Sequel: Torque II ›
Torque
Dark Reign
It had been three days since the trip to The Keepers HQ. The streets had been fairly quiet since Torth's defeat and even when a daemon was found, it immediately left at Torque's command. Fear of what could come to them was what most likely drove them to leaving so easily. Aria had been spending a lot of time in their mansion. She always said, whenever Torque or Violet asked why she was still there, that she was family and wanted to be with her son.
Torque had been lying in bed that morning. It was about 4am, three whole hours until sunrise. He laced his fingers behind his head and looked to his left. Violet was still asleep. He'd noticed that recently, she'd been spending the nights quite frequently in his bed, rather then her own. He looked back at the ceiling again, then stared at the clock, waiting for it to change from "4:00am" to "4:01am". After a few minutes he grabbed it. The time hadn't changed and he was curious as to why. It continued to say "4:00am", almost defiantly. He placed it back on the bed side table.
He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. The grandfather clock by the door was also stuck, big hand on 12, small hand on 4. Torque swung his feet out of bed and walked over to it. He tapped the glass covering the hands, then looked at the gears inside. They'd stopped. The pendulum hung in mid-swing.
"What's going on?" He asked himself. He looked at Violet. Creeping over to her, he looked for her vital sounds. Torque knelt down next to her and laid a hand on her chest. No heart beat, no gentle rise and fall of breathing. He stood up straight again. "This is so weird." He thought out loud.
He could feel things so it definitely wasn't a dream. He was suddenly cast back, through the wall, almost as if it wasn't there, and into the guest room where he crashed to the floor. Four hooded figures where holding him down. Not the white cloaks of The Keepers either, they wore black cloaks and Torque couldn't see inside.
One spoke. It was like a heavy breeze or a dying old man's rasping breathe. "Torque."
"What the hell are you?" He yelled.
"We are The Dark Reign. What we are exactly, and what we do is none of your concern for now."
"Get off me!" He struggled against the but their grip stayed firm and seemed like it was almost effortless.
"Torque!" It yelled in that same rasping voice before returning again. "It is imperitive that you come out of your fight with the Beral unscaithed."
"Why?"
"Don't ask questions, just do as you're told and believe what I say. If you come out with even a grave from him, you put us all in grave danger. Remember that." The four Dark Reign disappeared in bursts of pitch black, opaque smoke.
Torque got to his feet and looked around cautiously before returning to his bedroom. The grandfather clock and the alarm clock had finally moved onto "4:01am" then "4:02am", the changes systematic once more. He felt Violet's chest again, her heart beating softly, the breathing steady. Her eyes suddenly opened. The deep violet shiny back at him.
"What's up Torque?" She noticed his hand on her chest, he blushed and recoiled.
"Nothing. Don't worry." He lied and got back into his side of the bed. She pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms round his chest.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." He looked at his hand, small flakes of ice having formed on them. Torque shivered and felt Violet draw him closer, her body warmth radiating. Her smiled and rolled, hugging her back. She shuddered and smiled back.
Torque had been lying in bed that morning. It was about 4am, three whole hours until sunrise. He laced his fingers behind his head and looked to his left. Violet was still asleep. He'd noticed that recently, she'd been spending the nights quite frequently in his bed, rather then her own. He looked back at the ceiling again, then stared at the clock, waiting for it to change from "4:00am" to "4:01am". After a few minutes he grabbed it. The time hadn't changed and he was curious as to why. It continued to say "4:00am", almost defiantly. He placed it back on the bed side table.
He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. The grandfather clock by the door was also stuck, big hand on 12, small hand on 4. Torque swung his feet out of bed and walked over to it. He tapped the glass covering the hands, then looked at the gears inside. They'd stopped. The pendulum hung in mid-swing.
"What's going on?" He asked himself. He looked at Violet. Creeping over to her, he looked for her vital sounds. Torque knelt down next to her and laid a hand on her chest. No heart beat, no gentle rise and fall of breathing. He stood up straight again. "This is so weird." He thought out loud.
He could feel things so it definitely wasn't a dream. He was suddenly cast back, through the wall, almost as if it wasn't there, and into the guest room where he crashed to the floor. Four hooded figures where holding him down. Not the white cloaks of The Keepers either, they wore black cloaks and Torque couldn't see inside.
One spoke. It was like a heavy breeze or a dying old man's rasping breathe. "Torque."
"What the hell are you?" He yelled.
"We are The Dark Reign. What we are exactly, and what we do is none of your concern for now."
"Get off me!" He struggled against the but their grip stayed firm and seemed like it was almost effortless.
"Torque!" It yelled in that same rasping voice before returning again. "It is imperitive that you come out of your fight with the Beral unscaithed."
"Why?"
"Don't ask questions, just do as you're told and believe what I say. If you come out with even a grave from him, you put us all in grave danger. Remember that." The four Dark Reign disappeared in bursts of pitch black, opaque smoke.
Torque got to his feet and looked around cautiously before returning to his bedroom. The grandfather clock and the alarm clock had finally moved onto "4:01am" then "4:02am", the changes systematic once more. He felt Violet's chest again, her heart beating softly, the breathing steady. Her eyes suddenly opened. The deep violet shiny back at him.
"What's up Torque?" She noticed his hand on her chest, he blushed and recoiled.
"Nothing. Don't worry." He lied and got back into his side of the bed. She pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms round his chest.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." He looked at his hand, small flakes of ice having formed on them. Torque shivered and felt Violet draw him closer, her body warmth radiating. Her smiled and rolled, hugging her back. She shuddered and smiled back.