A Thousand Years | Bloom x Valtor

Darkar's burning soul

This is his room. Of course it is. I already came here once to confront him about Layla. It wasn't in his room but it was in this castle. As soon as I let it sink that this is his bed, I make a move to get up but he stops me "Stay." He says and he's not asking me to stay, he's giving me an order. So I stay. I wish I wouldn't have to but I'm in his room and in his bed right now. He is in advantage. He's even more intimidating, now that he looks like one of us. Normal people.

He sits down on the other side of the bed, facing me. Enough distance. Impressive. He looks at me. I look at him. Then I look away because he doesn't say anything and I don't know what to do, since his eye contact makes me a little nervous and uncomfortable. I don't know what happened and why I'm here and that's why I don't know how to act. Whatever happened brought me here and that's concerning. I know that nothing happened between us because it doesn't feel like that but something else that's bad happened.

"How do you feel?" He asks. I look at him again. Is he really asking how I'm feeling? Does he care? This must be a trap or I'm hallucinating.

"Okay... I guess." My eyes widen because my voice is raspy and husky. Not like my normal voice. More like I screamed all night. "What happened?" I ask. I know that only he knows the answer to that because if someone else would've been here, I wouldn't be here right now. He smirks. "Of course you don't remember." He says and gets a little closer. I shiver. "You came here, wanting to kill me. As you can see, it didn't work." He explains shortly and I don't understand. Why would I visit him to kill him? I would like him to disappear but I would never get up, choose violence and try to kill him. That's not how I do. "How?" I ask.

"With a knife." He answers. My jaw drops. I cannot believe that I tried to kill him with a weapon. I didn't even use my dragon fire. What woke the urge in me to stab him? That's not like me. Why am I not remembering it? There's so much that I don't understand. I don't feel like myself...

"I would never!" I say, as if I have to prove him something and convince him that I'm not that person. "You did. Well, not directly." He says and I get frustrated. "You have the shadow virus." My stomach turns when he says that. I feel like I've already heard this before but I don't know what exactly it is. Whatever it is, it must be something bad. A virus is never good. "Do you know Darkar? The shadow Phoenix?" He asks and I think about it. I do know him. I know that I know him but I'm not sure who exactly he is. "He is a Phoenix, as his name says. A dark lord, the prince of the darkness, who is behind all evil. One of the strongest. I know him personally. I can recognize everything that comes from him." He explains when he notices that I don't understand and that I'm totally confused. I'm glad he gives me details and I don't know what to think of the fact that he knows him personally, as if they're partners or best friends.

Darkar is an enemy. That's what I understand. I also understand the rest but I don't understand how his virus works but I know that Valtor will explain that to me too. "He has you under control. You are a puppet to him. The virus makes you just as ugly as him and with that I don't mean your looks. Well your looks too because you turn into a witch but it makes the worst come out of you. Your dark side. The bad Bloom. And that robs all your energy." As he continues I start to feel dizzy. Knowing that somebody else takes control over my mind and my body is scaring me. The walls start getting closer. I can't remember anything and I don't know what I'm capable of when I'm the dark Bloom. Even that term is so unbelievably awful. It's the opposite of me.

"There is no dark side of me. I'm not bad." I'm scared. He said that I look like a witch when I turn bad. It feels like I'm betraying myself and the people around me. It's hard to believe that there is something like that in me. A witch...

"We all have a dark side. Some are heavier than the others. Me for example, I'm mostly dark but I have a good side too. Even if it's tiny. No one is fully pure and innocent. Not even you. He's just using that side of you and you can't control it." I listen carefully and get irritated by how rational and calm he is. It feels like I'm talking to a friend or a mentor and not Valtor. I feel... comfortable... Is this really happening right now? Are we having a normal conversation in which he is teaching me something right now?