Chapter 096 – Darkforce Dimension

[2009 – August]

Stepping through the portal, I was directly engulfed in a dense fog of Darkforce, the sinister, light-devouring energy trying to slither its way into my body through every pore and orifice.

And yet, I was calm as I simply turned my palm and created a barrier around myself that solely aimed to expel the Darkforce inside it, easily pushing back one of the most ravenous and dangerous forms of higher energy that existed in this Universe.

Walking a few more steps while looking around, I saw absolutely nothing but darkness, as no light existed in the Darkforce Dimension. Even the portal that the Ancient One created wasn't visible anymore, seemingly having been swallowed by the endless surges of dark energy.

Thankfully though, I could sense its existence through my Extrasensory Perception, so I would have no problem going back to Earth, not to mention I also left a small barrier near it so I could find my way to it with ease, as I could feel the direction where my shield was located.

The Darkforce Dimension was strange though as there was no ground and neither was there a sky, the mere concept of up and down didn't really exist here, and yet it didn't feel as if there was no gravity.

It was strange, to say the least.

Still, I didn't come here to figure out which laws of physics could be applied here and which couldn't.

Banishing the barrier that kept the Darkforce away and myself afloat in this strange dimension, I once again felt the sinister darkness try to invade my body but this time I did not stop it.

I had already confirmed that my barrier could expel Darkforce in case something went wrong, though I didn't think I would need to do such a thing. A moment later, I was proven correct.

I could clearly sense the Darkforce flooding into my system trying to latch onto my lifeforce and invade my mind with its foul intentions, though it didn't succeed.

My mind was an impenetrable fortress that only a handful of beings could hope to breach at this point in time, and the only force that ruled supreme inside my body was my own will!

With Body Supremacy, the Darkforce was powerless to try and latch onto my body, draining vitality and life from my cells, as my mind would not allow it. With but a thought, my body became immune to the corrosive invasion of Darkforce, every cell impervious to outside influences.

A mind that had reached beyond human limits and a body that had reached the absolute peak of humanity. Under Body Supremacy both of these traits came together in perfect harmony, turning incredible danger into a minor inconvenience at best.

To every living being that wasn't able to naturally wield Darkforce, or shield itself from its influence, this energy posed a major threat. A normal human would be robbed of his lifeforce in moments should he dare to step into this dimension while even powerful individuals had to be careful here to avoid being corrupted by the Darkforce.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, even though I wasn't sure how it was even possible for me to breathe here, I simply stood still and reached out with my mind while two small barriers revolved around my hands.

Contrary to what the Ancient One may think, I didn't come here to find something or someone.

In truth, simply stepping into the Darkforce Dimension had already made me half-successful in reaching my goal. And now I had roughly an hour to take the last and most important step in achieving completely.

Not moving further, I simply stayed where I was as I perceived even the most insignificant changes in the barriers I held in my palms, while my mind simultaneously reached out to the one I had left in the stone chamber where the Ancient One had opened the portal to this place.

In absolute darkness and surrounded by endless sinister energy, I didn't move or speak, the only thing on my mind being the desire to succeed. Because I knew, that once I did, truly world-shattering power was only a short distance away.

…

Staring at the dark portal with calm eyes, the Ancient One didn't even try to probe into the Darkforce Dimension with her mind to figure out what Elijah was doing, as such a thing would have been a futile effort.

Even with her power, she could not hope to extend her senses further than a few meters into the fog of Darkforce, as the nature of this dimension simply did not allow for such, Darkforce itself acting as a veil that obstructed and corroded one's senses.

Turning towards the young woman that hosted the Phoenix Force in her fragile mortal body, while she simultaneously kept the portal active and stable, the Ancient One saw that the girl, while worried, did not seem anxious.

It seemed that she either did not know what Elijah was doing in the Darkforce Dimension, or she knew but was sure that it wasn't anything too dangerous.

"Miss Grey, can you tell me what it is that Elijah is looking for in the Darkforce Dimension?", the Ancient One addressed the beautiful young woman, thinking that she might be more willing to tell her of the young Frost's goal.

Looking at her with a complicated look in her bright green eyes, the young girl sighed quietly before shaking her head and replying with only a few soft-spoken words: "He is looking for power."

Furrowing her brows at this rather unexpected, yet vague answer, the Ancient One inquired further: "What kind of power?"

…

Facing the question of the powerful sorceress, Jean couldn't help but think back to what Elijah had told her about his goal of visiting the Darkforce Dimension.

She knew that her love had planned to empower himself greatly and that this was only one part of this goal. And while the dangers of stepping into the Darkforce Dimension were minimal at best, considering how carefully Elijah had planned his actions, Jean knew full well that he had only chosen this path because he was unwilling to see her hurt.

The threat of Apocalypse had reinforced Elijah's desire for strength greatly, and she had sensed his anger at the fact that he had to endanger her to eliminate the immortal mutant.

And while Elijah wasn't reckless or impatient in his pursuit of power even now, Jean knew that it was his fear of being unable to protect her that had made him choose his current path.

It pained her to see her love worried, burdened by his visions of the future, causing her to resolve herself to gain control over the Phoenix Force as soon as possible so that she would have the power to lighten his burden.

Gazing at the sinister-looking portal, Jean answered the Ancient One's question quietly.

"The power to kill immortals."