Touch of Darkness

Chapter 28: Final Showdown

It took me a second to take in my surroundings, I realized we were at the burned down building Zedd and I used to train. I move my hand and feel a sharp pain erupt through my body, I remember now that Alessia broke it. With my good hand, I push myself up and see Alessia mashing together some ingredients. I could use this as a chance to escape but something tells me I wouldn't get far. Besides, after seeing everything, a part of me feels bad for her. To be raised with a lie, to have your brother favored over you, and to feel like a failure your whole life, I can understand where she is coming from.

"Don't even think about running," she says, not turning around.

"I wasn't planning on it," I tell her, leaning against what's left of the wall, "Alessia, tell me about your parents."

She starts mashing harder, "Why?"

"I think you've been raised believing a lie."

"Of course you would say that," she spits, "When you're the cause."

As much as I want to say she's wrong, she's not. My father killed her parents, not directly but they wouldn't have died if they didn't cast the spell. In a way, I caused their death. All her hate towards me is justified, maybe not in the way she thinks, but it is.

"I know," I say, softly, "I am so sorry."

She scoffs, "Don't think that this will save your life."

"I don't," I tell her, "But Alessia, even if you faked any kind of friendship with us, you should know I did appreciate our time together. You were this powerful, stone-cold, new girl but I have never had a bigger admiration for anyone. You never let anyone take advantage of you, and you are the best fighter I know. I consider myself a friend and as a friend I think you deserve the truth."

For the first time, she looks at me, her eyes dark but a familiar essence about them. It reminded me from when we went shopping and got ready for the dance. I think that was one of the few real moments we really had, "What truth? Your parents killed mine."

I bite my lip and shake my head, "Alessia, my father killed your parents. My father was ready to destroy the world and all of our parents got together to stop him. Your parents used a spell, a spell to imprison him, but it killed them. I may not have killed your parents directly, but I am still sorry."

"That's a lie," she said, her words like ice, "Adam told us-"

"Adam worshipped my father, he would spread lies like that. He wanted you to release him. Alessia, if you release my father, he will destroy us all."

"Or just you," she says, grabbing my hand and making a cut with her knife. I gasped in pain and she holds the dripping hand over the bowl she was mashing. A few drops of my blood fell into the bowl and then she released me. I fell back, gripping my hand. She mashed some more, then closed her eyes and started chanting. I got up ready to stop her but she threw me back. I slid across the ground and hit into the wall. I wanted to try again but I knew it was too late. A strong wind began picking up, and I saw a small flash of light beginning to appear and grow. It grew and grew until it looked like a tear, its as if she was tearing the fabric of time. I saw a hand reach out, and soon I saw the face from the past.

His hair was still the same deep black from the past and his eyes looked more angry and dark. A dark purple seeped all around him, I could feel the evilness from here. He stepped out and Alessia stopped chanting. I knew this had to take a lot out of her because I could hear her panting heavily. He smiled sinisteringly and chuckled, "I'm back."

I couldn't tell anything on Alessia's face, it was still the same poker face she has always had, "Lukas, Adam sent me."

He smirked, "Oh Adam, my most loyal servant. Who are you?"