Dark Descent Chapter 6: Just another day

Without a single hesitation Emil was thrust into this pool of darkness before he emerged only to find himself standing in what looked to be a white room.

He knew it seemed familiar and recalled seeing this in a dream before. But was it really just a dream?

"Hello Emil, and welcome to your worst nightmare."

A voice called out to him as Emil looked around but saw no one around him as he felt this light pain in his head before these people started to appear around him. Only they appeared to be laying on the floor, covered in blood.

As the bodies gathered, Emil turned around to see his sister, Valentine standing not too far from where he was. She was smiling at him, a bloody smile as her body was covered in cuts and her own blood.

"Why did you do this Emil?" She said as Emil heard her voice and for a moment he looked as if he was going to falter but he stood up and stared at the person before him.

"You're not Valentine." He said with confidence as the person before him just grinned even more as they took a few steps closer, "I don't know who you are or why you're using my memories against me. But if you continue this I'll kill you." He told them with his spiteful look on his face.

Emil had come to the conclusion that something wasn't right about all this. He knew that Valentine wasn't dead, she couldn't be. And if she was she wouldn't be in this world since he had come to learn that this wasn't the earth he was born on, it was another on entirely, an alternate world.

"What's the matter, don't like to remember the good times? Did I touch a soft spot?" The person said as this black mist escaped from Valentine's mouth as her body collapsed on the floor.

Emil called out her name, "Val-!" But before he could even finish it the black mist sent a tendril that stabbed him through the chest making him grunt out in pain as the mist took this otherworldly form in front of him.

"Hmm interesting, I see you this isn't the first time you have been touched my one of my kind." The mist said as two blood red eyes appeared from within its dark abyss.

"Who are you?" Emil said staring into the eyes of the mist as he knew he had seen this being before.

"Are you not afraid of me human?" The being asked Emil as it waited for him to answer it.

"No, now tell me who you are and why you are inside of my mind." He said clearly knowing where he was at the moment.

The mist seemed to laugh in a low tone before looking back to him, "I am that saved your life human. Or do you not remember taking me in your hand that night upon your close encounter with death?" The being said as Emil did recall that man giving him something.

"You're that orb?" Emil said questioningly as he looked back to the mist confused, "But how?"

"I am a being that has been long forgotten by your kind. One could say that I am a spirit that refuses to rest, or maybe you can call me a demon. Either way you wouldn't be the first." The being said in a sullen tone that told Emil this being had a grudge.

"So what does this mean for me?" Emil asked curious as to what was going to happen now.

The being stayed quiet for some time before Emil was slowly lowered to the ground and the tendril that was going through his body disappeared leaving behind no wound as this was subconscious.

Then something dawned on him as he placed a hand on his stomach, "You were the one that gave me that power." He said referring to the black aura that had surrounded him before when he was fighting those creatures of Grimm.

The being shook what he considered its head, "Yes and no, I merely gave you a taste of the power that is held within me. But without it you would have died. And if you die then that would mean I would die with you." The being said making Emil confused but when he thought about it. It made some sense.

"So you're possessing my body?" He saw the being nod a yes to him, "Then does that mean you were the one that showed me Valentine." He asked once more only to have the being go silent.

"No human, that was your own doing. When we became one, my power began to spread throughout your body, but my power corrupts your mind and uses it against you if it finds if you can wield it or not. My power used something to force you to draw on my power and since we are having this conversation you know that answer to your question."

"And what would have happened if I didn't gain control of your power." He asked only to get a blank stare from the mist.

"You would have succumbed to my power and would become a shell of your former self. Just like so many before you."

Emil didn't know what to think about this, but from what had happened so far he didn't want to rule out that any of this was just him losing his mind. But what did she mean by so many before him?

"So what happens now?"

At his words the mist slowly moved closer to Emil as it slowly started to fade into something else.

It was a person. She had long sky blue hair, red eyes and sharp ears and a petite body. And for a moment he felt this tremendous power coming from her, as if his entire body was being suffocated and he would lose himself in it.

"For now I will sleep, my power has been dormant for too long and I can only stay awake for a short period of time before I must sleep again. But should you need my help once more, just call onto me and I shall answer thee."

"Why are you helping me?" Emil asked sincerely wanting to know why. He had been on his own for so long that it was strange, almost foreign even that someone would help him.

She told Emil as she placed a hand over his arm as the markings on his arm started to glow with this dark blue aura that he had seen before.

"Because I find you interesting." He heard her say.

And with that he looked down at the being and saw that she had disappeared. And just as he was about to call out he heard this loud boom as the world around him changed and he opened his eyes to see a man standing over him with this irritated look on his face.

"About time you woke up, end of the line kid time to get off." He said as Emil confusingly looked out of the window in front of him to see that it was nighttime already.

Had he been sleeping this whole time? He wondered to himself as he gathered his things and exited the airship. Still baffled as to how advanced this world was to make these things.

But as the ship left he got a good look at his surrounds and had no idea where he was or where was going.

"One step in front of the other." He told himself as he started to walk down a random street.

In his mind he played out what had happened to him since he arrived in this new world.

It was like something out of a movie or even an anime. Guy gets sent to another world, fights these strange creatures, typical things. But the one thing Emil still couldn't figure out was why him?

He knew that he was told the man that he was one of a special few. Did that mean there were others like him here? Or did it mean something else? He remembered that he told him that he had nothing left to live for, and he gave Emil the choice of death or life.

Emil took life but why did he do it? He had nothing to live for, no one that cared for him anymore.

While walking down a road, Emil noticed a scene take place ahead of him.

"Hmm?" He noticed a few men grab onto someone and drag them into the dark alley nearby.

Emil took one look at this and didn't hesitate as he rushed over to alley in time to hear.

"Just hand over the money and no one gets hurt old man." Emil heard one of the men in black suits say as he saw that three men had this older looking man against a wall while the three trapped him and were mugging him.

"I can't." The old man said as he looked behind the one talking to him and saw Emil standing there.

The other men took notice of this and turned to see a teenager standing there. Though Emil didn't seem like much since he was wearing what looked to be a hospital gown and bandages along most of his visible body.

"Don't be a hero kid, just walk away." One of the men said to Emil who just saw the look on the old man's that told him he was scared but at the same time he looked as if he didn't want Emil to get involved.

But Emil could stand idly by as something like this was happening in front of him. His pride wouldn't let him live with it.

"And what if I don't?" He retorted back to the man who just growled at Emil's response as he pulled out what looked to be a red sword and pointed it right at Emil who was a bit taken back by this weapon being waved in his face but he didn't falter.

"Then me and my friends are going to take you out and then were going to walk away with everything this old man is worth." He said which didn't surprise Emil.

Even in another world there were scumbags like them.

That's when another spoke up, "Listen kid, this old man has been causing us some trouble lately, he's been taking in Faunus children. This freak likes to think that he can make a difference in their lives and to top it off he owes us a lot of money which we're going to get with or without force. So just walk away and you get to keep your life for another da-!"

Before he could even finish his sentence Emil punch the guy in the face, knocking off his glasses and sending him flying into the wall just behind the old man that ducked out of the way while the other two looked back to see their friend who had this large fist print on his right cheek and from the look of it he was bleeding from his mouth and his nose was broken.

Emil just shook his hand off before he cracked his knuckles and looked at the two remaining goons that just looked at him before drawing the same red sword as their fallen friend.

"You're going to pay for that!" One shouted as he charged Emil who thought it was kind of ironic that he used to hear that all the time and every time it would end the same.

He stepped to the side narrowly missing the man's sword as it cut a piece of his bandages off, but taking this opening Emil moved in closer to him getting low and slamming his fist into the man's stomach as he let out this loud grunt as Emil swore he felt something snap as the man fell to the ground.

"Last chance to run away before you regret it." Emil said as he glanced over at the last guy only he didn't notice that his arms were giving off this dark blue mist, but the guy noticed this and just looked between his two fallen friends and dropped his sword while lifting his hands up in the air telling Emil that he didn't want to be beaten too.

After taking his two friends and running away, Emil felt this pain in his chest as he was forced to take a knee.

"Are you alright?" Emil heard the old man ask him as he turned to see him kneeling right next to him.

"I'm…fine…"Emil said but in truth it felt like his body was burning up for some strange reason.

"You don't look fine to me son." He said while trying to help Emil stand up but his legs were giving out on him, "You're burning up." He said looking at Emil's face as sweat was dripping off his face.

Emil wanted to tell him he was fine but the old man had put an arm over his shoulder and was taking him somewhere.

"Don't worry my home isn't too far from here. You're going to be fine…." After those words the world seemed to go dark for Emil.

…Sometime later

Emil was woken up by the sound of a bell ringing. He opened his eyes slowly and saw something sticking out of the corner of his eye.

He turned his head only to come face to face with a small face staring back at him. He saw light brown eyes, slightly dark brown hair, and what looked to be two ears on the side of her head. Those ears being partly white and the tips the same brown as her hair.

Emil didn't know what to saw or even what he was looking at, but just before he could open his mouth to say something, the little girl ran away towards the door where he saw another girl standing there.

She looked like an older version of the girl he just saw only she had longer hair but still looked very young. She glanced at Emil before her eyes narrowed on him and she left the doorway as a familiar face walked in.

"Glad to see that you're awake." The old man from before said as he walked in pulled out a small stool from under a worn out looking desk that was near the bed Emil was in.

Not wanting to be rude Emil sat up and greeted the old man.

"You gave me quite the scare the other day but the worst of it is over now. Here, you must be hungry." He said holding out a small bowl that Emil looked down as his stomach let out a loud and quite embarrassing groan.

Hearing his the old man just let out a hearty laugh as Emil took the bowl and started to consume while muttering a thanks to the old man.

"Don't worry about it son, this is thanks for helping me out the other night. Had it not been for you helping, these kids would have had to starve for a few more days." He told Emil who looked towards the door to see various kids peeking in.

But the strange thing was, they all had some sort of animal trait to them.

One had a cat ears, anther had dog ears. Even a bunny one, and horns like a sheep? Maybe a bull.

Emil couldn't understand why but he took it as another thing that this world had. And in a way he wasn't surprised at this point.

"I see you noticed them," The old man started to say as Emil finished his food. "They have been sneaking in peeks at you while you were sleeping. They think that you're a Hunter the way you took out those men from before." He told Emil who looked back over only to see them scurry behind the doorframe as he noticed them again.

"I'm not a Hunter. Sorry to disappoint you all." Emil said breaking the ice as he heard a few of them saying things like 'I told you,' or 'He looks like one though'.

The old man took the plate and set it aside while standing up, "Well don't worry about it, just get some more rest and we'll talk more when you wake up again." He said while talking his leave.

But he stopped just outside of the doorway and looked back to Emil, "Oh, and before I forget. My name is Tenzin, and this is the orphanage that I run. Your welcomed to stay here for as long as you need…" he paused as Emil took this as his turn to introduce himself.

"Emil, Emil Brunestud." He said as Tenzin nodded and took his leave while Emil just looked around and noticed the poor condition of the room he was in but didn't pay it any mind.

He was a guest and he had no reason to be picky.

Feeling sleepy once more he leaned back into the bed now with some food inside of him he wondered how long it had been since he first arrived here.

A week or maybe a few days? He didn't know but he soon found himself drifting off into a deep slumber, as he thought that maybe when he wakes up this would all just be a dream.

But if it were only that easy.

-TBC