There's nothing worse than the darkness to some. Other fear the light. A mix of both makes the world go round and round, keeping everything balanced.
The dark is unsettling. The light is blinding.
This darkness was different.
Luz's eyes slowly began to drift open, out of her control. She struggled to keep them closed, but it simply wouldn't let her. The black of her closed eyes was met with a new kind of black. She stared into an empty void above her. Her eyes caught the white lines next to her, outlining the crevices and edges of the world around her. It was black, yet the lines gave a clear image to what she was seeing.
She shot upright, sudden realization kicking in. Looking around, she remembered where she was; the street in which the Owl Lady got the best of her. It wasn't that different, just black and white. She stood, making sure her legs still worked. She began to remember. The fall. The ground. There was nothing broken, she was sure of it. Unless.
"Am I dead?" She began to panic, looking around for any sign of an answer. Everything was the exact same, except for the lack of color.
"Are you going to do that all day?" A voice broke the eerie silence. Luz's whole body stiffened before she began to look around frantically, trying to find the source.
"Who said that? I know kung-fu, don't test me!" Luz stuck her arms up, ready to karate chop her victim.
"You couldn't hurt me if you tried, child." The voice echoed. It was deep, but smooth like butter. The voice seemed to have an echo to it, a reverberation that seems spiritual almost. It came from every direction.
Luz noticed her staff on the ground, and rushed to pick it up. Fancied with her weapon in hand, she continued her protective threats. "Stay back weird ghost thing! I'm not afraid to use this thing!"
"Oh, that's the best part." The voice echoed from the staff. Luz dropped it in fear, letting it hit the ground. The top began to glow bright, which began to shift and grow. The light molded as it took shape, a form began to show. Legs that bent like a deers, horns that looked like lightning bolts. The shape formed to reveal a sort of humanoid creature. He appeared to have fur that spiked up ont he top of his head, large pointed ears that fell to the side, long, sharp arms with claws at the end of each finger, and an odd torso that looked like it had the same appearance as the top of Luz's staff.
He smiled at Luz, his large sharp fangs showing. He bent down and picked up the staff he seemed to emerge from, inspecting it. Luz trembled.
"Who-What are you?"
"Take a guess, you get three tries." He smirked, then tossed the staff back to Luz. She looked at the top, then back at the creature before her.
"Are you..Are you the staff?"
"And we have a winner. Well, technically I'm in the staff. Those yellow things of light you see there? Those are me." He moved closer, gesturing to the staff with one of his clawed fingers. Luz moved away. The vibe was set in fear and uncertainty, which the creature seemed to pick up on. "Oh come now, you didn't think that thing was alive without something else pulling the strings did you?"
Luz trembled. "So you're the thing I connected to..Wait you're in my head now!" Luz scrambled, throwing the staff down again, messing with her hair like she was shaking lice out.
"A connection, yes. Like all staffs have. A linkage." He paused, then decided to change the subject. "I might as well introduce myself, you may call me the Staff of Energy." He walked around Luz, zapping in and out of certain places like a lightning bolt. "I grant you the very powers you have used." He paused again. "At a price."
"Price, what price?" Luz thought for a second, but it clicked. Her look of understanding seemed to be obvious to Staff. "You!" She became angry, but also fearful. "You knocked me out!" Luz accused.
"You ever hear that saying about how power comes at a price? Great responsibility, that whole thing. My abilities are energy based. I am pure power." Staff stepped closer. "I am pure energy. The demon of energy if you will." He gnashed his fangs. "To use the powers I possess, I need a little something in return." He pointed at Luz. "That energy cannot just come from me, you know." He smirked. A devilish smile.
Luz could practically hear her blood rushing through her as her adrenaline kicked in. Her breathing was heavy and thick. A demon had been inside her head. Something that was capable of sapping her energy like that.
"What..What if I just don't use the staff? You'll go away right? You won't have a connection anymore." Luz stammered.
Staff seemed amused. "Well, yes. I would go away. No more use means no more connection. You would be free of me." He turned. "But, it does get easier, trust me."
Luz cocked her head. "What?"
"Using the staff. Using me. It gets easier. The more you practice, the more stable my magic becomes. Like any witch using a staff, really. I'm just far more powerful than a measly palisman. You could walk away from this gift, or you could take it." He seemed sincere, but there was bile in his voice. "I don't want to cause trouble. I want to give power. It keeps me entertained in here, gives me a buddy, and in turn, you may have your wish of being a powerful witch."
The offer was one of great power. One that Luz had always dreamed of. Her books and shows always warned her of deals like these. A deal with the devil. Giving up your soul for a wish or powers, or something dumb like that. This was her dream come true, to be a witch. This demon couldn't possibly be trusted. He seemed too cartoony evil. Luz was thinking it over, each possiblity. It was way too good to be true, though she guessed it really wasn't. The con was very clear. That energy sapping was no joke, especially since it seemed to knock her clean out. But if it got easier…
It was a simple yes or no. To give the staff back to Belos or to continue using it. What would Belos do? Would he be angry at her for not using the staff? Was this his plan? Luz was struggling with her thoughts. It began to spiral.
She remembered her life back on earth. How much she wanted something like this. It was everything, and she at least knew of the consequences.
She thought for a moment. "Okay. Okay I'll use it, but only if you don't do this," she waved her arms, gesturing to the world around, "again. I'd like to stay conscious when I'm using a powerful magic weapon while chasing a dangerous criminal." Her sarcasm was heavy, but Staff got the idea. He nodded.
"Alright, then. I can..Attempt that. Just don't overdo it, and we'll be golden." The world began to fade around Luz.
"What's going on?" She asked, a bit hazed.
"You're waking up. I'll see you later, young witch. I see great things ahead. For the both of us."
The white lines became black, and suddenly the world was dark.
