Hunting Darkness

Chapter 7

When I am released from Black Mist's grip, it is more than my body. My mind is free as well, and I immediately send an urgent message. Black Mist is out of sight, but I still sense him around.

The rest hurry over to where I lay, and 11 sees to my wounds.

"Damn, there are a lot of wounds," the Healer Spirit complains.

"See to his neck wound first," 20 commands. "If you do that, 12 might have a chance."

"I know what to do!" 11 snaps. "I'm the one who heals you guys!"

I try to tell them to shut up, but I cannot breathe, let alone speak. I begin to sink into nothingness. Is this what dying feels like? So dull...so numb...so cold...

**********

I awake inside the Key alone. Where are the others? I get up to find them, and I surprisingly feel no pain. I do not mind it, though. It gives me one less thing to worry about.

As I am looking around, the scene changes, so I am not in the Key, but in the house we used to live in. I feel a sharp pain in my chest and abdomen area. I feel it, dreading what I might find. Yes, it is there. I look at my hand and find the blood is black. Again?! I thought I already went through this horror!

I begin hallucinating again. I see people being ruthlessly murdered, their screams piercing my ears. I can only see their shadows, but it is still horrifying to see the organs being ripped out and blood spraying everywhere. I back away to get away from the sight, and I shut my eyes.

A female scream. Cathy. I open my eyes and see her and another shadow. She backs away from it, trying to stay a safe distance. Then, the shadow stabs her with one hand, making her scream with pain. I cover my ears to block out the sound.

"You and I are one," it says. It comes out of the shadows, and I see an evil being that is not Black Mist. One eye is black except for the rim of the iris and the rim of the eye itself. The other is quite the opposite. More than half of his face is a purple-ish black, like a radiating bruise. Similar spot cover some of his body. He looks exactly like me in form, but he is completely different as well. His right hand is covered in red blood. Human blood. He smirks and crosses his arms in much the same manner as I do.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" He chuckles. "I'm you, silly rabbit."

The scene changes to the outside of the house. The entire place is completely destroyed

"Do you really think you're completely pure?" he asks with a sneer. "Nobody is, really." He grins. "I've been developing inside your subconscious for a long time now, and the wound your brother gave you spread the darkness and evil, so I was able to grow faster. You and I are one."

I glare at him. "That does not mean I cannot overpower you."

"What makes you say that?" That grin turns back into a smirk. He uncrosses his arms and plants his hands on his hips. "The world needs to be balanced between light and chaos. You said so yourself." His bloodied hand comes up. Clawless, yet it stabbed Cathy's heart. "But then, I don't give a fuck!" He rushes toward me, and I brace myself.

I awake with a start. Just a dream. It was just a dream. I sigh with relief when his voice echoes in my mind:

"One day, Astral. I will one day take over."

I freeze, completely terrified by the threat. Was that dream maybe a vision? It could be. I carefully get up, ignoring my wounds. Looking around, I see that they are all in their trance, recovering from the day's events. Although, if it has already been more than one night, how will I know for sure? I sigh. I settle myself in a corner of two intersecting gears and curl up there. Now, I will not be such an easy target. I close my eyes and let the trance take over.