Chapter 20

DOPPEL ADEDAYO

I've long given up on anyone finding me. Much less rescuing me. My screams long lost in the abyss that is darkness. She comes once every two hours. Mutters something about downgraded standards and walks off, looking annoyed to say the least. But it's different today. She stares at me, looks past my broken and tattered body, seemingly gazing into my soul , her eyes shining. My body tells me to be scared, to tug at the bonds that hold me down. But my heart refuses to muster up any effort and my brain tells me it's futile. I resign to my fate as dark tendrils pull my eyes close and lift me like a doll. Something foreign enters my skin, but I'm too tired to register the pain. I lose consciousness.

GORDON FROST

I watch as I hold another dog-looking beast by its neck and squeeze until I hear a pop. I use the word watch because I'm not in control of my body. After killing that first beast, it's like I was overtaken by some type of urge. The urge came in the form of a face that looked exactly like mine. It was me and I was it, it said. Said it was my companion. Had been there from the beginning and only able to speak to me because of my growing powers. I didn't resist. Partly because I couldn't and partly because I was curious to see what it could do. And Frost showed me what my body was capable of. By the time it was true, about 20 dogs lie dead around me, their previously agile bodies now tattered and reduced to carcasses. It was scary and exciting at the same time. Now in control of my body, I stare at my hands, the blood previously sliding down my palm now floating in the air. A shock runs through my body. Ecstasy. Warm feelings bubble out of me uncontrollably. I chuckle. I could get used to this.

JACK SPLINTER

I stare at the diminishing figure of Gordon. Smiling, I wonder to myself how a subject of the Guardian trials was able to live. That explains the holes in his life recount and his compound bloodline. But enough about him, he's powerful enough to put up a fight against an Elder Zarkian. I should worry about the entity that currently has its tendril in my gut. Pulling it out, I watch as my body closes in on itself and heals. I chuckle. It's been long since I've fought a Darkane, all this trekking has made my muscles tense. Biting my lip strong enough to draw blood, I swallow. Knowing that my eyes are most likely red right now, I lunge for the Darkane. Only one of us is leaving this place alive and Zar'ra knows I'm going to be the one. Forcing my heart into overdrive, I move at a speed only achievable by a few Guardians. The Darkane are a mixture of shadow abilities and blood circulation. Me being able to defeat any one of them lies in identifying their blood core and destroying it. Otherwise, they are walking tanks. Of course, If I was a lighter, I could just blast their guts open. But well, I'm not. The Darkane, wary of my advance, swipes a tendril aiming to lash at my face. Ducking, I grab its tendril, trying my best to flip it over, but it manifests another and backhands me. I fly about four meters into the truck of a tree, cracking it. Smiling, I look at the approaching entity. I slice open my palm. Playtime is over.