Rebirth

The pain is finally gone, along with the guilt. My mind is calm, no longer overrun with voices, and the blessed silence allows me to sift through my thoughts. They're fractured, disjointed; a jumbled mess of abstract notions. I should be at peace, but I feel hollow and ill at ease, unsettled in the aftermath of my brutal journey. I fought long and hard to get here, but what am I to do now?

"You must decide that for yourself."

Decide? For myself? I don't know whether to find that liberating or terrifying. What if I make the wrong choice? What if I fall victim to deceit once more? How can I trust myself to know what's right?

"Let go of your doubt, it is only a remnant of the Moon Princess's deception. It needn't hold you prisoner any longer. You are finally free of her control. Free of her influence. You are master of yourself. Let the scars you bear serve as a reminder of your strength, your resilience. Few could survive the trials you have endured, and fewer still would come out intact and all the stronger for it. You are a soldier, a warrior, a leader of men. Should you choose to fight, you will make a fierce ally and a formidable opponent."

"Fight?"

I thought the fight was over. I thought I'd won.

"The war rages on. Our enemy has returned, and the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. There is time yet to turn the tide, but our resistance is in need of able bodied soldiers to help defend our home. Will you join our cause?"

"Do I have to fight? Is there no other choice?"

"The war will carry on with or without you, but the decision you make could determine the victor. We will do everything in our power to stop the descendant of the White Moon from forcing her will upon the people of Earth. As the crown prince of this planet, will you be content to stand idly by and watch a usurper claim your throne, or will you stand up and protect your people?"

"I…I am afraid."

What if I am not strong enough? What if I rise up, only to fall again?

"There is nothing to fear. You are not alone, I am here, and I will not allow you to fall."

The solemn promise is a quiet murmur in my ear, intimate and comforting. Even so, an inexplicable chill runs down my spine.

"Who…who are you?"

"I will answer your question, but first you must answer mine."

My tired brain skims back through our conversation in search of the correct response, but I am not swift enough for my mysterious companion.

"Will you fight?"

"I…"

"Will you take up arms against the White Moon? Will you help us defeat them before the people of Earth fall victim to their enslavement?"

"If I do—"

"Will you face the one responsible for your suffering and stop her before she can inflict that same pain, that same torment, on another innocent soul?"

"…she still lives?"

"Not only lives, but thrives. She has already struck down several of our Generals, dedicated warriors all. If we do not defeat her soon and strip her of her power, there is no telling what havoc she will wreak. Will you stand against her?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready to leave this place and assume your role as Prince Endymion, defender of Earth and loyal soldier of the Dark Kingdom?"

"Yes."

A dark, nebulous cloud materializes in the air and hovers there a moment before twining itself around my body in a disorienting flurry of shadowy coils. The sensation is brief but unpleasant, and when the whirling mass pulls away I am clothed in a suit of armour that looks foreign yet feels familiar. My hand brushes a sword at my hip, but I am less concerned about my change of wardrobe than the hazy figure taking shape before me. Though I suspect this form is meant to put me at ease, the vaguely humanoid silhouette is undeniably eerie. When it extends a wispy hand toward me, my fingers twitch against the hilt of my sword.

"Take my hand, Endymion."

Should I? The certainty I felt only moments ago has fled, abandoning me in the face of this ominous apparition. This may be my only chance of escaping this place…why am I suddenly reticent? What is this niggling voice at the back of my mind urging caution?

"Who are you?"

"Take my hand, and I will give you all of the answers you seek."

Swallowing my hesitation, I release the smooth pommel and hold out my right hand. Smoke stretches out like fingers, enveloping my skin up to the wrist. My brow furrows an instant before a crushing pressure clamps down around my hand, and a hoarse gasp escapes my lips when a shock of ice travels up my arm. I try to pull back, but the hold is vice-like, inescapable. Lifting my chin to protest, I see the glowing red eyes of my captor and know that I have made a terrible mistake.

Darkness seeps up my arm, across my chest, and down my torso, spreading its pervasive chill throughout my body. I am frozen. I am numb. All feeling fades away. All emotion. All memory. Until at last, only one question remains.

Who are you?

"My name is Metalia, and I am your new master."

Finis.

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