Chapter 4: The Dark Master ***Alicia's P.O.V.*** When people are nervous, they say that they have butterflies in their stomachs. But as I walked through the forest, caught up in my thoughts, I swear, I felt the whole goddamn zoo. Now, there was a possibility that I wouldn't have to be Dark. I could be Light. It was the first proper choice I have ever had to take - my fate might be inevitable, but couldn't I make it worth it? Maybe I could actually do something to help somebody, maybe for the 236 days left until I turn 16 I could make a difference - make my own choices, decisions, just for me, no one else. Reaching the clearing, I saw that Jamie had already arrived. He was sitting on the forest floor, back propped up against a tree. "Hey," he said, smiling broadly,"You ready for your first lesson?" "I don't think I ever will be, so now's as good a time as any other," I said nervously. He laughed,"Well, let's get started then." He stood up and approached me, movements both elegant and deadly - just like a panther. What's he doing? He splayed his fingers, and a wave of almost clear blue energy raced towards me. Before I knew what I was doing, my dark red shield automatically appeared to protect me. He's testing me, I thought, well, if this is how it's going to be... You're up for a challenge. Concentrating, I reached deep down my body for my power. Shaping the power, I threw it at Jamie, but his shield protected him. Suddenly, my vision blurred - but not like I was going to faint or anything. It was the strangest experience. It was like I had left my body, but I was still aware of it, and I could feel myself drifting through the air but I could still feel my body. I looked over at Jamie, and I could see an orb of power inside him. It was beautiful, all blues and silvers - the colours of the Light. Instinctively, I reached out to touch it, and then I could feel his body too. I could hear his every thought, feel his every movement. I reached deep down into his power and then, I don't know what I was doing, I just drained some of it, transferring it to my own. I could feel his body go rigid, he wasn't sure what was happening. And then I withdrew. "What was that?" Jamie stared at me with wide eyes, but I could see that he was tired, leaning against the tree for support. "I... I don't know," I stuttered, uncertain."It felt a bit like, I'm not really sure how to describe this, but it felt like I had two bodies at once and I was taking some of the energy into my own." "Have you ever done anything like that before?" He asked, after some thought. "I don't think so, no. Well, apart from the typical Dark stuff." "What d'you mean,'typical Dark stuff'?" There was a curious look on his face. "Y'know, taking physical energy and storing it as magical energy," I said. He sucked in a breath,"the only one we know of in the Dark who is able to do that, that's the Dark master. And, also, from what we've heard, he has to teach it in person." "Yeah... But what's so important about that?" I asked, a bit confused. "That means you know where the most evil man in the world resides. The man that has killed thousands of innocent people. And you know where he is," he let out a short laugh, but it wasn't at anything funny. He continued, a sly smile on his face, "Just tell me where he is. I'll let the rest of the Light know and we'll find him, and... Well, let's just say it won't be very pleasant." I couldn't help it, I blurted, "No!" "What d'you mean, 'no'?" I didn't want to say it, but even though I knew the Dark master had done terrible things, I didn't want him to be killed. He had practically raised me, harshly, I know, but still. It is hard to hate the person who raised you, or at least, was the most steady thing in my childhood of many different trainers coming and going, the nameless people that taught me to become who I am. "I just... Just can't," I explained lamely, "I've known him since the Dark came for me. I know he's done bad things, but... I haven't known anybody except him for more than a few weeks. Well, since I was captured. I've never known any of my trainers names, never known their backgrounds, never known anything about them," I finished stronger than before. "Do you know how many deaths he's responsible for? How many families ruined because of him?" Jamie sounded a bit angry, but mostly exasperated. "Yeah. Actually, yeah, I do. My sister. Both my parents. He killed my mum and my dad, and my sister was so scared of being caught that she committed suicide. I'm the only one left out of my family." I could feel the tears coming on, but I blinked them back. I couldn't cry in front of Jamie. I couldn't. He saw my eyes glistening though, and came closer, wrapping his strong arms around me. He didn't say anything, just held me. I started crying then, tears pouring out of my eyes, wetting Jamie's clean school shirt. He didn't tell me it was okay like most people would, because I knew it wasn't. Nothing has ever been 'okay' for me, so I hated when people said it was, when they said things were going to get better. It was like he had experienced death before. I wondered, if he had, who was it that he lost? We stayed like that for a while, even when I eventually stopped crying and my body stopped shaking. I hadn't cried like that in years, never lost control of myself like that, but it felt good to have someone hold me in their arms, someone who cared enough about me to do that. ***Jamie's P.O.V.*** I couldn't help but stare at her for a minute. She was so intelligent, and such a good fighter, and seeing her like that, unable to stop crying, her body collapsed into mine, relying on me for support, was so strange. I could feel her tears soak through my shirt, and I thought about how hard her #life was, how horrible it must have been to not truly know anyone, and to be trained to do something she never wanted to do, but to know that her fate was inevitable. It paled even in comparison to my upbringing. My mother was very young when she had me - only 16. My father was younger than her, and the day after his 16th birthday, the Dark master came. Nobody could stop him - he was exceptionally gifted when he was training with the Light, but after he turned Dark his power tripled, and he became the most powerful person in the world. He killed my parents with magic that was unique to only him - draining magic. People always told me it was quick, that there was no pain. Their bodies were never found, but neighbours had heard signs of a struggle. I can't remember my parents, but I wish that they had raised me: instead the Light community brought me up, and I was treated a bit like a pet - young, helpless and ignorant. Nevertheless, I was trained well, and for years all I concentrated on was my skills. I had no friends to spend time with, and no parents to do work for, so I just trained and trained as hard as hell. I split my knuckles, broke ribs and limbs countless times, but it was worth it. I am the youngest Light to be trusted with the task of finding her - Alicia - even though I've only been a full member of the Light for the past month or so. Thinking back to Alicia's protest to killing the Dark master, I tried to see it from her point her view. In a way, I understood - he was the most steady thing I'm her #life, and evil or not, he had been there since the start. He was her father in a way, albeit a cruel, abusive father. When we eventually pulled apart, we stood there for a minute, staring at each other. I could see the stains her tears left on her cheeks, the mascara smudged under her eyes, reddened from crying. I could see all her flaws, but I could also see her beauty. The shape of her large eyes complimented her defined cheekbones and their colour - a brown so warm it was almost topaz - stood out against her ivory skin and hair as dark as the night. A blush crept up her cheeks, and she stepped away. "Sorry, I just... I haven't cried in so long, I guess I just... Let it all lose." ***Alicia's P.O.V.*** Jamie still stood there, a faint smile on his face. "Anytime," he said. He reached across the distance between us and laced his fingers through mine. I felt a pulse of electricity run through my body at his touch. He pulled me close again, and whispered into my hair,"I'm always here for you, never forget that." He wrapped his arm around my waist and took his face out of my hair to look at me. We were so close, our noses almost touching. And then he kissed me. It was the faintest whisper of a kiss, but something about the tentativeness of it made me feel beautiful, and protected. I felt warmth spread through my body, and I smiled through the kiss. He pulled away, but he still kept his arms wrapped around me. "You're beautiful, you know that?" He smiled, and I really did feel beautiful when he said that. Then he pressed his lips to mine for a second time and it felt like it was just us in the forest. I forgot about all my problems, all the horrible things that had happened. Because I was soaring. I was flying, high up in the clouds. And even when we broke apart, breathless, my heart remained up there, flying and dancing in the stars. He took my hand again, and we walked to the edge of the forest, stopping frequently just to share a kiss. When we reached the path out of the woods, we turned to face each other again. "Tomorrow... I was wondering, maybe you'd like to see the Light? We could sneak you in, even just for a few hours. I want to give you something." "Sure," I said and hugged him, pressing myself against his chest. I could feel hard muscles under his shirt. "Hey," he said gently, pulling down the collar of my blouse, revealing a small tattoo of three birds in flight on my collarbone,"what's that?" "They're birds," I said,"one for each member of my family." "I've got one too," he said, "on my back." "Can I see?" I asked. "Are you asking me to strip?" His old smirk was back. I blushed, "No, no, I honestly was just curious." He unbuttoned his shirt and turned with his back to me. There, on his shoulder blade, was the symbol of the light - a flame. I reached out and traced my fingers along it. He turned and tilted my chin up towards him. "As much, as I'd like to stay here with you all day, I had better go, otherwise the Light will begin to suspect something." "Well, I'll see you tomorrow? Outside the school gates during lunch?" "Earlier," he said,"Before school starts." "Okay, but whatever you're going to show me had better be worth it." He kissed my forehead. "I promise, it will." "Well, see you then, I guess." He hugged me tight, and pressed his lips to mine,"Okay, tomorrow." We broke apart, and I turned to the road that led to the mansion. "Bye," I said, and walked home slowly, remembering all the moments we had shared in that hour.