Chapter 2: Searching

"Mother? What's wrong?" Rhinne groaned as she woke from her slumber. Once her eyes focused, she saw the black-cloaked figure, gripping Ariel's wrist hard enough to make her hand begin to turn white. Rhinne turned to see her personal friend and guard in a heap of metal in the ground. Rhinne then realized the cloaked man was the same man who had slaughtered Will.

"No… LET HER GO!" Rhinne screamed, throwing the covers off and readying an attack spell, fear thick in her eyes. The sight of Will being run through so many times flashed through her mind, petrified the same would happen to her mother.

"RHINNE, STOP!" Ariel commanded. Instantly Rhinne froze in place, looking down to see a dozen small spear-tipped chains pointed at her. The man's stare over his shoulder made Rhinne's face drain of color, unable to run, unable to breathe.

"Were you honestly going to break your promise to me?" Sloe asked placidly as he turned back to Ariel. Questions burned in Rhinne's eyes.

"You would use her for such a deed?" Ariel asked in return, making him smirk as he eased his grip on Ariel's wrist.

"You and I both know what our contract says. Didn't you say this would be the best course of action?" Sloe asked, brushing her long, battle tangled red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Ariel tried to pull away, but he mirrored her perfectly, his pressing, soul-chilling presence making it hard to move.

"Mother? What does he mean? What deal did you make?" Rhinne asked, fear settling into her heart when the sounds of battle raging within the temple began to draw her attention. A loud explosion shook the floor, making Rhinne run to the balcony. The sight below horrified her, seeing Knights of black battling with the Knights of the Temple. Metal and blood stained the marble floor, the empty shells of the Knights and corpses of the Monks scattered everywhere.


"Increase power output!" Dr. Long shouted over the roar of generators, the body he created straining its shackles.

"There isn't any more power to give!" called a scientist.

"The synapses will shred themselves if we don't give it more power!" Dr. Long shouted, tapping madly on a typewriter-like keyboard. Bright blue lights scrawling across the screen revealed the process happening as the computational machines worked.

"Generator one is overheating!" another scientist called.

"We'll draw from the city's power grid! Rerouting the power now!" Dr. Long called, typing in the commands. Just as he was about to enact them, Maxus slammed his hand down on the emergency shutdown cutting all power. Spark showered the floor from the head of the body as the intricate wiring of the synthetic brain melted.

"Why did you do that?!" Dr. Long shouted, slamming his fist down on the desk and grabbing Maxus by the collar of his shirt, shaking him hard.

"Sir, the power circuitry in the lab wouldn't have been able to withstand that kind of amperage. Generators one through seven were overheating, the control circuits for the reaction were beginning to fail, and to top it all off despite being performed with one of our strongest alchemic circles, the barrier created was beginning to bend." Maxus shouted back, motioning towards the various components mentioned.

"Can you imagine the kind of destruction that would ensue if the circle collapsed and released all that energy?" Maxus further pressed, drawing Long's attention to parts of the circle that were deformed and discolored. Dr. Long looked to the barrier still in place as the energy within dissipated. Shoving Maxus aside, he leaned heavily on the table and sighed, resting his head against the safety glass in defeat.

"It took me months to create the synapses for its brain." He said softly.

"I know, and I'm sorry it had to come to this. But ending thousands of lives isn't worth it." Answered Maxus. Behind them, Dane sat writing notes, studying the reactions of all the individuals involved with Dr. Long's project. He couldn't help but notice that when Dr. Long leaned against the glass, there was a brief wave of Darkness around him. The study of this Darkness Dane had felt as a child was still steadily growing more influential in the world. To Dane, it felt as if Darkness briefly pulsed more strongly from Dr. Long than the world.

"What could this mean?" Dane thought to himself, walking out of the Great Circle's control arena and back to his own house. For the past five years, he refined his understanding of this Darkness and finally began to solidify a consistent way of detecting it. Opening his room's door greeted him with the rustle of papers and the smell of drying ink. Pulling his own journal from his pocket, he sat down at his desk and poured over the notes he had gathered over the previous half-decade. The Darkness, he found, had always been there, even before he had felt it as a child. But this new development just might be the breakthrough he needed. He reached into a cabinet and pulled from it the first notebook he ever kept, reading through his notes.

As he compared them, he began to see a pattern building. The Darkness seemed to periodically rise in strength and add to the world. Coincidently, these rises paralleled failed tests of a component in the lab.

June 5th, power core tested today, connection failed. The Darkness felt stronger around Dr. Long.

June 10th, actuators for limbs tested, test failed, Darkness feels slightly stronger Around Dr. Long. Other scientists also have a rise in Darkness.

June 14th, 2nd actuator test, test failed, Darkness has increased, but only by minuscule amount around Dr. Long.

July 10th…

His careful notes pointed to the fact that there was a swell of Darkness when the scientists felt defeated. As more and more tests failed, he began to see other scientists previously unaffected began exuding the same swells in Darkness. When combined, the intensity of the Darkness surrounding Margata would increase as well.

However, the Darkness as a whole felt as if it had grown far more in the world than the amount he perceived in Margata alone. Perhaps the answer lay beyond the walls of his city? His train of thought was broken when a soft knock came on the door.

"Yes? Come in," he called, closing his notes and turning to face the door as it opened.

"Hi Dane, I thought I'd find you here." The golden-haired girl said, stepping through the door and closing it behind her.

"Menodora, always a pleasure to see you," Dane answered, standing to greet her.

"You cut your hair." Grinned Dane, noticing that her blond hair was shorter than in previous days, stopping just above her shoulders.

"I just came from the barber's; do you like it?" Dane nodded his approval, running his hand through her shorter locks. He had grown to like her lengthy hair, but this new length was styled well enough that he didn't mind.

"Made any progress? I saw you while I was at the market and thought I'd check in," She asked, her light blue eyes shining with questions. Dane dropped his gaze and turned back to his notes without saying anything. He and Menodora met during a meeting of all the highest leaders of Margata to discuss the progression projects and to present new ideas or theories.

Dane at first passed her off as just another woman drawn to him because of his long white hair and striking eyes, something that brought most women to him, which would lead to the predictable questions of how they too could make their hair like his. In all honesty, even he hadn't the slightest idea how or why his hair was white and passed it off as saying he was born with it.

But Menodora persisted after formerly introducing herself and took a genuine interest in his work, questioning everything that he had researched up to that point. She, too, had noticed something wrong with the world and had heard of Dane's research. She sought him out in hopes that she could glean some small bit of insight from him. While their conversation more was on a surface level, her talk with Dane brought a better understanding of what she felt

"Well?" she asked, walking up behind him and placing her small hands on his arms, looking down at his notes while resting her chin on his shoulder.

"So far, I have only found that the Darkness is becoming more intense when a negative event occurs," Dane answered, turning the page and looking over even more notes.

"Do you think it's only coming from Dr. Long? I mean, I would be disappointed if I were working on something like this. It does mean a lot to him." She theorized. Dane shook his head and closed his book.

"No. I've felt smaller rises in Darkness of those around him as well." He answered, becoming lost in his thoughts while rubbing his chin.

"Perhaps a small break will get you the answer. I've brought your favorite: Horned Mushroom Pie." Menodora smiled, curling her hand and making a pie tin appear in her palm. Dane smiled, turning away from his desk as Menodora waved her free hand, creating a small picnic table scene in his room.

"You've been practicing, I see," Dane said with an impressed tone, sitting down and setting out plates and utensils. Menodora had been taking some magical and alchemical lessons from Dane when he saw her learning by herself from a few old books.

"This is the most elaborate that I've been able to do so far," Menodora replied shyly, sitting down when her concentration on the pie was lost, and it fell from her grip. She tried to reach for it, but it slipped through her reach and into Dane's hand. She looked away as her cheeks flared bright red and put her hands in her lap.

"Nothing happened Menodora, it's still safe." He chuckled, reaching for her hand.

"That was the first spell that I ever learned. I was hoping that I would have a grip on that one by now. I really wanted to impress you," Menodora said, looking away with a frustrated huff.

"You already have. Come, let's eat," Dane reassured, putting down the pie and beginning to cut it. Menodora smiled as her cheeks began to cool. When at last, the food was eaten, a spark of inspiration drove Dane to gather his notes and look them over again. There had been times when the waves of Darkness had been stronger. He did also recorded that this Darkness felt different somehow.

"Perhaps this isn't just one Darkness. What if there are multiple kinds as the result of differing negative events?"The thought intrigued him, sharing his hypothesis with Menodora immediately.

"That would make sense. Maybe the scientists were disappointed for a different reason?" she asked, her mouth still full of her final bite of pie. Dane nodded in agreement, pulling out a fresh notebook and scrawling the hypothesis on the first page, giving another to Menodora.

"We should expand our parameters to the city. Perhaps then we can be one step closer in finding out what this Darkness really is." Menodora took the notebook in surprise; was he inviting her into his research?

"You want me to help?" she asked, almost respectfully leafing pages in the notebook.

"With two of us gathering information and delving into the notes of the ancient mage, we should be able to find out more in a shorter amount of time," Dane exclaimed. Menodora chuckled to herself; not many things made Dane excited, but when something did, it was always strangely soul-warming. After Menodora was taught how to sense the Darkness around them accurately, the weeks passed quickly as they observed the city around them. Together, they discovered a multitude of 'shades' of Darkness. Each ranged from a small disappointment to the death of a loved one.

Those that suffered from the significant events usually exuded much darker and more intense waves, which would continue to drape over them for weeks at a time. Dane and Menodora noted that this Darkness would be lessened when another would come to comfort those people. After four weeks, the two of them convened at Dane's home to compare notes.

"Do you think this is the 'ultimate light' the mage spoke of in his writings?" Menodora asked when she and Dane compared notes one night.

"No, these actions alone are not it. They do, however, stem from the same place." Dane answered, setting two books on his desk from his personal library: a textbook labeled 'The Power in Emotion' and a novel, 'Power from the Heart.' Menodora looked over the story, reading the back cover aloud.

"'Follow the travels of Harold Jones, a carpenter by trade, as he is unknowingly pulled into a war over the all-powerful Drumstone when someone pays for his service with it. A devise capable of great good or great evil, both sides of this war vie for his favor. One side sends a gorgeous temptress to seduce him into handing it over, while the other sends a timid delicacy to win him over. He must be careful as looks can be deceiving. Will he give the device to either side? Or keep it for himself?' Well, Dane, I didn't know you were such a romantic." Menodora said as she opened it to the first chapter to begin reading.

"It was a book that Adelia read to me when I was younger. I found it intriguing that a device like that could harness the power of human emotion as a weapon." Menodora dropped her shoulders and looked up; he had just spoiled half the book despite it being somewhat poorly written.

"So, what exactly do these books have to do with what we're after?" Menodora asked, setting aside the novel and picking up the textbook while Dane read both notebooks for clues.

"If negative feelings and emotions are the sources of Darkness, and if consolation is the key to find this 'Ultimate Light' which lessens or reverses some of this Darkness…"

"…then there must be a way to amplify that effect and rebalance the world!" Menodora finished, walking behind Dane and looking over the notes, draping her arms over his shoulders.

"Exactly. The problem becomes how to do so. All the spells that I've come across in my studies only amplify things that can be quantified: knowledge, strength, mana, magic, things of that nature." Dane answered.

"What if this 'ultimate light' the ancient mage speaks of is a device just like in the novel?" Menodora asked, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Dane. She picked up the story and tried to quickly read it before Dane spoiled it for her again. Dane sat back, squinting his eyes in pondering.

"That could be a solution, except that would mean Darkness also has a device. And with that being the case, there should be a direction in which this Darkness is strongest." Menodora nodded her head, becoming lost in the novel as Dane studied, falling asleep a short time later.

"That's it!" Dane exclaimed three hours later. Menodora jerked her head up from the desk in surprise.

"What, I'm up, I'm up." Menodora slurred as Dane smiled and put a hand on her head.

"I've found our solution to dampening this Darkness," Dane answered with a quieter tone. Menodora nodded and yawned wide, trying to speak as she did.

"Guh un, I'ng lithening."

"Darkness itself is something that is intangible yet is created when negative events happen. Perhaps then, if a positive event were to happen, the Darkness would be lessened." Dane explained, Menodora blinking her eyes to become used to the lamplight.

"That's a good start, but we're talking about something on a global scale."

"Darkness did not manifest from nowhere. We'll start with Margata, and just as our observations with the Darkness, we'll observe when something positive happens. If possible, we will use that as a base to begin our repair of the world." Menodora smiled as her eyes became heavy and yawned widely.

"That all sounds good, but can we start in the morning?" she asked. Dane looked out his window and noted that all the gas lamps had been lighted, fighting their war against their own Darkness of night.

"Yes, perhaps that would be best." He smiled, making a few motions with his hands as a small mattress, a few blankets and pillows floated into his room to make a bed for Menodora. Within a few moments, she was sleeping soundly. Dane, however, wanted to find more information about his theory and so went downstairs. He found his father sitting at the table with a cup of hot tea in his hand.

"Maxus, I didn't hear you come in," Dane said in surprise, calmly sitting down and setting his books on the table before holding his hand out. The teapot on the stove, a cup, and a plate floated over to them, setting down beside Dane.

"Menodora let me in a couple hours ago. I wanted to ask how things were going?" Maxus absently turned the cup in his hands as it sat on the table.

"Menodora and I have made a few hypotheses and discoveries. There hasn't been much else." Dane replied, pouring a cup of tea for himself.

"Have you made any progress on this 'Darkness'?"

"Not a substantial amount. The Darkness itself seems to stem from emotion, becoming stronger when a negative event occurs, as well as being in differing strengths or types depending on the event. Another thing of note is that people around the person suffering the event seem to also exude Darkness as if it were an empathetic response." Dane answered, dropping a sugar cube into the tea and taking a sip.

"What about a way to counter it? I assume that this Darkness is the reason for the world's imbalance you mentioned five years ago?"

"Yes, in fact, to both of your questions. The counter to Darkness seems to lie somewhere in positive events and consolation to those who have suffered a major adverse event. These positive events, or as Menodora and I are calling them, 'light,' do not entirely erase the Darkness hanging around one person. They do lessen its effects."

"Have you found if others around them may be affected by Darkness coming from one person?" Maxus asked, taking another sip of his tea.

"What do you mean, Maxus?" Dane asked with a slight edge. His research had always been of the highest quality; how could someone question his oversight of something?

"I remember your saying something when you started this journey: 'it has no form yet it fills the world; it has no substance yet it taints even the purest of hearts; it has no will, yet all who see it succumb to it.' That has always stuck with me, and I wonder if this Darkness may also affect those around the person who has experienced some adverse event and isn't just an empathetic response." Dane lowered his brow as he brought out his notebook. This was something that he hadn't considered.

"Are you suggesting that the Darkness from one person could be amplifying the Darkness within others? Or worse still, infecting others with Darkness?" Dane asked, looking through his notes for something on the matter that he was presented with, but finding nothing of the sort.

"I'm saying that it could be a possibility. Perhaps that is why Darkness is only diminished when a 'Light' event occurs." Dane put his hand over his mouth as thoughts swirled through his mind.

"Here is another theory I offer you," Maxus said, putting down his cup and jiggling his index in the air.

"As you have said, the Light diminishes Darkness but doesn't get rid of it. What if this Darkness is strong enough to overpower one person's Light?" Dane tilted his head in interest, closing his journal as he looked to Maxus.

"How do you mean?"

"What if, to be rid of Darkness, there must be more than one source of Light? Perhaps, there needs to be more than one person's Light to match and then overpower the Darkness and, in turn, amplifying the buried Light within them. If Darkness can amplify Darkness, then shouldn't the opposite be true?" Dane's eyes flitted back and forth, going up to his room and bringing down the ancient mage's journal. He searched for quite a while to see if this mage had possibly attempted a thought of this simple suggestion. But as the pages turned, Dane found nothing of this Light amplifying theory.

"This could be a possibility. It is so simple yet so profound. Thank you, Maxus." Dane said, his face almost glowing in delight that a new path of possibility had been laid out before him.

"You're welcome, son. But might I suggest you get some rest? It appears that you will be busy very soon." Maxus smiled; Dane may be grown and living in his own house, but he would always be his son. Dane kept reading for a bit when the words on his page blurred, his head and eyelids felt heavy, and his whole body began to ache.

"I suppose even the greatest minds sometimes need rest," Dane grunted before leaning forward and falling asleep using the journal as a pillow. Maxus chuckled, reaching for a blanket Adelia had sent with him and draped it over Dane's back and shoulders. As Maxus left, he couldn't help but wonder where these dark places were Dane said he would travel to. So far, the most dismal he had seen was the fact that his son was exposing human emotions to be the cause of the world's imbalance.

"Just be safe, Dane," Maxus whispered as he returned home. Without a doubt, this was only the beginning of something far more significant than he could ever imagine.