Darkening Light

The Beginning - Under Layer

Far away, in a land that no one knows, lives a family that clings to the edge of humanity. A father, mother, and two-no, now three children, cooped away in a hidden castle. Young Lilacy, just born and sleeping down the hall, was cooing in her crib with her two big sisters looking on quietly. They could hear the screaming down the hall, flinching each time a loud bang ensued. Knowing not to bother their parents, especially when father is in a mood. Lilacy started wiggling around in her crib, disturbed by the loud noises, her face scrunched and she began to whimper... The eldest, Yuuki, walks over and touches her little sisters head, soothing the child and watching the door.

~meanwhile~

     "Vladus, please no more! For the children I beg you!" A woman's voice cried out. Her name is Dream, and at the moment she is in a fairly bad predicament. She was lying on the floor, half propped up on her elbows, and scooting furtively backwards to distance herself from her enraged husband. She came up hard against a solid gray cement wall, slamming her already bruised shoulders into it. She cried out in pain. Her long, silvery-white hair lay over her face like a thin curtain, some pieces sticking together with sweat, others with blood. She pushed the strands behind her ear and let them hit the floor behind her. Her torn and bloodied knuckles clawed on the cold, rough, stone as she tried to find a leverage to get herself back on her feet...

     "Children? Devony is mine, but the others," said a man in a dark, cleanly tailored, suit as he spat on the floor, "I doubt they were ever mine!" He turned and started pacing, his leather dress shoes squeaking slightly at each turn.

     A deep look of hurt crossed Dream's face, followed shortly by rage. "How could you say that? They can only be yours. I am loyal to you, you bastard. Who else would dare touch me with the knowledge that you would have them strung up by their manliness and beaten to death? I have never been with anyone but you. Now, I don't know what is wrong with me, or maybe you, but after each child this happens. They all look a little bit like you; how stupid can you possibly be?" Dream all but yelled at Vladus. Her gray eyes flashed silver with her anger, slowly storming over at his outrageous behavior.

     He closed his eyes and raked his fingers through his thick, ebony hair, letting it fall back in wild curls. His pale, gaunt face stretched tightly over the strong, aristocratic bones. "You are only hurting yourself when you speak, Dream. How am I to assume they are mine, when only Devony has my hair and coloring? Yuuki and Lilacy are such fair haired children that nobody would mistake them as not yours, but mine?" His nose flared as he inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. They glinted red as he glared stormily at Dream. "You tried to take them from me! Did you think I wouldn't notice my blood leaving this home? I have given you everything you ever needed. Why would you do that? When you know how I am when it comes to my family, my children, you? You don't understand how much they mean to me. You just-"

     "Don't even try to tell me they mean anything to you! You just want to use them," as she was speaking, Vladus leaned down so he was eye level with her. "Just use them like you used me you bloody, vile, son of a bi- ahh!" Dream's head snapped back and collided against the wall as Vladus's hand struck out against her face. The sharp sting caused tears to swim in her eyes and her cheek reddened. Where her head had smacked there was a small spot of blood. Her hand came up to cover her cheek, and then roamed to the back of her head, when it came back with blood on her fingers she stared at Vladus. Getting to her feet with new rage she hollered at Vladus. "How dare you! Never, ever, think about coming anywhere near me again! Consider the children gone!" As she finished speaking a swirl of white wind surrounded her. After a few seconds the wind died down, and then vanished, along with Dream.

     "Don't you dare take them from me, woman! You will rue this day the rest of your life. I promise you, I will find you and the children too. I will bring them into my league of minions, and we shall conquer the world! I will have my vengeance!" After he said this, an inhuman roar escaped violently out of Vladus's throat. His head angled toward the ceiling and the veins in his neck popped out. His head dropped to his chest and he took a few deep breaths. He sat on the floor and began to meditate.

     A few minutes later, one of his men came into the room. A short, burly man, wearing a thick black robe and carrying a cane, leaned down to speak to Vladus. "They are gone mi lord. Just a few minutes ago we heard a loud crash as the vortex snapped back in to place." The minion said as he reached a hand down under Vladus's arm and helped him back to his feet. The man stared up at Vladus, awaiting his next order.

     "They left the realm. Of course she would, then again she is one of the few that actually know how to get through it. Bring me the Miser." Vladus said as he walked down the hall and picked up a couple scraps of clothing in each of the children's rooms. He called for his trackers and held out the scraps. "Smell these boys. Bring this one to me, the others I don't care. I need this one." He said while shaking a thin piece of black cloth, a ribbon. The two men took a good long smell of the fabrics, spending more time on the ribbon, grinned at each other, and disappeared in a cloud of thin, black fog.