Hunting Darkness

Chapter 13

The chanting voices. Angry. Blood-thirsty. I can't move. My arms are bound to my sides. I can't turn into goo. They must have poisoned me so I can't. I can't see. I can't speak. I struggle against the rough hands holding me, cursing viciously in my mind.

"We don't need you here, Number!"

"Just kill him right now!"

"Leave him to rot in his cell!"

These hateful comments fuel my own rage, and I try to wriggle out to strangle them all.

"Stay still, Number!" the first voice says. "It'll be over quickly if you do." His voice is gruff and harsh.

I calm down a little bit, but that only lasts about five seconds. The voices only add to my fidgeting, and the four sets of hands grab me tighter.

"I said hold still! What part of that can you not get into that stupid brain of yours?"

I growl softly, but I'm also nervous. Where are they taking me?

We stop, and I'm forced onto my knees by forceful hands, and my head is put in between two wooden slabs. Oh, shit.

"Any last requests?" the familiar voice asks. He takes off the cloth binding my mouth.

Before I can respond, everything goes black. I look around calmly, already used to the darkness and shadows. At a far end, I see a dot of light. I float calmly but nervously up to it.

"Astral, if you were to choose, would you rather the world be peaceful or chaotic?" my voice asks from the bubble.

I take a closer look, and I see Astral and me in our world. This is during the Early Years. We look so small. This was one of those moments when we didn't fight for no reason. One of those moments when we could talk about what was on out little minds calmly.

"I honestly would rather it to be none," Astral answers. "Chaos and peace must be perfectly balanced, or everything will collapse."

"Oh, I see." Hologram me pauses. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Hologram Astral shrugs. "Of course."

My mind starts to panic. This is close to the moment when my own brother betrays me. I had asked an innocent question, and he betrayed me.

Hologram me sighs. "If I think I might become a Dark Number someday, would you send me to that prison we hear so much about?" I ask quickly.

"Why?" Hologram Astral eyes hologram me suspiciously. "Are you thinking you might become one?"

"Just answer the damn question!"

I feel my throat tighten. I know what's coming up, and I really don't want to experience it again. I can't seem to move from this spot though. It's like my body won't obey what my mind wants. The feeling is terrifying.

Hologram Astral sighs and floats off. "I'd rather not. I do not like thinking about the possibility that you might become a Dark Number."

The light disappears and reappears with a different scene. It's darker than before. I watch myself sleep for a while with Astral curled up next to me. He then rouses himself, and his small yet observant eyes go blank as he stares at me. He then sneaks off, and a moment later, four other spirits enter the room. Hologram Astral whispers something to them, and they nod.

I watch intently because at this point, I'm still in my trance. The four spirits move forward to me, and Hologram Astral whispers, "Forgive me, Brother." He sneaks off.

One of them swiftly clamps his hand over my mouth and pins one of my arms down, and the other three pin my other small limbs down as well.

Suddenly, I'm in the scene, no longer a spectator. I thrash around, trying to get them off. The weight of their heavy hands on my small arms and legs hurts, and I want it to stop!

"Settle down, little one," the first one says in a soothing voice. "We only need to confirm someone's suspicions. We will not harm you if we do not have to. I promise."

I feel one powerful mind probing my own, and I can do nothing to stop them because I don't wield sufficient mental power.

"I sense it," another one, the one probing, says. "Dark energy. This one is already becoming a Dark Number. Halfway through, actually." He looks at the other three. "This one is young. His mind might freeze entirely at some random age if we do this. His mind might never mature that way. Do we dare put him in the Prison?"

My eyes widen in fear. No, not the Prison! Anywhere but the Prison! Please, don't do this! Please!

To my horror, the other three nod grimly. Another one takes out some kind of needle and jabs it in my shoulder. Everything goes black.

I open my eyes and try to move. I can't. Not much, anyway. My arms are chained above me to either side of my head, and my waist is kept in place by some kind of steel band. I'm in a sitting position with shackles on my ankles, the chains slithering to the wall. I can still move my legs, but not far. I lift my head sleepily and look around. A dark, lonely cell. Nothing to take note of. A solitary place with no one to play with. Tears come to my eyes as I realize that I'm in the Prison.

Why am I here? Just because I'm becoming a Dark Number? Just because my soul is becoming chaos? The do realize that if they keep me here, it'll only speed up the process.

I cry out in frustration and anger before blacking out.

...And they were right. My mind froze at a very, very young age. My mind never matured...and it never will...