Have I gone mad?
Is what stands before me real? Or am I beginning to imagine things?
I seem to be hungry. Yes, that must be it.
I'm beginning to imagine things, I must be imagining things.
It can't be real. It's impossible!
André was making excuses for himself, clinging to any logic that would justify what he saw.
Something supernatural, unbelievable, inexplicable.
He still thought he was delirious, that he had lost his mind until the strange entity spoke.
"What is this darkness? It's annoying, I can't see you because of it."
It said in a melodious voice. Then it made a popping sound, like snapping its fingers.
Suddenly, a soft light illuminated the place.
A small flame, emanating from his finger, did not burn or sting, but lit up the room softly.
He revealed himself.
His black, unkempt hair hung over his mysterious face.
His red eyes shone with a light that had no warmth or fire, only a presence that confused the senses and disrupted perception.
He wore loose clothes that swayed with a breeze that Andri couldn't feel, as if he controlled the nature around him.
His robe revealed a little of his chest, exposing his neck, where a black bird feather hung down to the bone in the middle of his neck.
Should I say he's beautiful?
Should I be afraid now?
Damn... What am I seeing?!
That was the only thought that crossed André's mind, amid
the mystery he saw before him.
André swallowed, or tried to, then spoke. "Who... who are you?!"
He didn't answer, but began to play around, moving lightly around André in a circle. His voice came out slyly, he controlled his tone well. "Oh, are you scared? Or angry? Let me see your face clearly."
He came closer until his face was close to André's and smiled. "Ah! You're lost."
He said, placing his hands on his shoulders.
André was annoyed by his evasiveness and repeated his question. "I said, who the hell are you!"
The strange entity gasped and took a step back, its features flooded with arrogant confidence: "Me? Hmm! I don't think we can talk this way."
He pointed to the chains binding André, as if they were preventing dialogue.
Then he snapped his fingers.
The chains suddenly broke with a strange metallic sound, and he was freed.
André stared at his hands in disbelief, as if what was happening before him was a scene from a living nightmare.
The strange entity smiled and said calmly, "That's better. We've gotten rid of the nuisance. Now I can talk to you."
He took a deep breath, straightened up, lifted his chin proudly, and waved his hand as if introducing himself to an invisible audience:
"I am Luca. The cursed, enchanting, and unique spirit of the black swan."
At that moment, André's expression changed. He was not afraid, but shocked. "What is this nonsense I'm hearing? What are you saying?"
Luca immediately replied with a crooked smile, pointing to André's hands. "Believe me, it's not nonsense. The fact that your hands are free now... isn't that enough for you to believe me?"
"Now, tell me your name, little one." The strange entity seemed a little curious, or mischievous for its size. It looked like a young man in his twenties.
He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, to announce his name as any human would when asked about himself... but nothing came out. He searched his memory, his childhood, every dark corner of his mind, every letter that belonged to him, every sound that identified him. Nothing.
"I... Why don't I know! How can I not know my name!"
He tried again, straining his throat, as if he wanted to force his name out from deep within him. But what came out was nothing but disappointment, a dry void, as if all his memories had been extinguished at once.
"I think I understand now why my eyes saw you as empty. Unfortunately, it seems you really are an empty shell," Luca commented in a tone that carried nothing but contempt.
Then he noticed that André was wearing a necklace and pointed to it.
"Maybe this will help you remember."
André's gaze shifted to his chest.
There it was, hanging around his neck, cold, clinging to him.
Strangely, he couldn't remember how it got there, or when, but its presence triggered a hazy vision inside him.
A boy... or a girl? He wasn't sure.
It was a small figure reaching out to him, offering him this necklace.
"No... I don't remember anything either." He still couldn't remember.
Luca said in a cold tone, looking at André.
"Strange, isn't it? To carry something you don't know the story of, and not even know who you are.
I can see you've been badly beaten... Your lips are dry, which means you haven't had anything to drink in a while.
Your head has many cuts, covered in dried blood. And worse than that... Look at your burned face.
I don't think it's strange that you've lost your memory. Man, they've destroyed you."
Luca pointed to every part of André's body, describing what his eyes saw with precision, as if reading a map of pain on his body.
He wasn't forced to do it, but he did... as if justifying the reason to him, or holding up a mirror he couldn't escape from.
André raised his hand and touched his chest, touching the necklace specifically.
Then he stood up straight, raised his hands above his head, and began to laugh madly, a laugh mixed with despair and madness, before his voice exploded in a scream:
"What an ugly world! What injustice!
Isn't it enough that I'm in pain? Isn't it enough that I'm trapped in this hell?
Why then? Why did you steal my memories too?
Damn you... You bastards!
I swear I'll kill you... I'll kill you all!"
But Luca's cold voice cut through André's screams, and he turned to him immediately. "This is the soul we need. This is what you must do."
Luca's eyes were cold, smiling, carrying a strange mixture of anger and determination at the same time. Then he added, fixing his gaze on André. "You've indeed lost your memory, but you're still able to start over... This is the soul we need."
"I don't understand you," Andri marveled at his incomprehensible words, but Luca was not surprised. He calmly stepped forward and touched his shoulder, but his eyes were on the giant door.
"That's because you're a fool! ... Look at yourself, you're angry, and that's what defines the true spirit of a human being.
To be clearer...
When people lose their memory, they may think they have lost themselves.
But souls are not erased, my boy. They preserve our essence, far from the hand of oblivion.
That anger a moment ago was proof that you are oppressed. You want revenge on those who did this to you. You have forgotten everything, but your anger remains.
You don't want to give up... do you?
Luca's words stirred Andre's emotions. "Yes, yes... I want revenge!
He paused for a second, then added:
Luca... I don't think I've lost all my memory. I remember who did this to me.
It's still in my head... I remember his features clearly.
Every time I think of him... I want to crush him... until he begs."
Luca took a deep breath and smiled, revealing his fangs.
He said in a voice dripping with cunning:
"I can make him beg you now, kneel, cry, and ask for mercy that will never come."
He paused for a moment, then tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with cunning, and added:
"But let me give you my advice... If you want him to really taste the pain, don't kill him quickly."
Luca intended to help, but his motives remained unknown and confusing to André.
He didn't know if the person standing before him was truly an enemy or an ally.
He asked apprehensively, "Why are you helping me? What is your goal?"
Luca's expression did not change after hearing the question, as if he had been waiting to be asked.
Then he replied calmly, "As I told you... I am a cursed spirit.
My soul was sealed in the world of darkness for many years, but I was freed as soon as I heard your disturbing moans and felt your anger.
It was a voice crying out for help, and a powerful force I had never felt before, so the seal was broken.
At first, I had no purpose... but now I think my purpose is to serve you and help you in your war, since you are my savior, little one."
A look of belief appeared on André's face, and a sly smile appeared on his lips as he said:
"Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I now know how I'm going to defeat that bastard.
There is nothing more beautiful than taking what is dear to him before his eyes... to see what he loves being taken away from him, little by little, without being able to do anything about it.
André smiled more, then whispered:
"That is slow death... and the most beautiful thing is that he remains alive to live it."
Luca laughed loudly, his voice dripping with admiration for the idea: "What a great idea. Of course I'll help you."
But André's face quickly fell.
A feeling of helplessness crept into his chest, as if everything around him was moving and he was standing still, not even knowing his own name.
"What now?" Luca noticed this and grumbled loudly.
He replied, "I'm trying to remember my name... but to no avail."
Luca raised his eyebrow sarcastically. "Oh, is that all?"
He began to walk back and forth, as if he was starting to like the idea, then suddenly stopped as an idea occurred to him.
"Hmm... I have an idea. I can give you a name, but then you'll get 5% of my dark power."
Then he tilted his head, smiled a reassuring smile, and added:
"Do you still want this?"