The Darkness

Valencia gasped and jolted out of bed, panting. She looked around, feeling her body to check if she had any marks.

“What… was that…?” she whispered.

Kael slowly woke up and looked at her. He got up and grabbed her chin. Her eyes filled with dread as she turned.

“Are you okay?” he asked, leaning close.

Valencia held her breath, pushing him away, mortified. A Light Esper killed my father? She gulped.

“You…” she muttered, but then she choked on the words that came after. She panicked.

“What’s wrong?” Kael worried, grabbing both of her shoulders.

She locked eyes with him, tears dropping on her face because of the dream that terrified her. A Light Esper before you? Wouldn’t that be… the late Crown Prince, the current king’s older brother? Tiny hairs on her arm spiked.

“Valencia?”

“I…” she stuttered. “Want to be alone…”

Kael pulled back, giving her space. He nodded.

“I see…” he answered softly. “I’ll prepare you a morning meal.”

He then got up and walked out of the room while staring at her.

Once the door closed, Valencia jumped onto the pillow, covering her face as she cried. A purple portal appeared beside her head. She turned to look—

A hand grabbed and dragged her inside.

She slapped the hand away and punched the chest that appeared.

“Did you witness that?” Vrastos questioned sternly.

“Why did you allow it to happen? Why didn’t you stop it?!” Valencia angrily asked, sobbing. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

Vrastos tightened his jaw and took a deep breath.

“He used most of my power to seal the Demon King… we didn’t kill it,” Vrastos revealed. Valencia smudged her face all over his top, wiping her tears and boogers. “That bastard… that vessel used the Light’s power to kill my vessel like a snake.”

“Which is why I punished the next vessel… but I didn’t expect the vessel to have such a heart to withstand the hardship,” Athesia added.

Valencia sniffled, clutching his top tightly.

“Why…? What did my father do to deserve this?”

The silence in the darkness shot through like a fading shooting star. Athesia’s sigh broke through.

“I was reckless in choosing the previous vessel… through generations, Cardiellas were always loyal, leaders, and the light of the human. However, I soon realized that I had chosen the wrong vessel,” Athesia expressed, closing her eyes in silence.

Valencia blubbered, her jaw tightening. The Cardiellas? The stupid Royal Family?! Her sorrow slowly transformed into rage—void balls scattering around her as her body trembled.

Athesia and Vrastos looked at the balls in horror before Vrastos glanced down at her.

“Little one?”

“Why does the Royal Family always have to come to mind?!” she questioned, her voice lowering with a mixture of many other voices combined. Her purplish stars in her eyes glimmered before fading into the darkness. “WHY?!”

A dimension cracked, startling Athesia and Vrastos as they darted their gazes at the new opening.

“Calm down!” Vrastos yelled.

“What did my father do to deserve this?! What did my mother do to deserve to be separated from him?!” Valencia snapped.

Vrastos reached his hand over the portal and clenched his fist, hoping to close it—a red claw pierced through.

Athesia then unleashed her power to strike whatever tried to escape back down the portal.

Vrastos looked at Valencia, who refused to calm down. Fuck! Your child is more emotional than you were, Eureon. I don’t know what to do—

“Valencia…” Eureon’s voice echoed.

Valencia jolted, the world flashing purple before the balls evaporated and returned to normal in the void world. Her wide eyes looked at Vrastos, who stared at her with confusion. Then she turned her head to her right—

“My baby… I’m alright,” Eureon whispered, yet only she heard the words. His hand rose to her, and she felt his warm smile with it.

She fell to the ground, shaking. Her tears flooded the floor beneath her as she clenched her fists.

“How are you alright after that kind of betrayal…?” she asked, begging for an answer… that she knew she probably wouldn’t get one. “Mother kept hoping that you would come home… that you would come back. And in the end, she died… alone in bed, waiting for you.”

Vrastos and Athesia paused and stared at Valencia. Vrastos softened and patted her head.

“Little one…”

“Why…? Why couldn’t I just be normal?”

“Child…” Athesia called softly, sighing in frustration.

“If you want to ask that, then go to her…” Vrastos taunted, pointing at Athesia. Athesia frowned at him. “She was the reason why I was forced to be with you.”

“This child is seriously asking a question. There is no time to joke, Vrastos.”

“So… Eureon would even hate you for doing this to his daughter,” he shrugged. “He thought being a Void Esper because of me was lonely.”

“Yet he enjoyed your company…”

“Because he was a weird vessel.”

Valencia stared at them, bickering. Then she wiped her tears and looked at Vrastos. He paused and looked at her.