The Star and The Shadow

I feel my body aching, my vision blurred, and tingling sensation scatters across my body, my muscles numb.I feel new, fresh, as if waking from a long slumber. As if I had just been born for the first time.

The sounds of crunching gravel catches my attention, and slowly approaches my weak body. I open my eyes, the room is dark, the soft glow of crystals providing a comfortable amount of light. But still my eyes remain unfocused, all I see are the meaningless colors of light blue gems and the purple-gray rock that forms the cave. But then a figure appears, and looms over my head, the crunching of the gravel finally stops, and with it, my eyes finally focus, to see, what seems to be a teen boy.

“So, you’re the one who’s supposed to defeat me…” The boy smirks, his deep purple eyes glinting with chaos, yet, I feel a sense of familiarity and comfort while in his presence. I get back on my feet slowly, my angelic skin glowing softly, as I brush my long and graceful hair out of my eye’s way.

The boy's smirk disappears for a moment, he glances away, but just for a second before looking back at me, his tone is a bit more serious than before. He stares into my eyes intensely, his skin is pale, his hair at shoulder length, but that's not what catches my attention, it’s his eyes…the intense and deep amethyst coloring seems almost supernatural, the way they reflect the glow of the crystals around us so clearly.

The boy chuckles and looks at the worn out floor beneath us. I look as well, to see scratches and smudges of fresh blood on the ground.

“Well… This…is a good thing, isn't it…heh, and here i thought… I…would be happy…” The boy pulls a small dagger out of his black cloak, a dagger stained with red. I feel a shiver creep down my spine. I feel confused, I feel…scared…but, at comfort? I know deep down why I have been summoned here. Something that only a descendant of light can do. 

“...You know, this is usually the part where I would give you some evil speech or something…” He balances the dagger on his index finger, a melancholy expression appearing on his face.

“You and I… We have a lot in common, don’t we? Both of us… had our paths chosen…both of our futures were decided, far before we were even born….” He clenches the dager, and glares at me. I look into his eyes in understanding.

“It’s…it’s not fair!” His grip on the dagger tightens, and he gives me a paralyzing glare. I sense a feeling of pain in the boy’s voice…

“My whole life…I have been feared… my whole life, I had to live, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't save anyone from myself! Do you know how that feels!? Being born knowing your only purpose is to bring SUFFERING to those you LOVE!” I flinch as his expression becomes one of insanity, his eyes glow brightly for a second, but fade as he collects himself.

I remain silent. 

“You were born with a destiny, blessed with the hopes of all that is good, but me? I was cursed… I couldn't fix this if I tried… but…” He chuckles, “That doesn't matter now…because the cursed twilight will soon be upon us…and when it is…the astral realm, mortal realm, and the decay will all become connected, allowing my power to truly, and…permanently awaken… then… I will become a force even the gods fear…” He looks at his dagger, then at me, his expression softens.

“I…wish things could be different…but, I was created as a vessel of darkness… And you…you were created as a vessel of light, the manifestation of hope…I wish I could have that…feel…hope…”

“I…was made…to fight you?”

“You were made to kill me, before it’s too late…When the realms collide, the curse will fully corrupt me…You could kill me now, while I’m weak. Or, things could be the other way around.” 

“I am still not used to my physical form, you have had a physical form much longer than me, you would surely win…” I respond softly.

“Killing you already…that’d be no fun.” He smirks.

“But, if you don’t…won’t I…hurt you?”

“Tch…so naive, unlike you, I am not some little magical benign sent by a higher power, I was a mortal, a prince, forced to pay for the consequences of his ancestors actions. Would you like to hear a quick history lesson?” 

“H..history?”

“I… don’t want you to kill me without knowing the full story…” He glances at his feet, then towards me, and smiles softly, as if trying to convince me that his intentions are innocent. Despite him being my natural opposite, I feel drawn to his presence, as if he were my other half, or a long lost friend.

“...History…That sounds…interesting...”

“Really? Ok, well, it all started ages ago, when the mortal realm was still generally young. Basically, there was a group of elves, who possessed a strong connection to the astral realm, thus strengthening their magical capabilities, who wished to open a portal to the astral realm, allowing them to acquire magic that would combat even the mightiest of dragons.”

“Dragons?” I tilt my head with curiosity. 

“Yes, the elves had worked for the king, at the time, the king was trying to conquer the lands in a attempt to strengthen the kingdom, and seeked to conquer Navital, a land known for its magical properties, Navital was home to another kingdom, Aslivre, which is now known for its pegasus knights.”

“Pegasus!?” My eyes light up with excitement.

“The pegasus knights of Aslivre are powerful and skilled. But that’s a story for later, see, the king couldn't conquer Navital because of the guardian dragon, Luz, who was supposed to protect the kingdoms. Long story short, the elves failed to access the astral realm, they became obsessed with the idea of having godly power, planned on betraying the king, became corrupted. Instead, they ended up accessing a whole new realm, now known as they decay. The decay was a land full of corruption, the energy of the place was…different… Fairies that got their energy from the decay were known as sprites, shadow fairies. The elves who linked the decay to our realm were corrupted by its magic, their bodies mutated into something different entirely. They became known as wisp. Naturally, they were banned from the kingdom, for summoning such magic, allowing all types of evils to plague the land. Elves who lived in the area also mutated, and over time, wisp became a whole new species entirely. It’s a shame, wisp are just people connected to a different type of magic, but society still frowns upon them, treating us like savages, animals, all because of the mistakes of our ancestors. Not even our ancestors, most wisp are just related to elves that just so happened to live near the area where the decay’s magic was more prominent!”

“How…interesting…”

“Interesting?”

“Apologies, I didn't mean that in an offensive way, It’s simply interesting that mortals would turn against each other like that.”

“Heh, sometimes it’s not that simple…everyone goes through life differently, you never know what someone is going through. Sometimes the villains are just…hurt.”

“...woah…”

“...I…my ancestor, the leader of the group of elves, the ancient king's advisor, used the magic of the decay to kill himself and the other elves, through a spell that would allow their souls to become a strange curse. A curse that would allow them to get revenge. It is now, hundreds of thousands of years later, that their curse is finally coming into play…I, the prince of the wisp, the prince of the corrupt souls, “blessed” with a connection to the decays magic, on this very day, will become completely consumed my the realms power, making me a force that could smite even the mighty angles- and potentially bring ruin to all of the realms!” He stands, getting worked up, and smirks at me. 

“ So, if you're going to save the world, you should do it now.”

I stare at the boy, my expression becomes one of confusion and shame… I know what I have to do, but I’m not sure I have what it takes to do it…to take the life of someone…It doesn't feel right, I know he could destroy the realms, but it’s not his fault…He’s just a kid, a kid binded by the chains of destiny…but it is my soul purpose to destroy him, it’s my destiny, how could I not…

“...Well?” His expression becomes serious, and rather intense.

“Huh?”

“....Do it, before it’s too late.”

“I…I…”

“Well!”

“I can’t…I…

“You want people to suffer!”

“I…I don’t want to hurt you… I care about you…”

“...My whole life, I have known nothing but despair…I was born in a mortal family, and watched as everyone I loved died, one by one…i…couldn't control my own power… it was like having a monster living inside of me, that would take away anything I loved. People feared me, I feared me…” Small droplets form in his eyes, he clenches his dagger tightly, holding back his pain and tears. “I wasn't mortal, I possessed powers beyond any person, even if they were some kind of demon, like a wisp or siren… I couldn't be killed, my wounds always healed at a supernatural rate…eventually, I stopped feeling pain…and, then…one day, I just stopped feeling…” 

“You…want…to die…” 

“You don’t get it, you're a fairy, you're innocent…I was just a boy… cursed to fulfill the wishes of his ancestors… my life's purpose was to satisfy the disgusting wishes of some power hungry freaks! I…i… became desensitized to… to everything…i…i…i killed people! And felt nothing! Do you understand! I hurt everyone who got too close! I have nothing to live for, I never did! My whole life, I have waited for the day the angels would send someone to free me from this curse, I’ve waited for you damn it!” He grasps my hand, and places his dagger in it. “Only you, a beingin of divine light can end the curse, you have to!”

I stare at the dagger, knowing what has to be done. But, I have never had a physical form before, I have never been able to see, hear, or feel. I’ve never experienced empathy, sympathy, curiosity, or even care about anyone! The first person I meet, I have to kill! I know it’s my purpose, but I have all these emotions I've never felt, and…and…

“I JUST CAN'T!”

I throw the dagger away in a fit of confusion and frustration, catching the boy off guard.

“What…what do you…”

I begin to run off into the cave, the boy runs after me.

“What the hell are you doing!” He yells frustrated.

I continue to run, until I exit the cave, the gravel scraping against my feet, leaving small cuts on them as I run.

“Come back damn you!”

I run and run, the hard, jagged texture of the ground turns soft, and tickles my feet as I run. I look to see the ground is now coated in a soft green substance. 

Grass.

I slow down, until I come to a stop. Around me, I observe what seems to be a field on the cliff side. There are small white flowers all around me, seeming to glow as a big bright orb in the dark sky’s light reflects off of them. The sky is filled with beautiful and bright sparkles, captivating me. Below the cliff, there is a large surface that mirrors the sky’s glowing freckles and its big bright spot. 

Huff…huff…

I turn to see the boy behind me, catching his breath.

“You're crazy…you're absolutely insane! What if I didn't chase after you, what if I was a psycho who wanted to destroy the realms! The world would be doomed thanks to you!”

“But you're not a “psycho”, you're my friend!” I smile warmly at him, but his expression doesn't return the welcoming gesture. Instead, he gives me a look of disbelief and surprise.

“F-friend…I…” He seems lost in thought for a moment, his expression that of a polite child receiving a small gift, before his face becomes more cold and stoic. 

“Don’t you ever call me that, or I’ll slit your throat where you stand.”

“Oh…but…” His words cut through me like a knife, I think I would have preferred it if he slit my throat.

“No buts! Do you know what’s at stake! Everyone is counting on you to save them, AND YOU WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS!”

“I-i’m sorry…”

“SORRY! Your-SORRY! If you’re supposed to be the savior of the realm, then this realm is done for!”

“I don’t want to kill you, look around! Everything…It’s so beautiful… why would you want to risk never being able to see it again!”

“What?” He looks towards the night sky. “Oh, I suppose this would be the first time you’ve ever seen the stars…or the moon…or, anything really…” He chuckles to himself.

“Stars…moon…so…beautiful…” My eyes grow wide with awe and wonder as I take in the sight of these “stars”.

“Heh…she wouldn't hurt a thing…” He mumbles to himself, a soft smile appearing on his face.

“Huh?”

“Nothing… it’s just…nevermind…”

“What! Tell me!” I pout.

“...If…Oh, just forget it, come on, there is something you should see.”

The boy leads me down to the bottom of the cliff, near the area the reflected the sky so beautifully. I feel the grass fade into a soft, squishy, and loose substance that gets in between my toes. It feels strange, causing me to hesitate as I take my steps, for it feels strange to walk on loose ground.

“This is a beach.” He reaches his hand out.

“Beach?”

“Yeah, it’s where the water and land connect!” His hand remains reached out.

“Oh…”

“That stuff, reflecting the light, is water, the water here is fresh, so i guess it’s technically not a real beach since it’s not ocean water…”

“Ocean…water…” I whisper softly to myself.

Finally, he gently grasp my hands, catching me off guard.

“Hm?”

“Relax, just follow me, ok?” He gives me a reassuring smile, his smile is sweet and gentle.

“...ok, I trust you!”

“Really? You…trust me…”

“Sure! You're my friend!”

The boy thinks to himself for a moment. 

“You're a fool…” He sighs, as he leads me to the water. “You're a stupid, fool…” He says, as if he’s trying to convince himself he thinks that way. “You know… you're gonna have to have to do it…one day…

“...I know…but we have time!” Finally, my feet felt the wet and strange water for the first time. The “water” is cool, and refreshing. I move my feet around, causing the water to splash around.

“It’s so…interesting! Hehe!” I giggle to myself, pleased with my new discovery. I look at the boy, and then his hand, which he had placed in mine so comfortably. I smile softly with comfort, before noticing a large scar on his wrist.

“What's that?” I point at the large and deep scar, and he quickly pulls his hand a way!

“It’s nothing!” He covers up his wrist with his sleeve. “...it’s…I…”

He looks at me, his expression one of guilt and sadness. 

“Look… the world, life, can be horrible…but it can be nice, it all depends on said person's point of view and well… I…didn't get to have such a good perspective of the world…I…hurt people, and…people hurt me…” He looks at me, as if to see if I understand. But my expression is one of softness, and innocence.

“And…” He sighs. “Look, I said a lot of mean things to you, and I apologize…being with you has been really sweet…” He smiles, and takes both of my hands. “But, my time is running out…and, as my…” He looks at my soft hands, before looking me straight in the eyes, his gaze is intense but gentle.

“As my friend, I…I need you to do it…what you were made to do. I need you to do it, so that other people can grow up seeing life from a better perspective than I ever got to…” He brings my hands up to his heart. 

“Please…”