Tread Lightly

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Vernon Boone

I lash out and grab onto anything I can as I am pulled off of the table with the tome atop it. The tendrils of Darklight, which I have no idea their purpose, wrap around my legs and scorch me with frost as I am thrown straight to the ground of The Cabin.

Once I am on the ground, I see the black-colored light on the ground that has not yet reached me swivel from its previous destinations and move straight for me. The tentacles of Darklight rise from the ground and wrap around me with intentions I can not comprehend.

As this all happens, I struggle. I punch, I kick, I thrash, but nothing works. It seems as though the Darklight is incorporeal, just as normal light is; my fists go right through it. I try to corral my Ether and put it into my hands to create my own light, but it doesn't work. Ether cannot be used in The Cabin. At least, as far as I know. Only my soul exists here, with a transient connection to my Sigil.

The time in which I am in The Cabin is so short that no Ether can come from my body. So I am weak, useless against the incomprehensible light tainted with black. My feet slam against the hardwood beneath me, and my nails scratch the wood, but nothing matters as I am pulled straight back to the floor anytime I move.

I watch with abject horror as my whole body is wrapped up by these lights. Slowly my skin disappears as darkness illuminated by light covers me. Shifting grayscale from white to black endlessly covers me like liquid silver being poured over a living person.

My thrashing never stops, however, and neither do my attempts to use Ether. If only I could summon my radiance. Then, I could combat this light. I know it. Unfortunately, though, that gift is not given to me. Instead, the only thing that occurs is my whole body is wrapped in a cocoon of shimmering light of darkness.

A moment of silence then comes as I am entirely surrounded, and my vision is covered by this substance. Slowly my resistance fades as it becomes painfully apparent that anything I do is pointless. I just sit in the swirling shifting, darkness within light. The silvery glimmer that constantly changes from light to dark hypnotizes me, and I slowly lose track of time.

My eyes only follow the changing grayscale. It feels like watching the most perfect twilight and sunrise at the same time while at the same time, it also encompasses the blissful night and the energetic day. My eyelids gradually grow in weight as it becomes harder and harder to keep them open.

Eventually, despite my great attempts at stopping it from happening, my eyes shut for the final time. Time passes unbeknownst to me until I feel a sharp pain, one that holds the duality of both hot and cold. One side of me is being burnt by a fire, and the other is being frozen by a giant icicle.

I awake full of panic and horror, still in the cocoon, as I notice something. The Darklight is entering me. I can feel it parting my pores and funneling its way into my body. The sensation of the substance squirming its way through my whole body and reaching every crevice is revolting. I want to puke, but I cannot, for my mouth is forced shut by this cocoon. But the cocoon is shrinking slowly.

As the Darklight enters my body more and more, I begin to feel weird. Full of power and Ether. Like it is somehow enhancing me, but not in a way that I want. And as the Darklight reaches my brain, I truly feel the tainted touch of it.

It doesn't whisper to me or send dark murmurs at me like Wyatt's artifact that's attached to him. But instead, it just sends me an unending stream of emotions. All of which are dark and corrupted. All of them make me sick to my stomach as they are so strong my imagination forms a situation for each emotion in my mind against my will.

Visions of me cutting apart my siblings and eating them are the least bad. The taste of their flesh and the feel of their blood on my skin, alongside the cacophony of their scream, is far too real. I can't control myself as dozens of these kinds of scenes appear in my own head.

It's like the Darklight is injecting these thoughts and wants into my mind, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

My imagination comes up with almost every terrible thing I could never imagine.

Skinning an entire town of people and making a sail for a boat from their leather.

Sacrificing every person I've ever met to some dark entity, asking for it to elevate my life form. Only to be turned into a machine of flesh for it to control.

Slitting my wrist and watching the life slowly bleed out from me. Then when I run out of blood, praying to a dark entity to make me undead. It works, the Darklight rendering me neither dead nor alive, yet I hunger for the flesh of the living.

Every emotion slowly becomes more powerful and more imaginative. The scenes gradually last longer and longer and are harder and harder to break out of. By the time the cocoon no longer surrounds me, I lay coughing on the floor with eyes that feel so bloodshot I'm surprised they're still working.

For a moment, I think I'm alright. After my coughing fit ends, I attempt to stand by pushing the wood beneath me with my arms, but that is not what my body does. My body just stands unnaturally, only using my legs from the ground. Then, I statically and unnaturally move toward the tome on the table.

I panic, thinking that something is controlling my body instead of me, and I try to fight it. But it doesn't work. I don't feel as though there is anything to fight. Nothing is in my mind except for me.

But as my hand moves toward the tome and my finger touches the page, I realize something. The words on the page have changed, but only the part I can read is the name of my Sigil. No longer does it say Unshadowed. It now says Enshadowed. Before I can figure out what the other words mean, I am pulled out of The Cabin, my hand tapping the Sigil that looks just as ominous as before.

The eclipse in the Sigil brings sorrow deep into my heart as my surroundings shift and place me beside Virgil again. And only when I return to the world do I realize what's controlling me.

It's me.

My body is just moving on its own, almost on instinct. The emotions and sensations given to me by the cocoon of Darklight seemed to have reprogrammed my body. And even my mind. Because when I look at Virgil, I don't feel any sorrow. No pain. No anguish. No grief.

Nothing.

It's almost like I'm looking at the corpse of someone I've never even met. But even then, I'd still care. It's more like I'm looking at a dying animal. But it's not quite dead yet, and I can make it so before enhancing it further with Darklight. Somehow I just know what to do. Seeing the dying animal makes my mind overridden with thoughts only of how to serve the light of darkness.

My hands move on their own as I place them on Virgil's head. Then, with a slight motion of mental effort, Darklight streams from my hands and into the dying animal's head. No longer is it my brother. It is just a receptacle for the Darklight to spread. To grow. To devour.

The shimmering silvery light that oscillates along the grayscale forces open his pores and goes deep into his skull, approaching his brain. After just a single second, the light graces his mind with its heavenly aura. The light brushes his skullbone and illuminates the weakness with its Darklight.

All I need to do is put the light in this thing's brain. Then it… it will be… it will be ours.

I just need… I just… I…

My fingers tighten on the dying animal's skull as some internal force comes up. I don't understand what is happening, but I can't simply take over this brain for some reason. Something is stopping me. I look at my hands covered with the blessed glow of darkness and grow confused. What's happening?

I don't know. Maybe it's some trick of this animal. I just need to push through it.

My focus returns to devouring the primitive animal's mind with the eternal light. I go back to gracing its mind with holy knowledge as the light touches upon it. But before I can send the light into the brain, some unknowing force takes over me.

It screams internally with horror and rage at the holiness I am about to bestow.

"STOP! NOT HIM!"

I try to quell the voice, but I cannot. It only grows louder, all the way to the point that the Darklight moves. It moves to somehow heal this disgusting creature with the magnanimous light of darkness.

"HEAL HIM!"

I, again, try to ignore this stupid attack that must be from this base organism, but I cannot. The glorious Darklight moves to the creature's ears and heart. One portion regenerates the shattered eardrums that are almost useless. I mean, what animal even has eardrums? So primitive. But alas, I cannot prevent whatever is happening. Deep within, a force erupts, taking the Darklight to this animal's heart.

It covers the giant gash in the heart with the silvery light of ambition and closes the wound. My own hearts ache at the sight. Wait for hearts? Yeah, hearts. I've always had seven, right? The screaming continues briefly as the blessed Darklight washes over the creature, tending to his old wounds. No matter what I do, I can't even slow it down. But that's fine. I will have control over my body again. Of that, I'm sure.

And my assurance comes to fruition. After the Darklight runs out in the animal's body, much to my own primeval anger, I gain control of my body once more. And the first thing I do is end the life of this stupid, undeserving ape.

***************

Wyatt Graves

The cool steel of the Lily rests upon my chin as Hura smiles at me. The demon must thoroughly enjoy this. Killing me with my father's gun. He doesn't even have to say or acknowledge it. His eyes do. They sparkle with ecstasy.

A brief ceasefire occurs as he holds me at point-blank gunpoint. Johnny stops firing bullets, and Bonfire ceases to create fire. The latter falls to the ground in sweat and exhaustion as he does, though. It seems he's tired himself out.

Several moments pass in complete silence as Hura enjoys his guaranteed victory over Graves. And I guess it's true. The Lily doesn't appear to have any bullets in it, but it doesn't need them. If one is willing to sacrifice vitality, one can fire the gun. I reckon Hura is ready to shoot despite the price.

My attention turns to the movement to our side. On the edge of my vision, I see Vernon, for some reason, touch Virgil on the head. Maybe that's how he heals the man? But that thought is immediately tossed away as silver liquid falls from the man's eyes, nose, and mouth onto his brother below him.

Something is seriously wrong with Vernon. The younger Boone then reaches up and creates a blade that seems to defy reality. It is both light and dark. Cold and hot. See-through yet opaque. Day yet night. I don't know how it exists, but Vernon raises the blade without a handle and stabs it toward his elder brother's heart.

But a moment before it hits, the Darkstalker awakens from his unconsciousness caused by injuries. He instantly catches the arms of Vernon and yells at him.

"What the fuck, Vernon!? It's me!? What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

The smile only grows more extensive on the younger brother's face as his elder screams at him. The scream also garners Hura's attention. The demon briefly looks over before laughing. He almost doubles over, but he catches himself as he is focused on killing me.

"HAHAHAHAAA. That's amazing. Brother versus brother. My Mother sure knows best."

The two Boone brothers then rapidly begin to tussle, one seeking to end a life and another to preserve it. Virgil frantically does everything he can to restrain Vernon, but that odd dark glimmer that seems to break reality with its otherworldly shine keeps emerging. It pushes, cuts, and hurts Virgil through his thick set of clothing, revealing his skin to the world in a mad attempt to slay him.

Yet, for some reason, the eldest Boone does not burn as usual, nor is he put down for the count. His training and experience make him an expert in close-quarters combat. He takes this situation in stride and puts Vernon in a headlock. As Hura addresses me, my attention is forced away from the brotherly fight that is almost demonic in nature.

"No watching them. Look at me. I want to see the life leave your eyes."

I refuse at first, unwilling to give him the satisfaction, but he then threatens to use the Lily again.

"Ah, ah, ah. If you don't, I swear I will kill them all with this Colt. Then you'll meet them all shortly next to the Othershore Flower. I don't want to waste the time left on this earth, but if I have to, so be it."

I reluctantly agree as my eyes move to his. A smile that I swear is so sharp and insidious it could cut steel is worn on the demon's face. He then pulls back the hammer of the Colt. No person in this entire town can help me at this point.

Johnny can't help me. He's lowered his gun, seemingly accepting my death.

Bonfire is on the ground coughing up his lungs. I wouldn't be surprised if he went beyond his limit of Ether. The man seems quite excessive and competitive. I can't imagine him allowing himself to do less in a fight than Johnny.

And the two Boone brothers who have had my back since I met them? They are too busy fighting each other. The younger going mad with silvery light.

Earl is nowhere to be seen. The giant Uktena corpses block his view from that roof, so he is probably still moving into position. There is a whole war going on behind us, after all. I'm sure it's not easy to get a line of sight.

And the last thing that could possibly help me, despite its usual antagonism, is the Bloody Palm. Despite our constant struggle, it has been there for me every time the pale lady has come. But sadly, this time is not the same. I angered it far too much with Johnny's intervention. The artifact would rather die than help me again.

I am entirely alone.

But that's fine. I had a good run. At least I'll get to see Ma again. And Butter. That's if we go to the same place in the Underworld, I guess.

My thoughts begin to slow alongside my heart as my whole body relaxes. The guarantee of death seems to finally allow me to rest.

I'm able to zone out the arrival of Alexos and his combat against Sacate, Abraham, Marion, and Otto. The Phantom Pain doesn't even attract an ounce of my attention as Johnny turns to the new threat. Everything seems to be going to shit.

But that's alright. At least one of the three who caused Edmund's death will die today. Too bad I won't get to see the other two die. I just… I just wish I had never pulled that trigger. I regret it more than anything in my life.

Tears form in my eyes, not at the thought of death, but at all my regrets and the things I missed out on or flat-out ignored in favor of surviving.

I didn't even grieve Lonnie. A little boy was killed because of me. I tossed the thought to the side in favor of my own life. I wish I hadn't. It doesn't matter that I freed him. How I treated his death was so inhumane. And Leonard's. I miss him. I wish I spent more time with him. With Earl. With Esther. With… Elizabeth. I wish I spent a lot more time with her.

There is so much to think about as it all comes to mind. I barely spent any time with the foxes despite promising to protect them. That one hurts a lot. I don't even know where Dakota is right now. He could be dead. I just left him behind, as usual. They all could be lifeless.

Pain comes out of me in liquid tears as it all comes out, and the Demon Of Storms enjoys every moment of my suffering. But he only watches me cry momentarily before taking his thumb off the hammer. Then his smile grows even more exhaustive, touching his ears as he squeezes the trigger of the legendary Colt.

As he does, though, I hear a hum. A high-pitched thing that doesn't sound anything like a gunshot. The buzz makes me imagine a pale barefoot girl with red eyes. It is then followed by an audible giggle in the air that ends with a soft whisper to my ear. This voice of a young girl enters my ear, one about Esther's age but with a deep gravitas.

"You're the only soul I cannot claim. Though... I do wish it was otherwise. I am so hungry..."