Act I: Chapter 1

"You could afford a really nice house, in the center of the empire!"
-Drake, The Haunted episode 1: Reunion

***

Drake's point of view-

I have been to h**l and back, perhaps not physically, as far as I am aware, but my mind has seen it's horrors. I have seen things that are enough to drive any human insane. Even as the years past, nothing could keep me from seeing those white orbs in the dark whenever I close my eyes. My mind continued to struggle in order to comprehend my new life free from that demons control.
My family, my friends, I love more than the world, yet at times it feels like it is too good to be true. I still see them, bloodied and battered to the point where they looked like walking corpses. In my nightmares and waking state, like hallucinations. It is nothing new, as I have had those phantom images in my head for as long as I can remember, but after being tortured until my sanity was strangled, they have gotten worse. The images, the nightmares, the voices. No lucid dreaming nor magic can ever fix those wounds.
Eight years since I was freed and became almost all powerful, and ten since I lost my mind. I should have healed by now, right? I should have moved on by this point of time. Everything is fine. Everything is fine!... So why do I still see those eyes in the dark? Why do I still hear his voice or see my friends die?! Why do I still feel so anxious yet numb simultaneously? Why can't I move on?!
I open my eyes, the fear and frustration and anger draining away from my system. I feel nothing. My vision is covered with a blanket of a pearly white haze, a color that I have grown to secretly despise, a ringing in my ears slowly developing into something more. Screams, crying, voices. His laughter.
Images flashed before my vision, panicked faces, bloody corpses, buildings going up in flames. All of different people and different places that I found to be familiar. Then everything began to calm down in a single setting.
A rhythmic drum beat cycled through my ears, the repetitive pounding getting louder and more frequent. I knew better than to believe that it was real. I knew better than to believe that it was my own heartbeat thumping in my head, since my own heart had not made that lively sound in years.

It's not real...

I couldn't care less. Lucid dreamer or not, I could not control it. Did I really desire to? I was intelligent enough to know real from fake, or at least I would like to believe that intelligence actually played a role in determining fact from mindful fiction. Where was Lalea to pull me out of this? I did not care at the time, my mind lost in the past.
My vision began to settle, allowing me to fully take in what I would rather not gaze upon at all. Blood smeared on the walls and bodies were scattered across the slim streets of the city. I took in the agonizingly familiar screaming and the crackling of burning embers rising from the blazing rooftops that hovered above me. Smoke rose from the buildings, orange flames spewing from the windows and doors from every building that the eye could see.
Dark smoke and ash clouded the sky that glowed in a bright amber hue against the black of night. I had seen this all before. Time and time again. I had nothing left to feel for it; the destruction, the death. I felt too numb to care about the people running and screaming, begging for mercy and saying that they were not ready to die, nor anyone else in this kingdom destined for d**nation. All of them are as good as dead anyway...

It's not real...

I looked to the lifeless eyes before me, my own fist wrapped around her neck as her life force coursed down my arm, absorbing into my own body. And d**m it...it felt good. I let her corpse fall, no concern nor empathy whatsoever. Even as I looked down at my bloody hands and my blade dripping with liquid scarlet, I felt nothing. I knew that I should have felt something...but I had forgotten what it was like to care long ago.
In the back of my mind, perhaps I was just a bit shaken. How could you not when you watch someone die a gorey death? How could you not when it's your hands committing the slaughter? And yet, it was like I could not afford to feel a thing. This was just one out of many so why give a d**m? I have seen war, murdered so many and did not care. Mercenaries, bandits, soldiers, innocent civilians all alike...my own friends and family...I have murdered in cold blood. Why should I feel sympathy now?

  Is this real?

Then that forsaken hue of pure white flashed before my vision, the heavenly color being the only thing I could see before it faded away, leaving me in a room with red walls that dripped with thick crimson and flames that gnawed at the walls relentlessly; never extinguishing. I sat on my sore knees, wounds and blood covering every inch of my slender body that was held captive by semi-transparent black chains. Herobrine stood over me, that sick smile plastered on his face. I don't even know how to describe the torture. No mortal can comprehend it. And I screamed, begged for help. But I gave up. I should have given up long ago.
I saw my own death, the magic destroying nearly everything around me, collapsing to my side as everything drained away from my being, consumed by unworldly agony. I died, but my soul never left. A spirit held captive by its own corpse.
I saw the portal, I saw Armen standing there, pain distorting his face as his blade pierced through my body under Herobrine's control, only able to get a few words out of my mouth before it all went black. I had begged for death for so long, desired it above all else aside from the safety of my family. Yet, I did not know if they were dead or alive, and frankly, I did not believe that they were alive. Without them, and with my mistakes, I felt that the world would be better off without me. Why death did not find me that day, perhaps is another consequence to my actions and decisions. I should not think that way...why do I feel so hopeless now?

You will never be free.

"Drake!" Lalea...I can hear your voice. Where are you?

Everything changed once more, a setting I had seen in my dreams before. The trees were tall, towering over everything. The clouds were dark, the smallest of water droplets raining from the sky, so few that it was barely noticeable. I was in a wide clearing, massive stones before me, one smaller and older than the rest. The engraving tightened my chest. Luke's grave...and it was accompanied by many others, too vast for me to count.

"I am sorry Armen, but I have to do this."

I turned around, spotting Armen's spirit. He stood with another person whom I did not recognize. He was a blur, his voice so distorted that my ears rung each time a word left from his mouth. He flashed and morphed as if he were a glitch on a computer program. Yet with that agonizing distortion, I knew who it was; myself.

"I'm sorry... I will see you soon!"

"Drake!" Armen screamed.

I had no idea what was going on, yet I was filled with panic. I reached out my hand, trying to stop myself from whatever the h**l I was planning that had my brother so horrified. Then I stopped. Had this version of me found a way to be claimed by death? Was this all just my broken mind playing tricks? After all, none of this made sense. Just before the fingers of my dream self clicked, it all froze. Everything began to shatter like glass, and once again I was on my knees in that netherrack room.

No. No. No. No! No! No! Please get me out of here!

"Drake!"

I look up at Lalea walking down that dark hallway. Her face shifts and distorts, staring at me with pure white eyes, a gut wrenching smile and blood covering her body.

"YoU acTualLy tHought you were free!" Her voice mixed with Herobrine's, turning completely into the demon's as his image shifted his own.

I was completely overtaken by fear. I panic as I thrash around in my bindings, unable to escape, screaming and crying for him to leave me alone. Everything fades to white, and the fear grows without reason.
...

My eyes shot open, my face and bare chest drenched in my own sweat as I shot up in my own bed. He did not hyperventilate as I seemingly snapped back into consciousness, oxygen only being a mere pleasure to stimulate the brain and no longer a necessity for my body to live. Goosebumps rose from my pale, cold skin as terror flooded my mind, leaving my thoughts as a jumbled, staticky mess.
My eyelids fluttered as I rapidly blinked, scanning my visual surroundings after adjusting to the darkness, though I was perfectly capable of seeing in the pitch black of darkness with night vision that I had naturally, strengthened after my resurrection. No light came into the room other than the faint moonlight from beyond the window.
The sharp claws of my left hand dug into the milky white sheets and queen sized mattress of our oft bed, my chest filling with pressure from almost overwhelming anxiety. My tongue clicked in my dry mouth as I attempted to collect some saliva to moisten the dry walls of my quivering maw. The muscles in my upper body felt tight but lacked a feeling pain, tendons and ligaments seeming to clench with fear and dread.
My eyes looked up at the light blue canopy and curtains that hang down, then at the blue sheets over my slender yet abnormally long legs, silently pleading that I would not fall back into a nightmare to witnesses nothing but death, to feel nothing but...emptiness. Void of all emotion. My body trembled, sweat leaking from the pores of my skin that had no reason sweat. Even tears slipped past my eyelids, slowly running down the corroded dark and smooth pale halves of my Enderman and human cheeks.
I closed my different colored eyes and continued to claw at the sheets, letting myself adjust to the surroundings I greeted as I took in deep breaths of air. My body fell back down and sunk into the mattress, relaxing as much as I could get myself to. I had no need for sleep but it often made me feel more human than what I had become, even if the feeling of being alive...often was far from worth it.

Now I remember why I don't sleep.

Besides, it made Lalea more comfortable. In the early days when we began to live with each other, she had nightmares all the time that I took away with my abilities. She'd wake up anyway, too scared to fall asleep in fear that I would be gone when she woke up, as if my freedom was just a dream. How could I turn her down? After all, I know that same fear more than anyone, that constant feeling that everything I loved would vanish with a blink of the eyes.
I was tired of waking up in fear and needing to look around just to be sure that everything was real. It always took a few minutes before I reluctantly accepted that I was in fact conscious and not trapped in one of Herobrine's sick and twisted illusions.

"Honey, are you going okay?" My eyes opened up, my body feeling lighter from the calming sound of her voice. "I felt that you were in distress, at least for a little bit. I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

For a moment the anxiety spiked then slowly became more eased. I shifted my head to face to my left, eyes immediately resting on the form of a woman sitting aligned beside myself. A small grin lifted, forming dimples on my cheeks.

"I'm fine, love. Thank you for caring, but...I'm okay." I lied. I've gotten better at it.

Her eyes stared at me with worry before she let out a short yawn as she rubbed her puffy eyes with dark rings circling them. Her bright lapis hair was unkempt and her skin was somehow more pale than it was while she was awake. Her gorgeous blue eyes shimmered as they fluttered open, light from the white moon gently hitting them for the first time in the early day. I loved that sight so dearly.
It had been under eight year ago since we were married, and over ten years ago that we began our relationship. Even in my absence for that year between, I still could not believe that she had never lost her affection for me. Sometimes...I wonder if it would have been better if she had.

"Anyway, good morning m'lady." I greeted with a half hearted giggle, my voice deep voice smooth. Lalea often called it soothing. "Sorry that I scared you. And woke you up."

She yawned and sat up, giving a shrug with her slim shoulders covered by the white fabric of her nightgown as she rubbed her eyes. "It's not your fault. It was about time that we got up anyway."

I sat up, looking to the dream catcher hung up on the wall over our bed. Why did it never work for me? Sometimes I felt impulsive to tear it down but I knew that it helped Lalea, so that I would not do. Even so, why must I be cursed with these nightly horrors?
I let out a huff and looked down at her hand planted on the mattress, mismatched eyes resting upon the golden ring with glittering diamonds and a bright moonstone as a centerpiece. The rings that we wore allowed us to connect with one another within dreams, as well as represented our vows in holy matrimony.
I simply smiled and wiped beneath my right eye to get rid of the cold tears. She leaned closer in towards me, her small hand moving over to my face.
I flinched and pulled away, sensitive about anything coming near my eyes. It was something that I had grown to be anxious about and uncomfortable with after what I had been through all those years ago. Even when it was a gentle touch from my beloved, the sensation brought back memories that pained me and made my eye twitch. I never told her.
After a moment, I craved her touch. Her soft hand gently stroked my cheek, bringing a purr out from my throat. The sensation of her skin and warmth allowed a small amount of relaxation to cloud over the anxiety. I whimpered and looked away, knowing that my cheeks were blushing from the small warmth that rose in my otherwise ice cold skin.

"Do you want to talk about it? Your dream?" She said was a voice like silk, inching closer to keep me calm as her arms wrapped around her legs that pressed against her chest.

I chuckled and sat up again, lifting the sheets off of my body. "No...I'm fine. Just the usual."

She rolled her bright eyes, myself seeing her do so out of the corner of my peripheral vision. Even then, I still thought of it as attractive.
I snickered at her and smiled before turning and swinging my long legs over the bedside. The bottom of my clawed Enderman feet touched down onto the soft royal blue carpet lined with gold thread beneath our bed, pressing down on the soft material as my nine toes playfully tugged at the fibers. I used to have ten toes, but that was the same story as the needle in the eye incident that occurred years ago.
It was a scarring experience, being held prisoner and forced to comply to demands. Even with nothing given to comply to, I was subjected to pointless experiments. Or at least they seemed pointless to me. They had tried to break me by any means necessary, including limb amputation, along with that my imperial captors had tried to create other beings like myself that all met with failure. My Enderman ear twitched at the unsettling memory that sent a chill down my spine. I waited until I relaxed again.

I stood and walked over to the wardrobe, continuing as I opened it up. "It's still late. Go back to sleep, dear."

Her brows were furrowed as she adjusted her sitting position on the bed, crossing her legs. "Oh...okay. Are you sure you don't want to come back and try to sleep some more?"

For a moment I thought about it, but the memories of the dream kept coming back. I shook his head. "No... I'm good. Just get some rest."

I wished that I could sleep, remembering how peaceful it was once upon a time. It did make me board overnight without unconscious rest, which was not a good thing considering my overactive mindset.
Lalea sighed and reluctantly laid back down, pulling the sheets over herself. I knew that she wanted to convince me to go back to bed, but she was aware that her efforts would inevitably fail no matter what was said nor offered. I was as stubborn, if not more than when we had first met.

"Okay." She let out a soft murmur. "Just...take it easy Drakey. Try not to wake Landen."

I smiled, the mattress lowering and springs squeaking as I briefly crawled up and placed a kiss on my wife's cheek, making her giggle.

"Get some rest. Laden and I will be fine. Love you." I gently stroked her arm with her blue hair spilled over it.

She still seemed to be worried."...Your men that were deployed west...when are you going to join them? An army needs their commander after all."

I could hear the concern, almost fear in her voice. I pushed myself closer to her, our shoulders touching as I took her hand. "It's going to be alright. Even if I am sent out soon, you know that I'll be okay. That's a promise I won't break."

Promises mean nothing.

It warmed my heart to see her smile return, giggling. "Okay." With that, her lips quickly pecked my own.

After giving out a weak giggle, I got off of the bed and went back to our wardrobe, passing the vanity. I growled as I caught a glimpse of myself, the complexion of my body arising memories that I wished would remained repressed. Though I passed this everyday, I kept myself from having a panic attack by having my torso, arms, and even legs from the knees below wrapped in bandages. My shoulders were left exposed, showing the scars that I tried desperately to keep out of the thoughts of my mind.
The scars covered my neck and face as well, less visible on my Enderman side but still noticeably present. We all had our scars, both physically and mentally. I ripped my attention away from it and went to the wardrobe where Lalea and I's clothes were organized into our own sections, all neat and tidy to avoid confusion, although most of her attire was feminine so that was unlikely to occur.
I searched, pulling out my usual working uniform; a commander's attire. It was different than what normal commanders wore, as theirs consisted of long coats and big hats with feathers. Mine on the other hand was easier to maneuver in. The pants were black with dark purple running down the sides, two red straps crossed on either side. I put on my royal blue buttoned up shirt, followed by my red scarf to tie around my neck to hide the bandages that reminded revealed. Next, I put on my long boots which we bigger than normal due to my long Enderman toes, then put on my somewhat interrelated jacket, a deep purple trimmed with gold.I would put my armor on later.
After doing so, my feet carried me over to the bathroom, closing the door and lighting every candle with a snap of my fingers. The room lit up, my vision adjusting almost immediately to the sudden burst of light. The bathroom was far more fashionable than most, as such luxuries were only available for those of higher class, such as nobleman like myself. There was a four walled bathtub, large mirrors on the wall before me, which have been replaced multiple times thanks to my...episodes. There was even a functioning toilet that most lower class homes unfortunately do not have.
Immediately I went to the sink, turning it on to let the cold water run. I put my hands underneath to let the water pool over in my palms, lowering my head to splash it over my face to clean the tears and gross saliva and crust. Afterwards, I turned the water off, using the handkerchief to wipe the water away before looking up an my reflection in one of the mirrors. I opened my eyes, both of which gleamed with heavenly light, my right eye glowing a brilliant magenta with a dull violet iris and the left eye glowing white with a dull teal iris. And just like everyday, my gaze averted to my left eye.

"You should be blind in that eye."

All I could hear was that ginger madman's wicked laugh in my head. "Wouldn't that be fun?" That high pitch voice echoed in the back of my mind.

I shook my head, reaching down and grabbing the brush that Lalea and I shared. I placed it on my head, allowing it to glide through my hair, brushing a majority of the brunette side over my eye, mainly to keep the memories at bay. I wanted to cover my mangled Enderman ear as well, but instead I only kept two long strands of black hair over it.
Afterwards, I snapped my fingers, putting out every candle before walking out to look at Lalea's sleeping face. I smiled, adoring her resting form and her aura that signified a peaceful slumber. I loved that feeling, knowing that she was at peace brought me to my own desired clarity. Peace was something that I often needed, and I was grateful to feel it around her and my daughter.
I went and put on the rest of my attire, fingerless gloves, golden knee pads in the shape of diamonds, iron elbow pads, iron armor on my waist, iron and gold chest plate with chain mail and straps to a violet gem in the center of my chest. Second to finally, I put on my scarlet cape, fixing my scarf to go over it.
Lastly, I put a golden earring on my Enderman ear. I found it to be too feminine for my taste, but Lalea and Endy had put a magic buff on it that is suppose to help with my emotions. Landen liked it anyway.
After placing one last kiss on Lalea's forehead, I quietly walked into the hall, light with my footsteps as to not wake the girls. As I walked down that dark hallway, a door was left cracked open, a light snore flowing into the hall. Once I was by the door, I peered through to look at my daughter, watching her peacefully asleep beneath the purple covers of her bed. My smile grew before I reached out to take hold of the doorknob, slowly closing it before...

"Daddy?"

I looked to see her sit up in her bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. I ushered her to go back to sleep. "I-I'm sorry, sweetie. Daddy didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep. It's not time for school yet."

My glowing eyes lit the room, showing her mostly pale face with a bit of Enderman skin, though it did not corrode her face as much as my own. Her pale skin also grew taner on the right side of her face before going black, her right eye a gorgeous purple and her left a dazzling blue. Her right ear was pointed and pitch black, though all of her hair was brunette aside from the roots, unlike my own. The ends of her hair were dyed blue like Lalea's, something I opposed to letting her do at such a young age but the girls were insistent and I did not want to start an argument.
She looked to me with her blue and purple eyes that lit up within the white light being cast by my own eyes. She squinted before her eyes adjusted, sitting up and staring at me.

"Are you having nightmares again?"

I turned away, scratching the back of my neck, trying not to twitch as a nervous tick. "Yeah, but I'm okay! No need to worry, sweetie." I forced on a smile.

I looked back the hall too see if we had awoken Lalea, but it seemed that she was still asleep. I told Landen that I loved her, repeating for her to get some rest for the last hour or so before she had to begin getting ready for the day. She nodded, pulling a teddy bear close to her chest, her eyelids resting over her eyes as she laid down and drifted back to sleep. I closed the door, continuing to walk down the hall until I reached the base of the steps.
Once I stood at the base, my body froze up. For a moment, a panic jolted through my being. On the bottom of the steps, was the transparent form of a boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a long hat that reached to the bottom of his back. He stared at me with a bright white smile as if he were happy. No life force, nor spirit energy, but he was all too familiar.

Armen...

I growled, shaking my head before running a hand through my hair, momentarily uncovering my left eye before I looked down to see that the illusion was now gone. Standing in his place, was Herobrine with a body covered in blood and a wide cynical grim. In a matter of seconds, he was gone as well. I huffed, continuing down the steps as my shoulder jolted upwards with a twitch.
I knew that he was not real. Neither of them were. I shook it off, turning around the corner to head into the basement to calm myself down while I waited for the sun to rise.
...

Darkness filled the enclosed room, only a dim orange glow of light flickering against the dull grey of the stone bricks that made up the thick walls. The sweet fragrance of burning rosemary slowly spread throughout the confined dwelling, drowning out the scent of toxic smoke and dust. It was quiet, absolutely silent, allowing my thoughts to flow smoothly and the anxiety tightening up my body to ease so I could finally relax.
The flames in the small bowl of bronze ate away the evergreen herbs inside, silently cracking and turning the herbs into a pile of ash. The light smoke and fragrance entered through my nostrils and flowed into my usually still lungs as I forced myself to breathe.

Breathe in, breathe out.

My eyelids delicately twitched as they laid over the eyes in my sockets. I sat on top of the stone floor, long legs crossed over one another. Candles were lit around the room, the delicate wax slowly melting with low golden flame burning away the thin wicks. The scent of the burning rosemary helped my mind relax and allow both my body and mind to enter a calm state.
My thoughts peaceful flowed, the sweet fragrance almost pushing back the fowl memories and anxieties to allow more pleasant memories and thoughts to dominate my anxious mind. My shoulders aligned with my gaunt hips, keeping my back straightened to allow my lungs more room to expand without strain. I had no need to breathe, but it kept my brain function at a stable level, allowing me to be more in control over my thoughts.
My arms were gently placed over my knees, palms faced upwards and open. Bright violent particles gently drifted around my slender form, illuminated in a calming shade of purple.

Breathe in, breathe out.

I quit taking in oxygen, not requiring it to sustain my own life nor consciousness. My eyes looked down at the floor where I sat in the middle of a wide circle made of purple chalk drawn on the stone, rune letters written around it in the language of the ancient magi.
The old basement was well kept, with lit candles hung up on the walls in black iron sconces. Two bookcases were against the west wall, one of the massive cases holding books with their covers and pages before in mid-condition and others worn with yellowing pages. They all varied in size and color, some with letters going vertically in gold or silver, some of the letters fading away on certain books.
On the east side of the walls was another case, this one filled with magic artifacts and holding a table covered in poppets. It was littered with jars of ingredients, herbs, magical artifacts, and potions. Against the staircase along the north wall was an armor stand with an enchanted iron set of heavy armor, and beside that was a table with the top covered in a layer of glass, encasing the magical artifacts inside. The southern wall hand an enchantment table, a periwinkle magic aura around the book hovering gently above it. An altar with a red cloth over it sat in front of me, with a chalice, wither skull, candles, and even a witches hat on top.
For one last time I took in a breath, only to have it exit as a slow sigh. My mismatched eyes scanned the room, lit by candle light. As I sat there embracing the silence, the peaceful rosemary scent wandered away. My limbs grew heavy, voices in the back of my mind slowly crawling back up to the surface of my thoughts.

Remember her face? All of that blood? Those bodies?

I shook my head, lowering it as I clawed at my scalp. I could have sworn that a heartbeat was felt within my chest.

You know that you've hurt her before and you were so close to doing it again, weren't you?

I shook my head as my mind once again cluttered with thoughts, the calmness my meditation had granted fading away. I clung to my head, pulling at my hair without feeling any pain, simply giving out a sigh of frustration.
My eyes open, my gaze sharp, piercing in fact with constricted pupils filled with hate, ever so slowly enlarging once again. My teeth bit into my lower lip, only feeling the pressure as they pushed down.

They aren't even real anyway. I hissed at the deep reverberated voice in the back of my head.

A figure stood before me, a large mass of darkness with a body almost dripping like slime, the only color other than a gross black being the two orbs of white evenly spaced out on what mimicked a face. An array of various colors slowly rose up from the darkness, the most vibrant being the sharp teeth and glowing light like a mist bursting from his grinning maw. The physical form took a more solid shape, looking as real as the room itself.
It formed thick clothing of black and gray with purple here and there on the various buttons and decorative gems on the attire. A cape draped over its shoulders, and hood covering its black and brown hair matted down in grease and blood. Each strand of its locks flowed in elegant detail, gleaming in the light yet dark and stiff from the substance dried upon it mimicking dried blood. A pale coloration overtook half of its near deathly gaunt face, while the other half was pitch black that resembled hardened skin, easy to compare to the small scales of a reptile.
The figure from head to toe was drenched in blood, it's face scarred and twisted. Yet I did not flinch, nor react in the slightest way. I only started with a cold gaze into the pure white eyes of the being nearly reflecting my own image. The embodiment of my own hate and fear smiled with a sickening grin that only twisted my expression even more.
My eye and ear twitched, a low growl rising in my throat. I closed both eyes again breathing in and out to relax my mind.

"You're not real! A figment of my imagination... A bad memory."

You've been saying that for the past eight years. Longer in fact. Yet I've showed you, I've let you watch them all die out in the real world, and yet still you desperately want to believe that this is all real!

"Shut up!" I screamed.

Once again my eyes snapped open, arm reaching out to aim at the apparition I knew was only in my head. My hand burst in a white light, and erupting from the ground beside Herobrine was a massive crystal made of pure white energy, thin but as sharp as a spear. It lunged forward, piercing into the demons back. A thin line of red ran down from his lips that were now hanging before slowly lifting back up. For a moment there was silence, until Herobrine let out a weak laugh and his body faded away.
Everything grew calm, Herobrine and the crystal he had summoned vanishing as if they were never there, but at least one of those never truly was. My eyes darted around, searching, waiting for that devil to show its face again.
Then he finally reemerged...

You're an idiot.

I clawed at my head, grinding my teeth as I tried to block him out. I know more than anyone how challenging it is to tune out a voice in your own head.

One day, you'll wake up in that room again and realize that all of this... He gestured to the room; to my life. ...has all been fake. Your wife, Grayson, Nathan, Mia, all of them are dead! Your daughter, she never existed.

"Then why are they still here?" Have I said that before? It sounds familiar. Everything is familiar. "It's been eight years! It's time for me to face that everything is okay. I need to let go of what you did to me."

He tilted his head, looking down at me with that smile, the white mist spewing from between his sharp, browning teeth. The figure tilted its head as it gave out a deep giggle. Isn't it obvious? The longer you believe that this is real, the more fake happy moments that I give you, the more pain you'll feel when I take all of it away. Go ahead, deny me. You're self loathing is all I need.

I tried to ignore him. Although I had gotten therapy, the sessions were not successful in drowning out my hallucinates. Everyone knew about it, that I still saw and heard things that weren't there. Everyone had learned to cope with it, including myself. Even then, I was sick of hearing the same threats over and over again. The same threats engraved into my broken mind while my body was used as a puppet so long ago.

You should have seen Armen when I did this to him! Made him believe that he was free, that he was living a happy life with you, then stripped it all away as I forced him to watch you die!

I shut my eyes tight, ringing buzzing in my ears. Was it getting louder? Yep, it was. It did not hurt, but it brought irritation and frustration. Finally my hands shot up and clawed at my head once more.
I screamed, the basement quaking with my howl. The items on the shelves rattled but I did not focus on rather or not anything had fallen to the floor. My hands fell back to my sides as I began to calm down once more. I growled, eye twitching. I repeated to myself that I needed to stay calm, frustrated with the need to repress my emotions.
I hated to ball it all up, but I was still learning to control my abilities. I knew that I could hurt someone or possibly end up destroying the building if I unleashed my frustrations, as my power offen flowed out unconsciously depending on my emotions. Due to that, I have unintentionally hurt Lalea and even Grayson before. My fingers were jittery until I finally clenched them into a fist and shook my head, images flashing through my mind of the past and my recent nightmares.

"Wow, man! You need to relax, otherwise you're going to bring the entire house down."

My head lifted and ears flicked as I turned to look at the transparent form of my brother, enveloped in a faint cyan glow. He gave off a strong spiritual energy, allowing me to know that he was no hallucination. He stared at me with a warm smile and bright, soft cyan eyes. His raven hair, which appeared almost grey in its transparency, cascaded down to his shoulders, flowing as if he were in the wind.

After turning to see the illusion of Herobrine was gone, I looked back to Armen gave a weak smile. "Good morning, Armen."

He giggled and walked around until he was standing in front of me. "Morning. It's not exactly good though, is it? You're anxious about something and...depressed. Well, little brother Armen is here to help! So, what's wrong now?"

I looked away, a soft growl vibrating in my throat. Not at him, but at the memories. "Voices and I... I had that dream again. The one with us in front of all those graves, and you screaming at me to stop from doing...whatever it was I was planning on doing."

He looked off to the side, then to the floor. He asked me if anything was different about it, and after a moment of hesitation, I told him about how Lalea came to pull me out of it this time but that I saw her face bloodied with white eyes. He seemed to chuckle it off, knowing that seeing bloody images is normal for me.

My fingers twitched as another thought came to my head. "What if I ended up hurting her again? When will I up hurting her again?! I know...I've accidentally hurt her before and I almost did now but I relaxed before I did. I...I'm tired of worrying about everything."

I paused before continuing. "I'm tired of these voices in my head. Sometimes I can't tell if they're my own thoughts or just...memories of what Herobrine used to say to me, what he brainwashed me into thinking... I mean, Herobrine is gone for good now but...the voices never left. Maybe it's just me...my own cynical mind."

He chuckled softly before I saw his smile drop out of the corner of my eye. "It's not your fault... I was the same when you were gone. I lashed out at everyone, Grayson and Xavier mostly, I had violent flashbacks, heard voices, and nightmares the few times I did sleep."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. You've told me multiple times." I glared to the floor, still filled with irrational guilt and discomfort.

My brother continued. "My point being, Drake, I understand what you're going through and I'll always be here to help you. I always have been. You know that."

A weak smile spread on my cheeks. For a moment, my negative emotions were pushed aside. "I know. Thank you."

He laughed. "You're welcome!"

"Drake!" A light voice called out for above, causing my ears to lift and attention to finally be plucked away from my own thoughts and our conversation.

I looked over my shoulder to gaze up the dark steps. That time already? Well, I probably did wake them up prematurely. My face grew warm at the thought. Finally I stood up, my knees popping as I stretching my arms over my head until my back and shoulders popped as well.
I flicked my wrist, looking around the room which was now almost completely dark aside from the light being cast from my own eyes and Armen's spirit, as my magic had extinguished all candle flame.
I spun around and went over to the wooden staircase, listening to each slab of wood creak and squeak as I put my weight on it in my ascent. I looked back down at Armen, who was staring at me with his usual bright smile.

"Why are you just staring at me?"

He giggled. "Ladies leave first!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

Armen then fade away, the spirit moving back to the peaceful spirit realm. I smiled, thinking about how much I appreciated having him around to keep me in check.
Once I reached the top, taking the handle and turning it, I pushed the door open to allow the fresh air and blinding light wash over me, though both were nothing to me. I looked down, looking at Landen who was still in her silk periwinkle pajamas. Standing next to her was Lalea, her bright blue eyes sparkling in the light of my own, long lapis blue hair waving and falling over her shoulders. She must have changed, as she was now wearing a royal regency dress with violet and pink. A purple bracelet as around her left wrist, and her usual necklace with a heart shaped gem inside thin circular golden bars, mimicking a cage.

"Good morning again, malady." My deep voice greeted, going in and wrapping my arms around her, pulling her against my chest as I leaned down and gently pressed my lips against her own.

she kissed back for a moment before pushing me away. "Honey, what happened? We heard you scream. Are you okay?"

I scratched the back of my head, letting out a deep, forced laugh that showed my nervousness. "I-I'm fine. Nightmare just...got to me. I'm okay now though! No need for the worry love." I once again had to reassure her.

Her brows lowered as she scowled at him, causing his ears to lower and cheeks to blush. I turned my head to look away from her, avoiding my beloved's hardened gaze. Her arms crossed over her chest as she began tapping her foot against the floor, making me all the more uncomfortable, my fingers beginning to twitch. She always did see right through me.

"I'm fine! Trust me!"

Lalea reached up and took hold of my shoulders covered by golden tassels with a gentle grasp, smiling up at me with her lush lips together. I was beginning to relax, getting lost in her beautiful eyes.

"It okay, Drake. It's going to be alright, like it always is. Now, why don't you come join us for breakfast! You haven't in quite awhile." Her expression shifted to one of worry with her last words.

I swallowed a lump forming in my throat. I don't want too...I'm tired of throwing up. I'm tired of knowing that my insides are scrambled thanks to that... pathetic psychopath. I kept my body as still as possible as my nerves crawled to make my spine to bring about a twitch. I shook my head, feeling guilty as disappointment washed over her face.

"Daddy, please! It will make mommy and I happy!"

God. How in the nether was I supposed to say no to that? I chuckled with my lips lifting into a soft smile. I gave in, perhaps too easily. "Fine. Say, sweetie, once school is over what do you say to continuing our practice with teleportation?"

I adored the way her eyes light up with such excitement and joy that pulled at the strings of my frozen in place heart. "Yeah! Please? I want to practice more!"

I blushed as I laughed. "So, what do you two fine ladies say to me cooking for you this morning?"

They were so quick to object. "No!"

Landen followed it with. "Last time you made bacon, it turned all black."

Lalea proceeded with, "you can make potions marvelously, but cooking isn't your specialty."

My blush must have deepened with the faint warmth growing in my neck and face, which I should not have felt naturally. "I was a vegetarian for a few years. You can't blame me!" I laughed along with them.

We shared a nice breakfast together, the usual of strawberries, bacon, eggs and orange juice. The taste was amazing, but my stomach had a different opinion. I focused on our conversation, trying to ignore my body attempting to force the contents of my stomach up. It's a good thing I'm a good actor for the most part, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep it up.

"Daddy, are you okay?"

I looked up to my daughter's worried eyes. I forced myself to smile, pushing the plate away. "I'm fine, just...anxious about today for some reason." It was not particularly a lie, but it was not the reason I refused to eat anymore.

Lalea finished off a bite of fruit, looking down at my plate, then up to me. "Drake, honey, are you done so early? You did not eat much."

I fake laughed it off as I stood up, pushing my chair back underneath the table. I could feel the pressure rising up in my throat, a burn like acid that was more irritating than painful in my case. Well, there was no pain whatsoever but that did not make me feel any less uncomfortable.

"When do I ever eat much?"

I told her that I could not eat anymore, then walked around the table to my wife, leaning down to place a kiss against her lips that leaned into my own, locked together as we held it for a few moments. I could feel the aura of my daughter shift to one of discomfort, natural for children when around displays of affection. We pulled away, a little giggle rising from the both of us.

"Have a good day, honey. I love you." She said with a weak smile but love in her eyes as bright as the moon glade over the ocean.

"Love you too. I'll see you two after school at the guild. Bring Endy, and I will see if I can find Meron if he is not already with Alexa. He usually hangs out with Nathan when he isn't with her."

Meron was no mage, but when he was with Alexa, she was much easier to handle. The two of us did not exactly see eye to eye, but she was Lalea's friend so I was willing to make omens with her, which I am still attempting after eight years of slow improvement with our complicated relationship.

"Okay. Just take it easy. Promise?" A promise? I found that to be odd for now of all times.

I nodded my head. "Of course. You don't have to worry. Love you."

I walked over to Landen, placing a kiss on her forehead and promising her that I would help her practice he magic whenever I had the chance to. She gave me a warm smile. I only smiled in return before turning away. As I went to the door, my stomach was growling with discomfort, and if I could feel pain, I could only imagine that it would be unbearable.
I opened the door and stepped out of the house, a large two story building with a sturdy foundation and eye catching design restricted for the wealthy and upper class. The sun was barely beginning to shine from the top of the buildings, the blue sky bright and lively with no cloud in sight despite the season. The air was quite frigid, but it never bothered me.
As I shut the door, my smile immediately dropped and eyelids drooped, my happiness becoming drained as I was taken by my discomfort. I attempted to push it all down and ignore it.
Sergtara, the capital of the Northern empire, one of the strongest rising kingdoms across the lands. It's buildings stood tall, glimmering in marvelous beauty as dawn light shone down upon the streets only beginning to flood with people now that the sun had begun to arise from behind the distant mountain tops.
I walked through the streets of the large city, known as the city of emeralds, or simply, Emerald city, taking the roads that would eventually lead to the palace. The streets were not as crowded as they would have been were the sun a little higher for midday, but mornings were rather slow other than children hurrying to school or shopkeepers preparing for the day. There was the sound of neighing and horseshoes clicking against the stone roads, horses pulling carriages, carts, or people upon their backs. They were extravagant with the empire, one of the most desired forms of transportation in both the empire and beyond.
I looked up at the fancy, expensive buildings lining the streets as people passed by, always taking pleasure in the scenery. It was somewhat of a place that was capable of triggering my claustrophobia, but it was all so much nicer than living next to a desert like I once had. The houses were tall, meant only for the wealthy, such as those with businesses and those who worked for the military.
I could hear the murmurs of people as I passed by, the few people around giving me glances either of awe or of disgust due to my status as a deity, or as others called me, a devil.
I had quite the reputation within the empire and all over the country, not just for being the main commander of the strongest imperial army in the country and being the emperor's right hand man.
With my post traumatic stress, I still argue with myself as to why I took that job. It's just death and murder everywhere! I wanted to break away from that, but I guess I just wasn't thinking. Or perhaps my mind lead me with unconscious intentions; this need for bloodlust that I despised yet deep in my darkest desires, I craved. That thought scared me. I want to heal, but how can I do that when I keep subjecting myself to the horrors that brought about my mental disabilities in the first place?
Due to my powers and past, I had been called many things, "the former vessel", "the devil" "savior", some even went as far as to call me "God". It never failed to make me uncomfortable.
It had been eight years since Herobrine was defeated and I was left a spirit controlling my own corpse, per say. I had no life force nor basic mortal necessities, yet as Herobrine was stripped from my body and cast back into the nether, some of his essence was left behind within me. This made me almost like a god; demigod as I preferred. My eyes glowed, but still had purple and blue color, I could use almost all of Herobrine's abilities, and most importantly, I could summon the spirits of Armen and Luke, who had tragically died to save Grayson's life.
I kept feeling eyes watching me.
The pressure in my stomach rose and rose until I could no longer hold it; no longer hold it down in my gut. My hand went over my mouth as I gagged, looking over to an alleyway completely desolate, not even a single rat scurrying around. I ran over to an empty barrel, letting the contents of my stomach spill out. Afterwards, I wiped away the saliva and tears before looking up, going stiff as my eyes met with a man who appeared to have left the carriage with a horse in order to see if I was alright.

"Sir are you..?" He trailed off, nearly immediately blurting out afterwards with, "Oh my gods! You're Drake, the god, right? Excuse me but, what are the god of?"

"Um....nothing. Sorry, sir but I am no divine being. I'm just...very unfortunate." He appeared confused.

I walked past him, but a crowd was beginning to form around the street, all of these eyes resting on me, watching, staring...thinking about me as they judge and praise or hate. I only wished that I had a hood to pull up to hide myself. I hated all of it. I hated how they called me a god, put me on such a pedestal upon which I was not worthy to stand upon.
Then, they began to surround me, shouting praises, screaming hate. All of it, being called 'lord' or 'almighty', It reminded me of the cult, calling us that while I was possessed. They may not have been speaking of me, but it always felt like they were. Torturing and killing in my name...
Then the other names, 'devil', 'unholy disgrace'. I wanted to all to stop. It got louder, and louder, and more violent. A riot was about to break out as the two side clashed, and finally I snapped.

"Enough!" The ground quaked, horses standing up on two legs as they roar, flower pots on windowsills and items on merchant carts falling over to the cobblestone road below, shattering. All grow still and silent.

I huffed, my fingers clenched into fists. "All of you, disperse! I will not allow a riot to begin! I am no god, I am not the devil, so all of you shut up!"

I opened my eyes with a glare, looking past the crowd. A light cloud of purple dust particles formed around me. My vision inverted and blurred before I found myself in the street once more, this time free from the surrounding crowds. My shaking limbs relaxed, but still held a slight tremor. Once again I held my mouth, this time seceding in keeping everything down. I sighed and straightened my spine out, looking down at my hand that glowed white and purple.
I did not want to waste energy, but I can't stand this. I snap my fingers, teleporting myself all the way to the palace.
...

Third person point of view-

The screams roared throughout the city, the sound of clashing blades ringing into the ears of all men, so loud that it was near deafening. Blood was splattered against the walls, bloody handprints, and ruby sprayed against the stone. Crimson smeared the bricks, the liquid oozing down as the messages were slowly lost.

"Hail our creator and protector."

"All hail Herobrine."

"They betrayed us! We will not fall away!"

Perhaps the most gut wrenching, was the phrase, "Corruption is spreading. He will redeem us!"

A lone man lifted his arm, pushing a ball of flaming plasma at his foe, only for it to deflect back toward its caster. He formed a shield before himself, protecting himself from the attack as it exploded upon impact. His teeth grind against each other as he was pushed back, a wave of heat rushing around his body. The sweat from his pores watered down the thick blood on his skin, slithering into his eyes and dry mouth, now filled with a mixture of a bitter and salty taste.

We can't keep this up much longer...

Suddenly, there was a movement upon the battle ground and a wave or darkness; of pure evil that slithered across the floor. The spine chilling feeling sent a rush of pain throughout his throbbing head, sinking in until he felt ill. What was this darkness, this familiar dread? Before his mind could figure it out, his eyes locked into the bodies of his fallen comrades that bled upon the ground.
What was once lifeless was awakening.
They picked themselves up from the ground, moaning and groaning with pale eyes rolled back into their skulls. No matter how damaged their bodies were, how much of their guts were spilled, they reanimated. The dead began to limp, and crawl, and he froze.
Zombies. Those had not been seen for years, not since the fall of the cult of Herobrine.
His ears and head lifted as the sound of laughter so high that it sent chills down his spine. His head spun towards the sound, eyes wide with vision blurred. He could see the cloudy images of people brawling and blood spraying, silver of iron, black of clothing, orange flames that licked building rooftops, and the grey of the streets running with a ruby scarlet. He gasped and panted for breath, vision clearing ever so slowly.
Another gasp slipped up his throat, louder with more force as fear spiked throughout his body. A man stood before him, a mask resembling a wolf covering his face, the sockets like doorways to two snake-like eyes that seemed to illuminate a reddish pink. He was covered head to toe in black clothing overlaid in a layer of thick, complex red armor covered in runes, all draped beneath a black cloak lined in red.
In the midst of the bloody chaos, the man raised his sword and charged to his opposer, surly out for blood based on the odd array of clothing that matched their attackers and the unsettling gleam of bloodlust in his eyes. He unleashed a scream, swinging his weapon just for his enemy to retaliate with a swift perry of the blow.
As they held their stances, blades pushing against one another, the warrior was able to look into his attackers cold gaze. Those eyes were not normal, not even for a powerful Mage. No. He was someone far more deranged and far more lethal. All of them were. In those eyes, were the clashing hues of crimson and the gleam of white and orange from the flames around them, making his eyes appear a near deep pink as they flicked.
No one made the first blow afterwards, as they stood in place waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, the defender jumped backwards with his arm lifting, enveloped in magic energy. As he cast a verbal incantation, a small arcane circle appeared before his hand, hundreds of bullet-like projectiles blasting forth. The man with glowing eyes did not flinch.
The defender froze in his place, not given the time to even gasp in shock. The runes upon his enemy's armor all glowed pink, then each magical projectile that he had sent out was coming back in his direction. He screamed as he tried to dodge, unfortunately unable to avoid a few that pierced into his arm and leg, two into his hip.
The energy burned the inside of his flesh, breaking bones to chew at the marrow. Tears filled his eyes at the intense agony, sword slipping from his now paralyzed arm, legs buckling but he refused to fall.

Wh-what the h-h**l? That armor...h-heavy enchantments. Not even his thoughts could form full sentences.

The warrior who defended his home saw the cloaked man's eyes twitch and pupils slightly dilated as if his face behind the mask had twisted into a sickening grin, his hand glowing bright like the universe as seen from space, sparkling and dazzling, yet by all means lethal more than anything. He readied to jump back to avoid an attack, but before he could, an unbearable pain shot up through his leg and arm.
He screamed as he was pulled to his knees. The zombies bit into his flesh, ripping away chunks from his body as they enjoyed the feast. Tears screamed from his eyes as he bled out, collapsing onto the dirt before his screams grew silent, leaving only the sickening sound of snapping bones and ripping flesh. The last thing he saw was a tall, bellowing darkness looming over his opponent, two glowing orbs of red in the black. The last thing he felt was a numbing evil lingering in the air.
The man smiled at the bloodshed before spinning around, making his way over to a corpse yet to reanimate. He got down, digging his hand into the stab wound, forcing it into the body that was still warm. Once he retracted his hand, it dripping profusely with warm, thick red fluid, he stood to make his way to a nearby wall, the rooftop engulfed in burning flames. He placed his hand upon the pale red stone molded from clay, dragging his hand to inscribe their message.

"When roused, He will fly again."

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