“Fine,” I seethe, my hold on the illusion rapidly unwinding. When I created the world for Hadley, I had to consume essences hourly in order to maintain it. Even in the one instance I had created a fake vision for Auston—the time he thought he saw me hurting my beloved—it took two essences and a shit-ton of concentration. “Give me the location.”
I’ll save you, Hadley.
And then, I’ll let you live in peace.
I arrive like a mist, like the darkness the world accuses me of being. I don’t have a corporeal form, so it’s merely my essence gliding through the Academy until I enter the room where Administer told me she’s being held.
My blood turns cold when I see her tied up to a chair, her head lolling against her chest. In front of her, Administer stands with his arms crossed over his chest. Dominic, a Demon instructor, anxiously paces the length of the stone room, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists, while a panel of other professors lines up against the wall behind him.
“I don’t like this.” He spins towards Administer who is watching Hadley carefully. Almost too carefully. I don’t like the expression on his face.
“We need to rid the world of the Darkness,” he says softly, venturing a step closer with his hand raised. Before he can touch Hadley, I materialize before him, making him stumble back a step. Some of the other professors look on in horror as my shadowy form becomes visible. I know what they see—pitch-black hair, fathomless dark eyes swirling with the secrets of the universe, and smoke that constantly curls around my skin, obscuring me partially from view.
I’m a nightmare personified.
I’m the demon that hides under the bed at night.
I. Am. The. Darkness.
“Possess Hadley so we can talk,” Administer says with a dismissive wave of his hand. My suspicions are only amplified by how much he seems to know about Fates—and me in general. Despite not being able to touch anything longer than a second, I’m still able to speak.
Though talking drains me more than anything else. It requires a fuck-ton of essences to hold that connection between my brain and my mouth. It’s much easier to inhabit a body. Less daunting.
But the last thing I want to do is put Hadley in any more danger.
When I remain stubbornly silent, hovering beside her unconscious form, a muscle in Administer’s jaw twitches as he stares at me with eyes rife with anger.
“The last thing I need is you fading back to your prison in Hell because you ran out of power,” he sneers with an insouciant twitch to his lips. Abruptly, he stands over Hadley’s still form. He doesn’t touch her, but he doesn’t need to. The message is clear enough—do what I say, or she’ll endure the consequences
My wrath…
With a grunt, I step over my sweet Hadley and allow my smoke to waft up her nostrils, into her ears, and into her parted mouth. In the next second, I’m blinking open her eyes, using her as a fucking puppet. I’ll never forgive Administer for making me do this again, after I promised her I’d stop and leave her alone.
“You wanted to talk, so talk.” Her sweet voice shouldn’t be used to spill such avarice and anger. For a brief moment, I’m overwhelmed by the intensity of my guilt. I have used Hadley the same way the Administer is using her. I have used her body in order to be with her, in order to steal the essences from the souls.
No wonder she couldn’t forgive me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself either.
“All we have ever wanted is to get rid of the Darkness plaguing this world,” Administer says sadly, an honest-to-God forlorn expression marring his ancient face. “We’re trying to make this world a better place. The first step? Getting rid of you.” He nods towards Dominic who nervously procures a familiar golden apple—all of the fruit from the Tree of Life and Death is golden in color.
My breath leaves me in a whooshing exhale as fear skates down my back.
“Eat the Fruit of Good and Evil,” Administer demands curtly. “Let destiny decide your fate.”
All I can do is stare at the unassuming fruit as fear rampages within me, destroying my insides. It was this exact fucking fruit that killed my Claire many years before. From what I gathered, it’s the only weapon capable of killing a Fate. It’ll kill my essence until I’m deemed worthy enough to be reborn. If I’m deemed worthy enough. My sins and transgressions are rapidly catching up to me, wrapping me in a spiked sarcophagus with no hope of escape. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be allowed a second chance.
I’m not afraid of death. A twisted, demented part of me has wished for it after years of loneliness. I know, logically, that Hadley will be better off without me. So, it’s not death I’m afraid of. It’s the connotations behind it.
It’s ironic, really, that the Darkness is afraid of the fucking darkness. The sheer oblivion that death brings.
“Your evil acts are despicable,” Administer continues, oblivious to my internal turmoil. “We were just informed about the army of monsters you’re creating in Hell.”
At that, I turn towards him and quirk one of Hadley’s dark blonde brows. “Army? Monsters?” My laughter is capable of cutting glass. “You couldn’t be more fucking stupid if you tried. I take the essences, yes, but I keep them alive with me in my prison cell. As soon as I’m freed, the essences will go back to the souls. I’m not creating a fucking monster army.”
Some people, I swear…
Dominic's face pales in concern, and I spot two other professors whispering to each other in urgent tones. Their words float to me, causing a small grin to touch my lips. “If the Darkness isn’t creating an army in Hell, then who is?” one of them whispers.
“That, my friends, is the million-dollar question,” I respond.
“It doesn’t matter,” Administer says stiffly, visibly working on blanking his face. “Right now, you’re the biggest threat the Afterworld has ever seen.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I say dryly. “Does that title come with a trophy?”
Administer’s face turns a hideous shade of red as he takes a threatening step closer. Before he can even think about laying a hand on Hadley’s body, I pull my essence out of her soul and stand in front of him, my face tightening with malice.
“I’ll eat your fucking fruit. But not because I care about this Afterworld or your stupid Academy. I’m doing this for her.” I point behind me towards a groggy Hadley. She blinks rapidly, attempting to orient herself, and I allow my eyes to feast on her one last time. The supple, generous curves of her breasts. The smooth column of her neck. Her pert nose and luscious lips. Her sandy blonde hair cascading around her shoulders in soft, natural waves. If I die, I want her face to be the last thing I see.
Hadley…Claire…
She’s everything to me.
“I love you,” I whisper hoarsely, grabbing the apple from Dominic’s hand. It’s the only thing in this world I’m allowed to touch for more than a few seconds. I don’t know if it’s because it’s made by the Creator himself or for some other reason entirely. All I know is that I’m holding the only thing in the universe capable of killing me. I can only pray that my soul will be reborn, unblemished and full of light. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be worthy of Hadley then.