I let myself drift through time, lying in nothingness. Darkness decided to leave, which I thought was sane of him. I let myself wander, through my thoughts, my sane mind.
"Who am I?"
Why do I keep asking myself this?
It was such a simple question. The answer need no second thoughts.
"Who am I now?"
Why am I asking myself this?
I lifted my right hand
I am the only colour here.
I am the only one here.
Technically, I am not here at all. Everything is made out of 99.999% atoms and so, everything I have and everything in this world…
Is a speck of nothingness.
"Am I just speaking science?" I asked myself.
"Yes you are!" I shouted back.
I might become insane if I was in this for long.
"I won't hand him to you!"
"I want him. He's beautiful."
"And he's mine!"
"Don't be so stubborn, Darkness. We can share."
"And what if I say no?"
"Tsk. Daddy's boy."
"Am not. You were the one."
"I was not. Father loved Darkness."
"But he loved Wrath more."
I must have overheard some kind of conversation between Darkness and another 'it' it.
I mean, I'm not surprised. It felt normal.
As normal as abnormal could ever be.
I tried to speak to the void, calmly.
"Say, Darkness… How long am I supposed to be here?"
He materialized out of nowhere.
"As long as I wanted you to." His face was scrunched, like the conversation was just moments ago.
"Let me inform you that I have school."
He let out a laugh, a failure at trying to hide it.
"Mid-term exams are coming."
He laughed even more.
"I never knew you were funny."
"And I never knew about Wrath."
As fast as it was, his sincere I-just-laughed smile was washed away by a face of anger.
"What did you say?"
"Wrath."
"You know what? It'll be better if you just send me back to my own place."
"Nononononono, tell me what happened."
"I was talking, that's what happened."
"Tell me!" He roared.
"I just heard you and Wrath fighting about me!"
"He wants me, doesn't he?"
"Why is it so hard for me to get something nice that belongs just to me?"
"Maybe it was your fate to never get the things that you want."
He stared at me. The ring in his eyes glowing brighter.
A burn covered the left side of my face.
He slapped me.
And I was left stunned.
"You don't know what it's like being darkness than being in darkness. You drift yourself all the way into insanity."
He sat down, away from the stunned orange-haired man.
"So… w-what's your plan?"
"Nothing."
"I need a plan. I want to go home."
"There's no plan! Just." He shouted.
"Just stay at home with me." Whispering, he replied.
I was left speechless.
Home…
I never even thought if Darkness had a home.
"So… I'm skipping school today?"
"Yeah."
"I'll zap you back if you want."
"Nah." I waved his offer away.
"You can give me a nickname too. Darkness isn't a very pleasing name."
"And if I give you one, you'll go to school with me?"
"What?"
"Shiro."
"Shiro?" He stood up and walked towards me.
"Bad pun"
Another slap across my beautiful face.
"I am in no interest to attend a school for mortals and of mortals."
"Fine."
"Home?"
"Home."
"Hello! Nice to meet you! I'm Wrath!"
So there are other abominations like Darkness here.
So Darkness belonged to a family. A father, 4 children.
Hell.
Death.
Sin.
Wrath.
Darkness.
So Darkness has a home.
This was the third brother standing before me. Wrath, his name. He was a tad bit taller. The ring in his eyes a solid red. His hair was a frosty white with the ends a fiery red. He had this two weird strips of red that ran from the back of his cheekbones to a thin fine line below his eyes. He had fangs, which made him look like a mythological fire truck red mountain lion of some sort. He wore a long collared red kimono over the loincloth.
I stared at Wrath. He stared at me. Suddenly, he pouted.
"Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I suppose we're not." Darkness started dragging me pass Wrath, along a black hallway.
I don't mind him dragging me. I think of it as some wonderful sort of superbeneficial privilege. I mean, I don't even have to walk.
"Where are we going?" I asked after the dragging continued for 15 minutes. It started to make me wander if Darkness was bad at directions.
"To Hell."
"Hell?" I spat my saliva everywhere. I started to escape frantically.
I don't want to go to Hell.
"Why am I going to Hell? What did I do wrong?" I shouted. I needed a saviour right now.
Darkness stopped, poised me up so I didn't fall down, and slapped me again
"You are stupid. That is what I believe is wrong."
"You're stupid- Well, fine."
I didn't want another slap.
He slapped me anyway.
"Hell is my Father."
Oh! So that's why…
Wait.
I'm going to meet with Hell?
We reached a huge, wide, titanic Oakwood door, at last. There were skulls as knobs. The wood was so dark, it looked polished ashen-black. Chains entangled with thorny brambles lined the doors as well as draping over it.
This must be the entrance, then.
Darkness pushed one side of the door open and immediately knelt down.
"Father, I have arrived. I have something that-"
Bring him in.
Darkness stepped away from the entrance and brought me in.
Son of Man.
"Yes."
Hell's voice. Cold, piercing, loud, powerful. Aged like fine wine.
I am aware of Darkness's fond for you. You have great power that I see in fact, is limitless. I believe that Darkness brought you here to request for your permission to join his Harem. Is that correct, Darkness?"
"Yes, Father."
Indeed. Now, will you accept Darkness's request, son of Man? Will you welcome whatever he does to you, and welcome his place of living? Are you willing to become one with him, and lend him your power for whenever he is in need? Do you accept the circumstances placed upon you, should you never return to your place of living, on Earth?
"I do not agree with the circumstances placed upon me and therefore, I shall request to negotiate with His Majesty."
Very well, what would you like to change?
"I wish that I could continue the life I had before on Earth. I wish that this form I am in now will only be formed when I am needed in this place. And if it was necessary, I would only share both the power I know none of and my body with Darkness. I also wish that when Darkness is using me for my power that I remain conscious and alert to whatever is happening then. I do also wish that I will know whether Darkness is using my powers for justice or for damnation. That is all, His Majesty."
Hell was silent now.
Darkness looked at me. I didn't look at him. I had my rights, no doubt. I couldn't just be kidnapped and realized that I was cursed and left in a void to rot and having the whole Darkness-wants-me0for-my-magical-unicorn-powers-thing-a-magiggy. I want to have a normal life, as normal as it could be, in this case.
Son of Man.
"Yes"
I have thought over your requests. I believe that you have said rights, and that your wish and requests will be granted and approved. After all, my sons are willing to do anything to get what they wished for. But this I may alert you first, whether or not Darkness shall use your powers for justice or the other… that is up to you. You have the power to control the outcome, and I hope you are wise with the power you have. That is all, you may leave.
"Thank you."
"We shall leave then, Father. Farewell."
Darkness shut the door and took one sharp exhale.
"What's wrong?" I turned towards him.
He looked at me. "You are one smooth motherfucker."