Morph
30. No Escape

I walk the empty halls looking for god knows what, looking for a piece of mind a sign of what I should do with my wreck of a life. After a few more turns of a few more corners the manor starts to get visibly darker. Its always dark but now it seems a few shades darker, like someone turned down the little light it did have.

“Luce.” I call, confused when no light comes. I prepare to turn around only to hit some kind of force field that prevents me to go back. I try and steady my breath as panic kicks in, I push against the force again but to no avail as it doesn’t budge. I call for light again, I push again and so on and so forth but it doesn’t work.

This goes on for a few minutes, I walk over to different parts and push but it seems that there’s no way out. A laugh crackles through the dark and I go on alert, pushing harder than ever against the force only to be pushed back. “Calm down I’m not here to hurt you.” A silky voice says, a voice I don’t know. “Yet.” The chuckle erupts again and I look around frantically hoping to see even a glimpse of light in the dark hall.

“Who are you?” I see no one, nothing and I stand quickly, starting to feel around again for an entrance.

“Now what fun would it be if I told you that? I would say I’m your worst nightmare but from what I’ve heard Daelortoze has already beat me to it.” A chill runs through me, its a corner but which one? There’s only two I haven’t met yet and I have no idea who this one could be, or better yet what he can do. “So I’ll settle for, I’m whatever you make me to be, how’s that?”

“Let me out.” I slam my hands against the clear wall that I’m sure is because of him, and he only laughs again.

“I don’t really want to.” He says. “Anyway, Daelortoze sent me to fetch some information for him.”

“What do you want to know?” I ask harshly.

“How does he set Emilia free? I mean really that cage is as sturdy as the sealing of the cave was. I’m impressed.” I smirk at the fact that I was successful in trapping her before its wiped completely off my face as I remember what I set free in trapping her, there are three I haven’t met so now I really have no idea who this is.

“Are you the one I set free today?” I look around once more, fear settling inside me.

“Bingo.” He chuckles darkly. “Ugh, it was a wonderful feeling really, the fire how it burned through me as I was set free. I always loved burning, how about you? Oh we’re off topic now! How do we set the queen free?” His voice is curious.

“You all ‘created’ Ecladias, why don’t you tell me? Oh and, I’m the queen.” I reply, sitting now that I see there’s no way out.

“See both I, Kelenimen and Repoeine tried to lift the cage but to no avail. Since we are the holders of fire you see why our egos are bruised, you, a measly morpher made something we can’t seem to diminish now that,” he claps his hands “is both impressive and oppressive.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you I wouldn’t want a bunch of cowards who can’t even show their faces to better me.” I snap, I swear my anger is random and getting worst by the day. Half the time I couldn’t tell you why I get angry but now, I’m angry because I’m trapped in a dark hallway by something I can’t see or name.

He chuckles again in that dark way that he does, like its funny to him but he’s unable to show emotion. “Luce.” He calls, and the darkness lifts, I huff in annoyance. “Well I just did better you if we’re being technical, and why would I be afraid to show my face to someone below me?” I look around the ceiling for a small creature but replace none, instead I see a man standing in the corner across from me.

His eyes are red and his hair jet black and he stares hardly at me, his chiseled jaw clenched. “Hello I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Callene and you?” His pale lips turn up in a smirk before his eyes start blazing blue instead of red.

“Let me out of here please and thank you.” I stare at him blankly as he walks toward me and the tremendous amount of height he has over me starts to show more. I’m confused mixed with angry now, why isn’t he small like the others and what can he do?

“Its not that easy ‘love’.” He teases, chuckling when he sees my horrified expression. “I’ve been around all day with more than enough time to spy.” He smirks. I don’t say anything, feeling violated if anything that he saw a moment only Libra and I were suppose to witness. “Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone, it’ll be our little.. what’s it called?”

“Secret.” I spit through clenched teeth, crossing my arms.

“Yes! That’s it.” Callene snaps his fingers. “If you can just give me the information I want I promise to leave you in one piece.”

Now I’m the one to laugh. “What makes you think you can you split me into several pieces? I set you free please don’t ever get confused.” He looks at me in pure amusement before joining me on the floor.

“And my sister made your kind, she can just as easily break you don’t ever get that, confused.” He says lightly. “Tell me how to free her or I’ll put you in a cage right next to her, family reunion and all.”

“Why would I let you free her?” I look to him to see his eyes now yellow, its kind of freaky how they keep changing color.

“She is your mother, and because you don’t have a choice there’s always that.”

“She’s nothing to me but a problem that I have under control for the time being, do you really think I’m crazy enough to let her into this world? She’s crazier than all the corners combined, she’s a threat.” My blood boils as I replay Libra’s screams in my mind. “I won’t let her out, so I guess you’ll just have to add action to your threats.” I stand and so does he.

“She’s not a threat to you, you know this. Your just so pouted up because she tried to rip little Libra’s depths from him and that’s to be your job, yes?” A smirk forms on his lips and I push him against the force field but he just falls straight through it, standing up and chuckling after. “Feisty when it comes to him are we? Do you know he cared for Ravania deeper than he could ever care for you.” At each word a wave of anger rushes through my entire body, begging to be let out but this is what they want. They want me to keep burning until I’ve set every one of them free and I won’t have it, so I don’t reply, I breath in and out like I’ve practiced. “Why don’t I go get Libra? He should join the party don’t you think?” Before I can answer he disappears leaving nothing behind, not like Analexania and Daelortoze does when they leave.

I bang on the force field for at least ten minutes before Callene reappears and when he does, he has an angry Libra in a choke hold in front of him. His laugh cackles through before he throws Libra over the force field, only to laugh again when he tries to leave and launch himself at him. “You two are so much alike.” He chuckles, shaking his head, his eyes are brown now. “Both pathetic, both fighters with nothing to fight for.”

“Get to your point.” I spit, moving closely to Libra.

“Your both weak, weak from the thought of love.” Callene pulls at the air and with his hand, Libra is pulled then shoved to the ground. “And when love does hit you, you’ll both be even weaker. That’s the only reason I don’t kill you in front of him now, I want you at your most vulnerable and him in a state so raw that he’ll scream for you like the snake did earlier.” His longer slender finger reaches out to touch my nose and Libra pushes his entire hand away.

“Don’t ever touch her.” He says, pulling my hand toward his side.

Callene only laughs lightly at this, setting his eyes on Libra for only a few seconds before he’s on fire screaming and thrashing around. “Put it out!” I yell.

“Set her free.” I wave my hand and the fire is out on instant, to my surprise there’s no burns on Libra at all. “Or next time I might just leave evidence all over his handsome face.”

“Shove it, or there won’t be a next time.” I stare hardly at him. He grabs my arm, pulling me through the force and now I’m in a choke hold, Libra screams my name, banging on the clear force.

“You should really teach your gal some manners, or someone might just slip and” A fuzzy feeling shoots through me as the scene in front of me disappears in seconds.

“What are you doing?!” I thrash around in his arms, thinking of any battle technique to overpower him but his arms are stronger than me. Now instead of the dim manor hallway and a screaming Libra, an all white room with tables and chairs the same color is before me and Callene lets me go. I run to the walls and start feeling for the door, a sens of Deja Vu washing over me. “Let me out of here, Libra is-”

“Well taken care of.” He finishes for me, sliding two chairs out from under a table. “Repoeine seems to fancy..” his eyes scan me, “you.” His tone is disgusted as he sits. “So he jumped at the chance to torture Libra, the sooner you sit the sooner you’ll get him back. Though you might not get him sane, Repoeine tends to have knifes for fingers.” My eyes widen in horror and I slowly make my way to sit at the table. There’s no telling what Repoeine can or will do to Libra, this is all my fault. If I would have thought of an alternative to setting Emilia free we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

“Tell me what you all want and make it quick, because if Libra doesn’t come back with every hair on his head I will bring hell to all of you.” My voice is harsh as I chose and say my words carefully.

“I don’t doubt it.” He smirks. “But there’s nothing you can do that’ll compare to what we can so I suggest you calm.”

I straighten up in the chair offering him only a blank stare. “Don’t act so hard of hearing, give us the queen and then we couldn’t care less about you.” Callene shrugs.

“Promise she won’t be a problem to neither me, my kingdom or the depth lands.” I shrug back.

“Seeing as she never handed you the crown you have no kingdom.” His eyes blaze red in annoyance. “Have you ever been tormented? Really tormented?” He tilts his head a little. “How about I bring you some where yes? After I’ll pass you to Repoeine so that you can watch him deep fry Libra’s intestines.” He waves his hand and again the scene diminishes before my eyes.

This time another scene I’m not familiar with pops up, but this time it doesn’t seem like I’m in Ecladias. We’re in someones house, their room and there’s two people asleep in the bed that rests in the center. The first person, the man, moves around and snakes his arm around the other person and then the door bursts open and a small child rushes in. I back away as Callene chuckles, assuring me that they can’t see me, and sure enough the girl rushes right past me and jumps onto the bed.

The woman groans and the man chuckles, sitting up in the bed and I see him shiver as the cool air hits his bare chest. “Jaylee its too early.” He smiles at the girl as the woman sits up as well, my heart stops beating in my chest when I see her. She stares at the child adoringly with her large brown eyes, there’s a twinkle in them I’ve never got to witness.

“Baby why are you up so early?” She yawns, running her fingers through her blonde locks but smiling warmly at the child nonetheless. That motherly smile I never got to witness. “There’s no school today.”

“Mom we don’t have to have school for me to be up!” The girl whines, resulting in a small laugh from Danielle.

“Aren’t you bossy.” She says. “Isn’t she bossy honey?” With a nod from the man my mother- Danielle starts to vigorously tickle the little girl and laughter fills the room. A pang like nothing I’ve ever felt strikes through my heart when she holds her and laughter continues.

“She’s showing her the affection you always worked so hard for.” Callene whispers. “All the times you tried to help her after she got high, you just wanted her to love you. Look at the little girl Serenity, she isn’t that different from you.” Tears threaten my eyes and I let them. “She just wants affection as well, needs it but the difference is, she gets it every second of every day without so much as removing a needle from your mother’s arms.”

“She’s not my mother.” The tears come, slowly but surely that start to fall as everyone gets up and leaves the room. Danielle passes right by me never giving a second glance let alone a first one.

“But she is, she’s the only mother you’ve ever known she wasn’t a good mother but that doesn’t diminish the title. She has to be, you deny Emilia as well but one of these women have to be your mother, how does it feel? To see her give away for free what you worked for? Does it hurt you, Serenity?” He asks, his breath fanning my neck as tears pour down my face.

“Take me away from here.” I demand. Yes it hurts, more than anything I’ve ever felt it hurts more than replaceing out she wasn’t my mother.

“No she never thinks of you, if your wondering.” Its a question I didn’t even know I had. “Analexania has been inside her head and she never thinks of you, only of her husband John and their daughter Jaylee, never of you or David-”

“Take me away!” I claw at my head trying to claw out every bad thing, adding to Callene’s amusement.

“To have a mother who never cared for you care for someone else it must pierce your very soul and then, to replace your true mother and have her care for power more than her own egg its very tragic.” I push him again, hearing the laughing and clanking of dishes from somewhere else in the house. I bang on his chest in a fit of rage and pain as sobs start to escape me and mingle with my screams, creating a soul racking sound. “I could trap you here.” He says blankly.

I look up at him before removing my hands from his chest and rapidly wiping my tears, they don’t need to see me vulnerable- to know that I am even capable of being so, I need to be ready for anything at any time. “Here in this house, to watch from the shadows as Danielle loves two others like you and your father wished to be loved by her, and I will.”

“What?” I croak. “Are you crazy? Bring me to Libra, now.” Callene chuckles.

“I am crazy, but I will bring you to him just remember what I said. I will trap you here Serenity with no means to escape, see our power is more complex than powers you’ve seen you can not escape a corner and it’ll be hell for you. Or it can be as close to heaven as you can get if you only set the queen free.” He smirks, making the walls fade away.

There’s a heavy pull at my heart that I think will always be there. It has always been there but now its worst by a tenth fold and my insides scream for a release, except for once its not a release of anger- its a release of pain.