Chapter 34: The Encroaching Darkness
Amidst the despair, my vision went black. This absence of everything… I was quite accustomed to it by now. It happened multiple times while I was playing. I would just have to wait and the scene would present itself, restoring my senses.
As expected, colors started forming around me. Most of the blurry picture was black and gray, with a massive patch of vibrant colors splitting the darkness in two.
Slowly, the image came into focus. Along with it, sounds and smells revealed themselves.
Since all of these things were still gaining clarity, I focused on the thing that usually revealed itself first. That was my sense of touch.
I found myself with my right forearm resting on something slightly soft as my fingers tapped rhythmically. The seat I was strapped into was firm and cool to the touch, fitting the curve of my back perfectly.
My eyes began to attain some focus as the scene around me became clear. I was currently in the passenger seat of a car, speeding down a highway that cut through a dense forest. The trees were covered in a blanket of snow that poured over to cover the ground around it.
The black of the asphalt was in stark contrast to the curtain of white that surrounded it. This trip was one I had been on many times as a kid.
Straight ahead in the distance was a mountain range that stretched off towards the horizon in both directions. Each peak was covered in snow, blending into the cloudy skies above.
This was our usual destination during the winter. The three of us used to take ski trips all the time. My dad inherited a massive house in the Wasatch mountains. This was a huge mountain range in Park City, Utah. We could literally walk out the back door of the house, put our skis on, and then explore a massive ski resort that expanded for miles.
Some sound started entering my ears. It was music and probably what I was tapping my fingers to.
"Control yourself, take only what you need from it. A family of trees wanting to be haunted."
I hadn't heard this song in years. My mom loved this kind of music. I think the genre was called alternative. She would always play it in the car and sing like there was no tomorrow.
Focusing on the sound more, I realized that there was a voice coming from my left. It was feminine and perfectly in key with the song, barely discernible from the actual song audio.
With care, I slowly turned my head to the left. What I saw was something I had never thought I'd see again. There was a woman. She had dark brown hair that was tucked into a hat. On her body was a baggy pink hoodie that looked soft to the touch. Her soft features, her petite nose, her lightly glossed lips, they were all familiar to me.
I trembled slightly. "Mom?"
The woman glanced towards me and smiled. That smile melted my heart. "What's up, Ky?"
I took a deep breath, trying to push away the tears that were building up behind my eyes. "Ahhh, nothing." I looked away.
She giggled and then shifted her hand on the steering wheel. The music that was playing lowered in volume. "Can I tell you a story?"
I glanced at her again before looking away again. I didn't need to stare at her. I just wanted to enjoy this moment. "Yeah, sure."
I saw her nod in my peripheral vision before she began. "This moment that I want to tell you about has stuck with me and is often what I need to push forward when all hope is gone. You know how I'm in the Navy, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled and continued. "Well, there was one time that I almost died. I was so scared. All I had were the few comrades that remained from the shipwreck. The Russians were closing in on our position and we only had sidearms."
"None of us were sure what to do. I was devoid of hope, only despairing the situation. The person sitting next to me was of a higher rank than me and was the highest ranking person that remained. He was technically in charge."
"Unfortunately, he was paralyzed in fear and was in no condition to make any decisions. I don't think any of us were capable of that because of what we had just been through."
"He turned to me, his eyes lifeless. He whispered to me, asking what we should do. Honestly, I didn't know the answer. However, I knew one thing deep down and I grasped onto it. No matter how bad, how hopeless, there is always a way."
"Holding onto that, I managed to push out a few words of encouragement. Not just for the others, but for myself too. With that, we were able to make a plan and get out of there with our lives."
She glanced at me again before turning back to the road. "Never forget that, Ky. There is always a way."
As she said that, my vision went black again. I snapped my head back to the left. "MOM! NO NO NO!"
Anger began to well up within me as the memory faded away. She was gone again. The despair came back as I felt as if I was losing her all over again.
The darkness became cold and numbing. The anger kept boiling until it turned into rage. Why did I have to lose her again? Why? WHY? WHY WAS I SHOWN THIS?
Suddenly, the battle I was currently in snapped back into my vision. No time had passed. The Sith was still in front of me, pressing her lightsaber into mine and trying to end me. I felt a single tear rolling down my face as an intense feeling of loss took over my mind.
The coldness of the dark, the extreme anger turned rage, it exploded within me as my eyes went cold. This bitch… her presence disgusted me. I wanted her gone, to never see her again.
I hissed out some words in a sinister tone. "Die for me."
The statement came across as calm and calculated. I watched as her eyes widened in shock. A hint of fear could be seen crawling across her face.
Without waiting for her to process her emotions, I made my move. Being on one knee, my left foot was still on the ground. I tilted my body, falling to the floor. As I did so, I pushed her lightsaber to the side and swung my right leg around from behind me.
*THUD*
I swept her legs out from under her and she fell hard to the ground. As I fell over, I tucked my shoulders and rolled, landing back on my feet. I was now squatting over her and held an insurmountable advantage.
I twirled my lightsaber, orienting the blade downwards while holding the hilt with two hands. Under my cold gaze, I stabbed the lightsaber towards her.
*Chsssshhh*
Under the influence of this rage, the sound of her insides being burnt to a crisp was immensely pleasuring. I took a deep breath, enjoying the power I felt as I ended this vile woman's life.
I glanced at her face, seeing an expression of pure fear. For some reason, it looked instinctive and imprinted into her. Something clicked in my head.
Was this fear towards me? I glanced towards the hands that were holding my lightsaber. They looked cold and foreign. Those weren't my hands. They were the hands of something evil, something sinister.
This realization, the rage cooled down quickly, returning to an emotion that was locked away in my subconscious. What came over me? How did I act so decisively and coldly?
Die for me? I would never say something like that. I don't even enjoy killing! Even in the game, it doesn't feel good. These lives, they were unique existences despite being presented as code. When they die, they cease to exist. They are no less alive than a person in the real world.
These thoughts were like a blanket. They warmed me up amidst the coldness that had washed over me. My emotions calmed down and my head became clear. This all happened in the space of a few seconds.
Having pushed the coldness away, I took in what was happening around me still. The firefight between my teammates and the enemy was almost concluded with the result following what I expected. A few of my men were down but for some reason, my instincts told me that they were still alive.
On Satele's side, she was still dueling with Valent and neither of them had gained the advantage. This was probably the place I had to help first. With Valent gone, we would be able to dispatch the remaining enemies quickly. On the other hand, if we took care of the others first, Valent would probably try to escape. I had a feeling that he would be able to do that successfully and then our mission would be compromised.
I pulled my lightsaber out of the dead Sith before bending down. I pried her lightsaber out of her cold, dead hands and stared at it.
[Kyra Callamos' Lightsaber]
[Legendary]
[The lightsaber is the most iconic weapon in the galaxy. It is lightweight and extremely deadly. This red lightsaber belonged to the Sith Apprentice Kyra Callamos, Apprentice of Sith Inquisitor Valent Ochirula. She lost possession of the lightsaber, as well as her life, in combat against Soren Brenko.]
With an ignited lightsaber in my light hand and the newest addition to my expanded collection in my left hand, I pressed the button on Kyra's lightsaber.
*Bvvvvvv*
My figure became even more ominous under the glowing light of two crimson blades. I reveled in it for a moment before turning my gaze towards Valent.
Pulling my right hand back to my side, I swung it forwards, releasing one of my lightsabers. It spun like the blades of a fan as it flew through the air.
I wasn't sure why I aimed there, but something told me that the spot was exactly where it needed to be. Sure enough, after the next clash of his and Satele's lightsabers, he leapt backwards, landing exactly where my lightsaber was heading.
Seeing this, I broke into a sprint, rushing forwards in order to assist Satele. Valent's head snapped towards me as he noticed the lightsaber that was flying in the air towards him.
*PINK*
He raised his lightsaber and swung it down, deflecting the flying saber. It bounced away at an angle that was slightly off from its original trajectory.
Without thinking, I held out my hand and curved my path slightly to the right. The lightsaber seamlessly landed back into my hand without breaking my stride. I continued my rapid approach with haste, running straight towards him.
Satele noticed me approaching and started running towards him as well. I was slightly further away, but once again, my instincts kicked in. On the next stride, I planted both of my feet next to each other and pushed off the ground.
*WHOOSH*
I soared into the air with great speed. Raising both of my lightsabers above my head, I readied an overhead strike. Nothing would stop me now.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone