Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(87)

I climbed the rocks that led to that part, and when I reached the peak I saw the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen: Draven was there, and around him – surrounding him – was a glowing purple light that mocked fire. Slithering around his feet was a massive snake, and as it hissed I heard Bianca’s voice whispering seductively to him. As he heard her words, he flinched in pain; images of a past that should be forgotten were flickering around the purple fire that was surrounding him.

Lightning flashed, bringing daylight for only an instant - and in that instant I saw dark shadows, a black veil seeping into the ball of fire. The break in the darkness also showed me that I was in the center of another circle – and everyone was aware except Madison. I saw the pain and frustration in the eyes of the others as they watched Draven suffer; they seemed paralyzed, unable to help me.

I wasn’t afraid – I was furious. I lunged forward, grabbed the snake’s tail, and pulled it back. I expected it to be heavy and hard to move, but it was as light as a feather. I then remembered that in this realm I could create whatever I wanted to happen; whatever I needed, it was mine. My confidence grew.

As the snake thrashed around, I threw my wrist up to block it. When its fangs expanded to bite down on my arm, it became frozen with a shocked stare. I saw the gems on my bracelet glowing. I sneered at the snake and imagined that the ground was made of millions and millions of those gems; instantly, the rocks on the surface of the mountain turned into just that, and when they touched the body of the snake, it turned to stone - then fell to ash. I ran toward Draven – toward his roaring screams. Before I could reach him, though, another image of Bianca appeared. I threw her out of my way, only for her appear again.

“What?!” I screamed. “You evil bitch!”

She just laughed. I charged at her again, missing and falling to my knees. She was doing everything in her power to steer me away from where Draven was, and it was infuriating me. Then I saw Madison’s emerald green eyes glisten in the darkness, and I knew she was awake - waiting for her moment. The next time Bianca came near me, I threw her toward Madison; before Bianca had a chance to fade or appear again, Madison had her arms around her. The two of them screamed and yelled, throwing slaps and punches.

Aden yelled, “Draven – Charlie!”

I turned to see that the darkness around the fireball he was standing in was clinging to him – and more was coming; the night sky was pouring into him. I ran to the circle, not even questioning if the fire would burn me. Instantly, I heard the screams of innocents, and I saw the demise of lost souls...I felt the addicting power of their energy pouring into Draven.

I screamed his name, and his eyes blazed right through me. He was struggling to keep his arms down, for them not to reach for me - but as his fingertips reached toward me, I felt part of my soul, my light, being pulled to him. I knew if I didn’t do something – anything - Silas would appear and end him – end us.

I stepped forward and laced my fingers through his. He held my stare; his eyes were still blazing, and an uncharacteristic lust was there. They were changing him, calling him back to the evil he was in the past, which was echoing around us, telling him that he had two choices: either step into the numbness, or fight his past. I wanted him to have three: I wanted him to see his victories, to see the moment he decided to be good long ago. I knew if I could get him to see that moment, he’d be strong enough to fight this pull of darkness forever – strong enough to help me starve out this evil realm.

“Draven!” I screamed. “What happened next?! What happened after this? When was the first time you saw me?”

I had to cover the images before him – block out the sound of the shadows. I imagined the tiny gems surrounding us – encasing us. When they appeared, silence instantly came and the energy around us was tense; it was as if the gems were numbing him, fulfilling his craving for energy – my energy. I had no idea how long this would work, when the desire to pull the light from my soul would take over him.

“What happened next, Draven?” I asked again in a calm, gentle voice.

As the scene around us changed, voices came to life. Together, we witnessed him sitting on a throne, his court entertaining him with a dance. An image of me stepped through the large entryway to the ballroom – and instantly I had his attention. Somehow, I knew this wasn’t the first time I’d laid eyes on him, that I’d been in his presence before. I heard echoes of our voices speaking words that led to that moment.

My gown was long and cream-colored, but the candles in the room made it look white. He stood as his court parted for me to move closer, ordering everyone away. The image of me ran from him, but he caught me in his arms on an open balcony, then gazed into my eyes and whispered, “I shall give you anything if you allow me to live here.” As he rested his hand in the center of my chest, you could see the glow of my skin under his touch – my light being pulled from me. My image placed my hand on his chest and said, “Set them free - all of them - and I will stand by you for all of time.”

His eyes grew wide with surprise. It was as if that was the last thing he expected me to say - as if I were the first person to acknowledge what he was.

“Promise?” he whispered, holding my gaze.

“Promise,” I replied in a shaky voice that was trembling with fear. It wasn’t an empty promise; I could see the passion, love, and devotion I had for him in my eyes...I was just as addicted to him as he was to me.