《Ink Stained Eyes》


 Prologue

    The white serpentine dragon, like a shooting star it dragged its luminescent body across the dark backdrop of the sky. Its movements were frantic, twisting and curling. The would be graceful form broken into awkward ugly movements.


    ¡°CURSE YOU!¡±


    From the starless night sky, it fell¡­ Rather, it was dragged. Dark tendrils, so dark their color melded with the dark night, piercing through his pure white scales. The white dragon writhed and growled, twisting and turning its body to bite through the painful dark serpents which bore through him. But as if the shadow-like forms of the tendrils had minds of their own, they were always kept just out of reach, his teeth unable to liberate his once graceful form.


    Forced onto the ground. Dirt stained his scales. His godly scales, his pride as a god, his pride as a dragon¡­


    The serpentine dragon¡¯s piercing eyes gathered all his hate onto one being, onto the boy that stood above him, looking down on him. He could only growl.


    ¡°Wretched being¡± Deep and majestic was it''s voice, at any other time just its echo would strike awe into thousands, millions would bow and all would cower.


    But here he was, forced into the dirt, and by such a detestable being.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± the boy admitted, melancholy dyed his voice. Entangled with sadness and acceptance.


    It angered him even more. Such a thing, a filthy thing rendered him powerless. Black hair, sickly pale skin, there were many other humans like him, the only thing that would have been noticeably different would have been his striking amethyst eyes. Washed in countless violet hues, and the sparse yellow gold hues that twinkled giving them the appearance of a vibrant starry sky.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this.¡± The boy tried to explain in an apologetic voice, ¡°I want to be different. I don¡¯t want to be me anymore. He promised me.¡±


    Anger boiled inside the dragon, ¡°So you would deny my existence, nay, the existences of many age-old beings just so that in the end, YOU MAY DENY YOUR OWN?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The boy looked down, apologetic.


    The old dragon¡¯s eyes followed the origin of the black snakes which weaved through his body, noting their origin to be from the pool of murky dark liquid that seems to be one with the boy¡¯s shadow. Through all his pride, his power, the old dragon shivered. He felt the things trapped inside that small pool, even more inside that boy¡¯s body. They wailed in pain, there were even others like him.


    ¡°Loathsome¡± He could do nothing but complain, he knew he was powerless, the presence of many others in that darkness told him so. There was nothing he could do now that he was caught.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± With the boy¡¯s words, more of the disgusting black liquid flowed from his mouth. Murky, filthy liquids wisped through the air streaming behind his head, forming a dirty halo. A weary song of hopelessness was echoed inside that tainted halo, the many trapped souls sung in woeful harmony.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± The boy apologized once more, the painful opera sung by the halo quietened to a deadly silence. Now, they sung a different song, a song of twisted acceptance, hapful futility. The old dragon felt it too in his mind, ¡°Acceptance!¡±


    From the tendrils which pierced through him, he felt his being resonating to the countless souls. Acceptance. His very being, he willed it to resist the voices, but his own identity was being eroded. Acceptance! Slowly changed, little by little. Acceptance! Thoughts, resistance. Acceptance! Devoured by painful harmony, a song he could not help but sing to. Acceptance! Acceptance!


    With the very last of his being he growled out his distaste, his hate, and his anger, ¡°You will regret your choice, what you do will only lead to ruin.¡±


    ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE! ACCEPTANCE!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Hate me as much as you can, loathe me. I promise that I will become someone better. The twisted person right now will disappear. I¡¯ll be better.¡±


    He never even felt the dark tendrils multiplying in number and completely devouring his form. His consciousness faded, his anger faded, his thoughts and emotions shaded into something much simpler, a single thought. Acceptance!

 0

    Hello.


    Can you hear my voice?


    No?


    A pity.


    I would have given you what you wanted.


    Oh.


    So now you can hear me.


    Why so angry?


    ¡°No one can give you what you want¡±, Ahahaha.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    That¡¯s not for you to decide.


    See, I already know what you want.


    You want to be different, don¡¯t you?


    You want to change.


    You want to be someone else.


    I can give you that.


    I can make you that.


    I¡¯m tired of waiting you see, for someone ¡°suitable¡±


    I¡¯ve waited long enough.


    I¡¯ll just¡­ make someone suitable.


    I¡¯ll make you suitable.


    Why you?


    Well, you¡¯re the only one here, aren¡¯t you?


    Why so angry? You asked the question. I answered.


    I want you. I need you.


    That¡¯s what you want to hear, isn¡¯t it?


    Don¡¯t glare. It doesn¡¯t suit your face.


    Ahahaha.


    But don¡¯t worry.


    It¡¯s not a choice. It¡¯s not up to you anymore.


    I¡¯ll change you.


    And when we¡¯re done,


    When you do everything you¡¯re told.


    Then, I¡¯ll really let you choose.


    You can be whoever you want to be.


    Isn¡¯t that fun?


    They¡¯ll finally be proud of you.


    You like the sound of that don¡¯t you.


    Don¡¯t glare, your smile was much better. Fun!


    He¡¯ll finally be proud of me too.


    Since I found someone suitable for his plan¡­ well... made one.


    Well, details don¡¯t matter.


    Now, let¡¯s start.

 1 Allen - Awakening

    Pain flared throughout his body. His limbs writhed and wrenched in every which direction, skin scraping against the rough rocky floor. Bleeding, as he rubbed against the jagged surface, new wounds opened, shallow but biting at every limb of his body.


    But the pain didn¡¯t matter.


    He didn¡¯t understand. He was¡­ alive?


    For sure he knew he fell in that fort. ¡°RAAAAAH¡± he let out a gasp for air, throat trembling, teeth chattering. It was so cold, inside him was so cold. Cold flame seared beneath his skin, his arms, legs. Stretching, pulling burning, but why was it so cold?


    Why wasn¡¯t he dead?


    He was fighting the nightmares. With his friends, the other knights¡­


    Did Lliadryn¡¯s plan succeed?


    Did they cheat the demons?


    AAAARGH! He screamed in his mind, the pain overtaking him. He would have done so with his mouth but the blood rising from his stomach choked his scream, replacing it with a horrid gurgling. Through the pain, he righted himself, his position so that he could safely puke out the vile blood.


    His movements awkward, was it because he was gone for so long? How long had he slept?


    More and more blood he coughed out, pooling beneath his body.


    He would have moved his hands away in disgust from the pool if he didn¡¯t fear he would collapse. He was weak, if he moved his arms now he knew he wouldn¡¯t have the strength to prop himself up again.


    His eyes opened trying to find out where he was, wanting to call out to his friends. Had anyone else awakened?This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°That vial you drank was not a potion¡±


    Painful, he opened his eyes only to be blinded by a headache, he felt his mind heat up sharpened to indescribable pain. Even the slight light offered from his blurry vision attacked his mind.


    The veiled silhouette that stood over him continued to speak in a jovial tone, ¡°That was actually a phylactery, much like what liches use. Now he¡¯s inside you. I¡¯m sure you will be good friends. You just drank his blood hahaha¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯, Allen couldn¡¯t comprehend what the figure spoke of.


    In an attempt to investigate, he willed his tongue to embody his questions, and yet completely different words dribbled from his own mouth, ¡°W-what¡¯s happening... to my body?¡± It was a boyish voice, much higher than what his own was supposed to be, much younger.


    ¡®A completely different voice¡¯ Allen noted, ¡®Those were not my words, not my thoughts, not my voice.¡¯ Although he was curious about what his mouth spoke of, he was only dragged into further confusion as his mouth moved differently to his command.


    ¡°I did tell you, I am making you suitable for your mission.¡± He could feel that the one who stood above him smiled, the voice of a man that he wanted to punch. He didn¡¯t know who this was but he knew that was a face he wanted to cave in.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t accepted¡± His mouth out of his control, growled at the jovial man, ¡®What was going on? Why is his body, these words coming out without permission?¡¯ He wracked his brains to find an answer but the pain took over, flashing, a knife through his mind.


    ¡°Ahahaha¡± The man laughed, ¡°Sure, that choice exists. But not really. See, you¡¯ll find that you will taste what you¡¯ve always wanted. To be someone else. And I can give it to you completely. Well not me, but I¡¯m sure that when he finds out that I¡¯ve finished my task he¡¯ll reward you too.¡±


    ¡°Plus, think of all the fun you¡¯ll have!¡±


    ¡°My HUD disappeared¡­ What, what did you do? How am I going to-¡± Allen¡¯s body stood up on its own, the pain finally, seemingly fading.


    ¡°Shhh¡± The man who stood above him covered his mouth, ¡°You won¡¯t need it. It¡¯ll get in the way. If the Archmage with his Data Magic reports first he might get all the credit, so I¡¯ll need you to disconnect from his system.¡±


    ¡°One last thing¡± His long fingers reached out, holding Allen¡¯s face. He felt how strong the grip was, vice-like. This wouldn¡¯t be something that Allen could shake-off as he was now.


    With the man¡¯s other hand, he pressed down on Allen¡¯s forehead, his voice suddenly becoming serious, ¡°Open your eye.¡± Allen¡¯s body shivered. He felt that it was a command, a command that he had no chance to resist.


    He felt the man¡¯s thumb somehow penetrate smoothly into his skull, bringing with it a wave of nausea. Slowly, Numbness radiating from the man''s thumb forced his consciousness to fade. His eyes that that even at the very end was unable to shake the blurry vision regressed into darkness, eyelids growing heavier and heavier.


    Fear.


    ¡®Not again. I don¡¯t want to sleep again.¡¯


    With the last of his fading consciousness, in the middle of the darkness, he could hear the man¡¯s footsteps growing fainter and fainter, farther and farther.


    ¡®How long would he sleep this time?¡¯