Alexander felt warm, not as pleasant of a warmth that one would feel under a spring day. It felt like he was standing inches away from a fire, and it was only getting hotter. No, it actually felt like he was actually on fire.
"FUCK!" Alexander screamed as he was awoken by the pain. He had never felt anything like it. Everything burned. His skin stung, his blood felt as if it was boiling, ans the heat made him excessively sweat. Was this an effect of the deal he made? Or was this punishment for foolishly trusting a strange man in a dark forest.
Alexander began to feel the streams of tears fall from his eyes that were squeezed shut as he braced himself. He was scared that he was going to die and that he couldn't fight back at all. Was this how he would meet his end? Young, still one of Aaron Jet's debt-slaves, and alone in a dark, empty forest? Killed by a strange man because of his own desire for power?
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?" he forced the words out through gritted teeth.
Silence.
Alexander opened his eyes and through blurred vision from the pain and tears. The mysterious man was observing him through his shining violet eyes, with a blank, almost cold expression on his face. Like Alexander's suffering was something he had seen countless times before. He sighed softly and said, "You must show me that spirit once more. That strong, indomitable spirit,"
"SPIRIT? FUCK THAT! JUST FUCKING STOP THI-... GAH!!" The pain was unbearable. It was already miraculous that he was able to get a few words out, but now the pain had even made it too difficult to do that.
"Fight and survive. Conquer the Abyss's fire, then make it obey you,"
"H-HOW!?"
"Simply breathe, lost one,"
Alexander wanted to curse the man, but the pain wouldn't let him. As ridiculous as the advice was, he had no other choice but to follow it. He quickly took a deep breath and quickly let it out. The pain continued to worsen. Alexander breathed again even quicker and more aggressively as the pain made it difficult to breathe, "ARGHH!!"
The breathing was not helping and Alexander could feel his conciousness slowly give in to the pain.
"Do not give up so easily, lost one. Your fate is not one in which you die at the first challenge," said the man. He took a few steps toward Alexander and softly poked his chest with the black blade he carried, drawing blood and shocking him back to full consciousness, "Now, breathe again. Slowly, deeply, and properly... The fire comes from the air you breath. To conquer the fire, you must conquer your breath, lost one. Now, slowly and deeply accept the air through your nose,"
Alexander slowly took a deep breath through his nose, as directed. It hurt to even breathe, but he still let the cold, stiff air of the dark forest enter his lungs.
"Then, slowly and completely let it out through your mouth, emptying your lungs,"
Alexander exhaled, emptying his lungs from the cold air, leaving behind a refreshing feeling. Like his breath came to heal his body and left him purified from whatever pain he was feeling. This wasn't just breathing...
"That is the breath of life...the breath of fire... Now, conquer it,"
Slowly and deeply, Alexander once again let the air in and directed it as deep as he could into his body. Then, let it all out, squeezing all he could from his lungs and back into the air that he got it from. He focused on his breath, as if meditating. And slowly, most the pain died down. The scorching flames he felt in his veins, had become a more inviting warmth.
Alexander then had an idea on what the man had meant by conquering the fire. He took in the deepest of breaths he had ever taken. Fully filling his lungs with air and held it for as long as he could. His fingers began to tingle and he felt the fire in his body warm up again. He opened his eyes and exhaled. Expelling all the air from his lungs... expelling small sparks of darkness from his fingertips. The Abyss's fire obeyed him.
"Your technique leaves much to be desired, but you've done as I've asked. You conquered the fire - my fire, and now it's yours to control," said the man.
"The flames... why were they black?" Alexander asked. The man smiled and effortlessly surrounded the two of them around a ring of fire. The flames were powerful and were a perfect display of the man's control of the powers they now shared. It seemed to dance around them and was a strange, white color. The man spoke once again, "Fire is beautiful isn't it? You would think humans would be bored of the natural colors of fire, but it just looks so warm. What does my fire look like to you, lost one?"
Alexander thought he was right about fire. Everything about it, and especially its natural colors, just felt warm. However, the same could not be said for the man's white flames. It was pure, near-blinding, and divine. Though, Alexander also thought, "It's like Mayor Jet's house... pretentious and flashy. Feels like you're showing off just how powerful and above me you are. It kind of pisses me off,"
And it was just the briefest of moments, but the man then did something that Alexander would have never thought possible. It was so shocking that it was like Alexander thought even pig flying wouldn't top it... the man laughed. The man who was shrouded in mystery and an otherworldly aura, laughed at basically being called a braggadocious snob. And in that moment, the man seemed mortal. Though, as suddenly as that moment came, it had gone by just as quick, as the man quickly regressed back to that ominous smile, "You really do remind me of my younger self,"
The ring of flames around the two dissapated as the man sat down on the ground, crossing his legs and laying the bloody, black sword across his lap. Alexander at first thought about how his robes would get dirty from sitting on the ground and stain with the blood from the blade, but he couldn't really picture the man with anything but the cleanest of clothes. The man spoke again, "The color of the fire we wield comes from our spirit's affinity to it. Your black flames are... unique. You lack power and control. Your speed of growth has yet to be determined, but the flames you create... they have yet to burn out,"
The man pointed at a spot next to him. The weak black embers that he shot out earlier, were still there and were actually slowly burning through the leaves they sat upon.
"To my knowledge, only one being has ever been seen wielding a fire like that. Fire can be a useful tool. It can be the light for when darkness falls, the warmth when the cold arrives. But this fire gives off no light or warmth, quite the opposite. It absorbs the light and you cannot feel the heat unless you touch it. And if it touches you, it will burn you into nothingness. It's pure destruction,"
"Fuckin' hell..." cursed Alexander, his eyes still transfixed on the black sparks as it began to spread all over the leaf.
"Hell would be correct as that's how it's been called for eons... Hellfire,"
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