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Warning: This chapter has a cutting scene.

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Dark blue marbled cupcakes with light purple vanilla buttercream icing, drizzled with gold glitter, became a staple favorite whenever Captain Saunduit and his crew visited the irangels. They always had wonderful stories to tell of their travels on other planets, as well as sharing events from their home planet, Maximescent.

The Maximescents were especially close with Civic and Amanda, the two irangels who had set out to search for the irangels that were sent to outer space. Their friendship strengthened bonds, not only between Iredescents and Maximescents, but also between irangels and Maximescents.

Maximescent was Iredescent's sister planet. Much like the Iredescent people, the Maximescent people looked like winged humans, except they weren't sparkly and they didn't have abilities like the Iredescents did. According to Raistin, they were "the non-sparkly Iredescent people."

While Iredescent had mostly forests and beaches, Maximescent had very little beaches and only one ocean. The land ranged from thick jungles and vibrant rainforests, though the climate was mostly temperate. The jungles were dangerous to venture into, but the woodland areas were pleasant. Maximescent was quite different from Iredescent, whose entire culture was sparkle-based.

Iredescent people had all kinds of skin tones, ranging from pale white, fair, light, tan, dark, black, even gold or pink skin; Maximescent people only had tanned or brown skin tones.

The Maximescent language sounded very French, whereas the Iredescent language sounded like a mix of Russian and German.

Saunduit's crew only consisted of eight people: Rian, Irss, Tavin, Adeline, Érdur, Jules, Osson, and Gaspard. Rian was the commanding officer, the second in command.

"So you built these futuristic-looking cities in the jungle and cultivated the land to make it into a sophisticated paradise?" Civic asked as he enjoyed a glass of plumcurrant, a luscious drink. He poured some for Valerie, who had joined Civic and Amanda in spending time with their alien friends.

Saunduit swiped through the pictures on his comect device, showing the irangels. "Yeah, this is how our cities look like. These curvy white bar things protect the city from being overgrown by certain invasive plant species."

"Sort of like guard rails on a road," Amanda recalled.

"Exactly," Saunduit responded.

Valerie took the last cupcake on the fancy silver plate, enjoying the rich chocolate berry scent and the decadent softness with every bite. She glanced out the window, watching the vibrant pink sunset barrage into the ship's dining room like a glittering army. Her irangel eyes caught the tiny sparkly dust particles as they clung to the rays of warm sunlight, landing softly on her silky purple gown.

Amanda's casual outfit of a pale lavender hoodie and skinny aqua pants severely contrasted with the sophisticatedly dressed Valerie, the stylishly dressed Civic, and the simplistically dressed Maximescents.

Ever since her arrival on planet Iredescent, Valerie was almost always wearing formal dresses and gowns, rarely wearing jeans and t-shirts. Valerie had forgone her Earth style clothing, having adapted fully to her Iredescent style clothing, especially since she was the Black Rose and a very important person to the Iredescent people.

Likewise, Civic dressed mostly in black and gold to mirror Valerie's formal elegant style, wanting to stand out from Demian, who did not cease from wearing his signature black leather jacket and dark jeans.

The irangels were divided, either choosing casual wear or formal wear, or both. Amanda was the most casually dressed irangel; she was almost always seen in a hoodie and leggings. She had cut her long wavy hair to just below her collarbone. Usually it was loose, but today she had it in a messy bun.

The warm sunlight danced and the dust particles dispersed when two Iredescents entered the ship's dining room, cheerfully asking, "May we intrude upon your intriguing kaffeeklatsch?"

"A kaffeeklatsch without coffee," Zvizda speculated, noticing the plumcurrant. A kaffeeklatsch was a casual, social gathering for conversation with coffee. Plumcurrant was an unusual choice, though it tasted marvelously.

A dazzling pair, Tal and Zvizda reminded of a classic power couple from the 80's era. Known for his benign chocolate eyes and fun energetic personality, Tal was the go-to person for information regarding anything Iredescent. He was the one who informed Valerie of the bitter truth about the connection, about what it means to be a Black Rose.

Zvizda was also a port of entry employee who helped the irangels transition to their new lives on planet Iredescent. Zvizda's shining outfits complemented Tal's sparkling personality.

And enjoyment for good food and desserts.

Tal immediately foraged the table for kormala, a milk flavored rice with berries. Zvizda lifted her sparkly eyelashes to heaven, murmuring, "Zirki vlaskiriy", which means glittering stars in the Iredescent language.

Her golden star earrings joyfully jumped up and down, the foreground of her thick, long wavy blonde hair, as Zvizda seated herself beside Amanda. Tal sat directly across from Valerie, holding the bowl of kormala in his hands and eating it with elegant glass chopsticks, rather than placing it on the table.

"So, how many other planets are you familiar with? How many others have human-like people on them?" Valerie asked Saunduit.

"Quite a lot," Sauduit answered, setting down his glass of plumcurrant. "Besides Iredescent and Maximescent, planets with human people include Mijishin, Mijoria, Dusaro, Torra, and Alaskis. Monshalow and Natvolo are fairy planets, and Voldvell is a combination of vampire and birdmen people. Chatt-ruinian people are taller and glow in the dark. Haerreopeans are humanoid, but I couldn't consider them human-like. And Ghatom is a melting pot with different alien lifeforms, though humans are scarce."

"What was the scariest planet?" Amanda asked.

Rian answered, "Definitely Yaryar. We've only seen it from a distance, but it was enough for us to turn around and leave the void dimension."

"Dimension?" Valerie asked, nearly dropping her cupcake.

"Oh yes," said Gaspard, smiling as he leaned forward. "The Iredescent world has five known dimensions: the sparkly dimension, the dark dimension, the cultural dimension, the void dimension, and the solar dimension."

"Planet Earth is in the solar dimension," Jules informed.

Wanting to learn more about the scariest planet, Amanda pressed for more information, asking, "Why did you turn around and leave the void dimension? What was so scary about planet Yaryar?"

It was Tavin who answered, his voice grave as he said, "The yellow dust. The entire planet is entirely comprised of yellow dust. The yellow dust is lethal, killing any lifeforms on contact. Even immortals like vampires and machines."

"Some of the yellow dust became brighter, as if powering up, so we fled before it could damage our ship," said Irss. "Actually, we're not sure if it would damage our ship, but we didn't want to risk it, since we knew that the yellow dust was extremely lethal to everything except the Phoenix, the only lifeform immune of physical harm."

"I wonder how the Phoenix left that planet in the first place, since even he can't enter its atmosphere. It's nigh impenetrable," said Rian. "Rumor is that the Phoenix originated from planet Yaryar."

"Maybe he was escaping, not leaving," Tal presumed. "Raistin said that his earliest memory was leaving planet Yaryar in his fireball form. He couldn't remember anything else about the planet; he only remembered leaving its atmosphere. He tried to return, but he was unable to re-enter the planet. He spent an entire decade trying to get into the atmosphere. Yaryar is certainly the most unusual planet."

"And the deadliest," Gaspar added. "One touch and you're dead. Even the atmosphere kills because the entire planet is literally comprised of the yellow dust."

"Perhaps the planet is alive. Perhaps it's not an ordinary planet; perhaps it's a living being," Valerie said thoughtfully after learning about Yaryar.

A current of startling shock stretched into silence that lasted for a long moment. Even the Maximescents were astounded by Valerie's assumption.

"Could be that Raistin remembers, but he chooses not to," said Civic, breaking the long silence. "Might be something he keeps even from his own wife and son."

Another moment of pondering silence followed before Tal lifted his glass, saying, "Alas, he is living the sparkly life here on planet Iredescent. Whatever the past is, let us make the present merry and our future wonderful!"

Everybody lifted their glasses, clinking them against each other's. The conversation drifted towards less startling talk, though Valerie remained silent, thinking about Raistin, her mentor.

One could hardly tell that he suffered much grief and tragedy underneath his cheerful personality. Raistin was always so happy and uplifting, it was hard to believe he knew things like depression and despair. But Valerie knew Raistin concealed much, hid much, just as she hid much from the world.

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Shadows lengthened across the floor as the door opened, bringing the sulty night into view just before the door closed. The crystal clack of heeled shoes echoed in the hall, announcing the arrival of the Black Rose.

Stars, why are heels so loud? Valerie thought, startled by the loud sound in the silent hall. She took her shoes off, telekinetically lifting them so she could take them to her room. Her bare feet were much more silent, making no noise as she walked.

Valerie saw a shadowed figure leaning against the wall, waiting for her just around the corner. Valerie readied herself, purple energy starting to glow around her, when the shadowed figure stepped out, revealing the unshadowed irangel with an unprevailant darkness and an undeterred resolve.

It was Demian.

A smirk danced on his attractive lips, beaming a gleam in his eyes. Even in the darkness of the hall, Valerie could see the gleam was malicious and cruel, so unlike the caring and compassionate guy she knew.

Valerie increased her purple glow, realizing it wasn't Demian; it was the darkness. The real Demian wouldn't smirk in such a way, nor would he compose any cruel, malicious intention.

"No need for that, Val," Demian spoke tenderly, his voice as smooth as honey. He appeared pleased to have met his target, alone and in the dark. His smirk grew as he came closer, every step intentional. "I know what you want, what you desire. Or rather, whom you desire."

Valerie felt yearning want course through the connection, the feeling almost overwhelming. Feeling as though she was being dragged into a strong current, Valerie attempted to resist, the glow bursting into pulsing flashes that weakened like a silent Morse code, the current too strong to resist.

Despite her efforts, an avalanche of delight swelled within Valerie, exciting her as Demian pinned Valerie against the wall, pulling her close. Though she knew this was wrong, Valerie was shocked by the intensity of her own feelings and emotions. I was trying so hard to ignore my own feelings. I was trying to move on with Civic, since you moved on with Ariel. I thought you didn't love me anymore. I thought –

Demian's mouth overtook hers, sliding perfectly in place, like a key in a lock. Valerie melted into his kiss, closing her eyes as she involuntarily moved closer, their bodies touching so close, there was no space between. It was too late to turn back; both were consumed, burnt with passionate fire and lustful desire.

Valerie held tightly, refusing to pull away, as Demian continued kissing her, overtaking every thought and emotion to where all Valerie could think about was how good Demian felt, his addictive kisses, his sensual body that moved even closer, pressing against her clothes, the only barrier....

A sharp jolt of pain rammed into Demian's mind, interrupting their steamy make-out. His dark eyes opened in annoyance, meeting the agony in Ariel's eyes as she watched him betray her with Valerie's embrace.

Ariel stood near the other side of the hall, dressed in a velvet dark red nightgown with white ribboned bows on both sleeves, giving her the appearance of a medieval princess. A shipwreck of pain crashed upon the treachery Demian displayed by kissing another woman not long after proposing marriage.

Valerie was unaware, still caught in his spell, but when the interruption made its way through the connection, it was all that was needed to break from his seductive embrace.

The realization was like freezing cold water that splashed on her face, drawing Valerie back to her senses. Valerie pulled away from Demian, telekinetically shoving him into a bathroom. After hearing him thud against the wall, she rapidly shut the door before he could get up. Her wings snapped open, ready to take flight. Her purple glow resumed, on defense and full alert.

Ariel had already left, her heart despairing from the sight of Demian making out with Valerie.

Shocked by what transpired, Valerie left the hall, leaving the door open and the shoes abandoned. The darkness of the night came into full view, eagerly entering the hall and dulling the sparkle of the shoes. The shadows rested upon the bathroom door, revitalized by the darkness.

Demian groaned as he sat up, remaining on the floor. He felt the overwhelming lust subside, felt the dark feeling escape into itself as it reconvened with the shadows, allowing Demian to briefly feel like himself again.

The sound of Ariel crying brought tears to Demian's own eyes. He longed to comfort her in his arms, his own heart breaking at the memory of his actions. He never wanted to hurt her, but the struggle within was like fighting a losing battle.

As the night demonstrated, the darkness had fallen out of his control. Demian was unable to help himself, let alone Ariel. He felt trapped in the very thing that was keeping him prisoner.

The darkness had completely taken over. It kept pulsating, whispering, trying to seduce the one he was connected to. It felt the insatiable need to kill, despite knowing it would kill him too. It was as if it longed for death, wanting death like a caged bird wanting freedom, a respite from the misery.

He could feel it suffocating him inside, its endless turmoil a fight of its own. He felt hopeless and isolated in his own mind. He couldn't tell anyone, no matter how desperately he wanted to. It was a constant struggle just to appear put together, when he was secretly fighting a battle with himself.

He didn't want to hurt those around him, so he isolated himself, hoping this would all go away, so he could be himself again.

So he could live again.

Like a vine twisted around a tree, the darkness twisted around Demian. The looming threat knew full well that the completion of its goal would mean the end of itself until the next Black Rose's time.

But the darkness didn't care. It only wanted crushed rose petals, even if it saw to it with its dying breath. It wasn't its first time dying; many centuries had seen the constant battle of light and dark. It rejoiced with every kill, every moment it prevailed.

Is there any way to defeat this? Demian thought hopelessly, tired of fighting the same mental battle, over and over again. To what end?

The darkness prevented Demian from alerting anyone of the internal mental torture he was going through. It plagued him greatly, especially when he saw Valerie. It's as if the very sight of Valerie was a trigger, awakening the deep, hungry desire to kill a powerful, innocent person. Demian knew it was the darkness, its hate stemmed from Monit's desire to kill Ireden, the first Black Rose.

Demian sat against the bathroom wall as he cried, trapped in an internal darkness he was unable to get out of. Watching himself hurt the irangels hurt him to no end. Worst of all, Demian was unable to tell them what was going on. He was completely alone, unable to control the darkness within, the darkness that kept threatening to hurt the people he loved and cared for.

Tears streamed down his face as Demian reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his black Maxam switchblade knife, the same obsidian blade he massacred the original irangels with.

The dark metal gleamed sharply in the dim light as Demian contemplatively touched its smooth surface. Pain rushed out as he ran the blade on his arm, needing some kind of release from his intense emotional pain.

The same cut appeared on Valerie's forearm, in the exact same place where Demian cut himself. Valerie dropped to the floor in her bedroom, leaning her back against the wall after she locked the door and kept it shut with a telekinetic barrier.

Tears filled her eyes as Valerie watched herself bleed, unable to do anything but cry. She knew it was Demian's doing; the pain screamed through the connection, the physical pain resulting from the intense emotional pain, bleeding sorrow amid the throes of darkness, the depression that stole joy, emotionally crippling a person and rendering them unable to move forward until the horrible storm was over, and the dawn appeared after the struggle of darkness. A mental battle that left one feeling drained and exhausted, in much need of recovery.

Demian cut again, in the exact same place, making Valerie wince as the cut was made deeper. Valerie pressed a cloth to her cut as Demian pressed his with a bathroom towel, their shimmery red blood soaking into the fabric.

The knife clattered to the floor as Demian pulled his knees closer to his chest, hugging himself as he wept. Valerie's long hair hid her face from view as she sat against the bed, hugging herself as she cried.

Alienated from everyone, alone on the cold bathroom floor, Demian continued to silently cry, with Ariel's sobbing audible in his mind and Valerie's turmoil echoing through the connection, his own pain mirroring hers and reflecting his.

In his own bedroom, Cydtin was awakened upon hearing troubled thoughts from afar. He opened his eyes and sat up in bed, confused and unsure what was going on. The night was silent throughout the castle, but Cydtin sensed something was not right.

Cydtin searched Demian's mind, saddened to find isolation and loneliness, a hidden pain nobody was able to see. Cydtin expanded his mental reach and found the same loneliness within Valerie and Ariel, but of a different degree.

Disturbed by the troubled thoughts and cries, Cydtin quickly changed clothes and left his room, going down the hallway, towards the bathroom Demian was in.

Cydtin knocked on the door, asking, "Demian? May I come in?" When Demian didn't answer, Cydtin said, "Please open the door, Demian. I'm not telekinetic and I don't have a lock pick on me. I can sense that you're hurt. I want to help you."

Cydtin heard silence, then a shuffle from Demian. He patiently waited as Demian got up and walked over to open the bathroom door, not knowing it took immense struggle for him to do so.

Demian's despondent face appeared, as did his slightly rumpled shirt and jeans.

Cydtin was startled to see him in such a way. "Demian, what's going on? You, Valerie, and Ariel are all crying. Can you please tell me what's going on? What happened?"

Demian looked at Cydtin with pleading eyes. He longed to tell Cydtin everything, every fiber of his being wanting to. But the darkness inside wouldn't let him, keeping him trapped within himself.

"I can't," Demian whispered, his voice barely audible. Cydtin almost thought he heard, Won't let me.

"I'm here for you, Demian," Cydtin told him sincerely. "Whatever it is you are going through, you are not alone. I'm here for you, just like you were there for me."

Images replayed in Demian's mind, allowing Cydtin to see what happened that night.

No question about it, Cydtin thought privately, dismayed upon the dreadful realization. It is the darkness's doing.

Demian's eyes closed as he suddenly fell unconscious, as if the effort was too much for him. Cydtin seized Demian before he could collapse on the floor, holding him close. The dismay faded from his gorgeous blue eyes, replaced by a strong determination. Though Demian couldn't say, he could show, and that proved to Cydtin what he needed to do.

Cydtin winced as he heard Ariel's faraway crying. Though initially reluctant, Cydtin did as Demian did before, using his telepathic ability to put good thoughts in someone's mind. He telepathically influenced Ariel to think about sparkly outfits and beaches with warm sands, cool breezes, and the calming ocean surf. He sensed her troubled thoughts fade into the dreamworld he led her in, allowing her to finally get a restful sleep.

Cydtin turned to Valerie, his influence reaching out to her in hopeful waves, guiding her towards uplifting thoughts. Valerie was able to sense a telepath's abilities to a degree, due to her connected's powerful telepathic and empathic abilities, so she knew what Cydtin was doing, but she allowed him to. Valerie trusted Cydtin, knowing he was trying to help as best he could.

Valerie silently thanked Cydtin from afar as Cydtin carried Demian to his room, hoping he would succeed in helping to keep the darkness at bay, at least for the rest of the night.

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Civic was unaware of the situation with the awakened darkness. Each time Cydtin thought to tell Civic, Demian would make him forget, selfishly keeping Civic in the dark.

As it turned out, it was not out of Demian's own will, either.

It was during intimacy when Civic noticed the healing cuts on Valerie's body, not just on her arm, but on her thigh. His concern became a direct confrontation, one that Valerie was obligated to answer. The enraged Civic warranted to keep Valerie in sight, refusing to leave her side, watchful for any further incident.

Another incident occurred, one that neither Valerie nor Civic could control. Upon the sudden sight of a fresh cut on Valerie's arm, Civic immediately went to confront Demian, but Cydtin deterred him from doing so, lending his support to their irangel creator.

Each time Demian battled the darkness, a new cut was made over the previous cut. Each time it happened, Valerie isolated herself, not wanting the irangels to worry about something they couldn't help her with. Civic seethed, becoming increasingly frustrated. And Cydtin needed help in assisting Demian and Ariel, who was still upset over the midnight affair.

Self-harm was certainly not a beneficial way to release frustration, nor a useful way that abated the emotional pain, but it was all Demian could do to keep from screaming and completely falling apart, from wrenching it elsewhere.

And so, the five irangels felt as if they were drowning, barely able to breathe. Every cut, every tear, every pain, every depression, every sorrow, seemed to drag the irangels further into the depths, to where even the assistants were needing assistance.

Hence, it was a relief when the Phoenix became involved. He suspected what was going on and endeavored to find out for himself. His eyes narrowed when he covertly pushed up Valerie's long sleeve shirt and saw scars underneath.

Just as I suspected. Demian would rather harm himself than cause harm to others, especially those he loves and cares for. The darkness is hurting him to that degree. Raistin sighed, thinking of the damage that was done. Physical scars can heal, even if they remain permanent on the body, but emotional scars take much longer to heal.

Raistin took Civic aside, surprising him when he advised to distract Valerie with intimacy. The strong emotional feeling would indeed distract, taking attention away from the emotional pain. It made sense after Raistin explained, though Civic felt that was the most unusual advice he had ever been given.

With one relationship on the mend, Raistin went to advise on the more difficult relationship, the one with most damage.

Ariel was standing in front of a mirror, having just brushed her super long hair. The hairbrush lay atop the elegant white vanity table beside the large mirror. Ariel froze when she saw Demian walk in the bedroom, the mirror reflecting his familiar figure.

Needing a hug, Demian walked towards Ariel, slowly placing his arms around her from behind. "Hey, I'm very sorry," Demian murmured, his hands gently moving to hug himself, in addition to holding Ariel.

"Are you?" Ariel asked, her tone bitter. She didn't reciprocate his hug, staying still, like a doll in his arms. "What kind of man are you to propose marriage to a woman, then turn around and kiss another woman behind her back? You're not the person that I once knew."

Demian longed to tell her about the darkness, about his internal turmoil, his struggle, and the daily battle in his mind. It was already difficult to speak with her about such things, let alone try to make her understand his situation.

Even if he could, the darkness wouldn't let him.

Jealous of any loving relationship, even with a woman that was not his destined, the darkness seethed, wanting Demian to refocus on his target, rather than try to mend things with his fiancée. Sensing Demian's confliction that would turn into a strong resolve, the darkness became urgent, striking alarm.

Demian heard a quiet whisper in his mind, followed by a vision of Valerie lying on the floor, her body lifeless, as her shimmery purple blood began to turn black, cold and dark like the depths of despair. The black blood pooled on the floor, forming into black roses. Demian's hands appeared, covered in black blood, the horrid sight indicating that he was the one that killed her.

A fissure of fear sliced through Demian from the realization of his capability, of what would happen if he gave in to the influence of the darkness. He attempted to mentally discard the vision, terror running through him from the staggering thought of premeditated murder.

But the darkness kept whispering, kept taunting, coaxing, urging, and tormenting to no end.

Ariel gasped when Demian suddenly grabbed her, pushing hard against the mirror. His eyes, usually gentle and compassionate, were dark and glaring, mounted with frustration. His grip, usually tender and considerate, was rough and callous, his fingers digging into her skin.

Ariel began to panic when Demian didn't let go, her voice increasing in alarmed pitch, as his eyes coldly stared into her own. "Demian, you're scaring me. What's going on? Why are you looking at me like that? Babe, you're hurting me!"

Ariel tried to get free, but Demian kept her pressed hard against the mirror. Ariel's heart was beating fast as she anxiously wondered what Demian intended to do with her. To think that I would worry about Demian hurting me....Demian, of all people.

Ariel had always thought that Demian would never hurt her, but he hurt her when he kissed Valerie. If he hurt me emotionally, he can hurt me physically. Physical pain follows emotional pain.

Her panic increased when Demian barely acknowledged her thoughts, even though she knew he was fully aware, since he was a telepath. Oh stars, do I need to actually scream or call for help? Would anyone even hear me? What the hell is going on? Why is Demian like this? What happened to him?

Just then Demian caught sight of himself in the mirror, his own reflection startling him. He didn't recognize himself in the mirror; it was like he was seeing a different man. A man capable of cruelty, unlike the compassionate man that was truly Demian.

Horror surfaced from the pool of distraught dismay as Demian stared upon his reflection, of the cold glint in his eyes, the predatory set of his body, the insensitive way his hands gripped Ariel, hurting her physically.

Yet he was frozen, unable to drag himself from the enemy within.

The enemy in the mirror.

Then out of nowhere, dance music randomly played in Tal's mind as he passed Raistin coming from the opposite side of the hall, the distraction allowing Demian the much needed respite from the darkness. He even sensed Tal dancing to the fun, upbeat song.

It was a song Luciu had given Tal, uploaded on his Iredescent music player, similar to Earth's iPod, called the Iretiv. Even though the song was in the Romanian language, Tal understood every word.

Tal had chosen to listen to dance music before work, inadvertently saving Demian from the darkness.

In essence, Demian was saved by dance music.

The quiet whispering died down, allowing Demian to abruptly let go of Ariel.

His face became soft and gentle again, his eyes full of concern as he said, "Ariel, are you alright?" He let go of her arms, looking at the result of his rough grip's indent. Demian stared at the red welts in shock, murmuring in dismay, "Did I do that? Ariel, I am so sorry."

His eyes became wide with alarm as Demian remembered the vision of Valerie. He bolted out of the bedroom, confusing Ariel and unintentionally hurting her again, as he ran towards Valerie's bedroom.

Valerie and Civic were making out on the bed when Demian tried to enter, but the door was locked. They immediately stopped, confusion and alarm meandering through the ardor, when the door burst open upon Demian's use of Valerie's telekinetic power, drawn through the connection.

Civic glanced at Valerie, who had paled upon Demian's sudden, unexpected use of her power. He had never done so before, had never forcefully taken her power through the connection.

Until now.

And that was the greatest cause of alarm.

Civic's body glowed red as he got off the bed, his body rigid as he stood facing his irangel creator. Valerie felt robbed, the unusual feeling catching her off guard, since she had never experienced such a thing.

Black rose petals swirled around Demian as he rushed in, scanning the room for relief from anxiety. Visibly relieved to see Valerie was alive and well, Demian let out a deep breath he had been holding. The black rose petals dropped to the floor as relief cloaked Demian, taking away his anxiety.

Then Ariel appeared in the doorway, her face crumbling when she saw whose room Demian entered. Seeing the red welts on Ariel's arms, Civic immediately became concerned and came near, his hands gentle as he inspected her arms. "Ariel, what happened to you?! Who did this?"

"It was Demian," Ariel told him, glancing at Demian, who was unable to take his eyes from Valerie.

Valerie locked eyes with Demian, questioning him with her gaze, but Demian was trying unsuccessfully to resist the darkness. Berating himself for falling into the manipulation of the vision, allowing himself to be taken captive by fear and anxiety, Demian struggled to regain control, pushing away the darkness that blazed darkly like a fire risen from embers, attempting to coax him to fulfill his murderous request.

Ariel jealously watched Demian and Valerie, believing they were in love with each other, from the way they intently gazed into each other's eyes, unware of the secret mental battle that transpired as Valerie attempted to shield Demian from the darkness, but the connection sided with the darkness.

Civic kept inquiring, demanding to know what was going on, but Demian was deaf to everything except Valerie. Every sense was highly attuned to her, blocking everything else out.

Then Civic grabbed Demian by the shoulders, forcing him to look at him. "What the hell is going on? Why are you unresponsive? What is going on, Demian?"

Hell is accurate, Demian thought despondently, exhausted from the mental struggle. I don't know how much longer I can fight this....

"It's the darkness," Valerie murmured, informing Civic and Ariel. "The darkness is making him do things he doesn't want. I'm confused why he hurt Ariel when he's targeting me."

Ariel scoffed, her voice petulant. "Yeah right, 'the darkness'. Such a lame excuse. Just look at the way he's looking at you!"

"Was looking at me." Valerie sighed deeply before turning apologetically towards Ariel. "Look, I don't know what happened with you and Demian, but I – "

"He pushed me up against the wall and then he ran to you. That's what happened," Ariel curtly interrupted Valerie.

"He did what?!" Raistin asked, his voice increased in pitch as he entered the room. He immediately looked towards Demian and Valerie, taking note of Demian's silence, Valerie's confusion, Civic's protective stance, of Ariel's bitter jealousy.

Civic turned accusingly towards Demian, who finally said, "I saw Valerie dead, so I went to see if she was alive."

"Demian," Raistin said in a serious tone. "Use common sense. If Valerie was dead, so would you. I don't know what's going on with you guys, but it sounds like you need to take a deep breath, chill, get a glass of water, maybe some chocolate, and just breathe. Unless," Raistin said, his voice quieting as flames appeared in his eyes, "it was the darkness. In that case, I will fight with you."

"I will fight as well," Valerie said strongly, her body glowing purple as she powered up. "I'm tired of being the victim. It is time for us to be the victor."

As yellow-orange flames appeared on Raistin and black rose petals began to swirl around Valerie, the darkness sensed that he was in a precarious situation. Emboldened by support, Demian telepathically commanded the darkness, Cease! Enough with the torment! Leave me alone! I am stronger than this! I am capable of good things.

Good things. Clinging to the thought like a lifeline, Demian began to distract himself with random thoughts of good things: the way the sunlight danced on trees in the forest during peaceful nature walks, the feeling of wearing a stylish leather jacket, the inspiration of putting on perfume, the decadent taste of chocolate, the warmth of hugs, the comforting sound of turning the next page in a book, the rush of energy from working out, the cozy bedsheets.

The darkness was silenced upon the intrusion of good thoughts, upon the focus of pleasant things that bring simple joy to life.

Raistin brought the focus to clarity when he gathered the irangels for warm, delicious cups of hot chocolate. The good thoughts remained, sip after sip of the warm drink.

Demian had a peppermint stick in his hot chocolate. It was a bittersweet reminder of Yennisse, an irangel who habitually made hot chocolate and lattes for the irangels. Yennisse had always placed a peppermint stick in Demian's hot chocolate, so he continued the tradition in her memory.

Civic always put marshmallows in his hot chocolate.

Valerie did both peppermint and marshmallows.

Ariel drank it plain, without peppermint nor marshmallows.

And Raistin broke the tradition by adding cinnamon atop four marshmallows, making his hot chocolate with vanilla rather than peppermint.

Despite the good time, the darkness patiently waited to resurface, searching for the slightest opportunity to emerge. It emerged at random, appearing even during a smile or when the heart was glad, when things were going well, or when distraction succeeded.

A chill swept through Demian, sensing a sullen scoff from the darkness.

So, the Phoenix successfully distracted you. Congratulations. And now, dear connected, witness the extent of my power. I am encased within your strong will, bound with chains of determination, but I shall break those chains once your strong will is bent. And you will see to my accomplishment. But first, let me have some fun.

Disconcerted, Demian fought to stop it, but the darkness overtook him, using his telepathic abilities to manipulate thoughts and memories, having Demian 'accidentally' touch a person's hand or shoulder, and altering their memories through the dark power.

You didn't see Demian use Valerie's power. Demian and Ariel walked into the room together. The bruises on Ariel's arms are just evidence of a frisky night. Ariel is excited because she had a good time with Demian. Raistin was coming in to invite everyone for ice cream, not to apprehend Demian.

The darkness whispered this to each person, causing Demian to touch Valerie's hair, reach for Ariel's hand, graze Civic's arm, and lightly brush against Raistin's shoulder. Once all were manipulated, Demian reeled back in horror, the whispers turning into soft laughter that echoed in his mind.

The confusion faded from Valerie's eyes, conforming to altered clarity. The bitter jealousy disappeared from Ariel's eyes, becoming lovestruck and energetic like her usual self. The defensiveness vanished from Civic's eyes as he became completely transfixed upon the singular thought of ice cream. The cautious wariness eluded from Raistin's eyes, stricken with curiosity and interest.

Devoid of suspicion, the red glow fading from his body at the same time Valerie's purple glow disappeared, Civic said to Raistin, "Does Mirror Castle have blackberry vanilla ice cream?"

Mirror Castle had an entire royal freezer dedicated to ice cream, since everyone loved ice cream so much.

The most prized flavor? Tiramisu.

Second most prized flavor? Blackberry vanilla.

Demian stared at Raistin and Civic as they began talking about ice cream. Civic's thoughts were solely of ice cream, while Raistin was eager to enjoy some ice cream with the irangels. Ariel startled Demian when she seized his arm, holding onto his arm like a koala bear holding onto a eucalyptus tree.

What just happened? The darkness manipulated their thoughts? But how? I don't have the mind control ability; I've never been able to mind control anyone before, Demian thought, the idea terrifying him. He had seen what Cydtin's mind control ability had done; he couldn't imagine the ramifications if it was to be in the wrong hands.

Especially in the hands of a person under the influence of a dark, ancient power that spoke of cruel, murderous intentions.

Anxious for help and escape from the darkness plaguing him, Demian mentally reached out to Cydtin, locating him in the library and telepathically saying, Cydtin, I need your help, but the darkness prevented Demian from saying what he desperately needed to say, instead making him say, Cydtin, I need your suit.

Shocked that his own mind was starting to betray him, Demian tried again and again to reach out for help, but all he got was Cydtin's confused response. My suit? Uh, sure. You can borrow it.

Demian wanted to cry. He felt hopeless, trapped in his own mind, unable to reach out for help, neither verbally nor telepathically. The darkness kept instilling his own agenda, taunting Demian as he continuously kept resisting.

He felt the darkness emerge once again, as if waking up from a long sleep. Demian tried to keep it from preying on Valerie, but it was a force unable to be reckoned with. It sensed Demian's emotions and played on them, catching Demian during his most vulnerable moments.

It wasn't until he had desserts and ice cream that the darkness finally disappeared, appearing to be in a dormant state. However, Demian knew it would resurface eventually and in full force. The question was when and how to prevent it from killing his connected, and himself.

The solution would soon arrive in the form of a fragrant distraction.

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Music:

"Celestial Squad (VIP)"
by 3FORCE

"Darkness for Dreams"
by Gunship

"Cut"
by Plumb

"Stranger (Albert Castillo Remix)"
by Hilary Duff

"Enemy in the Mirror"
by The Anix

"Ma Ya Hi (Dragostea Din Tei) (Original Romanian Version)"
by O-Zone

[The song Tal was listening to on his Iretiv. Reminiscent of the good times in the 90's and kinda silly, but sometimes a silly song could be the much needed distraction.]

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✨ From Éira ✨

I'm sorry this took so long to upload, but this was one of the hardest chapters for me to write; because I am still struggling with my own darkness, my own depression that is trying to kill me. It is very, very painful to experience, let alone write of my characters' experience.

I often personify depression as 'the darkness' because that's what it feels like. The anxiety attacks are finally over, but the depression resurfaced, and it feels like I'm fighting a never-ending battle inside my mind.

But I am here. I did not cut this time. I resisted. The darkness may feel like forever, but it won't last forever.

Sparkle on ✨ even amid the tears, the pain, the loneliness, the emptiness. Because it is not forever, but sparkles are forever, just like the stars that sparkle each night sky, bringing light to a time of temporary darkness.

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