Soulless

Light. It was everywhere. The sun beat down on Teslirin as she walked the streets, a ring of guards surrounding her and the four other Darkests, keeping them from running. That was pointless; where would they run? Every corner where the sun didn’t quite reach was illuminated by lanterns. There was no Darkness anywhere.  

The laughter of the young Brightened on the streets paused as the group of Darkests passed, the Brightened’s tanned faces practically glowing in the bright sun. They wore bright clothing, and they all had blond hair – making Teslirin and the other Darkests stand out in their long black coats that brushed the ground, black leather gloves and boots, raven black hair and their ash-gray skin.  

The Brightened marched the Darkests around the streets of Baleyek every day, reminding the world that the Brightened had won the war. The Brightened say that they won their home back, but if anyone went back far enough in history, they would see that they were the ones that stole it in the first place.  

Good and evil. Light and dark. It’s so easy to believe them. The Darkests are evil. The Brightened are good. Stereotypes worked in their favor. 

But what happens when it’s the other way around? 

Teslirin squeezed her eyes shut as memories flashed through her mind. The Brightened had come to their planet, and light had come with them, turning millions of Darkests into Soulless – including her parents. Her brother was the only person she had had left, and he had gone to war. 

As far as she knew, he died there. The Brightened never left bodies on the battlefield – they burned them all.

If her brother was still alive, he would be Soulless. Every Darkest soldier that survived the war was Soulless and being Soulless was worse than being dead – with death comes freedom. The Soulless are trapped.  

All the Darkests had gone to war. 

The five children that hadn’t were the only survivors. 

Teslirin and the four other Darkests were marched through the city gates, the intense heat of the sun growing more and more as the sun climbed closer to its peak. The five children were walked around the city wall. Teslirin’s eyes wandered across the grassy plain surrounding the city. The scenery was exactly the same the entire way around. If they ran, they wouldn’t get far; the Brightened would spot them immediately.  

They were in complete control, and they loved to remind the Darkests of that. 

Wait, what? Teslirin looked around until she found what had caught her attention. It was what she had thought – a Soulless was approaching Baleyek. The Soulless looked the same as other Darkests, but in place of their eyes, only dark holes remained.  

This Soulless looked familiar. It can’t be... 

Teslirin caught the Soulless’ eyes – it was hard, since the Soulless didn’t have any eyes – and the Soulless cocked its head. 

Then it smiled. 

Teslirin’s eyes widened, and her heart started to beat faster and faster. She recognised that smile. It was a lopsided smile, and it made the Soulless’ messy hair seem even messier. 

It was her brother. 

Teslirin was guided around a corner, and her brother was hidden from her sight. 

The Darkests were led back to the palace, and Teslirin could see the relief in the posture of the Darkests in front of her. The torture was almost over; they would be returned to their dim cells, where the sun wouldn’t burn their skin, and where the Darkness could return. 

The Darkests were marched through a small door, then they were escorted through a long tunnel until they reached the dungeons. They were led to their separate cells, the heavy stone doors slamming shut behind them. Teslirin sighed as the Darkness flowed into her – as her soul flowed into her, as life flowed into her. 

Life that her Soulless brother would never feel again.  

Life that her alive brother would never feel again. 

There must be a way. Teslirin thought and started pacing in circles around her tiny cell. Darkness was a Darkest’s soul. How could she get the Darkness back into her brother?  

How could she reverse the irreversible? 

After what seemed like forever, she had only come up with one solution – return the Darkness to the world. Banish the Brightened. 

But how could five children possibly succeed when an entire army had failed? 

The next day during their walk around the city wall, Teslirin’s eyes scanned the plain the entire time, watching for her Soulless brother. He appeared in the same spot as last time, his lopsided smile appearing when he spotted her. He's in there somewhere. Teslirin thought. I can’t leave him... but saving him is impossible... 

Come on, Tes! Her brother, Noviek’s voice encouraged. It spoke from one of her memories – it had been a week after her parents had died. She had been overcome by sorrow, and she hadn’t been able to see how to escape. She hadn’t known if she wanted to escape. 

It's impossible. I can’t let go of them... she had replied. She had refused to leave their small house, even though the Brightened were almost at their town. This is all we have left of them, Nov.  

No, it’s not. Noviek had walked up to her and had placed his hand on her shoulder. She had looked up at him. Intense sorrow had been hiding behind his eyes, but he had been smiling. You and I are still here. We were created by them, and we were the two things they loved most. They loved us way more than this house, wouldn’t you say? Teslirin had nodded, then had let Noviek help her up.  

Nothing’s impossible. Noviek had said as they walked out of their house. Nothing's impossible when we’re together. 

Winning the war against the Brightened. 

Bringing life to the Soulless. 

Saving her brother. 

Nothing's impossible. 

Nothing's impossible when we’re together... 

Together. 

The guards shouted as Teslirin dashed out of their protective circle, running for Noviek. She could feel their heavy footsteps following her. They were catching up quickly; they got their power from the sun, from light and heat. Teslirin’s power was drained by the sun. Stupid, stupid, stupid! What are you thinking? You can’t run! Escaping is impossible... 

Impossible.  

The guards caught up to her, light dancing around them as they channeled their power. They knocked Teslirin to the ground. “I had started to think that they would never run.” one of them sighed as they approached her. Teslirin looked up – she had almost reached him. “Running is impossible, child.” the guard muttered. “Good will always win. Don't you know that?” 

She was escorted away, ropes of red-hot light binding her hands behind her back and tying her feet together just far enough apart that she could walk. She could feel the heat through her coat’s thick black cloth. They marched the Darkests through the closest gate and went straight to the center of the city where the prisons were. 

The Darkests were thrown in their cells. Teslirin curled up in the corner, wondering what would happen to a Darkest that ran. She enjoyed her Darkness, since she knew it would probably be the last time.  

After what seemed like eternity and a minute, the Brightened came. Teslirin could feel their boots on the floor as they entered the prison. Her cell’s door was thrown open and five Brightened guards dragged her out, binding her hands and feet once again.  

Teslirin was marched through the streets of Baleyek, an insane number of soldiers surrounding her. The four other Darkests trailed behind her.  

They arrived at the city square. A waterfall depicting the Brightened defeating the Darkests stood in the middle, crystal-clear water shooting from the top. A large crowd had already gathered, and Teslirin could see that more were coming. There was no speech, no explanation of what was going on. Everyone knew. It was obvious. 

The stake surrounded by firewood gave it away. 

Teslirin was led to the stake, and her bindings were released for a second, then replaced tighter on the other side. Her feet and chest were bound to the stake, then torches were lit. The Brightened held the torches to the wood beneath her, and the wood set on fire.  

Smoke filled Teslirin’s lungs as fire licked her feet. Her long coat caught on fire, and the flames climbed quickly. Teslirin’s screams filled the square. The other Darkests watched solemnly, knowing that they couldn’t do anything. Some of the Brightened guards were grinning as Teslirin burned.  

They enjoyed death. They enjoyed screams. They enjoyed war.  

Light and dark. Good and evil.  

What if the stereotypes were the opposite of reality? 

Good will always win. Don't you know that? 

The Darkness was her soul. Before, she had thought that she had to get rid of all the Brightened for the Darkness to return. But what if the Darkness returning would get rid of all the Brightened? 

Teslirin reached inside herself and found the small reserve of Darkness that made up her soul. Removing that would make her Soulless. She would die anyway. 

But it might save Noviek. 

Teslirin screamed as she ripped out her soul and threw the Darkness at the sun. Darkness came with the absence of light. Get rid of the light and there would be Darkness. Teslirin’s eyes faded away, and her mind faded with them.