Page 131 of Taming the Kraken

Mikah opened his eyes, his cheek pressed against the cold stone floor. Cold. Just like how it felt inside him without Alexa’s light. And it hurt. It really hurt. For the first time since he was a child, he felt the bitter loneliness again. Back when he constantly yearned for a loving family. Now, he was plagued with the memories of his princess.

His princess … she would be given a new guardian now. She probably already had one. He’d been here for two days now. Two days of excruciating hell. He thought he would be struggling to fight off the darkness inside him. He was afraid it would take over immediately without Alexa’s light. But it turned out that without Alexa, he just didn’t have a reason to care. He felt empty. At times … numb. But when the nycrops tried to provoke the darkness, he was able to hold it off on his own.

He rolled over to his back and winced at the pain that wracked his body. He’d been injected with a serum that slowed his healing. It also poisoned his thoughts. It was mixed with demon blood to feed the dark sprite inside him. But it didn’t feel like it was getting stronger …

He glanced over at the enchanted door. It wasn't just a magical door. It acted like a seal of sorts. One that might even be able to seal a deity if it surrounded the whole room. But since he couldn't teleport, the door was sufficient enough to keep him prisoner. He wasn't sure if there would be a means of escape for him. Sometimes it seemed futile to resist his darkest urges, and yet he fought anyway. He always resisted. Whatever they did to him, he pushed through it. He fought because Alexa would expect him to fight. She’d always believed in him. Believed he was stronger than he realized. And maybe she was right.

He thought that the only thing keeping him from going dark was Alexa’s light. He was so certain that without it, he would be lost. He finally understood something. He used her light as a crutch to control his dark. Once her light was gone, a different power stirred deep inside him. One that had remained dormant. It awoke and put a stranglehold on the darkness. Yet, it was still there.

In the distance, he heard the soft sounds of footsteps descending the stairs. Meryl was coming to try to break him again. He was going to be tortured and plagued with disturbing mental images. He had to fight. He couldn’t break. She wasn’t doing this for nothing. If she was doing this, she planned to use him, maybe even against Alexa. He couldn’t allow it. He had to resist. He knew he couldn’t last forever, though.

He listened to the sound of her feet as they shuffled to a stop. He turned his head to look at her as he stayed laying on the ground.

“You aren’t looking so well.” Meryl’s lips curled up into an evil smile.

“Must be something in the air because you look like someone who died … oh, wait.” Mikah snorted with a smirk. He shifted up and into a sitting position, making sure he masked his pain. “Maybe if you die again, you can request to be cremated. That way at least for one moment in your life, you can have a smoking hot body.”

Meryl glared at Mikah, annoyed at the bear’s attitude. He still had too much fighting spirit. She needed to remedy that.

“You’re in such a good mood today. Perhaps I shouldn’t spoil it.” Meryl shrugged. “But I can’t help myself. Do you know what I just realized? The fairy princess is the niece of someone I loathe.” She watched the smile fade from Mikah’s face as her poisonous grin twisted. “I made sure to do my proper research. After all, she will be staying with me while I give her a new nembrant glass. Specially made with love from Erebus.” She could see the darkness filling Mikah’s eyes. “Oh come now, not to worry … I don’t plan to hurt her. Taking her away and hurting her family is enough for me. In fact, it has fueled me.”

“Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Her.” Mikah’s voice echoed off the stone walls as he growled and rose to his feet.

Meryl cackled and stepped toward the barred door. “I wonder what sort of things Erebus will do to her …” She lifted her finger, sending out a dark purple cloud at Mikah.

Instantly, visions began popping in Mikah’s head. Cruel images … disturbing scenes that nauseated him … and angered him. He knew she was playing against his weakness, but the graphic visions made his veins bulge. His jaw clenched as his lips curled up, baring his fangs. A dark liquid traveled up his protruding veins as he struggled to remain in control. Mikah squinted at her as his legs began to wobble. His eyes darted around as the dark liquid traveled up his neck and into his head.

Meryl watched him with amusement as he struggled to remain in control. Finally, she would break him. She just needed to keep pushing. If he wasn’t so valuable, she would have just killed him. If the nembrant glass was actually ready, they would have inserted one in him already. He would be a useful pawn to have. So even if she couldn’t break him this way, they would still be able to use him eventually. And until the glass was ready, she would enjoy making him suffer. She looked him over … maybe they wouldn’t need the glass after all.

A drowning sensation overcame him, his lungs constricting as his emotions raged inside him. The visions were too much for him. The scenes of Erebus abusing Alexa curdled his stomach. He had to keep watching, powerless to stop it. The screams cut through his ears. All reminding him he was powerless right now to help her. No other guardian could protect Alexa as he could. But he wasn’t her guardian anymore. He was trapped here.

The cruel energy seeped into Mikah’s pores and plagued his mind. He thought he was strong, but was he? Was Alexa the source of his strength? She was the first person he’d ever loved. He would gladly sacrifice everything for her. But without her, he felt like he was at the bottom of an abyss screaming, but no one could hear him. At the top, he watched Alexa walk away, and he reached his hand up toward her in vain.

“Don’t leave me alone,” Mikah whispered, lost in his madness. He was definitely losing his mind. Everything was blurring together. He was being tormented and no longer knew how to fight.

The emptiness was consuming him. He was tired of fighting this battle with himself. He didn’t want to endure any more pain or suffering. He just wanted to give up. He didn’t want to feel anymore. He’d lost Alexa, and now he was losing himself. His vision began to tunnel as he was wrapped in a black embrace. It was shutting out the pain. It was shutting out the light. But in the darkness, he could feel something stronger. Something that was hidden in it.

“Nycrops!”

Meryl clicked her tongue angrily and stopped her assault on Mikah. She turned her head to see a demon standing before her.

“How dare you interrupt me!” Meryl hissed out.

“The army is now in position and waiting like you have commanded. I’m here for further instructions.”

“Wait. Just have them wait. Timing with these things is everything.” Meryl glared at the demon, who just stood there staring at her.

“You just want them to wait?”

Meryl glared at him, not saying another word. She watched him until he finally turned and left. She sighed and clicked her tongue. “Well, what do you want?!”

A man appeared with white hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing a black leather jacket and dark leather pants.

“Wait?! That wasn’t part of our agreement,” Erebus snarled as he glared at Meryl.

“You think too small. There is much more at stake.” Meryl’s black eyes focused on Erebus in disgust.

“Much more at stake? The Leviathan and the Kraken are looking for him!” Erebus whipped his hand out, pointing at Mikah harshly. “Do you think they’re just going to ask you to hand him over?”