Elex Vinspear (POV)

I had the sensation of my body, but no control over it. I was conscious, yet, I wasn’t awake, and this wasn’t the first time I had experienced this feeling before. The feeling of being aware that you are asleep. Usually, my brain would trick me into believing that whatever scenario or dream it would put me in was real. However, when I was like this, aware that I was dreaming, I knew what was real and what was in my head. Now that I stood at the top of the stairwell that led down to Rosh’s cell, I knew that I was in a real place, but I wasn't there in the real world, I think.

I looked at my surroundings, taking in the view of the bottom floor of the tower. However, things were incomplete, missing, and shrouded in an eerie darkness. I could look over into the corner of the building, but it wasn't the way I knew it to be, and for the areas I didn't recognize, were covered with a darkness that brought uneasiness to my senses. The only thing that was familiar was the path ahead of me, the descent towards the cell that held Rosh, our supposed objective.

I took my first step down, and my legs wobbled with uncertainty. It felt as if I were about to fall, and my coordination was slow and sluggish, but I pushed onward, step after step, one foot in front of the other. Every moment it felt like I could tumble over, and make my way crashing down the steps, but my body held resilient, and my posture stayed upright.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, the long cold stone corridor edged me on, taunting me to walk forward and meet what it held at its end. I gave in, and followed suit, hearing the echo of my footsteps and seeing the air of my breath take form in front of me. My body tingled and my muscles tensed in fear, but my heart - which should have been thumping hard within my chest - seemed to be silent.

The corridor was illuminated with cool blue flamed pitchforks that stood perched on the walls as I approached closer to the cell door. Spiderwebs had taken form in areas that were not affected by their heat, and mold had formed in areas that supported its growth.

I approached the symbolically carved cell door with caution, fully taking in and observing the hieroglyphic symbols as I rubbed my hand against its surface. My mind was beginning to form a sea full of questions, all of them leading back to one. Why was I here?

As I continued to feel around the cell door, I wondered if the prisoner was still inside. I’ve openly expressed my distrust of Rosh to the others before, my mind and soul constantly telling me that something wasn’t right about the person who was locked away behind this door. And now that I have found myself here - at the gates of his cell - within my dreams, my trust wasn’t getting any better.

My hand made its way down to one of the more detailed markings on the door, rubbing my fingers through its crevices gently, I could truly get a sense of how thick the cell was. I concluded that only people who truly had something to fear would trap it atop a mountain and leave it locked away behind magically fortified seals. I knew in my heart that Rosh was not what he seemed, but I had a lack of evidence to actually prove it.

Suddenly, a cracking noise filled the air and I jolted up taking a few steps back from the cell door. ‘Did I touch something?’ I asked myself, ‘What was that noise?’. The door continued to groan and it appeared to be slowly opening up, an entryway forming as it split into two separate parts down the middle. In no time, it was wide open, and I stood on guard as I was now faced with the pitch-blackness of the cell’s interior.

“Hello?” My voice echoed throughout the dark chamber.

I attempted to use my arc stone to send a gust of wind into the room in hopes it would react with something. However, it appeared that my abilities were non-existent, as my attempt to control the wind was in vain. I glanced down at my palms in surprise and shot my eyes back upward as I heard a noise come from the darkness. A light cackle, that slowly grew louder and turned into an uncanny howl.

I stood there and watched in surprise as the sound of rattling chains began to move, and another pair of footsteps that were not my own could be heard. The only problem was . . . they were my own footsteps, or so, I thought.

My eyes widened as once again, I was paired face to face with another version of myself. A smile that made me uncomfortable plastered on his face as he walked out of the darkness. As I had seen before, his body was covered with the white markings of the Trigon, only this time they seemed to be spread out more and covered a larger area of his body.

He stopped just a few feet in front of me, as the chains that bound his hands and feet together would not let him walk any further away from the cell.

“What, do you want?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

He didn't respond, but instead continued to look me in my eyes with a menacing grin on his face. It was strange seeing myself with such an expression. It was strange seeing myself period, but it only made it worse with the way he looked at me.

“I said, what do you want?” I repeated with more breath in my voice.

His smile faded and he tilted his head back a little, “For you to understand?” he replied.

“What?”

“You need to understand, that you don’t need them,” he said.

“Need who?” I asked.

“The others, your friends. Chrollo, Leo, Christina, Sarah, Zack.” he named a few. “Understand that you don’t need them at all and that you only need me.” his smile returned.

“You and I are one and the same, so instead of relying on them, use me instead.”

I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I wasn't going to stay here and listen. I turned around to head back down the tunnel that brought me here, but I was faced with brick walls as I turned my head.

He chuckled to himself, “You can't run away from this place, or better yet, you can't run away from me, Elex.” he said. “Tell me, how do you plan on running away from yourself?”

“You're right, I don’t need to run away,” I said, “This is all in my head - it’s a dream.”

A haughty laugh escaped his mouth, and he sighed in amusement afterward. ”Please just stop,” he said with a wide grin, “It's embarrassing being forced to listen to myself make such childish claims.”

“There is nothing you can do, to get rid of me. I am your fate.”

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re definitely not me.” I denied. He laughed at the statement again, and I suppose I could understand at how silly it was.

“Only a fool would deny themselves when looking into a mirror,” he said.“ But if that's what you wish to believe then go ahead. Just because you believe something, doesn’t mean it changes the truth. You’re just-” He stopped and his smile faded again. This time, a look of enmity formed on his face as he glanced behind me.

I was going to turn my head to see what had stolen his attention, but the weight of a large hand resting on my shoulder made me freeze in place. My eyes darted to the fingers and the black tendrils that seemed to have shadows swirling within themselves clutch me tighter and pull me back.

In horror, I slowly lifted my head up to look above me, and as I expected, the tall dark shadow creature I had seen in my nightmares before, towered over me.

“What are you?” The fake asked.

The shadow creature ignored him and looked down at me. My body began to tingle, and the feeling of dread molested and drowned my senses. The creature formed a hole in its face, a wide black spot that was darker than the shade of its skin, and withit came a deep loud vibration. One that moved through my entire body, and amidst my increaseing fear, it almost felt as if I could . . . understand it.

I gasped in fear, letting out a sharp grimace as I tried to sit up. However, my shoulder prevented me from moving too quickly as the pain it provided was intense. I looked around with a light sweat covering my face, panting erratically. I was in my tent, and a quick glance out of the hole in the entrance told me it was night.

‘What is wrong with me,’ I thought to myself. This can’t go on. I feel as If I'm losing myself within these nightmares.

I slowly rose from my sleeping bag, only to find someone lying next to me. I leaned over to see who it was, and as I half expected it to be, Chrollo lay there unconscious, bandages wrapped around his forehead. My memory was somewhat foggy, but I do remember we had taken quite the fall after fighting the Imp - Chrollo more than I. However, I did not leave that battle unscathed. My arm lay tightly across my torso as bandages had been wrapped around my shoulder and back, supporting it in place.

I turned my head to look over at Chrollo, sighing as I watched him rest, “I’m sorry,” I whispered under my breath, hoping he would hear me in someway.

I then got out of my sleeping bag, unzipped the entrance to the tent, and began to make my way out. The wind was strong at night like it usually was atop this seemingly desolate mountain, the only thing giving it character was the ominous tower that rested at its peak.

I covered myself with a thick coat of mana to keep me warm as my chest and torso were exposed to the elements. I stared at the tower and took in the view as the half-moon sat impartial in the sky while shining its light down on all.

I made my way towards the entrance of the tower, walking past the deformed pieces of land, the scorched surfaces of the ground, shards of scattered icicles, and the looming pillar of earth that I had jutted from the ground to reach the sun’s gaze. As I walked up the steps to the tower doors, a dried spot of blood stared back up at me, and my mind raced back to Chrollo, in hopes that he was truly ok.

The doors opened with a loud groan - much louder than I would have liked - but the howling wind of night would cover up most of the noise for anyone who was close enough to hear. Just like In my dream, I now faced the entrance downward to Rosh’s cell, and as I looked around, everything was where it was meant to be. I opened the trapdoor, and descended down the stone steps with my bare feet, fully absorbing the cold.

The deep-blue fire lights still burned brightly across the corridor walls on their torches, and they led me to the cell door of that which I saw in my dreams. I rubbed my hands along the surface of the door, in an attempt to recreate the actions I had done in the dream. However, after multiple minutes of doing the same action, nothing happened. There were no sounds, no clicks, and no parting down the middle.

I took and step back from the cell and sighed. “Just as I thought,” I said to myself. Of course, it was stupid, to think the door would open with simply a touch. This only further proved that my dreams were merely twisted warpings of my mind - nothing of concern. At least not until insomnia drives me mad.

I stared at the cell door and pondered while I observed the runic symbols etched into its surface. I remembered that some of the symbols had emitted a hue of light when the door came into contact with one of the keys, and my mind wondered what sort of magic this world used. Of course, mana was present here, but these runic symbols on the door didn't emit any type of mana signature that I could pick up or sense.

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Rosh had said that his father, who had come from the stars - whatever that meant - was one of the individuals who had taught the people of this world how to use such magical talents. I wondered if Rosh could also use those same abilities, and if he could, what was stopping him from using them to escape?

I shouldn’t have spent too much time thinking of such things, as my curiosity eventually took the better of me, and caused me to speak out loud.

“Hello?” I said half-heartedly at the cell door.

I didn't get any response at first, however, I wasn’t going to give up just like that. Even if the rational part of my mind told me to leave, my curiosity wouldn’t allow this moment to pass.

“Rosh? Are you there?” I repeated. It was obvious that he couldn’t be anywhere else, but, to my disappointment, there was still no response.

‘Could he be asleep?’ I wondered.

However, I suppose it didn't matter. He wasn’t responding to me for whatever reason, and I didn’t have the patience to wait. So, I turned my back and started to head for the exit.

“You give up so easily, child?” His voice echoed throughout the chamber. “I have been here, trapped, for many years now. So, if there is anything that I’ve learned that I can teach you, it would be that patience is a virtue. Perhaps you should learn that.”

“Maybe,” I replied, “But I’m not the one who’s trapped, and unlike you, I won’t be sustained forever by magic.”

“Ahh yes, however, that will all change, won't it,” he said.

“Why’s that?”

“Well, because I assume you and your friends haven’t stopped searching for keys to get me out. Speaking of which, where is that other boy? The one who normally talks.”

That's right, Leo was the only one who spoke to Rosh, I suppose hearing a new voice must be surprising to him. Perhaps it was a bit rash of me to speak so openly with him, but I suppose I’m a bit too far gone now.

“He isn’t here, it's just me today.” I finally said. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”

“No, not at all,” he replied. “But it makes me wonder, what is it that you want, child?”

I paused for a moment, and I thought to myself, thought back to my nightmares of this place, the shadow creature, the trigon, all of it. I know that they were all dreams, and were probably nothing of any real importance, but why did they take me to Rosh’s cell?

“I . . . I want to know more about you and about this place, the tower. I want to know it all.” I said. If there was anything I should be asking, it should be about him. That would be the first step in understanding all of this.

I could hear him turn on the other side of the cell door, and a sigh escaped from his mouth, “What exactly about me do you wish to know, child?”

“Where are you from? Where did you live before all this?” I asked.

“I’ve forgotten the name,” he said. “It’s been so long since I’ve last been to my home, but I remember that I lived near a wide river. One I used to play across when I was a child. The River Gihon, it was called. I suppose you haven’t heard of it?” he explained.

“No, unfortunately not,” I said. “My knowledge of this place is lacking.”

“As I thought,” he said. “It seems time has washed away the history of old. Your friend said that you people were not from here, so, tell me, where do you come from?”

“A land far away, a place that you can never go.”

“Like my father?” he asked.

I hesitated a bit, “I’m not sure, I didn’t exactly understand what you meant when you said your father was from the stars, so I can’t say for sure.”

“Well, just that,” he confirmed. “My father was special - like no other - my mother would say. He came from a place of great honor and power, and upon his journey here with his people he met my mother. She used to tell me stories about how they fell in love and had me. Due to his origins, I was blessed, you could say. Or perhaps cursed would be a better way of putting it. But I was different from everyone else, nonetheless. There were others like me, no doubt, but very few, we were the obvious minority by far,” he said.

“So then what happened? How did you end up here?”

“My father and the people of his kind began teaching the inhabitants of the earth their knowledge of power and secret arts. They taught them so much and showed them how to alter living creatures and create solutions to fulfill their desires. It came to the point where almost everyone had changed, no one was what they used to be and they were all content with their lives. However, one day, a man came warning us of a natural disaster. A doomed fate for all people if we didn't change our ways. Everyone laughed at him, told him he was a fool and that he should carry on with his business. You see, this man was different from the rest of them because he was still the same. His family hadn’t indulged in the teachings of my father's people, and so, everyone thought he was an apocalyptic fool.”

“But of course, the disaster did come, didn’t it,” I commented.

“Oh, it came, alright. It came with such speed and ferocity that no one had time to prepare for it. And it wiped out everything. I was one of the few to be left alive near the end. However, before I would perish, I pleaded to whatever higher power there was to save me, and I was saved. For over a month, I struggled to survive and live comfortably, but survive, I did, and live, I did,” Rosh said. “Only after things had calmed down, new people began to appear, and they knew nothing of me, but something told them that it was because of me, and beings of my kind that the world was cursed with natural disaster. So the few of them, who somehow obtained the knowledge my father’s people had taught, created this prison and kept me in here under this tower,” he finished.

“I see,” I said scratching my chin. “So what is this place? The tower, I mean.”

“A monument, of sorts. My prison was built first, but the tower was built to cover it. It used to be a place where the people of the time would work together to create a building they could use to reach their God and worship him. As they all worked together, it was apparent that there was nothing they couldn’t do, but somewhere during their creation of the building, they weren’t able to work with each other anymore, some confusion arose between them, and so they all gave up, and tower was left unfinished.” He explained. “It was only a few decades later that the Shandals arose, and they became away of my presence under here. So they dedicated their lives to set me free,” he finished.

“I suppose, you’re glad that we came then, huh?”

“Oh, you have no idea. After Morsom died, it was years before you people arrived. Usually, the next Shandal would take the place of the recently deceased within a year. I thought the people of the world had forgotten about me, but then, you and you’re friends showed up. For that, I am grateful and I thank you.”

“You’re welcome, I guess,” I replied.

His explanation seemed to be sincere, and I didn’t really have any reason to doubt his knowledge of his own past. However, It still troubled me that I couldn’t link anything he was saying to my nightmares. Perhaps I was looking into it too deeply.

I turned around to finally make my leave when he spoke out to me once more. “Where are you going, child?” he asked.

“Away,” I replied, “I’ve learned all I wish to know, and I must return to the others,” I said turning my back on the cell again.

“Have you told them?” he said.

“Told them what?”

“About how you’re different to them.”

“Different?” I scoffed. “How have you come to that conclusion?”

“You lie to yourself, child? Despite the fact that you know it. You can feel it in you, for I can feel it in you. We are the same. Me, you, and another.”

A light chuckle escaped my mouth, “What are you talking about? How can we be the same? I told you, I’m not even from this place.” I said.

“It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not, one day the people will know you’re true nature, and they will punish you, just as the people of my time punished me.” He said.

I shook my head, “Goodbye, Rosh.”

“I will see you again, child.”

I stopped as he finished speaking. I turned my head to ask him one last question. “Why is it that you call me child? You have spoken with another person just like me, and you do not call them child.”

“How can you not call someone who follows the same path you did, but is ignorant of where it leads a child?” he said. “I said you are the same as me, and I have suffered. Therefore, you will suffer. I have been accused, and therefore, you will be accused. It is not just a matter of age that makes children, but also a matter of knowledge and acceptance of oneself.” he finished.

“I have knowledge,” I replied with a salty tone.

“Do you?” he said teasingly.

I left the chamber and made my way back up the stone steps to the cold dark foyer of the tower. A waste of time it was to come here. Rosh knew nothing of me, and yet, despite his situation, he let his mouth run rampant with foolish words that had fallen on rational ears. He must think me a fool to believe him. I know what my fate will be, and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop me from reaching it. As I made it to the top of the stone steps, I could see outside of the door I left open. the night sky was still present, and it didn’t look like It was going to be leaving any time soon. Seeing this, I made my way to the exit as I planned to try and make myself sleep until the sun arose.

“Where are you going?” A voice called out, causing me to jolt in shock.

I turn around to look up and see Leo standing at the top of the stairs that led to the first floor of the tower. A lit candle in his hands and a book under his armpit.

“Leo,” I said with relief.

“Having a night-time stroll are we?” he asked with a smirk. “With an injury like that, I suggest you take it easy with how much you move,” he pointed to my arm.

“What are you doing up?” I asked.

“Deciphering more of this diary left by the Shandal.” he said as he descended the stairs. “It's very uncomfortable trying to do anything in that tent with the wind howling in the background. But what about you? I understand that you have woken up, but why are you in here?” he asked.

I shrugged, “Like you said, a night-time stroll.”

He eyed me down with doubt, "Of course," he walked up closer to me and looked at my shoulder, “How are you feeling?”

“Could be worse,” I said, “does feel a bit swollen though.”

“Naturally,” Leo replied. “Your shoulder had popped right out of its socket when we found you, if it weren’t for Zack who put it back in place while you were out, it would still be dislocated at this very moment.”

“It fully dislocated, huh?.” I said looking at my bandaged shoulder. “I’ll have to thank him when I see him later.” We began walking together back to camp. Leo said he had been up for some time and was beginning to feel drowsy.

“We were thinking of taking you guys back to the Gala when we found you, but Chrollo was in a really bad state, and we didn’t want to move your body too much in case your shoulder had taken more damage than we could see from the outside,” Leo explained. “So, we waited for you guys to wake up, however, you’ve been asleep for an entire day”

I gasped with eyes stretched wide, “What? We were really out for that long?”

Leo nodded to confirm, “And I fear Chrollo may still not wake for much longer. There was so much blood, burn stains, and strangely enough multiple shards of ice scattered around the place.” he said with amusement. “I mean, what really happened with the Imp?”

“It was able to get some of its blood on Chrollo,” I said regrettably. “He had a reckless plan to destroy it, which in theory could have worked if we had the experience, but it was reckless nonetheless.”

“Wait what?” Leo said in shock. “So, he was under its control? Did he attack you?”

“He did, but I was able to get rid of the Imp before Chrollo could hurt me. So everything should be fine.” I said.

“Damn,” Leo kissed his teeth, “I wish I knew sooner. Since you’re awake, we’ll have to take him back to the Gala in the morning. If he really got Imp’s blood on his skin, then he’ll need to be treated by a doctor. I just hope he didn’t get too much on him. Imps blood when it touches you, enters your own body, and mixes with your own blood. That’s probably one of the main reasons why Chrollo hasn’t woken up yet. His brain and other limbs require his own blood to function properly, but instead, his body is filled with the blood of the Imp.” Leo explained. “I’m guessing he took a large dose of it then?”

“You could say that,” I said thinking back to our fight with the Imp.

“Well, we should wake up early in the morning and head down. Since only you and Chrollo got injured, I’ll come to keep you company and maybe someone from Chrollo’s group can stay with him.”

“Won’t the group need you in the dungeon for leadership?” I asked.

“Not really,” he sighed. “We already took the second key to Rosh’s cell and all we need to do is find the last one. Besides, I can use this time to try and decipher more of Morsom’s diary. I’m really learning a lot about this place.” he said showing me the book.

We arrived back at the camp where everyone else was asleep in their tents. Leo and I parted ways and went to our respective tents for the night. As I opened mine, I saw Chrollo still lying there unconscious. The bandages wrapped around his forehead seemed to be coming loose, and patches of blood seemed to be forming on the white material.

“Just hold on a little longer,” I said resting my hand on his sleeping bag.