Darkness hovered over them in the Shadowling Realm. Eris sat with Evida in Shira’s dark room. Black tapestries lay about the room, doing nothing to calm him as he sat unnerved by Evida. She was looking at him, but it felt like she was looking through him, taking apart everything that made him whole. No wonder she was destined to be with Void; he had that same look, but only with him; it was one of detachment. Eris felt pity for him, something he did not feel for her. She already looked dead, like something was taken from her, leaving her with nothing.

Eris’s mind wandered. He was standing by a tree, watching Evida play with a duck in a nearby pond.

“Nuri! Come over here! The water is so calming!”

“I’m fine, Evida,” he said, making his way to her.

“You’re thinking of her again, aren’t you? The winged one?” Evida picked up the duck and placed it on her lap, stoking its feathered back. The thick branches blocked out most of the sun, turning its brown feathers black. “She is pretty, and her smile is nice. But you know, the Dark Ones, they say you can’t.”

“I know. But,” he paused, at a loss for words as he stared into the horizon. “I should stop thinking about her, shouldn’t I?”

Evida shrugged her small, nimble shoulders. “You don’t have to. Negal seems to like her. Shira is the one who is threatened. Her and Senid.”

“I know exactly how Senid feels. He won’t talk to me.”

“You know why, right?”

“He feels betrayed right now. He’s still my best friend Evida, he’s like my brother. He shouldn’t feel betrayed.”

Evida shrugged. “Well, that’s how he feels. Void thinks you should just leave her alone and talk to Senid. Ettore agrees.”

“Void is too lonely.” Eris smiled expectantly.

“Not true! He enjoys my company.” Eris saw himself laugh when she blushed.

“You’re too bright sometimes.”

“Is that bad?”

“No. In fact, don’t ever change.” She smiled and let the duck walk off her lap back into the crystal blue pond, fracturing its surface.

Eris’s eyes adjusted to the room’s dim lighting as his memories caught up with him, and he stared at Evida, disheartened. There was no similarity between her now and then.

“What happened to you?”

“My comrade left, and the Dark One’s came to me and asked for my help. I agreed. The result was taking a part of my soul. She said she would need it. I still don’t know why.”

“So you weren’t always like this?”

“No. My comrade…my friend, he called me bright. Do I look bright?”

“You look dead.”

“Same difference. Darkness is the opposite of light. Death is the absence of life.”

“Why do it? Why give away half of yourself?”

“I missed my friend. Is that so hard to believe?”

“Sounds like you had a soul.”

“All beings do. Some are just darker than others. Mine is only darkness. Even Senid had light in his. He was torn over his friend, his brother by spirit if not by blood.”

“Surprisingly, I don’t find that hard to believe.” She continued to stare at him. “Do you even feel alive?”

“I’m half of a whole, I feel…some things, but I am only half of myself. Sometimes I feel nothing, and other days I feel…alive.”

“Seems hard.”

Evida’s lips slipped into a small and delicate smile. “It is. But one day, I’ll get my other half back. Of that, I am sure.”

“Are you?” Evida never got a chance to answer when Shira appeared. He saw the urgency in her eyes.

“If you want to see him, now would be the time.”

“It could wait—”

“The Garrison is closing in on him. They already found the other two Roamers, and an opportunity like this won’t happen again.”

“Why is that?’

“A girl is in his home. Evida, block the exit; I’ll grab the Roamer and keep him quiet.” Eris looked out the window of Shira’s bedroom and then back at Evida.

“Let’s go, I don’t know how long Selene can continue playing nice.” Shira smiled and blew off into darkness, leaving her little doorway open. Evida followed through but stopped briefly.

“She had a beautiful smile, your Azelia. You should look for her.” Without another word, Evida walked off into the darkness. Bewildered, Eris stared ahead before following them into the void. He didn’t look back.

A dim light filled the room of the lightly furnished apartment. Before him were two people, beaten down to the ground. The man tried to get up, but Shira kicked the man back down, her foot pressed against his chest effortlessly. His head hit the ground with a loud thump, a small head wound formed, and only a little blood escaped before the wound healed. The sun glinted into the room from a faraway window.

The whole scene was pathetic, and as much as he was disgusted with himself, all he wanted to do was laugh while he picked up the limp Witch from the ground. She already had bite marks on her neck. Blood was already on the Vampyre’s lips, smelling more human than Vampyre. He groaned and tried to look around. Then his green eyes fell on Eris.

“Let her go.”

“If only it were that simple, but see, you’ll be joining her soon. My sister will see to that.” Eris dug his fangs into the girl’s neck. He heard the Vampyre’s scream become muffled by Shira. The girl, already knocked out from Shira, did not struggle, and when the last drop slipped down his throat, she looked as though she was sleeping. Looking back at the Vampire, he let the girl slip from his arms carelessly.

“What’s his name?”

“Axel,” answered Shira.

“Okay.” Eris knelt down and eyed the Vampyre Axel sadly. “When I leave, you should run. Your scent is all over this place, and you are in possession of Fairy Dust. Not to mention, now you have a dead girl here. I am the Coven Master, so I’m telling you that you’ll only survive if you run.” Axel tried to say something, but Shira touched his mouth, hoisting him to his feet. “Let go, Shira, he’s broken enough.” Shira dropped him to the ground carelessly and stepped back. The smile on her face as she stared at the body of the dead girl was unmistakable. Eris, trying to ignore her, helped Axel sit up.

“Why?”

“I need to keep my sister preoccupied. There’s someone out there I would rather she not meet nor see. It’s a complex story.”

Axel’s eyes narrowed understandingly. “It was you. You killed all those people, you killed my—”

“Yes, indeed I did, but you need to understand that it’s a complex story.”

Axel’s eyes stared back at him defiantly. “Not if your sister is Selene Sintas. We all know her story.” Rage enveloped Eris, and his kindness vanished. His hand gripped Axel’s throat tightly.

“Run.”