𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒// 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

"Swing up! Block! There you go!" Their swords clashed, sparks flying. General Jackson grinned from across their blades. Shoving Will back, he lunged forward, sword swinging through the air. Will dodged, then lashed out, their weapons meeting again.

General Jackson had volunteered to train the prince in swordfighting and lightbending. Usually, Will didn't have time to train, but after the assassination attempt, King Solace wanted his son to be able to defend himself in case anything happened again. Nico volunteered to help in the training, but Will didn't usually spar him. With blades, at least.

General Jackson lowered his sword, sea-green eyes gleaming. "I want you to battle Nico using your powers." He held out his hand, and a ball of light glowed in his tanned palm. "Powers can be a mighty tool on the battlefield. But remember--powers can fail you, but steel--" he rapped on his blade with his glowing hand "--can not."

Will nodded,sheathing his sword. He turned to face Nico, hands hovering at his sides. The cold pierced his clothes, and he shivered. Nico cocked his head and studied him with a smile, breath misting in front of him.

"Go!" Jackson shouted.

Will summoned light, but Nico lashed out with a rope of night, snaring his wrists. The prince growled and yanked against the restraint, nearly falling into the dirt. Light flared from his wrists, shredding the shadows. Will struck back with a blast of light, but Nico dodged.

The Shade attacked with bolts of darkness, but Will met every blow. Sunlight and shadows hissed as they collided. At last, a wave of darkness shattered his shield of light. Pain roared through him. Will dropped to a knee with a hiss. He raised his hands to defend himself, but another blast sent him onto his side.

"Your defense is sloppy," Nico noted, walking to his side, boots kicking up dust clouds. "You need to work on that."

Will responded with a blast of light, pushing Nico back. Anger surged through him, and an aura surrounded him. He stumbled to his feet and unleashed beam after beam, which dissipated against the shadow shield Nico had conjured in time.

This is why Octavian had taken him so easily. This is why he hadn't been able to escape his prison. Because he was weak--

Darkness surrounded him and encaged him, suffocating his light. Will clawed at it, but it became solid beneath his fingertips. He attacked it with a cry of rage, beating his fists against the blackness, but there was no use. He screamed in frustration.

Nico had used this tactic in nearly every training session, and Will hadn't been able to break free. Every. Damn. Time. And this was a simple tactic.

Embers blazed at his fingertips, pulsing against the suffocating night, but there was no break in the cage. Will's anger turned to panic as memories began to surface-- of a pitch-black cell.

"Let me out!" Will called. "I surrender.   You win."

"Try harder," was Nico's reply, oblivious to the panic rising in Will's chest. "You have it in you, Your Majesty. You know it."

Will pushed back the memories, calling on his light, but only more embers sputtered. He couldn't breathe. "Let me out."

"Your Majesty--"

Terror overcame him. "Let me out!" 

The darkness fell away. Will collapsed in the dim sunlight, counting his breaths, praying he wouldn't dissociate.

"Your Majesty?" Nico crouched next to him. "Are you okay?" Worry gleamed in his dark eyes.

"I'm... fine."