Dark and Light – Chapter 10
By Ultima66

As I see 4 seasons pass me by
Reflecting the changes through my eyes
Snow falls but then to dissipate
Spring will come and set me free again

I let the voice die away as I turned off the music, the soulful voice reflecting deep into my heart. I knew the seasons were passing me by, and I knew I had to do something.

He had been back, but I was asleep at the time. I remember waking up to the dragon tail at my neck, and then seing Alex run into the room, the chief bandit vanishing as soon as he saw Alex. I saw that dark, sick look on his face, and clearly remember his last words to me.

“Jace,” he said, “It’s been too long for me to watch after you. That guy has been here for more than a month, still stalking around at night. He wants you dead, Jace, and now that you’re better I have nothing more to say than my obligation to help you is over. I’d like to help you out, but living like this is going to kill me soon, so I have to say goodbye. I wish it were easier to part, but you have your problems to solve and I have my own life to live. I don’t think I’ll see you again, sorry.”

With that he left. It’s been another two months of staying around wondering to myself, but no answers came. I found Alex’s diary in his room, the last entry incomplete. I knew something had changed in the time I was unconscious, but I didn’t know what I could do.

But now, the poetic verse had captured something in me and helped me discover my soul. I knew what I had to do, and that was to find Crystal, if she was still alive, and to set my own soul free. Crystal’s kidnapping weighed heavy in my heart, and I knew I had no more choice but to lift the weight.

I walked out of the room, carrying nothing but my stars and knives. Those would be all I needed. I can’t say I knew where I was going, but my heart led the way.

I was in Sleepywood. I felt something about Crystal close by, and I began searching around the town. Suddenly, I heard someone yell in pain behind me. I turned around and saw them: Crystal and her kidnapper, his dragon tail dripping in blood, a mage lying bleeding on the floor.

I was speechless, being overcome by so many emotions at once. He had murdered an innocent person just to get my attention, first of all, but I also saw Crystal, and I was overcome with happiness on that part. I stared into Crystal’s eyes, and her deep blue eyes stared back. They told me a story of sadness, and no words needed to be exchanged to know how much both of us had been through.

I looked at the chief bandit. Anger boiled inside of me, and I wanted to attack him, knowing all too well it wouldn’t end in my favor.

“Why?” I said, “Why did you do that?”

He finally spoke, the first time I had ever heard him talk, and the voice echoed back a familiarity that I couldn’t pinpoint.

“Do I need a reason? All I can say to you is that I enjoy it, do you not?” he said. With those words he went on the attack and tried to strike me with an assaulter. I jumped as fast as I could, and threw two knives downwards. I somersaulted over his attack and saw the knives sink into his shoulder as I flipped towards Crystal.

“Dark sight!” I heard her yell as she grabbed my arm tightly. I understood, and within a second, we had vanished into the shadows. I saw Crystal motion to me to be quiet, and we creeped past the chief bandit and into a safe place in the Sleepywood sauna. I broke the dark sight.

“Jace, it’s been so long,” she said, “I’ve missed you. I’ve really missed you.”

“Crystal,” I said to her, “I came here because you’re what matters to my life, and I refuse to let you slip away from me without me doing everything I can to get you back. You have to tell me what happened, because apparently that guy has been torturing me for months now.”

“Jace, I don’t know how better to put this, but he is you. You two are both Jace, just different sides of yourself that split apart,” she said, letting the news spread through my mind. “I’m sorry this happened, Jace, because I know why he exists, and it has to do with me.”

I heard out her words without contempt. “Crystal, I don’t blame you for whatever you did. You gave my life meaning and that’s all I could ever ask of you. Whatever you did to make my other side incarnate itself, it’s not your fault. If anything it’s my fault because that guy just happens to be me, right?”

“Jace, just let me speak,” she said, “When I was unconscious, you remember me telling you that I killed you in my dream? I have a feeling that I was the one that broke your two sides apart, and you know things have changed. Those few days we spend together afterwards, I knew you had changed for the better. I found out that the worst part of you had been separated after I was taken ahold of. He told me everything, except for what he wants with us.”

“That’s what you know. Crystal, I know what’s in your heart. I understand you more than anyone else, and I know the rest of the puzzle because I know how he thinks. My darker side is pure jealousy and selfishness, and I know it’s got to be trying to kill me so he’ll be alone. That’s got to be why he’s been after me,” I said.

“But why me? Why did he take me when he could have killed you outright?” she said.

“Crystal, do you know how shadows work? A light shines on something, and on the other side there is a shadow with no light. I think everyone has a darker side and a lighter side; one can’t exist without the other. If he had killed me, he would have killed himself. He needs you, Crystal, because you can be the light to counter him, and he would be free,” I said, “Look, I never thought this through myself. Until now I didn’t even know you were still alive.”

I stared at her soulful eyes once more, and we embraced and kissed. I felt her tense up at something and she let go.

“Jace, you know what that means? You said there’s no darkness without light and no light without darkness right? You can’t be without him. I’m scared, Jace. I don’t want to be without you,” she said.

“Things will work out,” I told her, unsure of anything myself at the moment, “We’ve got to fight him as well as we can.”

We stepped out into the town.

Author’s Note: Sorry for another slowish chapter, but I feel like the emotional aspect of the story really matters, and I have to capture it here before I get near the end. Props to anyone who knows what the song is at the beginning without searching it up.