Silvano was in the middle of a dark tunnel. He gasped for air and used his hands to stand up. He stumbled on the ground looking for his flashlight, but he hurt his hand with the broken glass.

"Oh, come on. Silas, where are you?" He asked timidly in the dark. He couldn’t let the insects find him.

There was nothing but silence around. He feared the worst had happened.

No, no, no. It’s impossible. I couldn’t have hurt him. Silas is way stronger than me. Why did I lose consciousness? Remember, you useless idiot, remember.

He struggled to recall his memories, he remembered being inside the tunnels looking for the base of the shadow by following the cockroaches, and then nothing. Everything was blank. He lost control and felt a pleasant sensation as the shadow took over his mind.

No, it's not real; how could I have been so stupid as to allow myself to be controlled once more! I need to find Silas.

He tried to use his power, but he was exhausted; no portals came out. There was no easy way back; the tunnels were full of darkness, and they all looked the same. Despite having no chance of making it alone, he pushed forward.

Silvano put his ear to the ground and listened to the skittering of the insects. He wasn’t a hunter, nor did he have tracking skills. The only thing he could do was try to follow the sounds. He went to the tunnel with a small breeze.

There was a giant hole below, and the wind was coming from there, but the bridge was destroyed.

What happened here? Did Silas fight someone?

He had to take another path. He walked with caution; behind any corner he could find a dozen cockroaches, or maybe the shadows would try to take over his mind again. He had to be focused and discern the illusions. It didn’t take long before the voices came from the darkness ahead.

"Over here, Silvano, please save me. I need you!" whispers and pleads that sounded like Silas assaulted his mind. The voice was in pain and distress, but he had to ignore it.

"You think I’m going to believe it so easily. That Silas is just right there in front of me, asking for help. He knows about your power; he wouldn’t wait for my help sitting in a corner. Asking for help would be the last thing on his mind."

Yes, he knew that Silas was the type of guy who did everything himself before asking for help. If he had been wounded instead of asking for help, he would have hidden and recovered his strength.

Silvano was sure of it; he saw the determination in Silas’s eyes too many times. That’s why he could advance and walk, ignoring the tears and cries of pain. This was an insult to his friend.

After half an hour, he reached a crossroads. There were signs on the walls, but he couldn’t see them well in the dark. It was more writing he couldn’t read. He thought about which way to go, but suddenly a sound came from the left-most tunnel.

It wasn’t a cry or Silas' voice, but a melody.

A harmonica? another illusion?

This could be another trick of the shadows, but the sounds of several cockroaches made it seem real. He followed the sound and hid behind a pillar. In the bottom of a large cave, there were some ruins. They were old and eroded, but the shape of the houses was still relatively intact.

On the roof of one of the houses, a melody was playing. He jumped to the rocks below to get closer and see the scene. A man playing the harmonica was surrounded by cockroaches who tried to attack him, but he only had to play this instrument.

Blades of wind flew across the cave and slashed the insects. The man danced between the legs and dodged all attacks without breaking his rhythm, no matter how many of them tried to attack.

It was an inspiring spectacle; every note played on the harmonica killed a cockroach, cutting legs and heads without resistance. The moment they were about to corner him, the man jumped to another building or to the streets below and continued to play his combat melody.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

His mastery was obvious from the number of dead bodies on the floor. Over one hundred cockroaches lay in the ruins. They were sacrifices for the performance. After all the cockroaches were killed, the man stopped playing and looked at Silvano directly.

"Did you like my performance?" His voice was soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the carnage on his feet.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Hendrix. I'm just a musician looking for something in this abandoned place," he told him with a smile.

Silvano walked closer and took a good look at Hendrix. His eyes were green, and his clothes were elegant, like a suit made of a new fabric with musical note patterns stitched all over it. He also wore a small top hat, and his hair was brown and long.

"Tell me your name, dear spectator."

"I’m Silvano from Dawn. I came here with my friend. A young man a little smaller than me. His name is Silas; have you seen him?"

"Sorry, I haven’t seen any other human here beside us two. Only insects and lizards are being manipulated by shadows." Hendrix seemed too calm and aloof. "I’m guessing Dawn is the name of your group."

"Yes, but the others aren’t here right now. We came here to kill the shadows. Why did you come to this place?" He didn’t want to reveal that he was infected, it could lead to Hendrix trying to kill him.

"I also belong to a group with other humans. Our leader asked me to come here and find World Stone. I heard that this is the world where it appears."

"Did they send you here by yourself?"

"Yes, but there is nothing to worry about. As you saw, I’m more than capable of defending myself. Say Silvano, can I ask you to tell me what you think of my performance?"

"Huh, sure." It was a weird thing to ask in this situation, but he didn’t mind entertaining him. "I never heard that song before, but it was really good. You play the harmonica very well."

"Ah, thank you. It was an original piece, so you would not recognize it. You can request any song for the next one."

"Next one?"

"Yes, I believe that one should die listening to something they like. So, choose with your heart the last melody you will hear. I’ll play it for you."

For a brief moment, the words did not sink in. The way Hendrix talked was so calm, but that made it even creepier.

"Die?" He couldn’t find an explanation, but the cold air made him take a step back. The only thing that could be a danger around here was Hendrix himself.

"Oh, it seems you mistook my intention. I’m not doing this out of anger or a secret objective. I’m just offering my service, so you don’t have to take your own life."

"What do you mean?"

"You’re infected with the shadows. I can sense it around you. If you turn into a mindless servant, I can put you out of your misery. Isn't that why you came here, to die and keep that hideous sight far away from your allies?"

He had no words; he wanted to say that it was a lie, but a part of his soul had already thought about it. To take his own life alone in the tunnels and not force his companions to kill him. If they saw his body being controlled, would that hurt them?

In that case, he needed to die while he was still sane to spare them the anguish. It was the least he could do. If he killed Silas or hurt him, that thought scared him. He couldn’t see his face after hurting him.

Hendrix got closer and put his hand over his chest.

"The heart doesn’t lie. If the shame is too hard to carry, then just let me put you to rest. I'll play a song to comfort your soul and send you peacefully to the afterlife."

He shook the hand away and grabbed his heart. "NO, I can die. I have to kill the shadows and save my friend. I know he’s still alive."

He started to run back where he came from, but a sharp pain in his neck made him stop. He could feel the blood coming from the wound and the stick pushing into his flesh.

"Sorry, but this is no longer your choice. I can’t let your soul be lost in suffering in the shadows. Letting a person suffer for his own stubbornness is too painful." His eyes were full of sadness as he said those words.

He looked down at the weapon that Hendrix was holding. It was the small stick, the one you use to play string instruments like the violin in Hendrix's right hand.

"What now?" The difference in skill was too big. He had no chance of defeating him, and he was still too tired to use his power to escape.

"In the words of the leader of our group. You have two choices: succumb to the shadow that is trying to live inside your heart like a parasite, or overcome the shadows, raise above the risk, and reach your true potential. Isn’t that nice?"

"How do I do that?"

"Just stay close to me. You don’t have to wait for the end; I help you find your way toward the shadow so you can also fight it and overcome it that way. Don’t try to run or I’ll kill you, and if you begin to succumb, I’ll end you before your soul is lost."

He had no choice but to stick with him. "Does that mean you are going to clear the way forward from the mind-controlled animals?"

"Of course, if you die before reaching your objective, it would be too sad."

Silvano couldn’t see anything else other than madness in his green eyes. Still, he was going to kill the shadow and free Silas from the infection. He swallowed.

"Ode to Joy from Beethoven, do you know how to play it?"

Hendrix smiled, and he hugged Silvano in a tight embrace full of love. "I knew it; you’re also an artist. Leave it to me; it will be the last thing you hear before you’re reborn."

A part of him thought about trying to kill him now that he was vulnerable, but he discarded the idea.

I’m glad he found me and no one else.

With death in front, killing anything that came, Silvano made his way inside the abandoned city, looking for the original shadow.