Chapter XLIV: The Ninth

Wake up…..you have a life yet to live….

Adelia opened her eyes to peer into the darkness; she had returned to her mind once more it seemed. All around the edges she could see the swirls of shadows moving, ghastly faces slowly writhing and moaning out at her. That was the darkness, no doubt. A long, thick, slick tendril surged forth from the contorting mass and tried to catch her by the leg. With a nimbleness she did not know she had she was able to vault away from it–she knew it was not her that had done it but a part of her mind. And then the voice that had urged her to open her eyes, urged her to wake from her coma, came again.

Do not give in, there is a way out of this shadow. But there is only one way to find it.

“Who are you?” Her voice echoed in the great chasm that was her head. The voice was already fading as the darkness once more began to close in. She brought out the sword that had somehow found its way to her side and swung hard, sending several tendrils recoiling back. Her blade sought out one after next as they continued to try and pull her into the shadow.

A ghostly face lurched out of the darkness, it’s moaning mask of excruciating pain bearing down on her. With a scream and all her force, she severed the head from the shadow, watching it crash to the ground with a piercing shriek that shattered her blade. The darkness once more surged in around her. “Whoever you are, help me!”

Why?

The tendrils sailed out from every side as she vaulted off each and everyone, her body an arrow swooping in and out of the darkness that roared all around her. The tendrils tangled themselves amongst each other as she landed once more on the cold blue ground. She stared up at the tendrils as they tore themselves apart and once more surged towards her. “Because I can’t do this alone!”

Is that why you desire my help? That alone?

Adelia rolled as one of the tendrils crashed down against the ground with a great crash. Splinters of blue earth spiralled through the air and into the shadow as more moaning faces began to surge towards her. Adelia was losing ground fast. “My friends….they need me….”

Your friends?

Adelia turned to see the figures of her allies swirling within the shadow as they were overwhelmed by darkness, the shadows pulling them slowly deep within the abyss. “NO!” She raced towards the darkness, towards where she had seen them disappearing. Blackheart’s hand still remained unsubmerged and with a force she did not know she had, she pulled hard on his hand and tore him free, pulling a puddle of darkness along with him. She glanced over at the others, seeing them all sinking quickly. With haste she grabbed hold of Samden and Thyrus and tore them free. With some work she was able to pull West….and finally she could see Laura twisting and writhing in the shadow, trying to escape.

Will you not help your friend? There was a moments pause. You hesitate.

Adelia continued to watch as Laura slowly began to disappear, not knowing what to do.

Is this not one of your friends? But no…she stole him, didn’t she…….if she dies….then there’s no one left for Blackheart to love but you……

She turned to stare up into the sky, where the voice had come from. It was an empty black up above her, but she knew whoever spoke was watching. “This isn’t real. Those aren’t my friends, are they?” A tendril shot out from behind her and caught hold of her leg, taking her off her feet and dragging her towards the shadow. And then like a brilliant blood red fireball, a figure crashed down and shattered the tendril and sent it reeling backwards into the shadow. Adelia turned to see the figure rise. “Maximus….”

The Watcher nodded slowly, “Yes.” A glow swirled around him as the shadow peeled back.

“Then it wasn’t real….”

“But does that matter? You would have let her die in reality, too. There is darkness in you, isn’t there Adelia? Not what Baen gave you, but what you were born with.”

“Yes? So….everyone has evil in them.”

“Ah….but you don’t believe that do you? Do you believe that she has a darkness in her?” Maximus turned to reveal the figure of Laura again, standing before her. “Your dark nature wanted to believe there was evil in her, didn’t it? It wanted to believe that there was no absolute good. But there is, as there is also an absolute evil.”

Adelia glanced at Maximus, “What is this all about?” She turned away from Laura and stared at the darkness that waited just outside her reach.

“I have come to try and help you, Adelia. I’m risking a great deal in coming here, for I am breaking many rules and my existence could be erased if God deems I have interfered too much. That’s why I must come to you now, for I have only the power to visit you in your mind, where I only can sway your thoughts, not your very will. Your will is your own, not even I can touch that without being destroyed.”

“Change my mind? Sway my thoughts? Why?”

“I am trying to get you to understand, Adelia….”

“Understand what? My purpose?” Maximus nodded slowly. “I understand my purpose. I have to destroy Baen! I’m one of the nine and without me, then my friends will die and existence will end!”

“No. That is not your purpose at all,” Maximus said solemnly.