The Temptation of Power ||| Hermitcraft Watcher AU

Prologue

Everything was cold. Cold was all he knew, as well as darkness. And fear. Fear was an overwhelming feeling that had, at first, rushed through his veins like a merciless fire, spreading quickly and powerfully, and had eventually calmed to become hot embers. Flames couldn't burn uncontrollably forever after all, they always lost energy and ran out of fuel, but they left damage. He currently felt like the remaining embers of a forest fire. Nothing but the still unbearably hot ashes and skeletons of the former trees spread around a baron, grey landscape.

And yet, he was cold. His heart was still beating fast and he was still breathing, but the cold encased him like a prison to his body that might make him simply stop at any minute. The cold that made his fingertips feel numb and body freeze in place.

The dark that surrounded him could be endless for all he knew. He could almost think he were floating in space if not for the vague outlines of shadows and the solid, firm thing beneath him. Pulling his legs closer, he listened to his unsteady breaths.

He didn't even know who he was.

He only knew the dark and the cold and the fear. His body parts felt foreign yet familiar. He knew vaguely what he was. He could remember snippets of his childhood, but barely anything; only a few moments when he'd been walking somewhere or running or sitting, doing what he believed were typical, every day things. But he couldn't remember who or what was around him. Everything was fuzzy, hazy, vague, like his own mind was barred from him.

He was startled as there was a loud noise. It sounded like... something being moved. Tapping sounds echoed and got closer to him and he hugged himself tighter. Footsteps were approaching him, he realised. He took in another shaky breath but it was cut short when another sound interrupted him.

You're awake. They were words he understood. The language sounded strange and unknown, and yet he understood it. He dared a glance past the protective barriers of his arms.

"Where am I?" The words slid naturally off his tongue, he didn't have to think about them, yet they still felt wrong.

Home. Well that seemed like a lie. Wherever he was, it was scary, it was dark, it was wrong, it certainly wasn't anything to do with home. We wiped your memory because you were obsessing over silly little worlds. You're name is Xelqua, you're half Watcher, you belong to us. We're Watchers. You live here, and you are going to be obedient to us. The figure was unsettlingly tall, and was almost as dark as the place surrounding them.

He - Xelqua... - nodded. He didn't know what else to do. His body was numb and felt beyond his control, and his movements all seemed to happen before he decided to do them. The tall figure left the room and he hugged himself tighter, wrapping two large wings he hadn't noticed before around himself protectively. Why was he here? In the cold and the dark.

* * *

The purple fire was nice. Xelqua stared at the flame as it danced around his hand. It made his palm and fingertips buzz, like there was energy running through his blood, befriending his cells and hugging them. The flame itself was a lightish purple that turned a neon violet in the centre, and it flickered gently, lighting up the surrounding area. Whatever it was, he loved it. It came to life and extinguished itself obediently at his command. It was beautiful, the only supply of light in the room.

Most of all, it was warm. Not hot, but warm. Gentle heat radiated off his hand and somehow warmed his entire body. It felt secure, safe, right. It was his and only his, no one else could control it.

He sensed the door open behind him and the flame died away.

Good, you've rediscovered your magic. A different dark figure - a Watcher, if that was what they were called? - said. He glanced at them, and they reached out what could've been their own version of a hand and it lit up with a similar flame. Something above him also lit up and the entire room suddenly felt a lot warmer. There was also a decent amount of light, although it was still slightly gloomy. Could've put the light on. They commented.