Jace hated the dark. Like every child he simply hated being stuck in an environment he couldn't see or comprehend.
But that all changed when he had snuck out from bed. As usual the house was silent and quiet, devoid of all noise.
A bright light had appeared originating from a small room, the Study.
Jace had approached the light like a curious mouse and there, he saw it. His father, one hand gripping a pen as he scribbled notes and watched a video.
A video of an exploration gone wrong. Jace could see it, the bright red blood, the darkness and finally the screams, as the Rache tore through the exploration group.
Jace had crept back into bed unseen and unheard, but with a new fear. A fear of something much greater than mere darkness.
As Jace gazed down the stairs and into the endless darkness, he was reminded of why he had once feared it, but that was another him in another lifetime far away.
Edgis slammed his staff on the ground as a small light shone from a crystal at the top of the staff.
"Luminous crystals" Edgis said simply as he began walking down the stairs.
Jace followed quietly as the smell of stale air grew thicker the deeper they went. It soon reached a point where Jace was forced to cover his nose with his hand.
Edgis meanwhile, seemed unperturbed. He continued on his walk as Jace gazed at the walls.
Drawn on it were various symbols. One of the drawings portrayed a giant elephant with a sun at its back.
Jace asked curiously as they walked "So, do the drawings here mean something or did you just draw the first thing that came to your mind?"
"Both" Edgis replied mischievously "Some day, you'll understand. Probably sooner than you think"
Jace almost bumped into Edgis's back as Edgis declared "We're here"
Jace peeked over Edgis's back but wasn't able to see anything due to the darkness.
The room seemed to obey his voice as the light flickered on as Jace peeked. Right before flickering back off.
The two stood rooted in shock for a minute before Jace burst out laughing as Edgis lamented solemnly "I knew I should have changed the bulb".
Finally after a few minutes of rumblings and repeated screams of "Don't touch anything", the light flickered back on.
As it did, it offered Jace the chance to finally see what lay in the room.
Gazing about at the room, Jace glanced back, noticing Edgis's shrug, before glancing back at the room.
It was filled with weapons. That would have been fine if it hadn't been for the fact that most of the weapons seemed to still be covered with blood. That and they looked more like relics of old than modern weapons.
Jace walked towards one of the weapons laying in the glass panel on a stand. The weapon in it was a large hammer.
With dried blood on one side and a Golden liquid on the other, the hammer looked more threatening than ever before.
As Jace reached out his hands to touch it, it was slapped away by Edgis who had seemingly teleported over to his side.
"Don't touch anything" Edgis whispered through his teeth. Jace raised his hands in mock surrender as Edgis turned towards a wall.
"What is this place anyways? And what are these weapons?". Edgis kept walking as he stated simply
"Keep your mouth shut and you'll get a weapon from here".
Jace smiled as he used his hands to motion, zipping his lips. Edgis sighed as if he could see Jace's actions without turning back and placed his hand on a wall.
A slow creaking noise echoed through the room. The heavy wall slowly began to shift as a tall stand came to view.
On it was a diamond-like crystal locked in a glass case.
Jace watched the purple crystal with curiosity as a dark viscous liquid seemed to be trapped in it.
The liquid moved as if living and as Jace drew nearer, the liquid suddenly moved, heading towards Jace, but blocked by its impenetrable prison.
The sudden movement still gave Jace a fright as he backed away slowly.
Looking toward Edgis, the old man simply smiled as he approached the crystal. "It is said that the stone of death contains the essence of an entity, an entity known for its power and destructive nature, The Destroyer of Worlds"
As Edgis spoke, Jace watched the viscous liquid, his palms gradually growing sweaty and his spine colder.
An oppressive feeling slowly floated around him, calmly, carefully and suddenly began to choke him.
Jace felt like he was in the presence of an anomaly. An existence that was rejected by nature.
Edgis watched Jace carefully before asking "So, do you still wish to try your luck?"
Jace shivered as his gaze stayed on the crystal. 'How many years had he spent yearning for this moment.
For the opportunity, the chance to change his fate. Here it was, right in front of him and yet'. Jace gazed down as he examined his trembling legs.
'Was he afraid? Was this all he could amount to?' Jace opened his mouth, ready to accept his destiny. Ready to challenge the item that had taken the lives of so many people.
But what came out of his mouth shocked even him "No. I don't". Jace's gaze fell toward the ground as he muttered, whether to Edgis or to himself "I'm sorry"
A flash of disappointment and a hint of disgust flashed across Edgis's features before disappearing as if it never existed.
Instead, Edgis sidled up to Jace as he placed his arm on Jace's shoulder. "You don't need to say you're sorry. It's fine"
Edgis laughed awkwardly as he continued "Ignore everything I said concerning this. You being chosen, it was just an old man's delusion".
Jace glanced at the crystal one last time before turning away.
Years ago, Jace had once salivated at the opportunity of gaining power, of getting strength. But now.
Jace. The voice spoke softly, so quietly that Jace couldn't tell whether it was an imagination.
Jace Blank. What a wonderful name. The voice spoke again, this time louder and filled with a trace of, .. desperation?
Jace paused as a mental image was slowly constructed in his mind. In a moment, he was sitting on a throne.
His crown heavy yet firm and by his side, loyal knights which would never betray you. I can give you that.
Jace saw it, humanity rallying behind Jace as the war was won. His father looking at him with a gaze filled with respect but most of all, acknowledgement.
I can give you everything you want, if you only ask. Just take me. Touch me and all the power you can dream of, will be yours.
Jace closed his eyes as he muttered "No. I don't want that. I don't". Beside him Edgis watched, fascination in his eyes.
The voice continued leading Jace closer to it. You do. I know you do. I'm in your mind. I can see everything.
"You don't see everything" Jace struggled to say, his body betrayed him, inching ever closer to the crystal.
But I do, and that's why I know that the old man beside you isn't all he seems.
"What?" Jace paused as the voice in his head chuckled. You don't know. Oh, you're going to hit yourself when you find out.
"Jace" Edgis called out, his voice filled with a sense of urgency and, .. anticipation?
Jace could feel his body disobeying his mind, his fingers right at the cusp of touching the crystal.
You want this, don't you. You've lived your life entirely on the edge so this isn't foreign to you. You want this, the terror, the horror, the adrenaline.
At that moment a smile crossed Jace's face. This time his body wasn't disobeying him, no, this was Jace himself.
"You're right. I do want this. Whether I die or not, who cares? This is honestly so much fun"
For a second, Jace could tell that the voice had frozen over in shock until a raucous laughter burst out in Jace's head.
At the same time, his fingers grasped the stone as the viscous liquid in the stone moved to meet Jace.
Pain enveloped Jace as he screamed out. This wasn't the pain where you smashed your foot against a stone. This was one where you felt like your skin was being peeled off.
Jace screamed as his black curly hair slowly grew darker, his hazel eyes turning a darker shade.
Edgis had looked on in amazement at the beginning, but now. His eyes were calm while his previously clenched fists were released.
He watched Jace's transformation as he muttered a single word "Disappointing". He had waited so long yet this was the result.
He turned to leave just as the pendant resting on Jace's neck lit up. Lighting up with a bright blue color, it clung to Jace's chest, almost attempting to meld with him.
Jace meanwhile, was floating. One second he was in the dark dimly lit room. The next, he was here. Floating alongside the clouds as he tried to control his body.
"Hello" Jace attempted to call out only to realize he couldn't. For some reason, his lips couldn't move.
Jace flailed around even as his body lay stagnant. As he did, he heard a voice.
The first voice was faint yet filled with a hint of silent power. "He's here, isn't he? The question is how did he get here?"
Another voice echoed, this time younger and far more powerful. As he spoke, Jace couldn't help but curl up, or attempt to. "I brought him here. He's your descendant after all"
"Descendant? What do you mean descendant? No, scratch that. How does she have a descendant?"
The young voice spoke once more "The normal way. She married, had children. You know, the normal way"
For a second nobody spoke. That was until the elderly voice sounded again. With a tone full of disbelief, the mysterious being declared "Married? How did I not know this? Who was the unlucky fellow?"
A sigh sounded as the young voice spoke again "You don't need to know that. All you need to know is that your descendant is here. And you need to help him"
For a second there was a strange calm. That was before the elderly voice spoke again "Hey, you. Do you want me to save you?"
For a second Jace wondered who they were talking about. Understanding it to be him he attempted to open his mouth.
Even as he tried, he struggled to speak, only able to let out a quiet "eek"
The elderly voice spoke again "I'll take that as a yes. I'll have you know though, that if I do choose to save you, your life will change irreparably. Are you sure you want that?"
Jace reached out as he struggled to answer just as he felt a force pulling him down.
Dark tendrils wrapped around his leg as they dragged him down from the fluffy clouds to the deepest Abyss.
The tendrils continued to twirl around his body as Jace clawed up. Mustering all of his strength, he managed to muttered "Whatever it takes"
Jace descended as his face met that of the elderly man. The face was obscured by an invisible wall but Jace could still see his eyes, one completely blank and the other, as dark as the depths of a sea.
A fear seized Jace's heart. Fear that it was too late. That the man wouldn't be able to save him. That his words hadn't reached him.
And then he saw it.
A smile on the man's wrinkled face.
A bright light shone eradicating all the tendrils which had once surrounded Jace.
The light was overpowering, surrounding. The light was divine.
As the light dissipated, Jace saw it.
The exact same symbol he had seen on the pendant, his mother's pendant. Before Jace could think anyone further the light vanished, as the twinkling of an eye.
And then, there was darkness.