Rena stood alone in the empty garden, contemplating. It was the rare occasion she had a bit of time to think everything through. She mindlessly watched the autumn leaves float near and all around her, silently wondering if her life would ever return to normal.
"Rena?" A familiar voice called out.
Rena instantly turned, dismayed upon hearing the voice.
"Grace?" Rena clutched her sister's anxiously, scanning her from head to toe.
"W— What happened? What are you doing here?!"
As far as she knew, her sister had left in the morning, along with Eve and her father.
"Xander... H— he tried to get me..."
Her body shook as she spoke. She reached out, holding onto Rena's arm.
Rena on the other hand couldn't believe what she was hearing...
"Why would he do that...?"
"I don't know... He—" She abruptly went silent.
Rena impetuously felt Grace's unexpectedly cold hand on her left arm, before the bracelet was yanked off.
"Grace? What are y—"
Rena went silent. Her feet were lifted off of the ground, and the world around her began to shift.
The last thing she heard, was Darien's distant voice calling out for her.
♦
Her eyelids felt heavy, as if her eyes had been glued shut.
In her semi-conscious state, Rena thought of using her newly acquired powers, but now that the blue bracelet was gone, she could no longer control Valum.
An unknown amount of time later, Rena's eyes opened, only to be met by nothing but eerie darkness. She was certain her eyes were open, but she could feel something was terribly wrong. It was as if she was in a dreamlike state.
"Irene." A chillingly searing voice called out.
"W— who's there?"
"Isn't it obvious?" An ounce of acrimony was distinct in the tone.
"No..."
"I'm your closet friend Rena." The voice seemed to come from all around her.
"I'm your inner darkness."
"V—valum?" Rena stuttered in utter repudiate.
"Don't call me that." Valum scoffed, almost exasperated.
"It is your name isn't it?" Rena wondered after a few antagonizing seconds of silence.
"No child. That is what those unbearable demons refer me." Its tone grew darker.
"I prefer Zarum."
She didn't say it aloud, but she thought that that name, sounded far more forlorn than Valum.
"Don't insult my name little one." Valum's sudden sharp, impious tone made her jolt.
"Uh... Sorry." Rena said apologetically, though her next sentence was quite contradictory.
"But I'm not calling you that."
The air around her grew cold as ice before she heard Valum's voice, so cynically close to her.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood child."
An incoherent frown crossed her face. She would've never thought Valum to have a... Personality.
"Where— What is this place? Where I'm I?"
She felt as though she was floating in nothing but darkness, Valum evidently corrupting her entire self.
"In your conscience obviously."
Rena remained silent. She couldn't help wondering why her so-called conscience, seemed so murky and lifeless.
"That's because I'm here child. And as long as I am, your soul will forever be tainted."
Rena was sure she sensed the haughtiness in that sentence.
Rena shut her eye, finding comfort in the darkness of her closed eyes, rather than the one around her.
"What... exactly are you?" She implored, feeling a bit less nervous.
"What I am, is the least of your concerns. What you should be doing is giving me back complete control."
Rena's thoughts halted. She had no clue what that sentence meant.
"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have wiped those memories—"
Valum seemed to catch himself as he abruptly went quiet.
"So you did erase my memories..." Rena said, recalling what Darien had once told her.
"They weren't of use to you anyway. Up until this point, I suppose." Valum shrugged.
"Why now?" Rena couldn't help but ponder.
"Why speak to me only now?"
"Well, mostly due to that imbecilic seraphim-energy-filled bracelet. But also because of our contract—"
Rena's eyes opened abruptly, only to close again. The darkness around her seemed to be somehow more foreboding.
"Seraphim energy? Contract? What are you—"
"Sorry kid, unlike your insufferable husband, I won't be answering your string of questions. But yes, your detestable husband and his demon friend found a way to —" Valum suddenly went quiet.
"Why am I telling you this?"
"Maybe because you have no choice? I'm bound to find out everything eventually..." Rena spoke hoping to persuade him into giving her the answers she so perilously needed.
"Don't be so sure." Faint amusement lingered in his voice.
"You will never truly know everything. Trust me."
"What do you want from me?"
"What do I want?" Valum laughed, a stony, malevolent sound.
"Oh honey, it's more about what you want."
What she wanted?
"My bad." Valum breathed, remotely embittered.
"I forgot you don't remember what you want."
All the signs that Valum was gaslighting her were as clear as day, but Rena thought that was just his personality... After all, he was for sure no saint.
"Okay, how about you open your eyes and reach out towards me child."
A lower formed on her face.
"But why—"
Valum interrupted, ostensibly sounding impatient.
"Do you want answers to your questions or not?"
His question was followed by an undeniably convincing fact.
"Besides, I think it's clear that wasn't your sister earlier. You'll be as good as dead when you regain your senses."
Rena did indeed want answers. And she still had no clue as to who exactly had kidnapped her.
Whoever it was, could shapeshift, meaning it was most likely... Leo's murderer...
Angel's words flashed in her mind.
'According to Angel, once it took her form... It killed her right away.'
Her blood ran cold. Her sister... Did this mean that she was—
Rena clenched her teeth. She refused to think. As of now, she didn't need nor want to think. She needed to act, and fast.
But how could she trust Valum?
She obviously couldn't, but at that moment, it seemed she had no choice.
...
