An Evil Without.

It's been at least 15 years since we became the people we are today. Even from childhood, we would be put into these situations where we would have to go against each other. A loud deafening ringing in my ear would appear every time he would attempt to speak to me. It was almost as if we were destined to be rivals. Yet here we were at the top of a snowy mountain facing each other. Usually, we would never look eye to eye, but today was different. Today was the day I ended his evil acts. This rivalry, this excruciating ring in my ears and the death of the innocent would soon end. There we stood on top of the bone-white mountain waiting for movement from either of us.  

‘You can’t run away anymore, Abel’. I pronounced blaringly at the man standing in front of me.  

Abel stood in the shadows; his enigmatic presence cast a mysterious veil over the angel-white mountains. For the past 10 years, he has been committing heinous crimes that no other villain has ever committed. He once led an evil organization that massacred countless heroic heroes and once, he got tired of them, he killed them all. This man was pure evil. That's why, as a hero, I must end all this NOW. 

‘If you think you can kill me here now, your far from wrong, Ellis’ he utters as he slowly slides over an ancient purple ring with a mystical aura.   

A ring? I had never seen him wear a strange-looking ring like that. Whatever didn't matter, I stepped forward and pulled out my sword, ready to attack.   

The vibes in the air turned thicker, making it harder to breathe as the atmosphere grew heavy with impending tension. The man, wielding the ring as a weapon, unwittingly unleashes its power, causing harm not just to his intended target but also to himself in the chaotic aftermath. I aggressively fell back from the impact of the ring, leaving me lying there dumbfounded along with Abel, who seemed even more confused. From above, words appeared in front of us. The words hanging in the sky echoed, ‘You have both entered inside the power of death, which means you will perish in 3 hours.’ 

‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE DO YOU PLAN TO KILL US BOTH???!!’ I screamed at Abel while he slowly tried to get up.  

“Please stop acting as if you weren't going to kill me right here, murderer”, Abel said.” I have a plan b. So, stop crying.” 

‘Shut up, I wasn't crying’ I exclaimed. He rolls his eyes and walks away. We are both now cursed, and he just decides to walk away. My ears start ringing at the thought of this unpredictable and frustrating situation.   

‘Do you even realize what you have done, what were you thinking about using that bloody ring’ I uttered in disbelief.   

‘God, I said calm yourself down crybaby, he chuckled. ‘The crazy witch that gave me this ring probably has the cure for this. The only problem is...’. He cautiously looked around, almost embarrassed at what he was going to say. I had never really noticed him, but he had fair skin and strikingly dark hair. He stood there elegantly toying with his locks, deep in contemplation.  

‘We are going to have to work together if we ever want to get hands on the cure.’ He mumbles while avoiding eye contact.  

‘Are you crazy. Why would I ever work with a villain like you!?’. I said impatiently.  

‘Do you honestly think that I want to work with a hero’? He pauses. ‘The witch is a lot stronger than you think we are going to have to fight her if we ever want to get the cure’. He speaks.  

‘Don’t tell me what to do, I'll do things my way’. I said as I stood up and took my leave. He grabs me by the shoulder, and we meet each other’s gaze. It was one of those moments where words seemed unnecessary, the unspoken understanding hanging in the air.  

“That witch won’t give us the cure unless we join forces and defeat her. She has killed many people by just glaring at them. We stand no chance if we go there by ourselves”. That was the first time I had ever heard Abel speak so nicely to me, which was nice for once.  

‘Fine but we are doing things my way, alright’. I exclaim to him but all I get is a weird, unsettling smile as he walks through the trees draped in white. ‘Hey, wait up, I said I'm in charge!!’.   

We both trudged through a serene snowy forest, our footprints the only disturbance in the pristine white landscape. Honestly, where was he taking me to? What if this is all his plan to catch me at my most vulnerable and then attack me? Honestly, I can never know what he’s thinking; it worries me. 

‘ Stop thinking so much Ellis, the woman that gave me the ring is up ahead’. He exclaimed without looking back. He's certainly very strange. He speaks like when we used to be friends back when we were little. However, we both took very different paths. He wanted to become a villain, and I wanted to become a hero. I cannot forgive him for what he has done.   

‘Wait if it’s this hard to get the cure, then how did you get the ring’. I suspiciously asked him.   

‘What if I told you that I made that witch beg for her life with my charms?’ 

‘...’ 

‘Hahaha God you’re so serious’. Abel said in a jokey way.’ I made a deal with her that she could never decline”. A deal she can’t decline? Now I'm curious what he gave her. I'll ask him later.   

‘We’re hereeee!’ He says while he points at a cave engulfed in a blanket of snow, its walls adorned with patches of damp mold, creating an eerie contrast of icy cold and musty decay. From a distance, a growling noise echoed through the forest and strained to discern its source. Suddenly, 2 beastly creatures appeared from the depths of the snowy mountains, covered in purple fluffy hair.   

‘Those are the witches' bodyguards; we’ve got to defeat them before they alert the witch’ Abel says as he quickly pulls out his ring. 

‘Are you crazy? Put that ring away’. I told Abel with no hesitation. ‘I’ll take care of this’. With a swift and precise movement, I slashed my sword twice, with each strike meeting the ferocious beasts head-on, as we bravely fought against the two dangerous creatures in a fierce battle for survival. As soon as I thought it was over, I turned around to see one of the beasts hoovering over me ready to kill me. Out of nowhere, Abel charged towards the beast, unleashing a powerful energy from the ring, his heroic action saving me from imminent danger.    

‘Are you hurt anywhere Ellis’ Abel mentions in a nonchalant way. I don't understand why a villain would do such a heroic act. 'Well, your combat skills exceeded my expectations you took down both beasts with only a little bit of my help’. Abel says with a grin on his face. 

‘You're not too bad yourself’. I mutter under my breath while I look up to his face to see his reaction. My sentence left him utterly stunned, his jaw dropping in disbelief. 

‘What’s with your face?’ 

‘It’s just that the last time you’ve complimented me was when we were little’. He pronounces in disbelief. ‘You always used to compliment me remember? Saying things like I'm so strong or that I'm so handsome that I can get any girl that I want or sometimes you say things like you want to be like m-’. 

‘OKAYY, I GET ITT...’. I say as I walk towards the cave. Honestly talking to him really gives me a headache and mostly a ringing noise that won’t go away. I really don’t get him at all. It's annoying. 

As we cautiously stepped into the foreboding depths of the eerie cave, our footsteps echoing ominously against the ancient walls. A shiver rand down my spine as if I had been possessed by an evil spirit. I had a bad feeling about this place, I mean how could someone live in a run over cave by themselves. Even if she was a witch this place is practically falling apart making it impossible to live in. The eerie silence of the cave was shattered by a thunderous banging sound from outside, causing us to exchange alarmed glances in the dimly lit cavern. Our hearts raced in unison as through the rocky walls, filling the once tranquil cave with a sense of impending danger. I looked at Abel for a dashing moment expecting more than answers from him. 

‘IT’S COMING FROM OUTSIDE LET'S GET HER BEFORE SHE RUNS AWAY!!’. Abel shouts as he runs away quickly to see who made the noise. With my heart pounding, we dashed out of the cave, eager to uncover the source of the mysterious noise, only to be met with a sight so unexpected it left us speechless. My eyes widened in disbelief as we gazed up at the colossal woman perched on top of the cave, her elongated head and hair cascading like a waterfall, veiling the cave, while her piercing white eyes illuminated the cavern with an otherworldly glow. There is no way that’s the witch we are looking for, I have never seen a witch with such appearance. As soon as I look at Abel, I'm taken back from how calm he is at this moment. Was he pretending or was he always like this. 

‘ABEL HOW DARE YOU DECEIVE WITH A FAKE POTION, YOU PROMISED ME IT WILL KEEP ME BEAUTIFUL FOREVER!!!’. The colossal woman looms above, her hand descending like a mountain to crush our tiny figures beneath its massive weight. Our hearts pounding, we sprint desperately, fear fueling our legs as we flee from the colossal hand reaching to engulf us. 

‘You gave her a fake potion??!!’.  I say as I quickly extract my sword, swiftly cutting on of her colossal fingers. Her agonizing screams pierces the air as the blade sliced through her finger, each cry a raw expression of unbearable pain. She was too big. Too strong. Too angry. We didn't have a chance fighting that thing, I need to hide and think things through. I quickly grab Abel’s hand and sprint desperately towards a nearby bush, seeking refuge from the looming threat. 

‘Listen there is no way we can fight this thing in these conditions and times running out’. I say in a rush inspecting if the witch was looming our direction. 

‘Crap there only way she’ll give us the cure is if we get her that potion’. He slowly takes a deep breath and continues. 'I have a plan... but well... emm remember as kid when we used to hide from our teacher so we wouldn’t get in trouble, and I would make noise so I would get caught instead of you’. What was he talking about in this situation where our lives are on the line he wants to start talking about our childhood. What’s wrong with him? 

‘What does that have anythi-’ 

‘THIS IS THE SAME THING BUT IT’S YOUR TURN TO GET CAUGHT!!’. He carelessly screams weakening our cover, the colossal witch’s attention drawn to our presence by Abel’s echoing voice. ‘HEY IF U EAT THIS HUMAN IT WILL BRING BACK YOUR BEAUTY’. With a forceful shove, I stumbled backward, crashing to the ground as the impact jolted through my body. My heart racing as the enemy’s gaze locked on me reaching her hand towards me. Why? I mean I knew we fell apart but this... this is too much. We were a pair. I trusted him. 

‘I’m sorry Ellis this is just the blood u owe’. With a swift motion, the colossal woman delved into her voluminous hair, retrieving a glinting bottle and throwing it to Abel soon drinking it, all while we found ourselves caught under the weight of her massive form, struggling to evade being squashed.  

The blood I owe? As we drifted into unconsciousness, memories of our past flooded back, swirling in a vivid tapestry of moments and emotions back when we were little. When I was about 10 a new boy named Abel moved in in our neighborhood. Because my mother was friendly, she wanted to welcome them with open arms. But there was something wrong with the child when we visited their house. He was very quiet; he wouldn’t smile like other children. 

‘That’s because he is a murderer.’ Abel’s mother confidently says. 

Huh? 

That's what all the rumors said about him but when I played with him, he didn't seem like that. He smiled and laughed at all my jokes, when I told him I wanted to be hero, he promised me we could be heroes together. So where was it that it went wrong. He started distancing himself from me and slowly started getting in trouble in school. Ever since then I realized that his mother was right. He was nothing but a villain. But I just couldn’t accept that. Because he promised.  

‘He promised...’ I slowly mutter as I gradually start to regain consciousness. As a ringing sound pierced my ears, I felt a surge of power as I slowly lifted the colossal woman’s hand, obliterating it with a fierce determination, each strike fueled up my anger. Slashing her with all my pent-up fury, her blood splattered over me, a visceral reminder of the price of vengeance. As the first snowflake danced down from the sky, I moved closer to Abel, noticing the fear in his eyes as he took hesitant steps back, his expression a mix of surprise and apprehension. In front of us, ominous words materialized, declaring, ‘Abel and Ellis, you both have 8 minutes before you die, However, since Abel has drunk the water of life, you now have one wish’. My eyes peel back on his as his gaze meets mine, a silent understanding passing between us in that intense moment. 

‘Why?’ I utter  

‘I HAD TO YOU DON’T GET I-’. His voice shakes. 

‘You're not a murderer you promised me you weren’t’ 

‘Ahh you still remember that ahahha’. With a nervous laugh he falls to his knees. He looked almost defeated which was very unusual for a character like him. 

‘I kept telling myself that I wasn't a murderer or more like nobody did except you’. Abel said. ‘I was meant to have a sibling. A twin. However, it never happened because I killed him. I killed Cain when I was in the womb. Because he was less developed than me, I ended up eating him... I didn't mean to, but I guess my mother didn't care what I thought. She went crazy when she found out and went around the town telling everyone I had killed my brother. That I'm a murderer. When the world paints this narrative of you it’s hard to erase it’. His face slowly lit up like a radiant sunrise.’ But then when I met you everything changed, I didn't have to live under the claims anymore; I was free. But when you told me you wanted to be a hero, I knew I couldn’t be beside you anymore. My mother wouldn’t let me. She thought I was a bad influence on you. I’m sorry Ellis. I’m sorry I believed in the world. Tears mingled with falling snow, a delicate dance of sorrow and winter’s touch.   

‘You're not a murderer Abel’. Of course he wasn’t. The world made him one and I couldn’t do anything about it. He probably felt like he was burning alive with the guilt God, I feel so shitty. 

‘Thank you so much I needed to hear that’. As he rose to his feet, he enveloped me in a warm embrace, a gesture I never knew I needed. He whispered under his breath, ‘Now I can die in peace,’ he fervently wished for my curse to be lifted. 

‘Okay now wish for your curse to be removed!!’. I say in a rush. 

‘I can’t it’s only one wish'. As a spear materializes out of thin air, it mercilessly pierces Abel’s chest, causing him to collapse to the ground in shock and agony. In anguish, Abel’s piercing scream shattered the stillness. 'I don’t want to die Ellis help me’. As Abel’s life ebbed away, silence enveloped him, leaving only the echo of his fading heartbeat. My eyes widened as I gazed upon the lifeless body, a mix of horror and disbelief washing over me. Silence. It was silent. 

The ringing noise in my ear had stopped.