The Descending Darkness

by Michael Chulsky

  “Don’t forget about me,” Niki said. “You’re not the only ones who haven’t had a go at her.”

  Shadow slammed his hands through a concrete slab. “Damn it, guys, this isn’t a game! One of you could get seriously hurt or die!”

  “You don’t say,” Ryan said, rolling his eyes. “But regardless of the danger, the reality is that one of us has to go out there and fight her before Ellie gets hurt.”

  Ethan stepped forward. “And that person should be me. I am immortal, after all.”

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Niki said pointedly. “You are immortal in your angel body, but you were born here into your Ethan body. So you might be able to die like the rest of us.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  Ryan closed his eyes and bowed his head for a second. He seemed to be making his mind up about something, but it didn’t take long. He gave them an apologetic smile, before thrusting his hands out in front of him. He released a large burst of wind, sending Ethan and Niki flying backwards onto the ground. With them distracted, he gave Shadow a curt nod and hurried in to relieve Ellie.

  Shadow returned the nod and watched as Ryan made his way over. “Be careful, Ryan.”

  “You know, I’m quite surprised that you’ve lasted this long,” Maedara said, flipping her hair. “But your luck is about to run out, little girl.”

  Ellie’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. “Don’t…call…me…a…little…girl.” She extended her palm and fired out waves of tiny ice needles.

  Maedara leapt into a cartwheel and dodged a majority of the needles, but a few found their mark in her left arm. Growling in pain, she moved in. “You know, I was already going to kill you, but because of your little needles…I’m going to make sure you suffer.”

  Ellie held her palm out and tried to fire more ice needles, but nothing happened. Her pale face went even paler. “Oh no….”

  “Oh yes!” Maedara beamed. “I guess you’ve reached your limit. Oh, it’s such a shame when a pretty girl dies young.” She scratched her head. “Do you think they’ll lay you on a bed of roses?”

  “Nobody’s dying here except for you,” Ryan declared, jumping in-between them.

  “Oh for goodness’ sake! Can’t you idiots just wait until I kill one of you before another jumps in? Interrupting is so rude!”

  “I’m sorry to disappoint. But Ellie’s tapping out and I’m taking over.”

  “Ryan…don’t,” Ellie huffed. “I…can still…fight!”

  “Ellie–”

  “Listen to her,” Maedara said. “After all, there’s no reason why you need to die before she does. You can go back over there and wait your turn like a good little boy.”

  Ryan grimaced. “Yeah, you know…that’s a nice offer and all, and call me crazy, but I think I’m sticking to my guns here. I’d just prefer it if you didn’t kill my friend.”

  Maedara pouted and crossed her arms. “Fine, be that way. But I’m telling you right now, there will be no more of this switching nonsense. The only way someone else is getting involved is if you’re dead and they’re dragging your battered body away.”

  “That’s fine by me,” Ryan said. “But forgive me if I don’t make it easy for you.” He took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing a large burst of wind at her.

  Maedara held out her hands as if to ward off the wind but she was unable to and it started to slowly push her backwards.

  Ryan seized the advantage. He lowered his open hand to the ground and released another burst of wind, and then he was airborne and surging through the sky. He flew circles around Maedara and continued to fire more bursts of wind.

  Shadow went over to the battlefield where Ryan was fighting Maedara and used the distraction to help Ellie back to the group. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” Ellie whispered. “I’m more worried about Ryan though. He shouldn’t have gotten involved and put himself in danger!”

  Ethan gave her a placating look. “But if he did not, you might have died.”

  “He had to get involved,” Shadow said, before Ellie could reply. “We needed someone with full energy to distract Maedara while we put the plan in motion.”

  Ellie’s expression softened. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to combine our energy using Faith’s healing power and channel it into Isaac’s body using his channeling power and then we’re going to use the Staff of Ondeyr to fire a powerful blast, hopefully killing Maedara in the process.” Shadow turned to Faith. “How are you doing on energy?”

  “I’m fine,” Faith said. “I…I think I’m well enough to do what you need me to do.”

  “Good. Ethan, can you bring Isaac over here and check on the other two?”

  Ethan went over to the three who were lying unconscious and returned a few seconds later, with Isaac in his arms. He laid him down in front of Faith. “Here we are.”

  Faith bent down and examined Isaac. “Shadow…I’m not sure this is going to work. He’s not doing well at all…he’s barely breathing. His pulse is so weak.”

  Shadow went over to her. “What happened? He was stable a few minutes ago!”

  “In healing, you never know what can happen. He was stabilized, yes, but…it’s possible that the hit to his head did more than just surface damage but also damaged him internally.”

  “What does that mean?” Tristan asked.

  Faith bit her lip. “It means that…he doesn’t have much time left.”

  “Can’t you save him?” Cameryn asked. “I’ve seen you heal wounds this serious before.”

  “I’m sure she could,” Ethan said. “But…if she were to save him this close to the edge of life, she would drain the rest of her powers and we wouldn’t be able to go through with the plan.”

  Tristan made an incredulous sound. “We can’t go through with the plan if Isaac’s dead, either. We kinda need his channeling power for this to work.”

  Shadow rubbed his forehead. “Tristan has a point. I think we’ll have to find another way–”

  “Well,” Niki began, with the expression of someone who was telling a secret on her face. “That’s not true…exactly. You see, our powers are in the very fiber of our DNA. So even if Isaac dies, we can still technically use his body as a conduit.”

  Cameryn frowned. “And what about the healing part?”

  “Faith can technically heal wounds on a dead body…the person would still be dead, granted, but she can still heal them. Right?”

  “Right,” Faith whispered. “But…I don’t know if I could live with myself knowing I used my powers after the point of helping someone.”

  “I don’t know if I could do that either,” Ellie admitted. “It would be like purposely sacrificing someone’s life.”

  “Even if it’s to save the world?” Niki asked. “Because I’d say the world is more important than the life of a single person. But that’s just me.”

  “It’s not that simple – it’s almost cruel to ignore his injuries when we could save his life.”

  Niki shrugged. “I mean, all of us here have risked our lives today. We knew the risks when we signed up for this gig. Isaac knew what he was getting into. You can’t put more value on his life than the rest of us. I think that’s cruel.”

  Faith shook her head but didn’t respond.

  “It is a morally grey situation,” Ethan said softly. “It comes down to choices…do we sacrifice one for the good of the all? Or save the one and hope to find another way?”

  “It should be up to Shadow,” Ellie said. “He’s the leader…it’s his choice to make.”

  Shadow turned away from them and closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe the choice that was presented to him. He had to choose between going ahead with his plan and saving the world, which could cost Isaac his life, or he could have Faith heal Isaac and try and figure out a different course of action. But if there wasn’t a different course of action, he’d be throwing away the only chance they had to take out Maedara a
nd putting countless lives in jeopardy. It wasn’t an easy solution. He wanted more than anything to stop Maedara and put the world right again, but he couldn’t just sacrifice someone he had sworn to protect. Could he?

  Ellie came over and put her hand on his shoulder. “Shadow…if you can’t go through with the plan, we’ll find another way.”

  “But what if we don’t?” Shadow replied, not looking at her. “What if this is our only option to stop Maedara? I hate that I have to make a decision like this. It’s not fair.”

  “No, it isn’t…and it isn’t fair for us to put the choice on your shoulders. But there’s nothing we can do. These are the cards we have been dealt. We can only play them accordingly.”

  Shadow turned around. “What do you think I should do?”

  “If it were me,” Cameryn interjected, “And I were in Isaac’s place, I’d want you to save the world. Even if it meant dying. If I’ve learned anything in the time I’ve spent with you guys, it’s that no matter what, we have to protect those who can’t protect themselves. And there are billions of people all over the world who can’t protect themselves and are counting on us.”

  “Ethan?” Shadow inquired.

  “Trust your judgment,” Ethan replied. “I’ve known you for some time now and I know that your first instinct is usually unselfish and for the greater good. Go with it.”

  Shadow took a breath and his mind raced through everything that had happened since he first received the information about his mission and recruited each member of his team to help him. He thought about every memory he made, all the laughter, all the fighting, all the suffering, and all the joy. And in his thoughts he realized that he had to do the right thing – even if it hurt and even if it would just be added to the list of things he regretted in his life. Because what he wanted most of all was to tell Faith to save Isaac and find another way. But it was selfish and unrealistic. And when he realized the truth, he knew what he had to do. “We’re doing the plan.”

  “Really?” Faith asked.

  “It’s our only shot…we don’t know if we’ll be able to do something like this again. Besides, I know that it’s harsh…but Isaac is only one person. We have a whole world counting on us.”

  “I don’t know about this….”

  “Faith, please,” Shadow said. “I know this situation is terrible and I know you’d be going against your morals, but we have to do this. We may never get the chance to stop her otherwise.”

  Faith covered her face with her hands. “It’s asking a lot from me. I’m used to using my powers for good, to heal those in need. I would feel awful if he died because I didn’t use my powers to save his life when I could have.”

  “It’s not that black and white,” Niki said. “If we had a choice, of course we would do things differently. But as it stands now…this is the best shot to win this fight.”

  “You have to understand,” Shadow implored. “I don’t want to do this. I want nothing more than to say ‘to hell with it’ and have you heal him. I swore to keep you all alive, and I failed with Kay, and now it seems like I’ll be failing with Isaac, too. I’ll carry that burden with me until the day I die…however long from now that be. And it’s unfair that I’m asking you to share in that burden. And I’m sorry for that, but…it can’t be helped.”

  “You never failed me,” Cameryn replied.

  “Thank God for small miracles….”

  Ethan moved forward and took Faith’s hands into his own. “I understand your hesitation. I know how hard this must be for you. But we must all do our part to protect that what needs to be protected. Even if it’s hard…even if it hurts. I know you know that.”

  Faith took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I am against this…but as a member of this team, I will not stand in the way. I’ll do my part.

  “I promise everything will turn out okay. I know it.”

  “Thank you,” Shadow said, giving Faith a smile.

  “We have to hurry,” Ellie said. “Ryan looks like he’s reaching his limits!”

  Shadow inclined his head toward the battlefield and could tell she was right. He swore under his breath. “Faith, I need you to go over and put your hand on Isaac for me. Okay?”

  Faith followed his request. “Now what?”

  “I need you to start the healing process on Isaac. But don’t focus on healing him so much as pushing your energy into his body – he’s a natural channeler, so his body will try and siphon your energy since he’s week. Use that to your advantage. And while she’s doing that, I need everyone else to form a circle around her.”

  Faith began healing Isaac’s injuries and sweat began to bead on her forehead. “Wow…you’re right, Shadow…it feels like he’s literally draining all my energy!”

  “It’s working,” Shadow replied. “Everyone get into formation! Place one hand on Isaac and the other on Faith.” He followed his teammates over to Faith and Isaac and exclaimed in triumph as Isaac’s body began to glow a bright, shining golden color. It wasn’t true gold, but rather a bunch of different shades of yellows mixing together and pulsing around his body like an aura.

  “Now what?” Ellie asked.

  Shadow held the Staff of Ondeyr over Isaac’s body and willed the golden energy inside of the empty vessel. The staff vibrated in his hand as the golden energy rose up from Isaac’s body in waves and formed a reverse-waterfall, filling the staff to the brim with pure power. It took a moment or two, but eventually the glow faded from Isaac’s body, and the jewels on the staff were sparkling with the siphoned power. The Staff of Ondeyr was powerful again.

  Ethan dove forward and was able to catch Faith in his arms, as she collapsed from exhaustion. The movement seemed to be a bit too much for him as he fell to his knees, the exhaustion beginning to hit him. And several others followed.

  “I feel so drained,” Ellie breathed. “What about you, Shadow?”

  Shadow didn’t respond. He held up the Staff of Ondeyr and it was like the power inside sensed there was a new wielder because it surged into his body and filled him with its power, healing his wounds and rejuvenating him. In that moment he felt like he could do anything and nothing could stop him – not even Maedara.

  “Shadow?” Cameryn whispered. “Are you alright…you’re…you’re glowing.”

  Shadow went up to him and placed his free hand on Cameryn’s head, ruffling his hair affectionately. “I’m alright. And everything will be fine.”

  Ryan slowly hovered to the ground as the last bit of his energy faded from him. “Damn it...I guess I’m spent.”

  Maedara flicked her hair. “You know, I meant what I said. Tired or not, you’re the next to die. But don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of company soon.”

  “You know, it’s fine that you’re gonna kill me. But could you not bore me to death?”

  “Have it your way,” Maedara replied. “But just so we’re clear…I’m not boring. You’re just horribly uncultured.” She went to move towards him but hit something she couldn’t see. She reached out and felt the area in front of her. “What is this…some kind of invisible wall? Who did this?”

  “I did,” Shadow said, his voice low.

  “Oh please, don’t make me laugh. We both know you don’t have that kind of power. It must be Crystal using one of her shields. I thought I killed her in the explosion, but I guess–”

  Shadow waved the Staff of Ondeyr. “Are you sure about that?”

  Maedara’s eyes widened. “But…I absorbed all the power from it! It’s nothing but a glorified walking stick!”

  “You’d be right if I didn’t just give it a super charge. And now…the power is inside of me.”

  Maedara recovered from the shock, and laughed. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. Because even with a power boost, you’re still not on my level and you never will be.”

  Shadow tipped his head to the side. “Care to test that?”

  Maedara reared her hands back and slammed against the invisible wall, shatteri
ng it with a loud boom. She rushed forward, her nails growing long and sharp, ready for attack.

  Shadow closed the distance between them, meeting Maedara half way. He dodged several mad swipes of her nails, and thrust the staff forward into her midsection.

  Maedara jumped back and avoided the strike. She tilted her head back and then brought it forward, releasing a large torrent of acid from her mouth.

  Shadow spun the staff in his hands in rapid succession, forming a barrier. The acid hit the barrier and splattered onto the ground. “Is that the best you can do, Maedara? It seems like your heart isn’t in this anymore.”

  Maedara growled and unleashed another assault onto him. She swiped at him with her nails, lashed out with her hair, and delivered a series of kicks at his chest.

  Shadow dodged every swipe, avoided every lash, and used the staff to block every single kick. He felt no concern about avoiding her attacks, because she couldn’t hurt him anymore. Not when he had their power combined. “It’s over, Maedara.”

  Maedara put her hands on her hips. “No, it’s not over until I say it’s over! I’m the Queen of the Kvana, and all will bow before me!”

  Shadow slowly levitated off of the ground. He raised the staff and lifted Maedara up into the air, too. “No, Maedara…this is your end.”

  “Put me down this instant!”

  Shadow closed his eyes and began chanting a spell. It was in an ancient-sounding language that he had never spoken before, much less understood, but it occurred to him that it didn’t matter because the power of the staff guided him.

  Maedara struggled in mid-air trying to break free. “Oh what’s this now? What are you doing? Could you be any lamer? I swear when I get down I’m going to tear you limb from limb while the rest of those losers watch and cry!”

  Shadow finished his chant. “You won’t be hurting anyone anymore. For all the lives you’ve taken, all the trouble you caused…for every family torn apart and all the pain.” He raised the staff into the air. “For Kay and Isaac…and for Cameryn. This is for them.”

  Maedara frowned. “Monologues aren’t cool when you do them. And why are you glowing like that? Is that your big plan – giving me a seizure?”