The Dark Soul

“Your soul, it emanates death, Melantha.” I sneer, as I begin to pick my bruised and broken body up off the ground and raise my hand to face her. “But not for much longer.”

“Oh, you stay down. You won’t be touching my soul, Eleni.” Melantha spits with a roll of her dark eyes. Then she raises her arm and shifts it high above her head before downswiping it. 

Following her arm, I lift further off the ground straight into the ornate ceiling and then get propelled right back down to the tile, cracking yet another rib. I close my eyes, waiting for pain. I feel the twinge and bark out a loud cry of agony. It deafens my own ears for a moment as I lay there, afraid to move. I open my eyes and all I can see is red. I’m not sure if it’s from the lit torches on the walls that wash the temple in a red glow or if it’s from the pain. Slowly raising only my head, I meet her eyes.

They might as well be black, as dark as they are. There’s no compassion behind them. The depth they have must be a horrid sight to anyone who hasn’t known her like I have. They seem to seep hatred. Which is who she is now. It’s a part of her being, just like her powers are. Having been chosen to join the dark cult, Exousia, she had only thrived. The cult, or conclave, had been in veneration of her for her power and skill. Which had only propelled her further into darkness. And now she was a stain upon this world.

Taught to absolve the dark impurities and evil of this world, she’d taken it too far. Now rectifying the world by killing anyone having done any wrong, she’d lost herself.

Shaking in my pain and the sadness for my once best friend, I pushed the pain aside and tried my best to stand. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I made it upright. I was no threat to her. I was one of the ‘good guys’, as she’d once said. As if she hadn’t just thrown me around this holy temple. My body feels as if it’s been shattered into a million pieces; the adrenaline from our previous fight having finally worn off. It’s begging me to stop but I have to finish this. 

Taking a staggering step in Melantha’s direction, I clutch my ribs. I can do this. I can stop her. I have to. I’m the only one who will even try. Everyone else is too terrified to even look at her. But not me. No, I don’t look at her and only see her dark evil-hazed eyes. I see a girl. A lovely girl. A broken girl drawn to the power that comes with her abilities. A little girl who once loved putting flowers in her hair. Who loved the ball gowns that scraped her bare feet as she ran through this exact temple. Not the power or the fear. 

I fall to my knees. 

“Melantha,” I barely whimper out. The pain of breathing is almost unbearable when my lungs expand into my ribs. 

She stands in the same place with her hands outstretched, ‘cleansing’ the evil people in the bleak temple.

”Melantha!” I try again, the pain of it forcing me to my knees. 

“What!” She whirls around. “What more do you want!? I didn’t kill you. All you’re doing now is interfering. Was I wrong in leaving you alive? Do you have something to confess? If not, then we have nothing more to discuss.” She says and takes a few steps towards me, her eyes narrowing.

”You know this is wrong. I know you do. Somewhere deep inside, you know this is evil. Killing innocent people.”

She only laughs. “Innocent?! You think that’s what they are? Innocent? They’re thieves, whores, liars. That’s not innocent. Have you forgotten what is wrong and wrong? Or are you just naive? This is why you were chosen by the Phaethon. Because you’re too pure. A light in this dark world.”

“There are some sins you can’t cleanse, Melantha. I’ve not always done right by my own conclave. But you’re not going to kill me. And it’s not because I’m pure. It’s because I’m your best friend. I always have been. You love me.”

She crosses her arms and huffs. “You’re so foolish, Eleni. Always have been. I haven’t forgotten you, but it doesn’t affect anything. These people are evil, and I was chosen to cleanse, to rectify what is wrong. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m even admired for it.”

”You were once admired for your strength, but not now. What you see is not respect or admiration, it’s fear.” I wince, my broken ribs trying to cut through my lungs.

“They’re correct in fearing their own sins, it will be their downfall.”

”It’s not their sin, it’s you. It’s not your place to judge. Only to correct, discipline, and sentence.”

”You’re correct. And I’m sentencing death. It’s what they deserve.” She smirks, so sure of herself.

“This isn’t you, Melantha. I know you. You’re not truly evil. Look around you. At what you’re destroying. Yes, they’ve done wrong, but correct them.” Her face drops slightly, as if I’m reaching her. As if she understands. “Show them what’s wrong. Make an example. Not this, this is not an example. You’ve gone rogue. This is murder.”

Her face shifts into hot anger. She raises her hand high into a fist as if she’s gripping something tightly, and then my body follows. 

I hang in the air, clawing at my throat. I can’t breathe.

”I am the example!” She shouts with an echo around the hollow temple. “Everything I do is an example. Purging the evil from this world is what I was chosen to do.” She drops me in a hard thud and I fight back tears. 

“I don’t want to fight you.” I manage to say, but she doesn’t reply. 

I’m not reaching her. Talking will never work, I realize. I must do something now, before she actually kills me for defiling her. I roll onto my side and stretch a shaking hand out.

“Oh, no. None of that.” She growls and holds out her open palm before clamping it shut. All of the bones in my body begin to vibrate, and all I can do is curl up and howl in pain.

She sighs and puts her arm down slowly before turning around and walking away. The tears now streaming down my face drop onto the tiles, forming a small puddle. The lit torches on the walls glisten in their reflection.

I roll back onto my side and reach an arm out, using nearly all the strength I have left. The Phaethon trusted me with this skill, but I’ve never used it. I’ve never needed to. It’s almost as bad as what Melantha’s doing. But if I don’t stop her, she’ll destroy everything. 

I pinch all my fingers together and slowly draw back my hand. She stops in her tracks and I release the breath I was holding. Slowly crawling over to her, I do my best to stand and wipe my tears. My heart jumps when I see her eyes. They’re white. The Phaethon told me this removes one’s soul, which is what harnesses our abilities. But it seems as if I’ve removed more than her soul. I see no presence of life. “Melantha?” I whisper and cup her cheek. There isn’t a trace of recognition on her face. She doesn’t even flinch. Tears begin forming in my eyes yet again and I fear I’ve killed her. “What have I done?”

A young woman with golden hair steps to my side and puts her hands on my shoulders. “You’ve saved us all.”