Him and i - Dreams of trauma

Why does the compass light up in my hand?

Without asking myself if all this might be true or not, I believe everything I've read until now. I believe in the authenticity of this text and in the correctitude of the accounts in it. And because of what I've seen up until now, how could I not believe? But why is the community described in the journal gone? Where did all the members go? How did this happen? This place is so well hidden. And hasn't been discovered yet. Nobody knew about it and still, this religion, this community got dissolved. I remember about the journal and its power. I check the text, it was already where I needed it to be. I start reading.

The old woman tells how light ran from the community because he didn't like any girl in it. And because he felt closed, forced by rules. He didn't want to stay just in that community, far from the world outside. She also tells about how everything goes well since he got married. Even though this happened so shortly after he met the girl. The people from the leadership weren't worried anymore. Everything went back to normal. Until one night, when she hears…

 *

I hear voices, whispers, late in the night. Everybody should be asleep now. But these voices seem inhuman. They are echoing along the corridor and produce a powerful resonance. They fill me with fear. I've never felt fear until now. I shouldn't even be able to feel it, considering my past. But this sensation, as many people described it. A sensation of unpleasantness and incapacity that makes you feel weak and lacking of will in the face of an event you don't understand. Helplessness. Terror. Exactly what I feel now. Fear.

These voices, I feel I know them. They remind me of my beginnings. They are not human at all, but are similar with my method of speaking through telepathy. But the fact that I can hear them without being the recipient means only one thing. These are coming from Darkness. She's back. She waited a few millennia to come for Light and I guarantee she didn't wait idle all this time. She waited, and built a plan that would not fail, a plan that could go around all the rules imposed by Light. That's why she waited so much.

Darkness is here, and it's the first time she's on the offensive. But I've prepared for this moment also, all this time. But I feel now, listening to these voices, that I have no chance facing her. She is after all…sending these voices. And these voices have a target, not me, I just intercepted them, they even are trying to avoid me, these voices. But I can hear them. Is she so sloppy to not hide them so well from me?

Anyway, this means that only I and that chosen person, the target, can hear them. Me and the target. Someone that's probably sleeping right now, and is filled by her with malicious information and ideas. This is the first attack of Darkness, I feel that if I fail to stop it, I won't stand more of a chance with the next ones either. I get up from my desk and start wandering along the corridor. I have to find her and stop her before she corrupts my people.

The voices become clearer. They're talking about me, about Light and community's purpose. They talk about how I don't want the evolution of this community, and I'm too of a coward to be listened to anymore. They are trying to turn the chosen person, against me. It's probably Light. I quickly go to his room, he's not inside, his girlfriend neither. I use the bound created between me and him and connect. I hear his thoughts, fluently, pauses, interpretations. He's reading, he's awake. Light isn't the target.

The target is someone else. Instead of trying to guess which would be the voices' target, I better follow them. Darkness will know I'm on her tracks, following her voices, but I don't have any other option. I walk along the corridor and try to follow the voices by their intensity. And it works. I hear the voices clearer and louder. The words start resonating with the matter around and form visual waves. They become so strong that I can see the voices, I can see the string of sounds, where is coming from and where is going to. I'm thinking to follow them to our attacker, but I don't know how far she is…I better wake up the target.

I arrive at the door that the voices led me to, I can see the string of sound going through it. It's Traian's door. She chose the most influential person in our community as her target. Our leader that all follow. The attack comes from someone in our community, I'm sure of it, she chose the perfect target. That means darkness has successfully infiltrated our community. Without me even knowing.

I hear a noise coming from behind the door. The voices stop. He woke up. But soon the voices come back, louder and more vibrant than ever. She won't let him wake up, she's forcing him to sleep and listen to it all. It's already too late to stop the process now, the ideas have already been seeded in his head. I better wait and maybe can figure out from the context, who Darkness is, or what's her plan.

The voices started talking about Light. His purpose. Light shouldn't hide from Darkness; Light's purpose is to destroy Darkness. To fight her. And never to hide anymore from her, from the world, or from anybody. The community and Light are strong enough to face this. It's time we stop looking behind us, stop listening to others and start being free. It's time we fight.

I don't know what her plan is or what she wants to do, but if I don't stop her quick enough, she'll destroy our community. I enter Traian's room, he's in bed, sleeping. He's struggling in his bed, like he's having a nightmare. Nobody's in the room beside him. I can't figure where the voices come from, and I don't have enough time to follow them. I'll wake up Traian, without him seeing me, otherwise I'll be considered responsible for all this.

With a move of my hand I place his body on the edge of the bed and let it fall. I close the door and immediately hear a thud. Everything goes quiet, and then I hear him talking. He's awake. The voices stopped. And I return to my room. I'll have to gather the leaders in the morning, and talk with them about this problem. I'll have to convince them that Darkness is amongst us.

I don't understand how she managed to enter here, underground. How she managed to find us. She shouldn't be able to sense us from outside, not even Light. Unless…when Light ran out of the community, she could've… I think is her. Light's wife, the girl he came back with when he returned to our community. It's the only new member that we don't know that well. She suddenly appeared in our community, and in Andrei's life. She must be. But why didn't she run away, back then when she already had Light? Why didn't she convinced him to run as far away from us as possible? Why come back?

I felt something wrong with her. Since I first saw her, I felt a resemblance between us. A small piece of me, that remained after the depart, I recognized it in her, that small piece. We both, meat bodies, were built the same, strong enough to hold her. On my way to my room, I meet Elena, she was too wandering on the corridor, heading probably towards her room. She looks at me, stops and smiles.

"Can't sleep?" She asks me with a superior glance.

"I can't, I think is because of the voices, did you hear them too?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't heard a voice."

At this very moment, Andrei gets out of the library, the door was right between us. He sees us talking and joins.

"What are you doing here? At this hour even?"

Andrei sticks to his wife and grabs her hand. She turns her head to him and says.

"We could ask you the same thing."

"Me? I just got out of the library, what do you think I was doing there?"

"You're right. I was going to our room when I met Olsana here, I thought I'd talk with her, seeming that both of us can't sleep now. I thought I could profit from this moment to find a discussion partner."

"I'll go back to the room and let you discuss then."

"Wait, I'm coming with you. Our discussion was over anyway."

Elena turns joyfully and walks to Andrei and grabs his hand so lustfully.

"Aren't you staying to talk with Olsana?"

"No, I want to stay with you, besides, there are plenty of nights that we can spend talking." Elena turns her head to me. "We both are after all, not made to sleep."

The two of them bid their good nights and go towards their room. I also head to my room. I have to think what I'm about to do, I can't just tell the council to banish her from our community. At least not without a good reason, or proof. It would be hard to convince all of them. And impossible to convince Andrei. He loves her, he'll not accept this, he'll leave with her if he'll have to. And he won't believe at all what I have to say.

I can't believe she profited on the boy's despair, and came into his life right at that so precise moment. She offered him everything he wished for. Everything he needed. I get into the room next to mine, and tell my assistant to announce in the morning, everybody from the council, to gather at the first hour. All of them, except Traian, from now on I'll have to assume he's compromised.

In the morning, almost all leaders are already waiting for me in the meeting room. We are 16, there are 2 more to come.

"Why did we gather so early?" Asks Vlădescu while yawning. He's the chief-doctor of this community and the person in charge handling the medical, pharmaceutical, and hygienic systems.

"We have an urgent matter to discuss."

"Alright, Olsana, but make sure it won't take long, in less than an hour I have to be at the market." Gabriel is the guy handling the provisions of our community. He works with trading, collecting, and valuing our resources and managing our community's economy. His nickname is Merchant.

"Shouldn't we wait for Andrei?" Asks the doctor still.

"No, what we're about to discuss now is related to him."

Everybody turned serious and focused. Silence took over the room. Laurențiu, that barely entered the room, breaks this silence.

"Even more to the reason that we need to wait for him. If it's indeed related to him, then he should be present at this discussion. We can't take a decision that involves him without him giving his approval first."

"It's also related to Darkness."

"Then we can't wait a second more. Please Olsana, continue."

Traian just entered the room, a few years back he took over the leading role of the community after I held it for centuries. I didn't want him to be present for this meeting, but now I can't back down anymore, we'll have to discuss this. I don't know what to think of his intentions yet. If he's been brainwashed or not. If he has a bit of control over his thoughts anymore. He's a good man. He worked hard to help our community. But the voices…

"Last night…"

I can't tell them that one of us was attacked, manipulated. The person in question will not believe, and the council will ask for proof. And it would all make me look bad. I don't want to lose my credibility at a time like this, just at the beginning of her laborious plan.

"Last night, I felt the presence of Darkness. Here in our community."

Everybody got scared, or at least startled. Everybody but Traian, he was calm.

"Among us? Darkness?" Asks, still in shock, Claudia, one of the two female leaders, the other being her sister. "What is to be done?"

"How did it got here, didn't you said that this place is protected? That we are hidden here?" The sister asks away, while grasping tightly Claudia's hand.

Traian looks at me and almost smirks. He knows, I know too, I can't solve anything without hard evidence.

"At this moment, we can't do anything. And the fact that she already got in is already consumed. We don't have time to worry about this. I'll analyse more the information I got and look for some proofs."

"You already know who it is?"

Gabriel is surprised, everybody is, less Traian. He's just waiting, calmly. His plan is completely unaffected by this situation. Her plan… I must find a way to convince the council that Andrei's wife is Darkness.

"I have a feeling on who might be. We'll gather again tomorrow evening. Until then, I'll gather whatever I need."

The group breaks off. Some gather to talk some more, others leave the room. Traian is coming to me, puts his hand on my shoulder to stop me, and speaks loudly so he's heard by everybody in the room.

"I have trust in you that you'll solve this problem, Olsana. But please, take care. You said it so many times before, Darkness is very strong, and we shouldn't do anything else than hide from her."

Again, this feeling…it overwhelms my body, and my soul. Fear. I feel it draining like a poison, from Traian's hand, through my shoulder, spreading throughout my body. And Traian's voice, those words were coming from his mouth, but Darkness said them. I get out of the meeting room and go back to my room. I start thinking of all the possibilities, all the moves, all the evidence I need. Where to look for and what to look for to use as proof. What would make the council believe me when I tell them? That Elena is Darkness.

I go in the next room and tell my assistant to stay hidden, somewhere near Andrei's room and report to me as soon as they leave. I don't know exactly what to look for, but I'll definitely know when I'll see it. The best thing is to start with her room. Meanwhile I go to the library. To see what's Light reading these days. I've seen him lately spending much of his time in the library. Our literature has been depreciating in these last decades. All the contemporary books are lacking soul and tradition.

But if I try to tell them this, I'll again be seen as an old woman that only keeps this community in the past. I've already been replaced in the council, by Light. My decisions don't have any value anymore. Don't even have voting rights. I'm sometimes consulted. But since I've ceded my role to Traian, our community started to look like a cult again.

This is always happening. People don't want to work and consume their time without a material reward. I've come here to Brașov with 148 people. Now, our community houses over 1000 people. It's hard to keep ourselves hidden and united into the same purpose. So many people.

In the library I find Andrei, he was sitting at the table, writing intensely. This was the reason he keeps spending time in the library lately. I go to a random shelf, pick a random book, and sit next to him. We're alone. He raises his eyes from the book and sets them to an imaginary point in space to think. He doesn't get to that point as he just now notices me.

"Morning, how are you doing?"

"I've came to read a book, you? How it's your new life as a family man?"

"It's good, better than…"

"Yes. You scared us all when you disappeared back then. We thought something happened to you. We searched for you everywhere."

Andrei pauses to take a deep breath, and sighs a little, probably at the thought of those times.

"I reached my limit of what I could accept, back then, I was at a point in which I couldn't take it anymore. Everybody, including my family, was pestering me to choose a girl already and make a family. That I am the symbol of this community, and others look at me as an example. And no girl from our community was right for me. It wasn't about beauty, but I couldn't see myself getting in love with any of them. So I left."

"I understand, and I understand what you went through. But you knew you could talk to me, we could've figured out how to approach that together."

"I know and I'm sorry if my leave affected somehow our relation, you were the only one that actually helped me and asked me, what do I want. And you didn't want 'what was best for me' like all the other, but what I wanted for myself. But I also left because of the strict rules and hours. The fact that I had to ask permission if I wanted to get out for more days. Before I left, I asked them that I simply want to get out for a few days, to clear my head and enjoy some sunshine, and they actually refused my request. That was the last straw. I felt like a trapped animal. That's when I decided to leave."

This is the moment to find more about her.

"You knew Elena back then?"

"No. I left with the plan of not coming back. It was too much, that I am who I am, and everybody is expecting me to be the example of their belief. To be the strongest, the most wise, faithful, calm, calculated. And yet, these qualities would limit my actions. I couldn't do anything that would be against any of those qualities. Before every decision I took, I was thinking first about everybody else, then about me. Every small mistake made me feel awful, hated by everyone.

"And then the pressures to find a wife. It got to a point where they were trying to force me. I couldn't accept that. If I am to raise a family, to find a wife alongside which I'd spend the rest of my life… I'll do that on my own terms, that's what it means to be free. And a few days after I left the community, I found her, in the market."

"Can you give me more details? Being that you left, nobody knows, and this is remarkably interesting, an experience that could help the future Lights, as they could go through what you did."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm trying to write a book about how to be gentler with the Light, as a community. But, yes, I can tell you about it. I remember that I first saw her in the central market. My eyes didn't fell on her by mistake. My head, simply turned straight to her in that moment. As if controlled. I felt that I have to look at her. She was this most beautiful girl, lost, wandering from booth to booth. Looking for something. But the way she moved, chaotic, gave me the impression that she didn't actually know what she was looking for, but she searched for it sure on herself that she'd know when she'd find it.

"And she had some scrolls under her arm that looked like they were about to fall. And a bag full of I don't know what, hanging heavily over her shoulder. She was making sudden moves to left and right, without caring who she might run into, or that she could lose a scroll from under her arm. All this chaotic movement, I followed, until she stopped in front of a booth. She found what she needed.

"Then, she left the market, this time with a clear destination. There was something about this girl, something that terribly pulled me towards her. Something that made me want to follow her. At that moment, I couldn't say what it was. I couldn't yet call that sensation she gave me, love, but I liked her very much.

"So I followed her. I followed her and I tried to keep my distance to not be caught. But I tried more to not lose her. And I followed her until we arrived on a small back street between two big houses. Hidden from the world and from the sunlight. I didn't have anything else to do but watch after her from behind the corner. There she opened a roll and laid it on the top of an old coop. The other rolls she let them fall on the ground. From the bag's pocket she took out a pencil, an eraser, and a ruler. And she started drawing, without even putting the heavy bag on the ground, without stopping.

"Then, I knew I had to do something or I'll miss my opportunity, and so I went closer. Before I got to say anything, she noticed me, I startled her, pulled her out of her drawing trance she was in. I talked to her, she was surprised to see me, she didn't expect someone to interrupt her drawing process in that hidden spot. But she wasn't angry or hesitant. I talked with her. Laughed with her. And then talked some more. I talked more with her, on that alley, than I talked with anyone else in my entire life. We stayed there until late night. And barely then, after a quiet moment, the first quiet moment we had all day, we noticed we were covered by darkness, and nothing could be heard around us.

"And I went to her house, and found more about her. Elena is an architect, it was her passion, she didn't do it for money or success. She was making art on paper, buildings and monuments beautifully projected, and so complex. What she was drawing on the paper on that alley was her last project. A tall building, immense in height. She said it will be the tallest building in history. And she was so proud of it.

"At that moment, I fell in love with her. I don't know why. But after a day and a night of talking, I was in love. With her laugh, with her smile, with her intelligence and her humour. With her all. I saw myself in her. We were so similar, as if we were made from the same matter. From the same clay. By the same God. I was whole as long as I was with her. Complete."

"It seems you were really happy, and I'm glad for you, but still, why did you come back then?"

"Everything was good. I was happy, still am. She was the one that wanted to come back to the community. I told her everything about this community and she liked what she heard. Of course, she was also extremely interested by what our underground base looked like. How it is built. How does it work. This construction seemed so incredible for her, so unreal. So, I brought her here and we decided to stay."

"Be careful. You just met her. And you moved very fast with your relationship. For a new member to join our community, from outside, we take our time, a lot of time, until we are sure and decide if it's worth for us to have that person. If it's worth the risk. Until we fully verify that person and its intentions… Elena got initiated the second day after you introduced her to us. At your requests, even if a big part of the council wasn't in favour, we accepted her."

"I know, and you helped me. You helped me get her initiated and helped me convince the leaders to accept her. And I thank you for that. I'm forever in debt to you."

"Yes. The leaders are still suspicious of her, and at the smallest opportunity they might get to banish her, they won't listen you, nor me. That's why you have to spend some more time with her. Inside but also outside. Follow her and try to know her better. No matter how well you think you know her, too little time has passed, for you to say that you know her all."

"I know you feel responsible for the decision you took. I'll keep my eyes on her more often. But believe me, she doesn't have hidden intentions, there is no reason to be afraid. Love brought me to her, and her here."

"That…I'm sure of… Alright, I'll let you go back to your writing. Good luck with that book."

"Thank you for making time to talk with me."

I get up and leave the room. He's in love, but other than that, I felt nothing out of the ordinary with him. He's not under her control. It was just their past astral relation that made him fell so hard for Darkness. Either way, I have to stop her. I have to find something. I enter the room next to the library, where books and covers are made. I sit down on a chair, and wait for him to get out of the library.

It doesn't take too much, soon comes lunch and Andrei gets out of the library. I wait a few seconds to be sure he's far by now and then go in the library. I go to his chair and look over what he's written. It's a fascinating story. They both come back to their natural passions after all. Each with their own personal style. One is logic, cautiously, measured, the other free, instinctual, without rules. As they were in the beginnings, Darkness and Light. One calculated, the other chaotic.

I get out of the library and head towards my room. Before I get to grab the door handle, my helper jumps in front of me.

"What happened, they left already?"

"Yes… It was just Elena in the room, and she came straight to me and said to me to tell you that they'll be gone for a longer time and you can go in. She also said that she hopes you find whatever you're looking for."

"I got it, thank you. You're free for the rest of the day."

I don't know if there's even a point now to enter her room. As long as she knows that I'll enter, means that there is nothing that I'll find there to incriminate her. My helper leaves. I have to find out somehow, something, without her knowing. I need to get at least one move ahead of her.

I enter my helper's room instead of mine.

"Florin… I know that I said you're free now, but can you help me with one more thing?"

"Of course Olsana, what is it?"

"I want you to follow them outside. But take care to not be seen. If it happens to lose them, there's no problem, but if they find out they're followed, it would all be for nothing."

"I understand. You want me to follow them all day long? Council knows about this?"

"No. This must stay between us. And you follow as long as you can, don't force yourself."

"Alright."

The boy leaves, and as soon as the whole corridor becomes empty and quiet, I head to their room. I'm looking around, making sure I'm not followed or watched by anybody and I enter their room. It's a double room. First one has a big bed in the middle and many boxes with paper rolls. A desk, a shelve, and other usual things. The books in here are either fiction or architectural. And then a few on art and photography. And then, a few things different that you don't find in other rooms.

These odd objects seem to be used with the purpose to ease life. Behind the bed, there is some kind of mechanic equipment, and above it there are two iron torches, for each side of the bed. They are for reading, but there are strings and mechanisms tied to them. Under the two torches are two buckets half filled with water. Both sides of the bed have a lever down near the mattress. I bend over and pull it. The torch on this lever's side turns upside down and then dips down into the bucket, then the torch comes back up to the initial position. Smart. So they won't have to get out of the bed to put out the torches.

Darkness loved very much, her life as a human. I still remember with how much passion she came with new ideas to create energy. Ingenious mechanisms. Different objects that are meant to make life easier. And the most, she loved buildings, as they could incorporate all of the above. Then, in that period, I felt happiness, fulfilment.

In the other room, there's a table filling out most of the room, and on that table, in the very middle of it, there's a model. It's the model of our underground base. Made with great detail. I guess, once inside, all the protections I placed within this base were in vain. She saw them and they instantly became useless. And now she has this overview of our base. But the model, doesn't have the cemetery above the ground, but another building. Beautiful. Gigantic. So tall… She wants to rebuild the tower. But she won't finish it, her plan must be to leave with Light.

At least Andrei is protected, and can't leave against his own will. But she could have convinced him back then to leave together, her plan was to get here in the first place. She knows she can't make Andrei conscious about who he is, and if she just leaves with him, she won't solve a thing. But why does she need to stay here? What's her plan with our community?

There's nothing in this whole room to prove that she's darkness. I go to the closet, open it, and look through her clothes. I see the blouse that she wore last night, when I ran into her on the corridor. I grab it and hold it tight; I smell it, I lick it and then I feel it even more. I close my eyes, I open them, and see, everything the blouse saw, everything Elena saw, last night.

I see the corridor ahead, and her hands on the side, moving. She looks like she's just wandering along, the long empty corridor. This was probably before the voices. She opens the door that leads to the lower level, the cellar. She goes down the stairs and to the right. The wine and meat cellar is to the left, and to the right is just an empty space, with no purpose for it yet. What is she doing down there?

She opens the door… There's light on the other side, torches and urns lighting up… A large room, with a pillar in the middle. A room that has bars and a metal door. With chains and handcuffs on the walls. It's a dungeon. The room was supposed to be empty, council hasn't yet decided what to do with it. Did she…?

She goes in the room, opens the metal bars door, and goes to the wall made of metal bars. She takes of her blouse and places it on a bar. I see her whole body now, she's completely naked. She goes to the pillar, shackles her hands on the pillar and falls dramatically on her knees. She turns her head to the blouse. I see myself. It's me staying there on my knees, shackled, naked, and beaten. She knew I was going to watch. Every time I get closer to her, she knows, she's always a step ahead. Anything I find out, I find it just because she wants me to.

I have to follow her. If I let Florin follow her, she'll know she's followed, and she'll control again the information I get. I head to the rites room and take the compass from under the fire. Now I won't be detected. I get out to the surface and head towards the city's centre. I follow the energy of my helper, I find him quick, and once I get to him, I tell him to go back to the base.

And so I start following the two lovers. Andrei and Elena were just out for a walk, and so was I, walking in their steps, and watching her closely. With the compass on me, she can't detect me, but they both can still see me if I get too close. All this time that I follow them, they don't seem to do something out of the ordinary. They're like a normal couple that wander around the market and buy different stuff, or food. Some tools and materials for her models, but nothing that seems worth looking into.

But, in the short moments that Andrei wasn't paying attention or was at another boot, Elena was buying different plants and roots, also saw she got Jasmine, some resin and powders, hiding all of them from his lover. She should know that she can't poison him. It's not possible. Sure she knows this. His body can be hurt, even killed, but it's useless if he gets to reincarnate still in our community. And she can't hurt Light even if she tortures Andrei's body. It's not useful for her if he dies. What is she trying to do then?

After they finish their walking and shopping, they head back to the tomb. I get there ahead of them as I don't think they'll stop anywhere else on the way. I get to my room and start walking in a circle. It's evening, the day is ending, and I found nothing on her. My door opens and Florin gets in with a message from the council. The meeting moved for tomorrow morning, and they're expecting me to come with new information. I have no new information. I have nothing to show them, nothing to tell them.

The next day in the morning, the council gathers. I arrive last.

"Where is Light?" asks Bogdan, the one that deals with our community's security.

"Andrei has left with Elena."

We all look at Traian. I just spoke yesterday with Andrei, he didn't tell me anything. Traian begins to know more than I do. Bogdan gets scared, like most of the members of the council.

"How?! We lost him again?"

"No, not like that. Calm down. They just left for a night."

"Wasn't he supposed to get permission first?"

"He asked. I approved."

"It was supposed to be a decision taken by the entire council, as I remember. You can't just take decisions on our behalf."

Claudia is enraged. All the others protest, less the merchant and the doctor.

"If I waited for all of you to gather so we can take, the same decision anyway, we would've risked reminding Andrei of why he left in the first place. We must try to be gentler with him, as a community, especially in this period. If he leaves for a second time, he won't come back for a second time. So enough with this subject. We must discuss the yesterday's problem. Olsana, please."

To be gentler… She moves so fast… But this sudden leave, and unannounced. It's sure part of the plan. Finally, I have nothing to show. No proof.

"I have yet to find any evidence for my assumptions. She was always a step ahead of me. From what I've seen, she's ready to overthrow the leadership and the order of our community. With the final goal to steal Light from us."

"Then tell us who's Darkness. We don't need proof. We trust you." tries Bogdan to assure me.

I didn't want to say yet, but…I'm cornered.

"Elena. It's her I heard two nights ago…hypnotising someone from our council. She was trying to make that person believe in, different things from what we believe in. Trying to turn that person against us."

"I don't believe Elena is Darkness. It's not possible. She convinced Andrei to come back. Haven't you said all this time that her purpose is to steal him? She could've left with him back then, risking nothing."

Traian doesn't want to give a moment of doubt to the other leaders.

"It's her…"

"You haven't managed to find any proof. And didn't you said, for so many times, that Darkness can't take human form? That our human bodies can't resist to Darkness' soul?"

"That's right, but she's not human. Darkness didn't incarnate in her or possess her. Elena's body was made by Darkness, using a piece of her own astral soul as clay to model the body. Made just so she could take human form. She is Darkness, you must believe me. Darkness is amongst us. And we must do something, we must banish her fast."

"No. I don't believe it. We can't take a rash decision, not about this, not when the outcome could be losing our Light. Please search some more, for a proof, alright? If we throw out Elena just like that, without reason, what do you think he'll do? Andrei. He'll stay with us, or go after her? You think he'll just accept this decision?"

"Yes Olsana, Traian is right. We will take measures, but only when you'll present us with the proof, or at least you'll come with some more concrete information on her plan. What to expect. And how to catch her, in act."

"Until then, we'll keep an eye on her."

"But nothing more."

The merchant comes to Traian's defence, Bogdan tries to mitigate the situation and assure us that things are still under control, and Traian makes sure that no boundaries are to be broken, in regard with Elena. But they don't know, that we lost all our control from the moment she got here. Traian prepares to say something.

"Very well then. Olsana, tomorrow we gather again, hopefully until then you find some evidence to support what you say. Please leave now, we have more problems to discuss."

"I understand."

It's useless to make so serious propositions without motives to back me up, without arguments. And I can't just make Elena a target, there's no use to that, Traian will always protect her no matter what, and the council will take more into consideration of what he says rather than what I say. I head to my room. Light's not here, Elena neither, they left for the night, somewhere far from the community, from me. Other proof than what I already found, is out of my reach. I can't follow them. Darkness is too strong, Light, also, I can't feel their presence, I can't track them. I wonder how does, this one night leave she took with him, work in her plans, and what's she about to do with those plants she bought at the market.

I could make a tea. To induce her to a state from which she can only tell the truth. And I'll tell the council that this way they're going to find the truth straight from the girl's mouth. Traian won't be able to contest what the girl says. Even if it's just a body, created by her, and possessed by her. That body will be affected by the tea as all the other humans. This is my last chance to convince them. If tomorrow I fail, then it will already be too late. She already started to control more members of our council, and her plan is far from beginning.

I get to my closet full of plants and roots and take what I need to prepare the truth serum. And then I wait for tomorrow.

But night comes, and with it, I hear the voices, again. This time there are more voices, and they are overlapping. I can't understand at all what they say. I get out on the corridor and walk amongst the voices, trying to follow them. One is thicker than the others, it grabs my attention and so I follow it. But it leads me back to Traian's room. I'm right in front of his door, but there's no use to try and stop it now, it's already done, he's hers. And to the others, I can't get in time, and to all of them. I can listen to the plan, maybe it gives me some advantage.

The voices are talking about me again. About how they shouldn't put their trust in me. That I'm not that different from Elena. I, myself, have been…

Wait. But they haven't returned yet. And Darkness, from outside our base, can't possibly do this. Our base is protected. It means that someone inside this base is helping her to transmit these voices from wherever she is. And I can reach that someone, and stop all these voices. I quickly follow the voices, backwards, until I realize they take me to their room. I stop in front of their door. The voices come from inside there, I'm sure of it, I feel my body resonating with them, this is the location of the source.

I open the door but there's no one inside. I hear no one. And the voices are gone too, but one, and I don't understand what it says. I enter the second room of their apartment. This is the source. This place resonates. I look under the table. It's a cube. A cube that's lighting, some kind of device that she uses to transmit these voices from outside the base, bypassing all my protections. I haven't seen something like this in my entire life. To be able to transfer energy through objects, to use human technology and astral powers together.

I grab the cube from under the table and smash it to the ground. The voice stops for a moment but comes back after. I take it and smash it again. It cracked in a corner. No voice can be heard now. But from the cracked corner, a light comes out, of a colour I haven't seen before. I take the cube and try to open it to see inside. To see how it works, a mechanism like this…

I don't get to open it. A couple of steps startle me, and they come at fast pace in the other room. Then they come closer, and I can see their owners entering this room. They were the two guards on duty. A man and a woman.

"What are you doing here?"

"I work at the council command. But you? Shouldn't you patrol outside, on the surface?"

"We got orders to patrol the underground too. There have been more teams sent on duty."

"Well, now that you found out who's here, you can return to your duty."

"We can't just go away so easy. We have to report anything that's unusual, and to catch anyone that looks suspect. Especially now, after Darkness got into our community. So we have orders to stop you."

The man is set to not let me go. They didn't patrol the undergrounds just because I told them that Darkness is amongst us. They did it to slow me down. So I won't interfere with Darkness' plans. And how fast they got here.

"I announced of the Darkness' presence here. You shouldn't even know about this. I handle now, under the power of our council, this problem. Not you."

"I'm sorry, but…you don't have a leading role anymore, or a place in the council. You'll be treated as any other member of our community. We'll have to frisk you and then to report anything to the chief of security and Traian."

Of course, Traian is now handling our security too. I can't oppose, if I attract negative attention again, I'll have no more conviction power. The girl that didn't talked at all until now takes me to a more open space of the room and starts searching me. She finds nothing on me but the key.

"I found nothing on her but the key."

"Alright, and the box, what's with it?"

"This box is mine. I had it on me when I was heading to my room, but then I heard the noises coming from here and came to check them."

"It's just a broken box, let her go and let's go to report all that happened today and get out of our shifts already. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Olsana."

"A nice evening and I advise you to go back to your room."

"I understand, no problems, there was no inconvenience, I know you're just doing your jobs. Have a nice night."

The girl tried to be on my side, but the man started questioning me and painting me in wrong colours. Black colours. I get out on the corridor and head to my room. On the way I notice there isn't a light coming out of the box anymore. I try to open it but with no success. Through the crack of the box, there's nothing to be seen, as if it's just empty. But only now, it got empty. She took safety measures. I'm at a dead end. I have to open this box somehow.

I go to the workshop where I try different tools to force this box open. But nothing works. The metal is too resistant, and I don't have enough force. The cube probably broke in the corner because of the energy that it held inside. Now, that there is not even a drop of energy inside, there is nothing to put pressure on the carcass. I can't open it, so I leave the workshop and head to my room.

I arrive at my room, in front of my door that I find smashed on the ground. Inside, everything is upside down, the bed, the desk, nothing is where I left it. Not even the potion. It's gone. They took it. On the corridor I hear steps. Coming closer and closer. At the door, I see the girl from earlier, not in the duty clothes anymore. She stops in the doorway looking throughout the room, and then at me.

"Myeah, I knew this was going to happen."

"How so?"

"Well after we left you, my colleague, Florin, insisted to go and report it instantly. And he wanted to go straight to Traian instead of going to Bogdan as we were supposed to. So we went to Traian together and told anything that happened. Traian insisted then to go with Florin somewhere, and told me I'm free. Then they ran out and towards here."

"Thanks for the information."

"I don't know how it helps, but with pleasure. What I don't understand is, what's happening with our community these days. People aren't the same anymore, especially the council members. They changed, substantially. We've been kept away from information, that seemed from the beginning incomplete, but we've been told this…is Darkness really among us?"

"Yes, but there's no reason for you to worry. Darkness only wants Light. There's no reason to hurt the others. And it's impossible to take Andrei by force. So Darkness is stuck here with us."

But her plan is near the end, and it seems I…we already lost. I don't know what to do anymore.

"I haven't been afraid much in my life. But lately, I keep feeling this, sensation in the air."

"Yes, I feel it too."

"Let me help you with the door."

"Leave it this way, I don't sleep anyway. And this way, if someone comes, I'll at least won't be taken by surprise."

"Very well then, I'll leave you to your work, and I hope you succeed in protecting us."

"I hope too. Take care of you."

"You too."

If Darkness would take Andrei, she'll have to solve the problem with Light's reincarnation. To make sure Light will not reincarnate in our community. She'll have to destroy us all. I haven't realised this until now, until I told…until I lied just now… That they are safe. They aren't. That's why she insisted so much to get back to our community. She wants to destroy it.

But I don't understand what does she want to do with my tea. She wants to use it on me? It still wouldn't be good for her. I get my desk up, and the chair, and then I sit and place the cube on the table. I start analysing it. Turning it on all sides, but it looks the same on each side. I don't think this box has other use than to transfer Darkness' energy through it, bypassing my protections.

I haven't seen something like this until now, still, I don't know how it works, and there's nothing I can do with it. I could show it to the council, but it's not enough. I have to convince them to let me administer the tea to Elena, but only if they'll admit they have it. Why did they even steal it?

It's morning. A boy comes to tell me that I'm expected to the meeting. Now I'll see, if I stand a chance anymore. The room was already filled with the council members. They were waiting for me in silence. Traian greets me.

"Olsana, another day has passed. Have you found anything by now?"

"Yes, I found this box. It was in Elena's room."

"Yes, I heard you entered their room last night. Have you asked for their permission, or for ours?"

"Wasn't I supposed to deal with the finding of evidence?"

"Oh yes, but that doesn't mean you can enter in whichever room you wish, whenever you wish."

"So I'd have to wait until I get permission for everything I want to do? I think you didn't realize yet, that we have to deal with Darkness here. It's here, amongst us, already started corrupting some of you. Pretty obvious who. And if this is not stopped quickly, this whole community will be gone. All of you, gone."

Traian opens his mouth to say something, but I won't let him say a word.

"And you? What have you done last night? What was that?! An example of how not to do?"

"Last night we decided to enter your room, of course. After I found about the incident from Light's room, we decided that from now on, you too are a suspect."

The whole room is shocked. Except some people, the ones supporting Traian, they too are all under Darkness' control. Traian breaks all the rules of this community, and does whatever he wants without even informing at least, his colleagues from the council. His accusation, took even me by surprise. To make the room silent again, he continues.

"And what did you find that it was so important to enter at that moment in Light's room?"

"Last night, I heard the voices again. This time they weren't targeting just a person, but were targeting probably the entire council. The voices led me to Andrei's room, they were coming from there, from this box. The source of the voices. A box built by Elena. Because she's Darkness. Do you follow?"

"Not enough. It could be your box for what I know. The officers on duty last night, reported that they heard noises coming from the room you where in, and when they entered, the noises stopped and they saw you holding the box, in your hands. Do you follow?"

"Yes, because I just managed to stop those noises. I told you, Elena is Darkness, and I can prove it. I made an elix…"

"Yes, yes, but you have no proof, and to the contrary I see plenty of proof indicating that you, are Darkness. That's why you even insisted to let Elena join our community. You needed a scapegoat. Since Elena showed up, you have tried only to divide us, to break this community and this council."

"Me?! You're the one that went over the council's authority, and made things without even their knowing, and you took decisions without even consulting them."

The council was silent until now, and no one dares to speak even now. It's like a group of people watching two bears fight, they don't want to attract attention, not even by running.

"I was informed and gave my approval for all the decisions Traian took, I was there every time he was put in the situation to take these decisions, and the fact that council wasn't gathered and he needed to take a decision fast led to his actions, that in my opinion, are justified."

The merchant jumps between our fight and takes Traian's part. Also the doctor, Vlădescu:

"I confirm, I was there too, at some decisions."

"As I said, Darkness has already managed to corrupt some of our council members. You can see for yourselves who these are."

The others start protesting, they want a redistribution of power in equal ways along the members of the council. And the three of them to be immediately investigated and relieved of their duties. Traian goes in the middle of the oval room, in the middle of the people that were yelling. That's a bad move, you just strengthened your image of a tyrant that wants all the power of the council for himself.

"Silence! At this moment, the power is still mine, and please do believe me when I say, I haven't been corrupted by no one and by nothing. Darkness tries right now to corrupt you. Don't you see? Olsana told us how Elena was created by Darkness because Darkness can't take human form and can't possess a human body as it's too weak. But what she didn't said to you, is that she was herself created by Darkness, the same way."

The whole council is muted. Nobody dares to speak now, as this crazy statement wouldn't be believed by anybody here. And I should be relieved, but am not, as that's true, and truth always finds the most inopportune moments to get out. Traian continues and everybody listens.

"Exactly. We don't have any proof that Elena is who Olsana says she is, but we have proof that Olsana is, a creation of Darkness."

"That's not true. Who said that to you?"

"It says, right here, in your book. Your first book. I've put a translator to take a look and help us. You wrote how you've been one of the first humans and how you've been built by Darkness so that she can walk on our earth."

Traian shows everybody the book in question. It was indeed a book written by me, my first book. But I haven't wrote something like that in there, there shouldn't be a text that confirms what he just said in there. He opens the book at the page where he states the text is, and shows to all.

"You confirm this is the original?"

He goes to Cristian, our diplomat, expert in foreign languages.

"Cristi, you've translated this book for me?"

"No."

"Good then, tell us please what does it say here, in the paragraph under my finger."

Cristian puts his glasses on and starts reading.

"Hmm. The text is in Sumerian, I don't know the language so good, but for what I can see…Traian is right."

Nobody will believe me now.

"Olsana you're out of this investigation. From this moment on, you're our principal suspect and you'll be taken down to the dungeon."

"Wait! You can't decide this without us agreeing with you. Again!"

Bogdan yells at Traian, he takes my side, again.

"We must take a vote."

"Alright," says Traian irritated "everybody in favour for Olsana to be out of the investigation and be taken to arrest in her room, raise your hands."

"Arrest?! I can't vote for something like this."

Laurențiu shows his indignation loud. Besides Claudia, Raluca, Laurențiu and Bogdan, half of the council raises their hands. Mechanically. As if one hand raised them all. Immediately after, the rest of the hands rise too. Only my friends resist, a small bunch, that now must regret their decision to fight the crowd. Everybody lowers their hand back and Traian takes a step forward, towards me.

"It's been decided then."

"I have one more proof. A way to prove that Elena is Darkness."

"I thought we already decided, you have nothing more to say."

"Let her speak!" intervenes Laurențiu.

"It's enough!"

"What?!" yells Bogdan, even louder than Traian.

But Traian continues over him.

"Olsana, from now on you're to be arrested, in your room. You won't be allowed to leave the room, at all."

"This is outrageous. You can't do something like that. The vote has to be unanimous. These are the rules! Of the council!"

"The rules have changed! Stay in your place or I'll have you arrested as well."

"Have you completely gone out of your mind?! I'm the commander of the security. You can't arrest anybody! I can!"

"No you're not. No you can't anymore. Your incompetence and affiliation with the principal suspect commended you as being unable to fulfil this role. From now on, I'll handle the security of this community until we find another person apt for this role."

The council is restless. But nobody has the guts now to fight Traian on his decisions. This is sad. In the early days of this community. Our chief of security was the chief of our small army, patrolling officers, but still raised as an army. And you couldn't take that from the chief of security. He was the general and the soldiers went with him. But now…

"Both of you out of the room. Guards! Escort Olsana to her room and stay at her door. She won't leave her room until we…until I decide…"

Bogdan and I are taken out of the meeting room. The soldiers escort me to my room, raise the door back and lean it on the doorstep. And the soldiers stay there, at my entrance, without moving a muscle, until Traian will say so. I don't know what to do. All day long I'm sitting in my chair, and waiting for something to happen. Something in my favour. I'm old, and I'm not as, spirited as I was thousands of years ago. But anyway, I know, no matter what I'd do, Darkness is already ready. I can't face her like this, I'll need some luck.

At night, I start hearing noises on the corridor. There's a commotion. The guards left their stations, there's no one at my door, I can't hear any presence there. After a while, I hear again steps on the corridor. Coming closer. Stopping in front of my door. I see the door falling suddenly. It's Traian. Along with two members of the council, and two soldiers.

"Come to the medical cabinet. Andrei passed out two times today. He doesn't look good at all."

I get up and go together with them towards the medical cabinet. On my way I see people getting out of their rooms, watching us, they're confused and scared. Word's moving fast. I don't know what's happening either. What is her plan this time?

We arrive at the cabinet. Outside the door are three guards. Inside, Elena was waiting on a chair near Andrei, holding hands. At the desk, the doctor was talking with Gabriel. As soon as the doctor sees me, he gets up and presents me the situation.

"He lost his consciousness two times today, without showing any sign before happening. And a new irritation appeared on his chest. He said he didn't have it before. It's not big, and there doesn't seem to be a connection between those two, but who knows."

"Any idea of what it could be?"

"Many, taken the symptoms separately. And no idea if I take them all in consideration. That's why I called you."

"Leave me alone with Andrei."

"That's not going to happen."

"Traian, if you want me to do my job, you're going to leave us alone. Anyway, you have 5 guards at the door."

Elena gets up from Andrei's grasp and heads towards the door.

"Please, let's leave them alone, so she could do what she needs to do. I want Andrei to get better."

Everybody complies with her request and get out of the room.

"Olsana, be careful with what you do. We'll be here all this time."

They're out. I don't understand what Darkness wants to do. Why would she put his life in danger now? She already has almost all of them under control. Why is she doing all these theatrics? She really wants to make everything seem so real for Light. She's scared that he'll find out, or she just wants to build a strong affinity with him. Or…she just has the perfect plan, and it's just useless for me to try and see it.

Either way, no matter how strong is the affinity between the two of them. There are still more chances that he'll reincarnate in our community. It's either part of the plan, or Andrei really got sick. After everybody got out, I get closer to Andrei. He takes of his shirt and shows me his chest.

"Here's the irritation."

On his chest was…at what anomaly I'm looking, it's impossible for me to hide my reaction in front of him. The irritation is small. But on all his chest, I can see his veins, how they're out of the skin almost. Swollen. Black. I can see how they're pulsating through the skin, almost ready to burst out, how they transport that black fluid throughout the body. It's horrible. I don't even know what to say to him, especially now that he saw my…

"You can see what I see? Nobody else saw this. Nobody believed me."

He sees it too, for a moment I forgot that after all, he should be able to see it too.

"Yes. I see it too."

"It's, bad, isn't it?"

I don't know what to answer to him. He's been poisoned, that's for sure. It's Darkness' hand, that's even more clear. But I don't know what he has, and how grave it is. And I don't think he has much to live. And there's not much time until her plan will be complete.

"You've been poisoned, yes. It's very grave. I…"

I take a short pause, I don't know if I should, but I have no other choice, no other option. Ahh, this is just stupid.

"…I know this will be hard for you to understand but, I think Elena did this to you. She…"

"No, there's no way."

"Yes, there is, she poisoned you."

"It's not true. Why do you say something like this?"

"She's Darkness."

"Why are you lying to me?! She can't be…"

He's scared. He's breathing hard.

"It hurts. My chest. Since this appeared on my skin, it burns me. I don't care of what you think, just, help me please."

"I don't know how to heal you, if I don't know what was used to poison you. I can't find a cure. I'm sorry, you can put your shirt back on."

I notice something around his mouth, some kind of powder maybe, black, but a little glossy, and some silver colours if I watch from different angles. The same powder I notice on his skin, I also see on his right hand. And some irritation spots around his mouth, almost minuscule. His eyes are also affected, they're red and teary. I have no idea what poison or disease could have these symptoms. I go to the door and open it.

"You can come in."

Everybody comes back inside. Elena goes to Andrei and hugs him, he looks more distant now, but not from Elena, from the whole world. His mind is somewhere else. I hope he's thinking about what I said. I hope he's really thinking about it.

"Have you found something, Olsana?"

"Yes, Traian. Andrei was…"

"Good, keep it for the meeting. We are all gathering in five minutes. You should come too, when and if you feel able to do it."

Traian was looking at Elena and Andrei. We're all getting out of the room, the two go to theirs, I head to the meeting room, along with doctor Vlădescu, and Traian is going with us but then stops behind with Gabriel and the guards.

"Go ahead and wait for us in the meeting room, I'll make a stop."

Vlădescu and I enter the meeting room. The other members of the council were already inside, talking. All, but Bogdan, he's arrested too I suppose.

"Olsana, what's going on? Is there something wrong with Andrei?"

"Is it serious?"

Claudia and Raluca are worried. All are. Laurențiu asks too.

"Have you found something else, on the Darkness matter?"

"No. We'll talk more when Traian and Gabriel show up."

The doctor cut's all of them short and assures nothing is happening in the absence of Traian.

"It's a serious problem in the middle of this all. Olsana. Traian isn't behaving how he should, he threw Bogdan out of the council. He changed a lot of rules. He's different."

"That's not true. He finally took the problems in his own hands. It's exactly what we needed. Discipline and reform."

The leaders start arguing among themselves. The ones that are with me are sadly in inferiority. 3 to 10. I should tell them about the poison, to try and swerve them against Traian. Either way this ends, my future doesn't look to good…our future.

"Enough, enough! Make quiet. Olsana, please."

Traian enters the room, with Gabriel, and instantly stops all the commotion.

"He's been poisoned. He's been poisoned by Darkness. By Elena. I've warned you, but you didn't listen."

"I understand. So he's been poisoned. A cure, can you make for this?"

"I'll tell you what I told Andrei. I can't offer him a cure, without knowing what he's been poisoned with."

"So, you're of no use to us."

"Elena poisoned him, if we find out what she used, I could save him. We don't have enough time though."

"Elena has nothing to do with this. You think if she did poison him, she'd stay with him right now? She'd still cry with him? She'd beg us so much to ask for your help? No. In your idea, she'd be long gone, she'd wait for Andrei to die, and she'd refuse your help."

"She doesn't work like this. Her plan is to…"

"Enough! If you can't prove anything that comes out of your mouth, then close it. And if you can't help us with anything, then you'll be sent to the dungeon."

"I can prove it. I've made a, tea, that will force her to speak only the truth. If we administer this tea to Elena, she'll tell the truth and so, from her own mouth, you'll hear that she's Darkness and that she poisoned Andrei."

"Alright. Everybody is for, on this test matter?"

Traian seems a little to enthusiastic for this proposition. Everybody raises their hands without hesitation. From different reasons each. I don't like it. And now the door opens, and Elena comes in.

"Elena, right on time. What's Andrei doing?"

"He's better, he's resting."

"Are you ready to take this test of truth? To drink a tea that will make you only speak the truth?"

"To speak the truth? I just want you to help Andrei, please. You can banish me if you want, but don't refuse to treat Andrei because of me. I'll do anything. Just help him, please."

"Then, Olsana, please show us."

"It's not on me. I had it in my room, but it disappeared after you broke my door. You sure know what liquid I'm talking about."

"Oh, yes. We found a vial, it was empty though. It was a vial that had left on the bottom, some drops of odd colours."

"It was full when I left the room."

"And just before, you said Andrei was poisoned. Now what should I believe after I found that little bottle in your room? After all these incriminating proofs that all indicate to you? Florin!"

The guard that caught me in Andrei's room enters, and gives Traian the vial I had my tea in.

"This is it. Now how would you like to test Elena? And how would we know that what you had in this bottle was this so-called truth serum that you told us about? Why wouldn't I presume that you poisoned Andrei?"

"Because I built this community, and grew it, raised it, protected it since over 10.000 years ago. Because I've been with Light since he started reincarnating. I've been with Light for longer than everybody here…"

I look at Elena, she just hates what I said.

"Oh yes! That's right. You never told us about Moon. Even if you knew, and it was necessary for us to know too. I guess…or wasn't it necessary? I don't understand though, why do you have the impression that you can decide what we should know and what not?"

How do they know? She told them about this too. Where does Darkness want to get with all this?

"Elena told us. Everything. About Moon. About how actually happened the events that you so much lied about to us for 10.000 years. About the true mission of Light. About you. She told us, all that you didn't want to tell us."

"Wait, which us? When?"

Laurențiu gets mad suddenly. The two girls are worried, but now for themselves. Some don't understand what's happening. This is too much for those that are still free in thought. A lot happened in just a few days.

"You weren't here. You've been called to these special sessions, but always got late."

"We've been called?! Are you talking about those times when the guards came to tell us that the meeting has started, and we are awaited? The meeting that was already under way? The meeting that suddenly stopped just when we arrived?"

"It shouldn't be our problem that you came so late to these meetings."

"And from where does Elena know all this information, that I hid from you?"

"I'm an astral being. Not a body created by Darkness as you said. Or as you are. I'm how you described me in your books and stories, as Moon. Or more correctly said, I'm the second to take life, directly from Light. Moon was just my first material form. And my first interaction with Light. I'm truly by Light's side."

"She's lying. She is Darkness and just Darkness. Since she appeared here, she created just chaos and disaster. She broke the relations in our community and transformed it in whatever she needed, to see her plan to the end."

"And that is?"

"To steal Light. To take him from his human body and to destroy all of you with the planet and all."

"To destroy us? You think that, from all of the humans, you, would be spared by Darkness?"

The discussion between me and Traian degenerates.

"I wouldn't be affected. My body can die. But me, as Moon, Darkness and Light, I am too a demi-a…"

Elena's face changes suddenly. She's angry. The whole energy that filled the room suddenly changes, becomes chaotic, brutal, black.

"A demi-astral?! What's even that?! You make me laugh. You're nothing more than a body created by Darkness, only for her temporal visit on this planet. You're a walking corpse. A corpse without soul! You're a used object! Who do you think you are to hide Light from me, for so many millennia?!"

For a moment, I thought she's going to destroy me. Each molecule from my body shook, each molecule from this room. All these molecules resonated at hearing her voice. I'm scared. Terrified. This is the real sensation of fear. A sensation that can only be described with transcendence to nothingness.

Not the death of a dear one, your own death, or passing to unknown. Not even knowing you will get to suffer in an infernal eternity. It's dread, represented by the transformation from all that you are, into absolute null. The resonance of her voice, coming from that girl's mouth. Everybody. Everybody around me is stunned, stone statues. Shaking just. But nothing more. Even Traian, Gabriel, even those under her control, and those free. Elena comes back to her calm face. As if nothing happened.

"Ah. It seems that I lost my temper. Even this body created by me has its limitations. I'm after all, as sensible as a normal human. Eh well, good thing Light wasn't here to see this, it would've been ugly."

She raises her hand slowly and snaps her fingers.

"Let's start over."

In that second, all the people from this room fall asleep suddenly. Eyes shut, head dropped and stuck in that position. Then, one by one they start waking up from their numbness. They're not scared anymore, as if they went through nothing, as if all that happened earlier was erased from existence. Only I know what just happened. And her.

"Yes, Olsana, why did you suddenly stop, is everything alright?"

Traian seems absolutely normal, and sees me scared.

"I…I lost my train of thoughts. What was I saying?"

They aren't controlled by Darkness, or else she wouldn't have bothered with all that, and they wouldn't get scared at her fit. No. They're just influenced in thought. Bombed with the new necessary information, covering the old one. Enough to shift their interests from protecting Light to defeating Darkness.

"You said you wouldn't be affected. That you are a demi-something."

I look at Elena, she looks at me calm. I wouldn't want to repeat that experience, ever, it was so horrible.

"In that vial…was the truth serum. The vial was full before you broke into my room. You stole my vial and emptied it to blame me."

"I don't know what you're talking about Olsana, but I guess if you made that tea, you can make it again, and we can administer it to Elena here."

"It's useless, you have to understand that she's Darkness, you have to believe me. I've made this community…"

"We know, you said that before."

"She wants to destroy us all."

I don't know what to say anymore, I've ran out of ideas. The compass…the compass room. Perfect.

"If she's Moon, then she wouldn't have any problem with entering the compass room, but she can't, because that fire was specially made to protect the compass from Darkness. Her body would be burnt instantly."

Traian answers confidently.

"I'm sure Elena can do this without prob…"

"Is that right, hag?!"

Elena is the one interrupting Traian. She starts laughing. She raises her hand and snaps her fingers for a second time. All the others lower their heads and fall in a deep sleep. Eyes closed. Nobody's moving.

"You should've realized already until now, that you don't stand a chance. But you don't know when to give up. Don't you understand that this is all it could ever be? This is all I'm going to let you struggle. This is all you've done until now, you've struggled like a fish caught in a hook. I've played with you because you are nothing to me, and I love to play. I let you do whatever you wanted just to amuse myself. But I'm starting to get bored. You and that whore think that, if you made a shitty compass and a room with a little fire that doesn't ever go off, you're superior than me?! You are not, and there's no way you could ever be.

"I don't think you can really grasp my power. If you could, you would have killed yourself the instant moment you found out I came to your little community. And if you continue to fight me, I'll repeat the same thing, again and again and again and again and again! Until you can't fight anymore. Until you'll wish your own death. You'll be caught in this infinite cage until you die, this infinite stairway. And you'll die, even by the hand of time, or because every molecule of your body will go crazy and will not be able to function anymore. Because you are not an astral. I exist for an eternity and beyond. For me time doesn't exist, I can control time after my will. I've existed for aeons in the middle of nothingness, you won't make a millennium in this infinite temporal loop. I'm immortal, but you, you have an ending. And here you'll find it, if you don't play after how I sing."

Everybody raises their heads again, as if they just woke up in the morning. Nobody suspects a thing. Traian ready to ask the same question, again.

"So, Olsana?"

I don't know what to say anymore. There's no use to try anything else. I already know what the result would be. I feel so minuscule in front of her. BECAUSE YOU ARE! I look at Elena, she entered my thoughts. She's changing them with such ease. GIVE UP ALREADY OR YOU'LL CEASE TO EXIST!

"I can't help you anymore. I'm sorry…"

"Very well then. Guards!"

Traian yells after the guards which almost instantly come in.

"Take her to the dungeon."

"Wait, no. What are you doing?"

Laurențiu comes and tries to stop the guards that were coming towards me.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Take him too, and those two women."

Traian pointed towards Laurențiu then Claudia and Raluca. Two more guards enter and grab the two girls by their hands. All four of us are taken down, to the dungeon. It seems that from here, I can't maintain an open connection with my journal, but my thoughts will still be automatically noted when I'll be out of this dungeon. If I ever get out of here.

Short time after, Bogdan joins us, he was full of bruises and open wounds. All of us are shackled to the walls, closed without any food or way to relieve ourselves. I don't need to, but they do…

"They've gone crazy! They closed all five of us just because we didn't agree to their drastic changes?"

"There's nothing we can do. They won. You've seen yourselves, they think Elena is Moon and then you don't know the rest…"

Two days later, Traian comes down to us. It can be seen on his face that he's not so more confident as when he locked us in. I can see fear in his eyes, fear as if he's hiding from someone.

"Olsana, you must come with us."

"What happened?"

"Light is dying."

"You mean Andrei, and I already told you this was going to happen."

"Shut up and come."

I knew it would come to this. Two guys unchain me, and I'm taken to the medical cabinet. Inside was the doctor with Gabriel at his desk, and Andrei on the bed. Elena was nowhere to be seen. Or sensed. I come closer to Andrei. It can be clearly seen how the disease has spread.

His entire chest is black now, the veins that start from his heart and go through all his body, are even darker. On his shoulders, thighs, neck, everywhere, they're pulsing and pumping that black substance. It's like all his vascular system is put on show to see how many veins the human body has.

He hasn't much more. I get out of the cabinet, Traian follows me.

"I have to check the compass to be sure, but from what I can see, he hasn't got much to live on."

I get to the lit room. Traian and the guards were waiting outside, far from the room, as the light is too bright for their bodies to handle. I get the compass from under the fire and check it. The needle is moving, the compass has started the guidance. I get out of the room and show it to Traian. Traian answers me promptly.

"Search for the families and tell them."

"But Elena, where is she?"

"She said that this was going to happen. She said that she went to make sure that Light's soul will be guided straight back here. In our community."

"She won't come back. She went as far from this community as she could be, so Light will be unreachable by us when he reincarnates as her child. I warned you."

"Shut up! You just do your job."

I walk through the community, following the compass. After I announce 11 families that they need to start conceiving, the compass starts showing north and south constantly. The needle going from one to the other and back, without stop. The council is in panic. Nobody understands what's going on.

This constant movement of the needle can only mean one thing. Darkness is the next affinity. And she's on the other side of the earth. From where we are, there isn't a shorter way to where she is. Either we go towards north or towards south, both ways have the same length. I tried to explain this, but they didn't want to hear. That's all they needed from me.

I'm about to be sent again to the dungeon, where my cell colleagues are hungry, dirty, and tired. They haven't given us anything to eat until now. And they won't. My colleagues won't resist any longer.

Nine months took to get another visit. Traian is still the one visiting me, until then, nobody else came down here. My cell colleagues are long dead. I'm taken up, where the compass is given to me, and then I'm sent to a room where a lot of mothers with their babies were waiting. I go to each baby and hold the compass between their hands. One baby grabs it and makes it light up. I found him. I found Light. It's still with us. All are so happy to hear this, especially the parents of the kid. Outside, Traian was smirking, proud of himself.

"See, I told you it will be solved. That's why Moon left. Now she should be back. I'm sorry though, we'll have to take you back to the dungeon. That's what Moon said, it's too dangerous to keep you free. That dungeon is specially made so that you can't make contact with the outside world, or that journal of yours. I've observed that everything you think is noted there so we took proper measures after we saw we couldn't destroy it."

"It's made so it can't be destroyed, Moon made it."

"Please, stop trying to sell us lies, it's done. But, if you choose to destroy it yourself, we'll let you free, from the dungeon, and from the community. There won't be a reason to keep you closed there, and we won't be needing you anymore. If not, you'll have to wait for Moon to come back, and then we'll see what we're going to do about you."

"She's not coming back."

"Take her to the dungeon."

Don't worry, it's not the end yet, sure they'll come for me again, if not today, then tomorrow.

My incarceration doesn't last long, as I predicted. Two days later, Traian is again in front of me. He's telling me to follow him. We go to the medical cabinet where I am greeted by a baby laying almost motionless on the bed. His parents are watching over him, sad, devastated. They are Light's parents. The doctor with the other members of the council are all outside the room, discussing.

"See what problem he has."

I look at Traian. I already have a feeling of what it could be. Traian closes the door and I'm left in the cabinet, alone with the parents. They see me.

"You are at fault here! Witch. You work with Darkness, why, why do you want to kill my child?"

The mother of the baby starts crying horribly. The father is holding her in his arms, trying to comfort her pains.

"We beg you… Save our child."

I get closer to the kid and raise his blouse up. It's the same thing. I go to the door. The parents saw my face expression. It looked so vile and awful, that blackness disease on a baby's body, I couldn't resist not having one.

"You murderer! You killed my baby. You…you horrible beast. Why?! Why?!"

I close the door behind me. I look around the corridor. All the members of the council were looking at me. I shake my head in disapproval.

"You did this. You deserve this. You sent us to the dungeon to die inhuman deaths and rot like…no one deserves."

"What's wrong with him?"

"It's the same thing. Is Elena back?"

"No. Don't try to put this on her. She couldn't've poisoned him this time."

"Me neither."

"She was right. You cursed him. You cursed Light, to never live in our community again. This is your curse killing him. You are the one killing him."

There's no reason for me to fight him. Traian shows me the compass.

"What does this mean?"

The compass was showing north and south and north again, without stopping. Without finding a definite cardinal point.

"Light is dying, and the first affinity is on the other side of the planet. Like the last time."

"Take her."

I'm not struggling anymore. I don't try to fight this. Anyway, time has come, to free myself from this old body. But how my soul is artificially made, I don't think I'll survive longer on the astral plane. Even she said, I'm not even a demi-astral. I hope though we'll see each other, even though my adventure has ended, yours has just begun. I tell you this because, this might be the last time I'll communicate with the journal. I'm taken again by the guards. Taken again to the dungeon. And nothing will get written in the journal for a while, or…forever.