"How splendid.

How delightful, how lovely, how absolutely stupendous, it's the woman of the hour, it's so very kind of you to join us.

Honestly I'm beside myself, I didn't think you'd come down here.

I thought for sure you'd be far too frightened to venture down those stairs but here you are.

You surprise me.

Sorry about our little spat we had awhile back.

I really do hate to shout.

It's simply not like me to be that angry and it's not like you to be so cross.

Come let's make amends. I'm sorry aren't you?"

I decided to be clever with Dirk this time, I was going to be calm and cautious, I would be kind and would pretend that I had forgiven him.

"Oh yes I'm ever so sorry, Uncle.

I know you didn't mean it and I didn't mean any of those terrible things either, that's why I came down here to ask your forgiveness and to hopefully set things right.

I just want us to get along.

I don't want for us to fight, the rift between us is too great and I simply can't bear it.

So yes let's make amends."

He came out of the darkness with nothing but a sneer on his face.

"You seem almost to willing, yes you're entirely too eager.

Something isn't quite right.

The Splendor I know has some fire in her blood, she has real passion, give me a bit more feeling, none of that lack luster stuff, give me feeling, give me passion, light up the room with it, I want to feel the sting of it ".

I Just marveled at him because for the first time I realized that he not only got a high off of negative energy but he fed off of it.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean".

"Let me show you".

I saw his face ripple like water, his arms hardly held their shape, his legs quivered as quick sand, his torso bubbled and bloomed into black smoke.

"I've never shown this to anyone.

Do you know how long I've waited for this day?

The day I could show you my true form.

Allow me to correct myself, form isn't quite the right word, I think the right word would be my inner strength, my true power, my true self that is beneath this weak fleshy construct.

It's sad bit many have thought this power to be a curse but it's not, Splendor, it's a blessing and now you too can blessed by it."

"How wonderful.

Why have people called it a curse?"

I avoided him, we made a dance out of it, maneuvering in tiny circles, weaving in and out, from one another.

"It was originally, you see a very Evil demon placed a horrible curse on my family as a means of revenge.

You see this particular demon, gave my Forefather, Walrick Wastrum, the knowledge to control all life upon this earth.

He taught him to subdue it and everything fell at his feet and bowed before him but Walrick wanted to more so he used his mighty abilities to summon a immortal army to conquer and subdue every nation.

It would have worked but the demon heard of this, so he struck him with a curse so powerful that it rippled through the entire family tree.

Now I have the shadow of Swerva, it was passed from generation to generation, until it came and attached itself to me.

I saught to overcome it, so I learned how to subdue the shadow, I did so by embracing it, I embraced it's beautiful darkness and we became one.

Eventually over time the shadow started listening to me, it started taking orders and doing all that I commanded it to do.

Don't you see if you can find harmony with any living creature, you can have peace and ultimate power and control.

Now you can have ultimate power and control as well.

Join me, Splendor, join me and we can conquer this world and next as my forefather Walrick did before me."

"How do I join you... exactly?"

"I shall summon a shadow for you and you too can embrace the darkness.

Embrace it, embrace me, stop living a half life, crawl from out of my shadow and you can make one of your own.

Don't deny it Splendor, you've always desired power, you are so hungry for it, that's why you've been so bitter about my success and I know that lust for power never truly dies.

Give me your heart and you can have all you desire, your hunger can at long last be satisfied.

This shadow shall give you new life, so live for me, live for that inner darkness that you fight so desperately."

The terror was throbbing in my throat, the disgust in my mouth was bitter snd coarse, I felt my throat pang, my neck pulsed with pain, I tried to be strong as I felt my skin was on fire, there was a gush of blood that could taste on my tongue.

"Oh so the wounds are still there?

How curious, however did you recover?"

There was delightful flame of evil that sprung from his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean."

I swallowed the blood silently that had emerged from my throat.

Dirk sprung up on me and he held onto me roughly, his arms grappled on me from behind, he jerked me forward so he could see me face to face and he grabbed onto my chin.

I jolted away from him but somehow he managed to pry open my mouth to exspose my blood stained teeth.

"So it did work afterall.

You know in the world of magic blood seals all things and now blood will bind you to me... forever".

I wanted to scream, I tried to wiggle free but I couldn't even budge because his grip on me was far too vigorous.

His mouth was getting closer to my own, my stomach cramped up and then i froze again.

"NOT IF I CAN HELP IT, YOU SWINE!"

Dwindle's voice made the windows rattle, the floorboards started to heave, the walls began to swell, the chandeliers swung, the lightbulbs burst and the fireplace came to life in a massive bloom of flames.

I felt the whole house shift, the floorboards flew off and whizzed off into the air, the fire jumped out of the fire place and arose in the center of the broken floorboards, joining the chaotic dance of glass shards and dust.

Dirk for the first time ever was actually terrified.

There was lightning that exposed only darkness but then by the next strike of electricity, there appeared the dark heroic figure of Dwindle, his muscular form stood gallantly as a villain who entered his first scene in a melodrama on the stage.

"SO IT WAS YOU, WASTRUM!

YES I KNOW YOUR STORY, I KNOW OF YOUR CURSE!"

"Swerva is that you?"

Dirk spoke haltingly and very softly.

"No I Am His Successor.

I have just arrived back from the Councils of Hell and I have spoken to the master himself, he is displeased with this curse, so he asked me personally to return and tell you of his displeasure.

You see Wastrum, the curse upon your family has been such a beautiful burden for so many years but lately it has become more of a slight nuisance than a curse, it has transformed into a blessing and we demons do not bless those who serve us.

It has been decided by the council that this curse is too light a burden for you, so you shall be assigned a new one.

You've worn thin this curse, you've made it threadbare and useless,

you've disgraced the gift given to you by the Mighty Swerva, just as your forefather Walrick did before you.

This shadow, you've become too accustomed to, you're far too comfortable with it and by the looks of you, you have worn it as if it were your own skin.

Disgusting.

Lucifer has sent me to unbind the old blood of Swerva from your veins.

It was the blood of Swerva that bound you so my blood shall unbind you".

Dirk's gripped loosened, so I slipped onto to what i thought to be the floor but then i remembered that the floorboards were still dancing around over head.

Dirk was beside himself, fell to his knees and shook his hands begging for him not to free him of his curse and he made many pitiful pleadings for him to be merciful towards him.

"There is no mercy in hell, therefore there is no mercy in my heart but fear not human, you will be provided with another.

Take comfort that you have to suffer by my hand for there are those that were just in my company within the bowels of hell that are far worst.

Consider yourself fortunate that the master sent me instead of the others."

I hopped onto to my feet and I nearly ran to him, so I could embrace him and take comfort in his arms, I wish I could hide my face in his chest, breathe in his scent and allow myself to get lost in his heavenly voice.

However I refrained as i saw him float over to Dirk, he firmly grabbed a handful of hair and he used that hair as reins to lift his head up.

Dwindle struck his fingertip with one of his jagged nails, so that a tiny pool of blood formed which steadily bubbled as a brook and then burst into a trickling stream.

He took his finger and let the stream flow into Dirk's mouth.

Dirk gasped than gagged like he was about to choke on something.

Dwindle whispered what sounded like some sort of latin dialect and that whisper became a roar that shook the very foundations of the house.

He grasped onto Dirks clothes but when he tore his arm swiftly as the wing of a bird instead of white plaid he returned with a dark blue shimmery velvet and it appeared to have a humanoid shape.

"I curse you Dirk Wastrum, descendent of Walrick Wastrum, to suffer in silence and drown in your tears, lonely you shall roam the earth, living in the shadows of others, you shall be a servant to others, you shall beg and plead but no one will ever awnser you.

This curse shall be slow and agonizing but even now it weakens you.

You want to become one with the night, may your mortal form be as your soul, your skin shall be as midnight, a starless sky, a moonless night, but to be more creative you won't hold that form for long, you shall constantly shift from form to form, from human to monster, each night shall be a new nightmare.

What's even more delightful is you will have no control over what monster you become, you will live powerless as you have made others in this life, you will simply be the monster you've always been inside.

May your inner monster be exposed for all to see.

Yes a powerless monster you shall be for all eternity!"

There was a purple smoke that erupted from Dirk, the smoke radiated from his very bring snd oozed out from his nose and throat.

Dirk tipped over rather frigidly as if dead he collapsed onto to the black abyss where the floorboards had once been before.

Dwindle sneered over his unconscious body.

"Come here".

His voice was darkly authoritative and it gave me such a delicious shiver, I wasn't sure if i was frightened or i was just impressed by him.

"Come now, you're safe now and as you can see he's been taken care of, my sweet Splendor.

Soon you shall be free".

I gave him a dark uncertain look with a hint of disgust on my lips.

I still didn't budge.

"Are you still in shock?"

Dwindle whirled a lock of my hair and then he slid his finger down my face, tracing my chin and fondled my face with his hand in loving tenderness.

I dove into his arms and I buried my face into his chest.

"Now that's better.

Did impress I you or did I just manage to frighten you?"

"Both.

I'm just an jumble really.

I'm conflicted, this man was the only father i ever knew, I'd never intended for him to suffer but at the same time, he was deaf to my tears he was blind to my own suffering.

Its like I'm even not sure of what's right and wrong anymore.

I don't know if it's right for him to be cursed or not.

Is my suffering enough to justify his own?

I can't shake those words out of ny head.

A hungry desire for power he said, just like in my dream."

"Pay no attention to him and his words. He speaks foolishness, he was trying to corrupt you, I know the tactic, I've done it before".

"Did it work by any chance?"

"Oh goodness no, that is to say it was not successful, the subject was far too stubborn."

"I'm sure she was.

Rumor has it that she's very resilient as well."

"The rumors are true, she's also vastly intelligent and infinitely resourceful."

He pressed the side of my neck lightly with his fingertips and then snatched his hand back.

"All of this is my fault.

If i hadn't been so stubborn, if I had just decided to shut up about our nightly routine, if only I hadn't sent you away when i needed you most, none of thjs would have happened.

You heard what he said about my blood was to be used to bind me to him.

I tried to be nice to him, honestly i tried to be kind, I was charming, I was clever and even tried reasoning with him but then i felt my injuries return and i felt the taste of blood in my mouth. It's almost like I cursed myself."

I couldn't help but sob like a child at this point.

"No, no, no. Now Splendor you didn't cause this, you couldn't have foretold this, you might know things that other don't but you don't know everything, you can't foresee every future event, it's okay for you to be a little clueless, Splendor.

We all are one way or another and now you are no longer bound to him, you'll... now be bound to me instead.

So it all worked out in the end."

"What?

How the hell am I bound to you now?"

I was incredulous and almost indignant.

"Oh dear I thought you knew but perhaps I left out a few tiny details.

You see it's really quite simple, since I've removed that pesky curse of his, I get his shadow, not just any shadow, the shadow of Swerva Davorudus and I shall be wearing as my own.

It was this very shadow that broke and bruised you, those marks of blood and pain inflicted by This terrible shadow, bound you to Dirk but now that the shadow belongs to me, I'm the master now which means you are currently bound to me.

The shadow simply switched owners, from him to me, it's a perfect exchange plus I get to keep you completely curse free."

He smiled cheesily just like a sleazy salesman.

"So I belong to you now".

"Belong is a strong word, I prefer the term loan or borrow perhaps even share.

I'm borrowing you temporarily, you're on loan so to speak, I'll have you for a indefinite amount of time, I won't own you exactly, I'll have a certain influence on your life, when i call you I know you'll follow me wherever I lead."

"You already have that and you know I'd do that for you if asked I'd go wherever you lead me."

"Precisely, binding yourself to a demon might sound scary and in most cases it would be very dangerous but in this case it's just me, so you're safe, you could think it as a sort of a very loose contract, a agreement between us, a wedding band perhaps, a symbol of our eternal love".

"Are you saying I'm married to you now?"

"Yes you could say that but it depends how you see it.

I mean it's not a very official blood binding if you ask me but i suppose that can always happen later when you're ready."

"I think that shadow is enough for me, for now".

"You mean I am enough don't you?"

"Yes of course, you're more than enough. I suppose you'd like a reward for saving my life again.

I've seen you eying my neck, I've seen the hunger in your eyes, I know what you want so you can go ahead".

"You aren't going to turn around or close your eyes?

"No I'm not afraid anymore not after all that hubbub.

I just watched my worst enemy beg for mercy, i saw the terror in his eyes, the fire place went haywire, the floorboards went ballistic, the windows nearly shattered and all the lightbulbs in the house no doubt need replacing now.

So no I'm not frightened of a little blood, not after all that Chaos.

I don't think i know what fear is anymore, perhaps all my fear was just anxiety or some sort of trauma response, maybe it was just paranoia, I don't know.

I don't want to live in fear and shame anymore.

I want to actually live not just exist or float through life, I want to be free and happy and for the first time I want to live for me and not for him.

I'm going to have my own life completely separate from his.

Oh by the way that new curse isn't going to hurt him that bad is it?"

"Oh no, I simply gave him a unstable transformation spell but it's permanent which is why it's a curse plus curse are basically just overly complicated spells anyway but with highly negative side effects.

There are certain loopholes though, if he can change that black heart of his and purify it so it is white as snow, he may be able to control the transformation but even then his control will be limited.

There is no cure for what he has, the only thing that can resolve his all his problem is if he kisses up to me and I don't flatter easily which makes my plan absolutely perfect because I'm the only one that relieve him of his curse and I never will no matter how much he begs or compliments me.

I have a hard heart when it comes to such deeply rooted Evil criminals like himself.

The pain won't be the transformations themselves rather all of his pain will be purely emotional and even though his forms will vary considerably, they will in fact always reflect the monster he truly is inside.

What's even better is these transformations will be infinite which means he literally won't know what form he'll take next so he probably won't be bothering you at the studio and i assure he won't interfere with your fillming elsewhere.

If he tries to interfere he will end up exposing himself and if that doesn't stop him, I Will."

"Expose himself, I can do that for him any day".

"If all else fails then yes you can testify against him in court but meanwhile just imagine if he was to morph into a Monster in broad daylight for all to see, he'll have every government agency after him, he'll be captured, no doubt kept alive so that sick experiments can be performed on him and he'll live in a laboratory for the rest of his days.

Then there is that bad publicity you were speaking of, so he will incriminate himself either way, no matter what tactic he chooses to turn to.

It's almost if he 3 curses in one, it's wonderful don't you think?"

"Oh yes it's a real thing of beauty. It's a good plan, almost too good.

There's no doubt exception, you know loopholes that he could jump through".

"There is a small possiblity that he could lower himself to commit even greater acts of stupidity but at this point he's completely walled in like a rat stuck in a trap, he's going to find it very difficult to get out of this hole he dug himself into.

I will enjoy watching him struggle and squirm as be weakly attempts to escape his fate.

Oh yes the curse unfortunately will give him a longer life span than usual but it won't be worth it, he won't live forever but I've made it so he'll live long enough to suffer the consequences of all his evil deeds and evil actions.

He eventually won't be much of a threat to you but be patient these curses take time, think of it as like a slow release drug, the change will happen overtime, you just need to let it sink in, let him adjust to the curse after that the transformation can take place practically instantaneously.

It will be slow at first but eventually the effects of the curse will gradually get faster and faster until it becomes a actual part of his being and his daily routine.

His body will adjust and then he'll become truly cursed.

I know that possibility as tiny as it may appear is looming over you like some demonic shadow but know this splendor if you see another shadow besides your own, it's probably mine.

Now let's get you cleaned up, you have blood on your chin."