The Choices we are Given

Levi is facing his own demons..

Worlds converge as magic makes its way to its lost souls. They often overlap, confusing the people between this world and another's. There are some though that see through the Veil, and others that are blinded to it...

Rhea has the Gift of Sight. A precious child, that one. A child cursed to seeing and hearing things beyond her own realm. It often makes you wonder, what it would be like to be her. What it would be like to do anything for her.

"Seven days," the whispery voice slithers in and around Levi's ear. "I gave you seven days... Six are left... Give her up to us or face our wrath..."

"Shut up!" Levi yells at the shadowy corners of his bedroom. "Shut up, shut up!!! Leave me alone!!"

"Sacrifice the princess of light and you will live. You will rule our kingdom. You will earn your way into our arms."

"You don't even have arms!" Levi screams. "Go away before I make you!"

"The boy dare threatens us?" the voice whispers to another. "He dares defy us? End will be deeply dissatisfied."

Levi crushes a pillow atop his head in a vain attempt to block out their voices. "I won't do it," his voice breaks. "I won't let you have Rhea."

"Why does he insist on protecting the girl?" a tendril of darkness tickles Levi's bare arm. "Why does he care at all? It isn't like she is important to him. As if she were anything more than a mortal," the voices taunt.

Levi seethes beneath the pillow, wanting to shout that they're wrong. "Rhea is--" Levi stops himself, unsure how to go on with that argument.

"Nobody important?" the darkness finishes. "Nobody you wish to harm your sisters?"

"She wouldn't do that," Levi argues. "She's--"

"She's the princess merging our worlds. Bring her to us, and everyone will be safe. Even you will be kept from her harm."

"She wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose!"

"Would she?" the darkness gently takes the pillow from Levi, forcing him to meet it's glowing red eyes. It takes the form of a woman, "Do you really think your precious Rhea wouldn't hurt anyone? Do you seriously believe that she is good?" the woman caresses Levi's cheek affectionately. "Nobody is. Not even the princess of light herself!" She leans in closely, "Let me show you something..." The woman with red eyes, and ruby red lips takes Levi's hand. The world melts away, replaced with darkness and flicking tendrils of a black ooze. 

Levi opens his eyes to see a world of destruction all around him. He sees raging fires, tremendous tycoons, an unending storm, and screaming families. Death and destruction plague the realm, the stench of death fills his nose. Levi gags, yanking himself out of the woman's grip. "What is this?" he chokes.

The woman levels him with a cool gaze, "Your future," she whispers. Her eyes meet his, locking him in place. "If you refuse to hand her over, everything you know will be gone. It will turn into this," she gestures to the landscape around them. Levi raises his eyes to the sky to see a figure clad in black, ragged robes floating far above the remnants of the city. He immediately recognized the figure as his friend, Rhea. 

She spins in a slow circle, black feathered wings beat at the air in a steady rhythm as she surveys the scene. With what almost seemed to be superhuman hearing, Levi heard every word she said: "Not good enough. I'm not doing good enough!" 

A shuddering chill passed through Levi's core. "Rhea?" he says in disbelief. 

The woman nods, "She was built to balance the world, but her destiny was to always fall. To always ruin what was mean to be good."

"What do you mean...?" Levi stares up at Rhea who seems to be fluttering back and forth in the sky nervously.

"She isn't who you think she is."

A gunshot fires, its echo reverberating throughout the ashes of the city. Levi's heart stops as he sees black blood spewing from one of her wings. He squeezes his eyes shut, afraid to see her fall.

"Take me out of here," he demands.

"Watch," the woman cooes. "Watch her die, ridding the world of her evil."

Levi grunts in frustration, "Stop it!" he smacks her hand away and runs to his falling best friend. "Rhea!" he screams, allowing his dark powers to boost his speed. Each footfall lands on a tendril of shadow, pushing him forth. He launches himself up into the air, arms raised, ready to catch her. 

Rhea spins in the air, her face white with shock and horror. "Levi?" she looks into his eyes hesitantly. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me," Levi wraps his arms around her, relief flooding him as he held her tightly, falling to the ground together. His feet slammed into the ground, shattering the concrete road around them in a spiral, landing soundly in the center.

Rhea's mouth parted in shock. "You saved me?" Tears well up in her eyes at Levi's simple nod. She burrows her head into his shoulder, drawing in a shuddering breath, "I tried," she cries. "I tried to stop it all, but it happened anyway! Everything just started going crazy and-- and--" she takes a heaving breath. "And they're all gone. I died and now I'm a Shadow, and it's all my fault! I never should have let--" She sobs heavily.

Levi strokes her matted hair, pulling back to meet her eyes again, "It's okay," he smiles reassuringly.

Her eyes harden, "It's all my fault," she tenses. "I should never have let Charlie, Brookie or-- or anybody--" She sobs again. "I shouldn't have let you--"

"Time to go," the woman of darkness interjects, freezing time with a wave of her hand. Rhea's eyes, once full of light, freeze in place, locking with Levi's. 

Levi shakes Rhea's still body, panic threatening to overtake him. "What did you do?" he whirls around on the shadow woman. "Bring her back! She didn't do anything wrong!"

The woman simply shrugs, giving him a malicious smile. "You don't want this Rhea; trust me. You have six days. Remember that." She says, and the world around them falls apart, disintegrating into a dark ash.

Author's Note

Please review! Next chapter is coming out shortly!