and orange eyes, placed on a chiseled face along with his arms and legs that seem to be able to crush me without a second thought, I'm but a mere manservant. And he proved it by how he was able to bring fire out of his hands and kill things that looked like starved, lab rat vampires. If I had known that magic could be developed to this extent, I wouldn't have insulted the nerd at that cheap tricks store. He said he was a pyro, capable of.....well, pyrokinesis. But I knew better. "What's your stage name?" He looks back with an unreadable expression and I shrink. Pushing away my palpable fear, I repeat "Your stage name". His expression changes and he turns back to the Zarkian -as he called it-he was watching, muttering something about being a babysitter. The Zarkian gets up from where it lied on the grassy bed and looks straight in our direction. I want to scream but he covers my mouth. He whispers in my ear "Don't move or make a sound...This isn't a cheap magic trick. That thing is real. And I want you to kill it." He takes off his hand and I whisper back "How?"

He smirks "Easy, think of that dead boy and focus your anger on the unfortunate creature"

Closing my eyes, I think of him. My first and only friend. The anger and grief that was eating at my core which I pushed down rushes back. And then I feel it, some kind of current flowing from the back of my chest to my hands. Shouting to release the pent up anger, I shove it at the Zarkian and I watch in horror as it shrieks and begins to fold in on itself. The Zarkian lays on the grass, dead and bloodied, its bones jutting out in all the wrong places. He chuckles "Guess you're not so useless after all"