It started as a flicker of pain, which flared into agony as he took his first breath into his new body. Next he felt the cold floor under him, and then felt his body shudder as the cold spread over his skin. His ears rang, but he could faintly hear an anguished sound; followed by a sound of something falling. His head was still swimming with the idea he was alive; the fact he heard the other male's cursing as the ringing in his ears wore off cemented his existence in a new body.

He could feel his heartbeat in his chest and the warmth it brought throughout his body. His skin still felt chilled and he hugged his chest as if to keep the heat within him. After a while, the voice he heard sent a shock of familiarity through his mind; his thoughts were too muddled to know why.

"I didn't want you!"

He grimaced at the feeling that washed over him, something he had only ever seen as weakness. But it hurt in a way he'd never known, and the new emotion made his eyes water and spill over his cheeks. It was only then he tried to open his eyes.

The light hurt and feeling the air on his eyes stung them; his new eyes squeezing tightly to relieve the pain. He tried again and looked up at whom had made him feel the pain of life. His bleary eyes met wide lavender, and he stared a moment as recognition clicked into his mind; Malik.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was hoarse and it hurt. His voice came out weak and scratchy as he spoke for the first time.

"Why…"

He didn't get to finish his question before Malik bolted from the room.

The door was left open, but he didn't want to leave. He wasn't sure what would happen if he left the room; whether he'd be consumed by shadows again or be attacked by who he knew to be his other half. He stood slowly, bracing himself on the bedframe. He felt disgusted by how afraid he felt in this new body, where he couldn't push the new emotions onto another mind. The lack of control bothered him. He rubbed his eyes of drying tears, trying instead to bottle his fear deep inside himself. Malik only saw him as a monster, so a monster he'll be.

His body betrayed him however; as he jolted when the door swung open fully, revealing that Malik had left to grab a knife. The idea of pain no longer thrilled him as it once had, and fear once again bubbled up when the knife pointed at his heart.

"Don't move. I brought you to life and," Malik hesitated, uncertainty flickered in his eyes, "I will end it if you try anything."

He stared at Malik's face, once again feeling the pain of rejection. His other half didn't want him, yet he hesitated to end his life. He stepped closer to feel the blade dig into his skin, fighting the urge to pull away from the pain. His other half saw him as a monster, he'd be a monster.

"Oops. I moved."

The terror flooding Malik's face caused a ripple of laughter to escape, feeling in control for the first time since he'd been given his new body. He wanted the other to hurt and feel fear the same way he'd felt only moments before.

And then he was punched in the face.

He crumpled to the floor, grasping his face and trembling as waves of pain sparked from his jaw. He could barely recover before he was kicked; a pathetic cry escaping his lips. It was too much pain all at once, and his body betrayed him; curling into himself out of fear of being struck again. He couldn't pay attention to what Malik screamed at him, only flinching away and berating himself for losing control so easily.

He felt before he heard another presence in the room, gritting his teeth once he recognized the siblings' voices. He could hear the shock in the sister's voice, and the placating tone from Malik's loyal servant. He waited for another kick or to be slammed into a wall, but nothing came. He held his face as he sat up, just listening to the three as if they were discussing his judgement. 'Let him end me,' he thought, 'I'm not wanted, let him end me.'

The voices faded, and he realized they had left him alone in the room again. He opened his eyes to find the door was closed, isolating him in a room he no longer felt safe in.

He slowly got to his feet again, looking for anything to protect himself. He wouldn't let Malik catch him off guard again; he wasn't supposed to be the weaker half. The pain he felt from his face and side was a reminder that he was letting Malik gain the control. Without his own weapon, he'd continue to lose control. 'They should have let him kill me, what a stupid mistake.' He thought to himself, smirking at the idea of Malik begging for his life.

His face was neutral as he searched for a weapon for when they came back. He knew this was Malik's room after all, and they couldn't keep him here long. He peeked under the bed, climbing under to see if Malik hid a weapon there. All he could see were crumpled papers and misplaced clothes. But fear suddenly gripped him, realizing how dark and cramped the little area was. 'Idiot, I've embraced the darkness. I am what the darkness fears!'

But even as he attempted to push down his fear, his chest felt tight the longer he stayed. He went to crawl back out, only to realize he'd somehow wedged himself under the bed enough to get stuck. His breath came quickly then, and his brain abandoned all effort to hide his fear. He should've known; he wasn't brought out of the shadows. Now the dark was making itself known, and he felt it closing in at the edge of his vision.

With a frustrated cry, he bucked his shoulders up enough for the bed to move. He froze, feeling the pressure on his chest lift some, and he bucked again. He used all his strength to shove the bed up enough to scramble out from underneath, not registering that he'd completely tipped the bed to its side. He pressed his back to the opposite wall, trying to catch his breath. He wasn't aware that he was shaking, or that tears had started spilling down his cheeks.

His eyes were fixed to the bed, waiting for the shadows to reach out and drag him back into the dark. He only realized he'd attracted attention when he saw Malik and his servant turning the bed upright again. Malik caught his gaze and gave him a bitter glare in return. He snarled to hide his previous fear, barely aware of a blanket being draped around him.

He shot a glare at the woman, whose face was neutral aside from the concern in her eyes. Malik warned her to stay away, and she should have listened. He was a monster, after all.

He gripped the blanket close to his body, only then realizing it helped him stay warm. When she knelt down to his eye level, he bared his teeth at her. He refused to show weakness no matter who it was, even if his breath was still uneven. And he knew better than to underestimate Malik's sister.

"What should we call you?" She asked.

His thoughts stalled then, realizing that he'd never had any name other than the one he'd taken from his weaker half. He knew that he wanted a name that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone that crossed his path, a name fitting for a monster. He chuckled, amused that she would ask something so simple of all the questions he knew she must have. He met her eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Darkness."