Chapter II: Dark and Light

"We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer


Following the sound of the distressed cry, Ama fled through the shadows, searching high and low for the source of the frightened scream. She knew who the voice belonged to. A mental patient at Beacon Mental Hospital— Leslie Withers.

She was familiar with him; it was in her long-term objective to protect him and see to it that he was spared from harm. She had been designed by Dr. Marcelo Jimenez to prohibit Ruvik and to see to it that things did not go awry here, and she had quickly discovered that the key to this was indeed the skittish, pale mental patient.

"Help me, help me, help me..." The tremulous voice chanted, clinging onto those words as if they were the only ones in existence.

She found him in a small room filled with photographs; ones she didn't bother to look at. Her flowing dress swept behind her as she carefully approached the cowering patient, and her touch was gentle as she rested her hands over his own.

"Steady, Leslie. Steady." She soothed him, her voice softer now as she stood in front of him protectively. He cried out in fear and began to struggle, but Ama's patience was unwavering. It might have been in her design to protect him, but for some odd reason, she felt...compelled to do so of her own free will, more than anything.

"Hush now, you're alright. I know who haunts you, and by my word I shall protect you." She soothed him, resting her index and middle finger against his forehead, just as she had done with Sebastian.

Leslie's thrashing and struggling immediately quelled as she filled him with a warm, soothing feeling. His breathing began to even out, though he still quivered skittishly. His eyes remained locked on the ground.

"You'll...protect me?" He asked shakily, and tenderly, Ama smoothed the boy's white hair down, beginning to comb her fingers through it in a lulling manner.

"Of course, dear. Of course."

His pale locks were tangled and dirty, and she frowned slightly to herself at this detail. His teeth were also chipped in places and were not the most pristine color; all of these things pointing to the lack of care given to him as a patient. And she knew why this was.

He had been, and seemingly still was, a part of the ongoing experimentation with STEM. It would seem that they were kindred souls in that aspect, for she had been created for the sole purpose of aiding said invention. She had never had a real life, a real body...She was merely created to serve and to assist Jimenez in any way that she could, even if it meant that— in the end— her "life", if you could even call it that, was forfeit.

She could sympathize with the despair that consumed Leslie. And she wished, more than anything else, that Jimenez had created her as an emotionless being to protect her from these particular moments of vulnerability. These moments where she actually felt human, rather than a mere program.

Leslie whimpered, startling a bit when the sound of the door being kicked open alarmed him. The two voices that flooded the room lit in red were familiar to her and the patient, but nonetheless, the latter one fell into another frenzy when Jimenez rushed up to him.

"It's alright, Leslie. It's alright, Dr. Jimenez is here, settle down!" He soothed, though that didn't seize the boy's frantic thrashing as he was held back. Ama stepped to the side, a flicker of a frown appearing on her lips. The pale skinned patient was acting just as mistrusting of the doctor as he would a monster.

"Something here. Something scary." He began to mutter, and Ama's gaze darted to Sebastian as he curled his fingers around his handgun. The sound of the door bursting open alerted the two of them, and the detective and artificial ally stepped up to deal with the problem.

"Stand back," Sebastian calmly ordered, "These things are a pain to deal with. They'll hurt you."

Ama's eyes flickered to him briefly, and her expression remained neutral. She faced her gaze forward, listening closely to the squelching sound of an unseen enemy that signified its approach.

"Hold your tongue and assumptions, detective. I know more of this place than you think I do. This is an invisible Haunted. Watch your surroundings closely for an indication of its presence." She spoke, warranting an odd and questioning look from the detective. A look he didn't have time to follow through with a question before a grotesque figure with tentacles massing on its face grabbed at him.

"Shit!" He cursed, grunting as he began to struggle. The monster's grip was tight, and the tentacles in close range of his face weren't exactly the most pleasant sight.

"Monster...Monster...Scary...Scary!" Leslie's voice quivered as he cried out, and Ama's gaze swiveled to him for a fleeting moment. Seeing the fear in his eyes was all that was needed to urge her into action.

Just as Sebastian shoved the creature off of him and aimed his gun, prepared to shoot it down, it turned invisible again. But Ama strode out into the main area of the room, grabbing at what seemed like thin air, before a figure materialized beneath her.

The Haunted let out an awful, ear-splitting shriek when she gripped onto its head. Light abruptly consumed the monster as it howled and thrashed, before its cries died down to a faint gurgle. The warm luminosity consumed it from head to toe, and in the next moment, the Haunted had split into small, shimmering fragments of light that quickly dissipated.

The group behind her stood quiet, Leslie having calmed down slightly, Sebastian staring at her in disbelief, and Dr. Jimenez eying her in relief.

She had been programmed and specifically designed to tame Ruvik's inner hatred and darkness in order to make STEM easier to work with. Ruvik's mind was filled with such vengeful and malicious nature that it corrupted and eventually killed all who came in contact with the project, thus making her objective as a program to prevent that from happening any longer.

She was the light that was meant to chase away the shadows.

"What are you?" Sebastian's inquiry warranted her attention, and she turned her eyes to him briefly before pausing to spare a glance in her creator's direction. Dr. Jimenez clenched his jaw, shaking his head in a manner that told her she was better off not informing the detective.

"A friend. That's all you need to know." She muttered softly, her gown swaying as she approached him, "Now then, are you injured?"

He seemed to check himself over briefly before he grunted; a signal that meant he was fine.

"Come, we must keep moving." Jimenez spoke up, resting his hands on Leslie's shoulders as he guided the boy carefully forward. The patient's gait was shaky and uncertain, and Ama flitted to his side, gazing down at him in an almost motherly way as she rested a hand on his head. His eyes remained glued to the floor, but his shivering eased up a bit beneath her touch.

"Is there any place here that's safe?" Sebastian inquired, receiving a sigh from the doctor.

"I think that's unlikely." He settled for, and he shared a glance with his program for a moment before the group made their way back out into the hallway.

"Can't get out...Can't get away!" Leslie whimpered as they progressed into the corridor. Ama spotted her creator pausing before a solid stone wall, and she heard his rate of breathing slowly increase as he pressed his hands against the sturdy structure.

"That's impossible...The stairs are gone." He breathed, steadily stepping away from the wall that had not been there before. His lips parted, and she could practically hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest as his realization began to wash over him. The same realization she knew to be true.

"We must be collectively losing our minds." Sebastian was approaching from behind, and Ama tensed when Leslie ducked his head down, his posture slumped over.

"Losing our minds...Losing our minds..."

"Leslie—"

"Losing our minds! Losing our minds!"

The chant gave way to a sharp ringing noise that overtook Ama's ears, and she cringed, hissing beneath her breath as her hand suddenly clutched at her chest. She doubled over, drawing both the attention of the detective and doctor, the latter of which rushed over to her.

"Ama? What's happening? What's wrong?" He questioned hurriedly, and the gentle-spirited woman let out a low groan, her chest heaving as she clutched harshly at where her heart beat beneath her porcelain skin. Leslie's cry soon joined into the mix, and he dropped to the ground, clutching at his head.

"Oh god..." Jimenez breathed, his eye catching on a form at the end of the corridor. His voice was consumed with fear and disbelief.

"Ruvik. It is you."

Ruvik stood at the end of the hallway, his figure shadowed over by his worn-down coat. His chin lifted and his eyes practically burned a hole into each person as he watched them with an unwavering and unnerving gaze. The ringing in their ears only increased, and Ama gritted her teeth, pushing through the sharp pains in her chest until she managed to dispel them.

The moment she did, Ruvik's gaze swiveled to her. She slowly removed her hand from her chest, staring at him steadily as her breathing regained a more balanced pace.

"Who the hell are you?" Sebastian demanded, earning Ruvik's attention for a fleeting second before he turned and began to stroll leisurely towards the end of the hallway. The detective moved to follow, despite the doctor's frantic warning not to.

And in the blink of an eye, everyone was separated.

Ama exhaled a slight breath, turning her head to glance around her. Leslie, Dr. Jimenez, and Sebastian were gone. She was on her own now, in a hallway that was tinged red. Blood dripped down from the walls, and several doors lined the corridor on each side. A few of them opened, and the growls and shrieks of the Haunted alerted her to the presence of enemies.

Turning her head, Ama squared her shoulders and planted her feet securely against the ground, refusing to back down. Just because she was not armed with a gun did not mean she was incapable of holding her own. She might be gentle-natured, but she was by no means weak.

Beginning to pace towards the hoard, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, a slight illumination overtaking her features. She glowed like a warmly lit beacon, and the Haunted shrieked and shied away from the light, stumbling back and away from her.

Their flesh sizzled and threatened to set ablaze as she stared them down. The sight of the light in this hellish darkness physically pained them. It was too much for them to bear, for they had been corrupted by Ruvik's hate and desire for revenge. A creature meant to purge the darkness from them, as she had been designed to do, startled them. They fled from her purity, howling and screaming at the sight of her.

The last of the wooden doors burst open then, and the rumbling roar of a figure she knew well made itself known.

The monster was inhumanly tall and weighed a hefty sum, and he carried with him a large meat tenderizer with a prominent spike on the back. In his other hand, he carried a sack— the contents of which Ama was fine with not knowing.

"Sending out such an enemy already?" She whispered softly, almost as if she were wounded by Ruvik's desire to see her dead. He wasn't wasting any time, it would seem, considering he had sent the Keeper to deal with her.

The beast roared, swinging his heavy bag over his head as he stormed towards the petite female. She stared up at him without flinching or recoiling in fear, and before he could land a hit on her, she glitched out from in front of him and reappeared behind him.

Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she slammed her palm against his chest where his heart should have been. Just like the invisible Haunted that she had dispelled earlier, he roared in agony, falling away into small grains of light that ultimately disappeared.

Silence suddenly enveloped her, and she stared down the long hallway that she now stood alone in. She stepped forward, her dress trailing behind her as she searched the shadows.

"I know you're here, Ruvik." She murmured softly, and a sudden, clenching pain in her chest told her that her assumption was correct. She turned, and there he stood, ever so calmly at the end of the corridor.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, but Ama's brow twitched faintly as the ache in her chest spiked abruptly. She refused to show any signs of agony, however, and instead stood strong in her stance. Whether this irked or intrigued the marred scientist, she did not know.

"You should not be here. You are an anomaly." His voice was low and deep, and there was a threatening air to it as he slowly began to advance towards her. The closer he got, the sharper the pain in her chest grew.

"Jimenez created you, didn't he? He's a fool if he thinks a simple program can stop me." His statement was taunting, but still yet, her gaze remained gentle as she stared at him. She didn't question how he knew that she was a program, because she knew it was pointless. She had been forced unto his own mind; of course he would know that she was not a mere human hooked up to STEM. The rest was simple enough to piece together, given his intellectual mind.

He stopped a mere foot away from her, looming over her as he looked down at her face. He stared into her blue eyes, almost as if he expected them to radiate fear, or maybe even hatred.

But they didn't. There was nothing but a docile calmness to them, and the corner of his scarred lip gave off the faintest twitch because of it. She wasn't sure if he was tempted to smirk or scowl at her.

"Either way," He continued, not giving her the chance to respond even if she wanted to, "Your creator failed to realize that this is my world, and I am in control of it. He made a mistake by implementing you."

He drew closer like a viper poised to strike, and still she did not flinch away.

"By forcing your program into my brain, he linked you directly to me. You're as much of a part of my mind now as I myself am. So tell me, will you be able to handle it?" His hand flitted up to touch her cheek, and she simply watched him, that same temperate nature ingrained on her features.

His touch was as cold as ice, a byproduct of his charred skin being unable to properly regulate body temperature. Her skin stood in stark contrast to his own; it was warm, soft, with not a scar in sight. But as he touched her, red veins began to spread across her face beneath her skin, and her lips parted as she looked up at him. Her tame blue orbs began to mix with a darker color, the whites of her eyes began to turn black. The edges of her pristine white gown crackled as an ebony color as deep as shadow began to crawl up it, overtaking the pure color of the dress.

"It pains you to be near me. I can feel it. You were designed to combat the creatures created by my hatred, but you yourself are not equipped to resist corruption. I can pick apart every inch of you that is good and kind, and turn you against those you try to protect. You're part of my mind, after all, and are therefore mine to do with as I please."

Blood dripped from her lips, and she was unable to break his gaze.

She struggled to breathe suddenly, and the pain that spread through her body was not pain at all, she came to realize. It was darkness. Sheer, unadulterated hatred and evilness in its purest form was being pumped into her by Ruvik, in his attempt to corrupt her. To destroy her. She might have been a part of his mind, allowing her slight control over this world as well, but he was the grand puppeteer here. She couldn't overpower him in the long run.

Gritting her teeth, she reached out to him, curling her fingers around his arm. He seemed a bit caught off guard that she could touch him and stop him from glitching away, but the real surprise came when an abrupt warmth overcame him.

Before his very eyes, the burned flesh that consumed his skin began to revert back to how it had been before the "accident". His scars and gruesome marring all steadily faded away, and for a fleeting instance, he felt warmth radiate through his skin again.

He recoiled harshly, gripping his face in a rare moment of surprise. But the skin that had regenerated itself reverted back to its burned appearance the second he broke contact with her. Now it was Ama's turn to swap the tables.

The darkness that had been creeping into her being suddenly dispersed. The blood around her lips vanished, as did the veins, and her eyes and dress reverted back to their original colors.

"You think yourself a monster, do you not?" She questioned, and he stared at her beneath the shadows of his hood, his eyes burning with annoyance. He clearly didn't take kindly to being defied, nor did he like that she was aware of things he had didn't want anyone to know.

"You changed after the incident that left you scarred. You think the world should pay for what it's taken from you, for what it's done to you." She was a part of his own mind, how could she not know? She had seen the things he had done, she knew his memories like they were her own.

"You were drowning in your own mind because you were alone. You were losing your grip on sanity, mourning over the loss of your beloved sister. Lamenting the supposed passing of the only one who understood you. So you turned to creating STEM. And now you've corrupted your own invention." She boldly declared, drawing closer to him now.

"Do you think that I am not aware of your true intentions here? My creator may not know, but I do." Dark and light clashed as they stood off against one another, and her gaze was gentle while his was full of twisted malice. His response did not surprise her.

"I created this world. You cannot keep me here." It was a statement, allowing no room for argument. He was determined to get out, and in that moment, Ama knew that if he really set his mind to it— quite literally— then he would be able to achieve his goal.

Escape.

"You intend to take Leslie's body for your own in order to get out." She guessed, her eyes holding a saddened light.

The mental patient had been introduced to Ruvik's mind and lived to see the light of day. He had survived the experience, unlike everyone else. His mind was compatible, able to withstand the heavy weight that Ruvik carried in his waking consciousness.

He didn't answer her, but she didn't need him to.

"I will not let you have him." Her voice held a firmness to it that had not been there before. There was an undeniable sense of protectiveness that washed over her like a wave, and she frowned at him openly. He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, as if he were mulling over something. He then began muttering, some of his words lost to the female program.

"...Right supramarginal gyrus, Brodmann area 40, located at the posterior end of the lateral fissure, in the inferior lateral part of the parietal lobe. Subject shows astounding functionality in this particular area despite apparent lack of general human life. A program exemplifying empathy, how interesting..." He mused, as if he were suddenly intrigued by her capability of expressing compassion— a trait a human would exert, not a program.

"General blockage of area 40 results in increased inability to express sympathetic tendencies. Amygdala may also prove to be highly functional."

Hissing suddenly when her hair was grabbed, she resisted the urge to lash out in defense as he yanked on the strands. Hard.

She grappled at his coat as a result, but he had already backed away. Her hair had been pulled from its updo, and the dark locks tumbled down like a silken waterfall, brushing a few inches past her waist. He went to grab it again then, but she was more alert now, and she dodged his touch.

There wasn't fear in her gaze, even after his most recent actions. This seemed to further intrigue the scientist, yet at the same time, it also seemed to evoke something within him. Something she couldn't quite decipher.

"Assumption correct. Amygdala appears to be in full working order. Subject's mind commits events to memory, triggering the startle circuit of the brain." He murmured to himself, staring at her in an unnerving manner. Ama winced, smoothing her hair down after the hard tug it had endured. But even despite Ruvik's cruel treatment, she did not lash out at him, like he seemed to be waiting for her to do.

"Fascinating..." He rumbled on, turning on his heels as he slowly began to make his way towards the end of his hall. Something in his mind was churning, and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not.

"Dr. Jimenez, for so many years I have considered your work inferior and subsidiary. But this..." His words were chilling, and his lips curled up into a ghost of a smirk, "You've certainly outdone yourself this time."

He disappeared then, and the scenery around Ama shifted without warning. She inhaled sharply as she was forced to fall down several hundred feet before her back slammed against a wall, her small and petite body rolling before coming to a stop. She groaned, laying on the floor for a moment with her hair splayed out behind her like a dark blanket.

She really needed to figure out a way to stop Ruvik from transporting her.

Pushing up onto her elbows, she gritted her teeth as she steadily rose back to her feet. Her long, flowing white gown was now torn in places, and the train lay in tatters due to catching on miscellaneous items during the fall. Her hair was slightly tussled, and a few stray strands hung in her face before she tucked them away.

Taking in her surroundings, she found herself in a hospital like area, with a front desk situated in the main room. There was a woman with brunette hair and glasses standing behind it, but she seemed to remain unaware of the program's presence. Either that, or the nurse just chose to ignore her.

Spinning around, the dark haired female took in the sight of a bulletin board with a missing person's report tacked to it. A grandfather clock ticked persistently in the background, and the light above her flickered, casting occasional shadows across the room.

"Ama?" The rough voice was familiar to her, and she turned, her shoulders slumping in relief when she spotted Sebastian at the end of a corridor.

"Detective, are you alright?" She asked, her voice soft and concerned. He gave her a nod, approaching her with heavy and swift footsteps.

"I'm fine. And you?" He inquired, earning a soft sigh from her. Was she fine? She was beginning to grow unsure of that.

"Still functional, I suppose." She reassured him, smiling kindly up at the man before she glanced around, "At any rate, what is this place?"

"I wish I could tell you, but your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that it appears to be the only reasonably safe place here." He grumbled, before he rested a hand on her shoulder, scanning over her rattled figure.

"What happened to you? You look like something attacked you." He deduced, warranting a small twitch of Ama's brow as she turned her gaze away.

She could easily tell him of Ruvik's appearance, and the confrontation that had soon ensued. She could so very easily tell him what was going on here, where exactly he was, and what all of this meant. She could readily inform him of so many things he was questioning, and she could enlighten him as to who Ruvik really was and what he was after.

But something compelled her to remain silent.

"It's nothing, really, though the sentiment of your concern is both noted and appreciated. Come now, we should try to find Leslie and the doctor." She ushered him forward, and he looked at her for a long moment. She avoided his gaze, and after a moment he looked into a mirror closest to them. The glass began to emit a sharp, shrill ringing noise, before it suddenly fractured.

A bright light overtook Ama's vision, and when she could see clearly again, they were standing in the middle of a completely different room. It was certainly odd, but she knew better than to question it at this point. Not when she knew more of Ruvik's world than any other at this point.

"Seb? Who is this?" A different voice introduced itself, and she directed her attention to the glasses donning man.

"Relax, she's a friend," Sebastian soothed his friend's nerves, motioning to the female as he continued, "Joseph, this is Ama. Ama, this is Joseph Oda."

Delicately picking her way over to him, she drew up the edges of her dress slightly, politely curtsying to him. She didn't miss the way he raised a single brow at this, and she smiled softly at him.

"A pleasure to meet you, Joseph Oda." Her tone was ginger and pleasant, eliciting a slight mistrust from Joseph right off the bat. She could see it in the way he eyed her; he didn't trust her just yet. He stiffened up when she approached him, sharing a brief glance with Sebastian, while the latter nodded in reassurance.

Pressing two fingers to his forehead, Ama soothed Joseph's inner turmoil, managing to chase away the shadows that were beginning to tempt his mind. She dispelled them for the time being, breaking up the influence that Ruvik had over him. Joseph jolted away from her in surprise, rubbing at his head slowly as he steadied his breathing.

"What did you...?" He began, but his question was soon cut off by Sebastian's footsteps beginning to advance further down the hall.

"Come on, we don't have time to waste. Let's get moving."

Ama spared one last smile for Joseph before she turned, her figure trotting off into the shadows as she trailed close behind Sebastian. Things were relatively calm for the time being, but she had a feeling that the peace would not last for much longer.

Ruvik was lurking in the shadows. She could feel his ever watchful presence weighing down on her, constantly chipping away at her sanity and urging her to fall to his control. He wanted to chase away the light that had been forced unto him, but she wasn't wavering so easily.

She would not succumb to his darkness.


[A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! It's really humbling to hear your guy's feedback, and I hope I can continue to please in future chapters.]