Kai had been correct — Thorn had wanted him to do something else. Kai was standing before Thorn, gaping at the tall man.

"You want me to fight someone?" Kai repeated breathlessly. "Really? I'm only ten..." He tried to keep the tone of his voice respectful, but that was hard.

"Don't worry," Linda said suddenly in his head. "He's making you fight someone pretty weak. But remember, Kai ... it's kill or be killed." She didn't say anything else after that, making Kai's stomach churn. He glanced back at Linda, who shook her head and looked away.

Kai looked back to Thorn, who was nodding at him.

"That's exactly what I said," he was telling him. "Don't worry, Pet, she won't be hard to fight."

She? Kai's mind exploded, and he felt panic turn so sharply in his stomach that he felt sick for a moment. Who's 'she'?!

"It's not Abby, or me," Linda said, deciding to come back into his head. "It's a random girl he picked up. Kai, I'm serious. It's either her or you. You can't save the one your fighting. Not here. Kill or be killed. That's how things work around here. I don't want either of you to die — I don't want anyone here to die — but that doesn't work here. I would rather it be you than her." Again, she stopped talking.

Kai shivered. She was right. It was him or her. One of them had to die. But ... he'd seen too much blood and death ... he didn't want to kill her or anyone. He already knew it was affecting his mind.

Thorn clapped Kai's back. "Come on, let's go get your opponent." He kept his hand on Kai's back and led him down to a cell that was occupied by a little girl crouched in the corner.

She was shivering in fear when they approached. Her eyes were red, as though she had been crying. She looked to be about eight or nine. Her brown hair was cut down to her shoulders, and her skin was pale.

She jumped up and retreated to the far back when Thorn got closer with Kai. "No," she murmured. "Leave me alone. Go away. I don't want to! I hate you!"

She sounded on the brink of hysteria, Kai observed. He wondered if she was being driven insane in this place, and regretted thinking it immediately. He almost expected Linda to show up in his thoughts and say "Yes, she has been driven insane.", but nothing happened.

Kai shivered as the girl wrapped her arms around her middle. Thorn chuckled and let go of Kai, advancing toward the cell. The girl screamed and seemed to try to sink into the wall. Her eyes darted back and forth as she retreated to the back. 

Thorn opened the cell and she tried to run past him, but he grabbed her with a firm hand. "That's a no no," he said to the girl, almost whispering in her ear. She tensed and stared at Kai, her eyes pleading for him to help her. 

I don't want to kill this poor girl, Kai thought, wrapping his own arms around his middle. She doesn't deserve it. Kai backed away, shaking his head and trying to tell her that he didn't know how to help. 

The girl kept staring at him, then tears started to fall down her cheeks. "I'm going to die, aren't I?" The question sounded rhetorical, so Kai didn't answer. "I'm going to die." She said it over and over, as Thorn started to pull her along. 

Kai reluctantly followed, his insides burning. He didn't want to do this. Why did Thorn make him do this? What was the purpose? How could any human being find pleasure in two people - kids! - fighting to the death?

"He's not a human being," Linda said to him. "He's a Dark spirit. Created by The Dark Lord, who rules the whole realm of the Darks, called the Abyss. Thorn is only inhabiting a body. He's really a spirit that came directly from the Abyss."

Kai felt another shiver ripple down his spine as Thorn threw the girl into the center of the arena and ordered Kai to stand with her. Kai did as told, unsure of what else to do. 

"It's you or her." Linda's words from before echoed in his head, and he couldn't stop thinking about them. He knew it was him or her, but he didn't want to kill her. She didn't deserve it. 

"Think about it, Kai," said Linda. "You'll be putting her out of her misery. I hate to put it that way, but there's almost no other way to say it. I don't want you to die."

Kai closed his eyes and took a long, shuddering breath. Linda was right. He had to do this. 

When he opened his eyes, the girl was on her feet, and a dagger was in her hand. She was eyeing Kai with crazy eyes, and she bared her teeth like and animal, arching her back. Thorn had given her a weapon and stepped away, while people that Kai hadn't noticed before sidled into the seats above the cells. 

Suddenly, the crazed girl lunged at Kai. The startled boy leapt aside and she tumbled onto the sand, only to jump back up again and whip around. She jumped at him again, and once more, Kai easily dodged. She wasn't that hard to miss, but Kai was hesitating. 

Again, he felt another surge of panic. He didn't want to do this! 

But he had to. He had no other choice. He didn't want to die yet. He had promised Abby and her family that they would get out, together. 

With an angry shout, Kai ducked under her jump. He kicked up his legs and plowed one foot into her gut. She screamed in pain and crumpled to the ground. Kai jumped up and circled her with a newfound fury. 

Kai outstretched both hands, concentrating as the girl struggled to catch her breath. A blade appeared in each of his hands, and he crouched down to run at her. 

Just before he could, she suddenly got to her feet and rolled to the side. Getting to her feet, she held the dagger with both hands. She lunged for Kai again, and swung her arms down. The knife sliced Kai's shin, and the boy screamed in pain, but didn't give up. 

The blade from one hand found its way into the girl's arm, almost cutting it clean off. She wailed in agony and stumbled backward, but stayed upright. Her crazy eyes drifted off to Kai's left shoulder and she suddenly smiled. She'd found his weak spot. 

Panicking, Kai threw his other blade at her. Before she could jump at him again, the dark sword plunged into her chest, knocking her backward. She fell to the earth with a soft thump and went quickly and completely still. 

Kai stood up straight, panting. The reality of what just happened crashed on him like a tidal wave. He'd just killed someone. He had just killed someone. He couldn't believe himself. What had taken over his body? 

Kai turned away, gagging, as blood started to pool around the girl. Flashes of his mother's death came right back to him, and even more blood and death were added to it now. He closed his eyes and let the blades dissolve. His shin was throbbing with pain, and when he looked down at it, he had to look right back up. 

Where was Shintaro when he needed him? That man seemed to know a lot about helping kids with problems. Kai shuddered and felt his legs give way. He collapsed to the dirt and gasped for air, sadness and pain filling his heart. He reached up and clutched his head. He hated this. 

Someone make it stop! he thought, hoping that Linda could hear him. He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his upper body over his knees. What was wrong with him? 

"Kai!" Linda's voice cried in his head, sending piercing pain through it. "Kai, breathe. It's alright. Try to think about something else - you're giving me a horrible headache, and this isn't good for a kid like you." She paused and seemingly winced. "Just breathe. In and out. Get it out of your head. You can do it, Kai. Calm down." 

No matter how hard Kai tried, the images wouldn't leave. He gritted his teeth to keep from screaming. He hated this! Why couldn't he just go back to his normal life? Why had Thorn chosen someone like him? 

Kai suddenly felt a dizzying rush of motion, and when he opened his eyes, he was draped over Thorn's back. Thorn was taking him back to the room. Relief and sadness washed through him. He found himself glancing back at the girl, but Thorn jostled him at the right moment before he could see. 

"Don't pass out on me, please," Thorn said, his voice actually sounding pleading. "I'll get you to the blankets, and you can conk out there." He opened the door with one hand and walked into the room, kneeling down by Kai's blankets. He carefully slid the dark haired boy off and laid him down. Moving Kai's hair out of his eyes, Thorn pulled a single blanket over the boy's body. 

Kai felt his consciousness slip away, and he let out a sigh as Thorn's face blurred and disappeared.

~

Here's chapter ten! Sorry, but I'm just a geek about physical and mental trauma. Me and my sister both are. 

... Is that weird? 

It probably is... 

Sorry! XD

Peace!!~~