Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

Chapter 19: Still A Friend? Or Now A Foe?

Eric

South Park has changed. It is an obvious fact Eric noticed as soon as he stepped foot back into this small town. His bleak, red eyes look up at the sky. The dark grey clouds have cast a sinister feel into the air, however he's not perturbed. He looks away, staring down the street. Even though his hometown looks desolate, he's still calm-an expression perfectly disguising his worry.

At first, Eric only returned with the intent on joining in on the fun that was happening near Kyle's house, but now there's one place he has to go to before that. He may have abandoned her for the past week or so - he lost count of the days at some point - but he had no choice after what he did, or more accurately, what his Inner Guardian did.

Eric takes off into a light jog, allowing his feet to guide him to his house as if they have a mind of their own. He's not familiar with this part of the neighborhood, or it only appears that way to him because he's been away from home for so long. Either way, he continues up the road, not stopping until he spots a green house with a black car in the driveway. As he glances at each empty sidewalk in the process, he recalls the information Zerphy told him regarding the behavior of people corrupted by a Being of Darkness. She said that they become loyal, brainless tools for the Dark Master, and it is easy to descry who's been corrupted. They'll have dark green eyes without pupils. But there's a reason why the Dark Master wants to acquire such pawns, and it's to hasten the approaching darkness. Each corrupted human that spreads their infectious Dark magic to other humans decreases the unspecified number of years the darkness is anticipated to reach earth. Eric expected to see a crowd of corrupted people when he arrived here, but he saw nothing of the sort. He was kind of letdown.

"Zerphy?" He asks in his mind.

"Yes?"

"Can you sense if someone's been corrupted by the Being of Darkness?"

"Yes, And You Want To Know If Your Mother Has Suffered The Same Fate As Most In This Town, Correct?" Eric responds with a nod of his head, his lips straightening into a thin line. "Well You Can Rest Assured, She's Still Fine...To Some Extent."

Eric makes a puzzled face. "What do you mean?"

"Instead Of Me Telling You, It's Best You See For Yourself. You'll Know Why Then," Zerphy says, deliberately reticent.

Eric isn't satisfied with her answer, but doesn't push for an overt one. He got to know his Inner Guardian a bit more during his time in both her domain and in the woods. He did some training as well, so he could get accustomed to his magic. Zerphy is quite secretive, which Eric deems very irksome. He gets that there are some things he wouldn't understand, but even simple questions would give him cryptic responses. Despite that, Eric has never been skeptical of her. Not since she helped him save his mother. When he regained control over his body after they fled, he thanked Zerphy profusely, oblivious of the aftermath his Inner Guardian left behind...

Eric slows to a stop, his body heaving with heavy pants. He turns to face his right, looking at his house. Having caught his breath, he walks to the front door, his heart still pounding. His feet feel as though they're trudging through mud with each step. When he finally reaches the porch, he frowns hesitantly at the door, suddenly feeling like a stranger. He's never been away from home for so long, it left a foreign ache within his chest.

"Eric, Take A Deep Breath. Relax."

Eric calms his nerves by doing as instructed. He reaches for the doorknob and turns it. It's unlocked. He frowns again, feeling a sense of deja vu as he pushes the door forward. The first thing he's greeted with is darkness, the outside brightening the inside to a small but helpful degree. He enters the house, lightly shutting the door behind him. As his eyes adjust to the dark, he bends down to take his shoes off, but quickly stops himself. He's not here to stay. Balling his hands into fists, he leaves the front and heads towards the living room. He pauses in the entryway when he spots a figure sitting on the sofa, about to summon his knife until he recognizes whom the person could be.