The Bane of Light

"He's all I have! Don't touch him!" I screamed, my voice rising in pitch. She gave me a disappointed look, as if I were to blame for this entire situation.

I tried to run towards Paris, who was being dragged forward by soldiers made of darkness, but found myself also restrained. The giant warrior had grabbed my arm with his rough hand, making me trash against him, nearly ripping my shoulder out of its socket with each throw. I could hear violent pops in my shoulder each time I pulled away from him.

Paris could not move. I could see as much with the dark magic of Nyx weaving around him and holding him in place, suffocating him like a snake.

"If you so fervidly disdain the act of killing, then demonstrate your devotion to healing and preservation of life. Present me your abilities to revive those that have fallen" Nyx announced, setting in a horror in me so bone-deep, that I found myself hysterical and near feral.

In an act of desperation, I turned to fight against the warrior, clawing at his hands and raking my nails over his exposed neck, trying to get away from him. Trying to get to Paris. The warrior took the animalistic attacks with his head held high, where I could not even reach it properly, and continued to ignore my screaming, heaving, thrashing presence.

"Don't touch him!" I screamed, my throat run ragged, "Don't touch him! Stop! He's all I have! PLEASE"

Nyx's eyes were filled with pity as she lifted her hands and gently told me, "I know, child. I know. That's why this must be done" before snapping her fingers. The soldiers dissipated.

Paris collapsed on the floor. The world went quiet. My restraints gave out as he hit the ground. I was silent for a moment, my eyes wide and mouth gaping in horror, before a blood curling scream ripped itself from my throat, shattering the silence around us. It was guttural, coming from somewhere dark, buried deep within me.

I threw myself at his body, scrambling to get to him as a wild animal might, crawling on the marble floor, blinded by agony. I reached his unnaturally still body, my hands running over it for any signs of wounds. For any sign on how to fix it. How to make it better. His chest wasn't moving. My lungs constricted on themselves as my jaw remained hung, tears prickling my eyes as they bulged out my skull.

"No, no, no, no" I cried to myself. I reached within me, within my magic, funneling it all. Funneling all I had. Funneling more than what was mine to take. Funelling more than I had to offer. I took all of it. Everything I could find. Everything that I could claw up from within me, and when I was empty, I began taking from around me. I began clawing all the magic, all the energy from the air, inhaling it into myself. I took it all.

I set my intent, imagining Paris gasping up, his chest rising and falling, his eyes opening. I set my intent as I placed my hands on his chest in the form of a make shift vessel. And then I gave it all I had, pumping all my magic and power into his chest, directly into his heart. I gave it all up. My soul, my being, my power, I gave it all up. I did not want it if I could not have him.

Shadows erupted from my hands, making Paris body jerk as all the raw power, as all the energy and all the life entered into his body. I stripped myself of it. I gave it all up, imagining his eyes open and his body awake. I took it all and gave it to him, clawing and grabbing at magic all around me. A vortex opened around me, as though I were a black hole, making the entire room shake and tremble in my hunger and wrath.

The shadows began climbing up my hands, my arms, charing my flesh under as I grunted in pain, keeping the magic directed to his heart. I needed to keep it beating. The pain grew stronger, fizzling and burning under my skin. The inky substance dyed my hands and forearms, snaking up like gnarled tree roots. My skin bubbled underneath, fizzing and molting like lava might. I grit my teeth, my body shaking from the extortion.