Door to Darkness

The fear in Drevin's eyes as Finnian got to his feet sent pleasant shivers along his spine. Finnian could feel a power coursing through his veins- throughout his entire being- that he hadn't felt in years. Drevin had managed to climb to his knees as Finnian stepped over to him.

"So you have finally made an attempt," Finnian said; his voice was low. The darkness in his eyes almost swallowed whole the colours swirling within them. Drevin gasped and raised his hands. "You make so many mistakes."

"Please, Finnian, I-" he was cut off as Finnian's foot connected with his rib cage, hard, and he cried out from the pain. Before he could fall Finnian grabbed hold of his shirt collar.

"Oh, what? Now that you are going to die, you want to pledge your loyalty to me?" his voice grew deeper and more monstrous as he spoke.

"Y-yes," Drevin nodded.

"'Oh, please, do not hurt me, Lord Finnian. I am on your side now!' he mocked. But he was not swayed in the slightest, and turned his rage toward the pathetic little man," Finnian raised his fist.

"No, please!" Drevin whimpered. He was tossed back as Finnian's fist met his eye, though he didn't fall away completely as Finnian still had a grip on him.

"Be silent; you disgust me!" Finnian growled. He released the collar and kicked Drevin again, this time making contact with the man's nose. "He looked down at the ant-like man, watching him with a rage he had not felt in a long time. He looked to Alice's unconscious form, then to Fenrir, and then back to Drevin."

"P-please, what are you doing?" Drevin said. He held his nose which was now gushing blood.

"What should have been done a long time ago; there can only be one original here," Finnian laughed. He threw the weaker man to the floor.

"Please!" Drevin held his arm up over his head.

A crackling sound filled the air, and Finnian's skin turned completely black. The colours within his eyes disappeared. His hair went from its odd hot pink to a very dark red.

"Don't, please!" Drevin begged again. Finnian's jaw stretched- longer and wider, and his teeth grew jagged and sharp.

"Be silent now," he growled.

Fenrir awoke just as Finnian had finished devouring Drevin. He rose slowly and watched the man transform back into how he had been before he was made into a shadow. Shock flowed through him; he wondered what exactly had happened to cause that.

"My lord?" he asked.

"Fenrir," Finnian responded. His voice was gentler even, and Fenrir wasn't sure whether or not he should feel glad or afraid. Who knew how long the change would last. "As I am right now I am in a very vulnerable state. When a shadow consumes another, his or her powers are weakened for a day afterward. You will need to carry Alice on our way back to the palace."

"Yes, sir," Fenrir nodded. He rubbed his head, discovering a knot where the statue had hit him, then he stood up. Alice's breathing was shallow, and this worried him, but he carefully lifted her up anyway and made his way over to Finnian with her in his arms.

"Alice," Finnian whispered as he gently caressed her cheek. "I doubted you. I am sorry."

He looked to Fenrir then and said, "Let us go now. We have a few things to discuss once Alice is safe in her room again."

"Yes, sir," Fenrir said.

Once outside the cave Fenrir carefully laid Alice over the horse an climbed on behind her. Finnian walked slowly behind him as he rode, clutching his arm. The journey back to the castle was silent- not even so much as a whimper of pain escaped Alice.

Fenrir was the one to place her in her bed, while Finnian waited outside her room. Finnian sat with his back against the wall and his head on his knees. Fenrir was shocked to see Finnian in that sort of position when he stepped out of the room.

"I know; I must look pathetic," Finnian said, running a hand through his bright red hair.

"No, I- you look completely different," Fenrir said. He hoped he wouldn't say something to set the older man off. "I haven't seen you like this for a very long time."

"It will not be too long before I am back to my former self," Finnian sighed. He spoke as if his human form wasn't his natural form. Fenrir nodded and looked away from him.

"What are we to do?" he asked.

"Alice... has powers I did not think her capable of," Finnian lifted his head as he spoke. "Now that she knows how to use them they will continue to grow stronger, day by day. We must call upon Lone. He will know how to harness such power to break us free of this cursed place."

"How will he know what to do? He's but a simple demon like me, and he exists on the other side," Fenrir said. Not only that, but Lone terrified him. The man earned his demon name by slaughtering all those he cared for in his human life.

"Lucifer foolishly trusts the demon with many secrets," Finnian whispered, chuckling to himself. "You will see, Fenrir."

Fenrir nodded and watched him stand, then asked, "What of Alice when she wakes?"

"Watch over her," Finnian told him. A sad smile rested on his face, as the next words slipped past his lips, "She has grown fond of you, and does not fear you like she does me."

With that Finnian wandered off, leaving Fenrir to stand alone outside Alice's room. Finnian seemed to walk slower than normal with his human body, and this irritated him to no end; this would be a rough day.

The halls around him as he walked through them did not grow darker. The brightness unnerved Finnian. Of course he couldn't do anything about it, as he was nearly without powers for the time being.

He entered his bedroom and closed the door behind himself, and then sat at his desk, in front of the mirror that stood tall there. He whispered to it, "Lone. Where are you? We have much to discuss."

The face of the curly, white-haired man was then reflected, shown to Finnian as if that was his own reflection. In his apathetic-toned voice Lone said, "Yes, my lord?"

"How go your duties in hell?" Finnian chuckled as the question left his lips.

"Very well, my lord," Lone bowed for a moment. No smile to reveal the wicked pleasure he felt at the success of their plans was present on his face, but Finnian knew enough about the demon to see that he was indeed pleased. "Lucifer believes me to be his faithful servant; when I am exactly nothing of the sort. His great grandfather left many... blueprints, so-to-speak, behind."

"Good; and what of them? What do they reveal?" Finnian gripped the edges of his desk in excitement.

"Your world may be falling apart, but my lord I promise you that it is a good thing," Lone said.

"How can that be?" Finnian asked. Surely if the world continued on as it was they would all perish with it.

"The cracks and tears in your world open up to portals; portals to random spaces in hell. In time, if you worsen these cracks, the barrier around your world will shatter and you and your army can crush Lucifer," Lone gave a small smile with those words.

"I see," Finnian grinned.

"My lord?" Lone said, he had an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Lone?" Finnian sighed. He hoped it wasn't disappointing news. The smile disappeared from the demon's face.

"You look almost human," he said.

"Oh, yes," Finnian laughed. A wave of relief rolled through him. "I got rid of... a problem, and I must suffer the consequences for the time being. It is not anything to worry about.

"Yes, my lord."

"There is a girl, Lone," Finnian continued. "A girl whose powers I do believe we can use to continue to damage this barrier you say is around my world."

"Of course, my lord," Lone bowed. "Lucifer approaches. We will speak again later."

"Goodbye, Lone," Finnian said. Lone's face faded from the mirror.