LightReader

Chapter 5 - What do you see?

Looking up at the inhuman being looming over him, and his arm caught in a vice-like grip by it, Theo was utterly frozen in place as his eyes fixed forward.

'What the hell is this guy? A spawn? No, that shouldn't be possible! We're behind the great wall!'

He stared into the eyes of the dark figure before him.

'My body, it won't stop shaking! I want nothing but to run! To get away from this... this thing! But my instincts are telling me, no, begging me to stay.'

The shapeless form began leaning forward slowly.

'And I can feel why, the slightest move now, and I forfeit my life! Right here, and now!'

His already racing heart began beating even faster.

'But I can't just let myself die like this!'

Images of happy children running about with their parents began playing on repeat in his mind. As they did, a feeling of longing welled up inside him. A desperation for what it was he could never have.

'I can't die yet!'

Finally as the formless figure dawned on him, and as it did, Maria's words emerged and took over his thoughts.

***

"Please... know that... everything I did... I did for you."

***

Grinding his teeth, the stubborn young man gazed up at the formless mass with renewed resolve. Using the vice grip as a hold, he pushed towards the figure as fast as he could.

'No! I won't let my fear dictate my actions! I will survive! I have to!'

Pulling back his arm, he dove in for a punch to the figure's core.

'If not for anything than to tell her...'

But at the last second feinted and swung his foot in a wide arc, sending it hurtling towards it with all his might.

'...how wrong she was!'

The strike connected sending ripples of force through it.

"What the!"

But unlike the image of his foot sending the figure flying into the wall he had pictured in his mind, it cut through it.

"Oh, you're a clever one. You might actually have a good deal of potential," the figure said, pulling back its arm.

 

"But still, that was too weak, boy!"

With a devastating amount of speed, it cut through the air.

'Shit!' 

With barely more than a second to react, Theo swivelled and contorted his body, avoiding the strike. And again, Theo swung a foot at him in retaliation, but it only passed through his ghost-like form. Again and again, he dodged and struck, over and over with nothing to show for his effort but his ever-darkening expression.

'Why? Why? Why? Why can't I hit him?'

The expression on the dark figure grew more and more amused at his constant attempts, but even it soon grew tired of his futile struggle.

"This has become a bore."

In the next moment, a slew of dark tendrils erupted from behind the figure and restrained Theodore, and slowly, the dark figure receded, revealing once again the man's human visage.

"That was slightly more entertaining than sitting on a throne all day, but that's enough of that."

Theodore struggled in the tight grasp of the dark tendrils but it was futile as the mysterious man chuckled.

"You've got some spark, Theo, I like that..."

He drew him closer and gazed into him as his eyes turned crimson.

"...but you need to do better than that if you plan on going against your uncle."

Theodore's eyes widened, and for a moment, all thoughts but one in his mind evaporated and even that leaked.

'My what?'

"My what?"

The man chuckled.

"There is a lot you don't know, Theo. So much about yourself, the world, and your parents."

'Did he just say.... my parents?

Theo's eyes focused solely on the mysterious man's and with no sign of fear nor fierce determination he had shown till this point left in him, he simply asked.

"What do you know about my parents?"

The man continued to chuckle.

"Don't be so impatient Theo. All will be revealed in due time. But for now, before we proceed with anything else, you have a trial to prepare for."

***

Minutes later, after traveling through a maze of corridors where they were greeted by numerous respectful bows from what seemed to be passing Heralds.

'What the hell is this place?... a citadel? And who are these people? No, more importantly, who is this guy?'

They were now descending a flight of stairs found in the deep recesses of the structure.

'Oh, now we're going somewhere deep, dark, and ominous. Guess there's nothing wrong here, huh.'

Finally reaching the end of the ever descending stairs, the man had put Theo down, and they were soon stood in front of a large, metal door. But its size wasn't all that was eye catching about it, as engraved in its frame were words written in a strange and foreign language he had never seen nor heard of before.

'I've never seen or heard this language before, but for some strange reason, I can faintly glimpse their meaning. Beware to those who wield power for those with false authority... for they shall never bear the weight of your sins. What the hell does that mean?'

"What do you see, boy?"

Theo looked to the man who now stood at his side.

'What's this guy's goal with all this?'

"A bunch of gibberish?" he said shrugging his shoulders.

The man stared intently into Theo's eyes for a brief few moments as the awkward tension between them got tighter and tighter. After a while, the mysterious man averted his gaze, and sighed.

"Look, Theo, I don't want to hurt you..." he said placing a hand on Theo's shoulder.

Glancing between the man and his had resting on his shoulder, Theo scowled.

"How do I know that?"

The air around them shifted. The mysterious man's calm and collected demeanour was almost instantly replaced by anther wave of murderous intent. He leaned in closer to Theo and his face quickly faded into the shadowy, formless figure from before.

"Think of it this way Theo, if I wanted a bastard child like you dead, you'd already be dead! So I recommend you park that attitude of yours, and focus on what's to come!"

Theo felt that familiar chill run down his spine as the man's demeanour shifted, but soon regained his composure. 

"Do you understand now?" the figure hissed, its voice low and menacing. "...I'm here to help you, whether you like it or not."

Thinking his next words through, Theo swallowed hard and said.

"Do you plan to do that by scaring the shit out of me?"

More Chapters