Page 76 of Dark Master's Redemption

Though I had such high hopes for this day, a wretchedness of heart takes me now that we might lose everything. As I fight back-to-back with Lucca and Ariana in a trio, bloodstained and covered in gore from how many foes we’ve slain, a feeling of deep wrath takes me.

I feel that wrath resonate with the part of me that is still the Gold Eyes, deep inside. As a massive void of darkness opens up within me, the Music suddenly goes sour between us because of me.

Cacophonous, horrible tentacles of the deepest Night shoot out from me now, devouring everything around me as the Music careens out of control between us. Clanging and terrible, that ungodly Music of the Night screams through my mind and all around me now; my Night magic becomes a diabolical sea, a leviathan of darkness set to drain the living hell right out of every Council Vampire around me now, rather than simply kill them.

But it’s not just me that feels this terrible sensation. Tortured, shrieking cries from my Dark Fae come all around me now, as everyone re-bonded to me via the Dark Haven of Florence loses control of their most diabolical Night magic, while I lose control of mine.

Through our shared power, I feel it as my terrible wrath infects everyone, that dire void opening up inside all my Mentale Dark Fae who have Night just as strong in their magic as I do.

All of us are going Revenant together, falling into that endless void as one; some part of me feels it as Ariana and Lucca throw down their weapons and turn to me in terrified shock now, though another part of me is already gone.

As they wrap their arms around me, holding me rather than fighting now, I feel their twin kisses come to my lips and the back of my neck. As they save me from myself, from becoming lost in my Revenant thanks to the Gold Eyes’ power, and taking all my Mentale Dark Fae with me, awareness floods back.

I see the living sea of Night that roars out from me all around, and from my people now, too, and I am shocked by that insane wave of power and destruction. It’s too close to how I was in my Revenant state; we’re too close to losing everything, if all my Dark Fae go Revenant with me, thanks to this awful void inside my power.

Halting with my beloveds as the battle continues all around us, I pull myself back, deep inside. I throw down my weapon to wrap an arm tight around Ariana before me and seize Lucca’s neck behind me, pulling them close as they finally reach my heart.

The Music tunes between us as I make a decision, to fight from my love rather than my wrath, though I might lose everything this day. As I make that decision, a massive wave of Light takes me.

I feel everything else drop away as that incredible sensation blazes into Lucca and Ariana, and everyone else bound to us. Like the most beautiful wildfire, it fills us now, rather than the hateful void of the Gold Eyes.

That wildfire sets everyone ablaze with the glory of what I feel for them. As Ariana stares up into my eyes and Lucca nuzzles my neck, and my Dark Fae sear like dark stars all around, I feel everyone send that glory back to me in spades.

As the most beautiful sensation floods my heart, pure Light blisters out of me—seething with gold, red, and white fire as it blazes. The Music roars with towering angelic harmonies now as my living fire engulfs every Vampire around me—scorching them to ash.

I feel that glowing wave pour from us all now as it rushes throughout the halls of the Hotel, devouring enemies as they try to flee its bliss and fail. My Vampires are not touched; only my foes are blasted to ash as that incredible wave of Light surges from me, Lucca, Ariana, and all our bound Dark Fae, scorching the halls of the Hotel and taking back our fight.

Vampires from the Council are blasted away, though I feel Florian’s people are spared, as I wished. Gunter’s Giants are similarly untouched; this blazing fire of our heart touches only those we want it to touch.

And kills only those we want to be killed.

As that Light seethes through every hall of the Hotel now, illuminating even the deepest catacombs and seeking the highest heights, I stand still, singing all through with the purest Music I’ve ever felt. The Gold Eyes’ taint is nowhere in that all-consuming love, as a series of Ascendant Sigils blazes all around me now.

They write a phrase I understand, as I sing with that towering Music—be pure of heart, and be cleansed. That is just what my Light, Lucca’s, Ariana’s, and all our Dark Fae’s does now as it sweeps through the Hotel.

Burning up our enemies and sending Florian’s spared Vampires to their knees before us.

With tears in their eyes and exclamations on their lips, Florian’s people cease fighting as that incredible fire surrounds them, contained but unharmed. As it finally blazes out, unable to be sustained any further by our combined magic, since we don’t truly have full control over the Music yet, I shake with ecstasy, then fall to my knees.

I feel only one presence still burning inside the Hotel now, wrathful, as everything he worked and betrayed and bargained for is scorched away by our fire.

Florian—hiding like a sewer-rat in my rooms, rather than fight.

I come for him now. Finding my feet, I blast a fiery wave of our power ahead of me as Ariana and Lucca come with me to my apartments inside the Hotel, ready for him.

I don’t hide my whereabouts as I stride through turn after turn of the underground halls, letting Florian know I’m coming for him. But even as my trio seethes into my apartment now, blasting open the tall ebony doors, I know I can’t kill Florian in wrath.

If I do, the Gold Eyes will have truly won, as this battle raging inside me from the fiend’s power is driven by hate rather than love. As I see Florian down on his knees before a big fireplace in my living area, trapped by one last ring of my scalding white magic, I also see the Gold Eyes’ terrible bright orbs in my mind.

Florian is incapacitated inside my ring of power; his vast magic has been arrested by that last ring of the Music, singing all around him in living white flame. Hate burns in his sea-green eyes as he lifts his head at my approach.

Do it. Kill him. In wrath. The Gold Eyes goads me as it gazes out at me from inside my very own mind now. Because it was my Maker; it will always be a part of my magic, its Night which made me as I am.

“I won’t kill him in rage, or torture him in hate. Not like he did for me,” I say aloud now as I stare at Florian on his knees before me with my ring of white fire around him, though what I’m really doing is speaking with the Gold Eyes.

“Pity,” it says now, as it swirls into being beside my trio, manifesting in all its dark-smoke wrathfulness.

I glance at the Gold Eyes, somehow not surprised it’s found me in this moment. As Ariana and Lucca step into a tight chevron against it now with me at their lead, Curio, Devi, and Alleno come barreling through the doors with Bello and Ariana’s parents on their heels.

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