As the years passed, Dark made it a habit to train with his father in the morning until late into the evening, then he would sneak out at night and visit Anti at their usual spot before going home to catch a couple hours of sleep before starting the cycle over again.
Dark got to know Anti better as time passed, each meeting allowing him to learn more and more about him as they became better friends.
But on Dark's eighteenth birthday, everything changed.
"Son, it's about time I gave you these." Damien announced with a sad smile after they had finished training for the day.
He handed Dark a set of silver blades with his mom's initials etched onto the handle of one blade and the initials of his father etched onto the other.
"These used to be what your mother used to fight off the demons, I know she'd want you to have them." Damien explained as Dark took the weapons, watching the dying sunlight glint off of them like polished jewels.
"Thanks Dad." Mark smiled as he pulled his dad in for a hug, glad to have his support.
"That's really cool Dark." Jason remarked as he poked his head out of the house.
"Thanks!" Dark beamed, experimentally twirling the blades in his hands.
"Careful, I don't want you to lose an eye." Damien chuckled as Dark stuck them in the pockets of his white tunic.
"I'll go on to bed, don't stay up too late." Damien warned lightly as he retreated back inside the house with Jason.
Once Dark saw all of the lights go off inside, he took off into the air once more to see Anti.
He knew he should've stayed home, but he had become careless about the rules his father had set up.
That was the biggest mistake of his life.
"Hey Anti, how's it going?" Dark prompted as he landed with a whoosh of air next to his friend.
"I'm pretty good, how about you birthday boy?" Anti countered with a small smirk as he produced a small cake from behind his back that he had been concealing.
"Even better now that I have cake!" Dark cheered as he gladly accepted the gift, using the edge of his wing to cut him a slice before making one for Anti.
"So you're eighteen now." Anti mused as he swung his legs over the side of the cliff while eating his cake happily.
"Yep, I should be joining the Hybrids soon later in the year." Dark announced proudly.
"That's good...I wish I knew where I was going with my life." Anti admitted with a small frown.
"What's up?" Dark prompted as he sat by his friend's side.
"Nothing, I don't wanna ruin your birthday with my stupid bad mood." Anti assured him, an obviously fake smile plastered on his face.
"C'mon, you can't fool me." Dark argued, buddying Anti lightly in the shoulder.
"Fine, well, erm...you won't make fun of me right?" Anti asked hesitantly.
"Of course I won't." Dark promised, his expression serious.
"I'm too chicken to join the Hybrids, so I have nowhere else to go." Anti confessed sheepishly.
"You're not a coward. I'm honestly scared to join the Hybrids too, but I gotta do it to protect people." Dark replied bravely.
"I've never met anyone like you before Dark. You're kind, funny, and are optimistic despite everything...I wish I was more like you." Anti sighed wistfully.
"You already are." Dark promised with a smile as he looked out at the horizon with Anti, their wings occasionally brushing against each other as the wind blew around them.
"I want every day to be like this. No fighting, no constant training, just...us." Dark spoke up.
"Me too." Anti agreed.
As the two sat in silence, Dark heard a sinister roar in the distance that made his blood turn cold.
"Shadows." Dark whispered in fear.
"Shadows?" Anti repeated, obviously confused.
"Demons that have stolen grace from multiple angels to become large inky black creatures, the things that the Hybrids fight off daily to keep our jokes safe." Dark explained in a hushed tone.
"I should go back and check it out." Dark frowned as he stood to leave.
"I can come with if you want." Anti offered.
"Sounds good." Dark nodded before taking off into the air, Anti following suite.
They flew as fast as they could back to Dark's house to see Jason and his father lying dead outside of the remains of his house.
"Dad! Jason!" Dark screamed in anguish as he darted to them, tears welling up rapidly in his eyes.
"Dark, we need to go in case the Shadows are still here." Anti warned him gently.
"I'm not leaving my family!" Dark snapped through the sobs wracking his body, his gaze fixated on his broken family.
"Dark-"
"Just go already!" Dark cried, wrapping his wings around him as he closed his brother's chocolate brown eyes for good.
Anti hesitated before taking off, unsure about his family's safety.
He barely made it halfway home before he ran into it.
The Shadow was waiting for him.
The creatures had already taken all of his family's grace before killing them in cold blood, leaving only him.
It towered over Anti's ruined home, its milky white eyes staring off at nothing.
"GO AWAY YOU BASTARD!" Anti screamed in rage, sapphire eyes blazing with fury as he moved to reach his family.
Before he could react, he felt the inky creature grab hold of him with a roar, his grace slipping away the longer he was in contact with it.
The last thing he saw as unbearable pain swept over him was Dark watching him disappear with an emotionless expression, the humorous light in his eyes replaced with a burning fire for revenge.
YOU ARE READING
Legends Never Die
Fanfiction"Woah." Mark gasped in awe as he looked around the cave he and Jack had taken shelter in. "I didn't know there was caves in Brighton." Jack admitted as he ran a hand along its wall. "Look, there's pictures!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed at the wal...
