I entered for the last one, but it was fun, so I'm trying my luck again! Note: the protagonist is the friend of the WTA character (Kal) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Being a Daemon is a privilege. A responsibility. A daemon is the guiding force built to restore the world to normalcy. But sometimes I find myself wondering about the local prejudices. Maybe us daemons really are just…demons. <ACT 1 SCENE 1> A great evil had been released into the world. It was my fault, partially. And that is why I am determined to change it. "Is that the Lake?" Kal asks, his quiet voice echoing across the vast cave chambers. I peer over his shoulder. And I see it. It glows softly, like a swarm of fireflies resting in one spot. Yet it is a liquid, clear like ethereal water. As we approach, a faint hum enters my head, as if my brain is vibrating merely from the presence of this majestic pond. It is our last hope. We have tried everything to get rid of the evil, but nothing worked. Until legends of the daemon pond appeared. The daemons were ancient creatures, between God and human. Legend says they had the souls of heroes, from the boldest of their era. And the legends were right. I cup my hand in the Lake, drawing out a handful of the glowing waters. It feels almost warm, and new life surges into me. I take a deep breath, glancing at Kal, who has his own handful of the waters. And I drink. <ACT 1 SCENE 2> I can't describe how the Ascension felt. You'd expect it to feel like a surge of life, a new power rushing through your veins until you feel the true awe and fear that comes with realization that a great power is out there. It felt like dying. I awake seconds, days, centuries later, a new person. No, not person anymore. A daemon. A giggle erupts from me. It worked! Kal and I have the powers now to stop that evil, that monster that ruined our lives. In a moment of sheer joy, I shake Kal awake, words blurting rom my mouth like a rushing river. "Kal- the prophecy- we're daemons! We can... we can..." I trail off as I notice his face. It is somber, more so than usual, the black horns protruding like foreign objects to my eyes. His face, now a stony gray, brings me to my senses. We may be daemon, but we are not invincible. We still have a long mission ahead of us. "Should I go ahead? Check if the minions haven't caught up with us?" I offer, noticing the exhaustion in his face. He nods wearily. I walk down the tunnel, nearly skipping with my newfound energy. But then it happens. As I'm walking, I suddenly crash into what feels like a brick wall. I pause, confused, then hesitatingly stretch my fingers out, feeling the invisible barrier that lies between me and freedom. Sheer panic rushes through me, and I stay there for a few minutes, pressing, pushing, trying the break what holds me back. "You can't." I whip around. It was Kal, exhaustion still evident in his features. "Are we trapped?" The words slip out of my mouth. "Was it...Him? Has he stopped us before we even had the chance?" Kal shook his head. His eyes are sad, I notice. "The prophecy spoke of daemons," he says after a few moments of silence, "But they spoke of only one hero." The meaning of his words crash into me. I was trapped. For only one can go out in the world, only one can be the hero. Only one of us is the Arbitrator. <INTERMISSION> The prophecy was fulfilled. Or so I thought. But the world needs rebuilding. It needs me. But I'll come back for you. I promise. -Kal
(contd.) <ACT 2 SCENE 1> "What are you up to, Kal?" I ask, transfixed upon the golden threads winding around my hands, leading to a small, glowing golden figure. "I am doing my duty. The world needs a hero. But it should have been you." It speaks only the words I have programmed, yet it sounds so much like him that tears form in my eyes. I am broken. He left me alone. Alone with my insanity. Letting the cracks seep in, further and further and further every day. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on, just me and the darkness and the quiet. "Why?" I growl, twisting the threads further. My glowing creation stumbles, yet remains apathetic. "Why did you abandon me?" "Because I had no choice." I whirl around. It's Kal. The real one. Standing tall and regal and handsome. His eyes are soft, staring at me with pity, and a blue bandage is wrapped around his right arm. "But I always knew I'd come back for you." <ACT 2 SCENE 2> I walk on weak, nervous legs, escaping my confines for the first time in what feels like millenia. The first thing I notice is how bright it is. Has the world always been as bright as the Sun on Earth? "It burns! It burns!" I yelp, rubbing my eyes viciously. Kal just looks at me with sorrow. "Get used to it." He mutters, "You've been in the cave for an awfully long time." His words fuel the anger burning my stomach. For I have not forgotten whose choice it was that put me in that prison. I have not forgotten whose choice it was that stole my sanity. I have not forgotten, and I have not forgiven. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou