The day for the wager which Keisha requested had come and filled every Cipher members fear for her possible outrage. Although aware that she could control and maintain her emotions because of Zhackary’s help, she’s still cautious to at least not to take another life and devour one’s fresh skin again. Staring at her own reflection towards a mirror in front of a sink, she nextly rinsed her face then went back to stare at herself again. Her entire eyes changed into pitch black as she felt that certain impression of excitement; too much of an excitement than a normal person should have. She grinned from ear to ear followed by her distinguished giggles echoing through the hallways outside her room.

“Another day, another diamond, Keisha. It seems like they’ll be kissing their queen’s feet after this… YOU! Don’t you dare get in the way of my plans, Keisha. If you don’t want your little brother to die in the hands of those ruthless people.”

She held her head up high and fought with her own thoughts. Shrieking in agony and all irritated, her eyes suddenly turned green in fear. Her heart beat raised, and tears began raining down across her cheeks. Keisha picked up the knife lying close on the rims of the sink, pointed it on her neck.

“S-stop! I… I’m not going to put harm on anyone anymore!”

It might seem odd to see someone talking to herself this way, but it surely was hard to witness someone trying so hard just to take control of her emotions. Her eyes abruptly became as odd as ever: Her left eye stayed green but the right one was filled with black and was bleeding like a pen’s ink.

“You know you can’t kill me, Keisha. I AM part of you, and you are part of me”, she grinned to her reflection. Then she slowly slashed the blade against her neck, spurting out blood then stained everything near it.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT!”

“YOU HAVE NO CHOICE KEISHA BUT LIVE STUCK WITH US!”

Keisha herself sobbed as she cut deeper, this was as if she’s not in control anymore. S-stay… a-away… from… them.” She began coughing, finally having the taste of her own blood.

A loud bang cutted by, it was from someone who nextly barged into her room. She was suddenly taken down on the coldest floor by two people, confiscating the knife from her bloodstained hand.

“Jeff! Shino! Please hold her and use all your strength”, Zhackary yelled and asked his companions for help.

Then Jeffrey responded, “Got it.”

The young man quickly noticed Keisha’s beastly eyes and easily identified her foggy emotions that made him struggle so much to tame her impulses. His heart synced with the same feeling of terror and excitement. He also witnessed the deep cut on her neck, gushing out crimson, staining her cotton shirt. Keisha began to cry for his name.

“Z-zhack… Help me… Get it.. o-off me… p-please.”

“Should we let go of her now? She seems tamed to me”, Jeffery worriedly told everyone.

“Don’t be deceived though. It’s not like I don’t trust her. It’s just that, we are aware of how strong she is”, Shino sighed as he also wanted to let her go but he must restrict himself.

“Well… If you say so”, Jeff agreed and nodded.

Zhackary tapped Shino’s shoulder, he spoke, “Shino, I’ll hold her off. You need to get the first aid supplies now. The cut on her neck is quite deep, but I think it’s far from her arteries.”

“Will do, Z.”

The man in a white medical lab coat, Shino, hurried off to do what he’s told. On the other hand, Zhack was still figuring out what he should do to turn Keisha back to normal. Keisha stared at the depths of his soul, giving him nightmares and constantly cried out for help at the same time. He heard her call his name even without seeing her physically speaking. She acted differently, contradicting with her pleas in the lad’s head.

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“I’m scared… It’s taking over me.”

Zhackary’s shrieking filled the room and alarmed the other youngster who’s holding the bleeding princess in his hands. He held his head in extreme aching then passed out. Keisha lay down unconscious as well after Zhackary.

*Keisha and Zhackary’s subconsciousness*

In the void, where there was nothing but darkness, Zhackary’s purest form lit up as he opened his eyes. His soft gasp echoed further and further into the void. It was as vast as the universe, that could be as infinite as forever.

“Keisha? Are you there?”, he called out to the void itself.

…

“You there? You there? You there?”

The echoes answer back and gradually fade away. Not a little while a reply hollered back with a voice of a lost girl, calling for help.

“They’re going to take me away! Zhack!”

Zhackary quickly responded, “Keisha?! Hey! Where are you?”

“I’m sinking. I can’t break free”, she cried out, and her voice was echoing as well.

He immediately swam into the abysses of the void to where Keisha’s voice came from. He saw the same light energy he has as of this moment, it might be an indication of their existence. Keisha’s hand reached out but was kept from swimming further. Her entire body was now being wrapped in black shadows, spewing death on her ear.

“Just let us do the job and your life will be at its finest.”

“Your brother and Zhackary need us more than you. You are nothing and you should descend deeper in this nothingness.”

“I don’t want to stay here anymore, Zhack… PLEASE!”, she cried.

“I’m coming to get ya, okay? Just keep on reaching out your hand”, Zhack told her to make her feel less frightened of what's happening.

He swam deeper to where Keisha was, grabbing her hand, pulling her away from the darkness. Keisha’s eyes turned bright blue in hopelessness, and the nothingness itself washes away her river of tears. Meanwhile, Zhack’s irises shined in gold and smiled back at her, filling her with determination to set herself free from the abyss.

“I will get you out of there. Just trust me.”

As gradually being filled with hope, Keisha was being set free from the arms of pitch. But she looked back, and one of them grabbed her by her leg.

“Z-ZHACK! DON’T LET ME GO!”, her eyes shone in their brightest green and she continuously kicked her feet against the shadows.

“DON’T MOVE! They will stop now…”, Zhackary covered her eyes with his right hand.

“WE NEED SOMEONE TO FILL THE VOID.”

Keisha shrieked, “NOOOO!!”

…

Silence filled the nothingness… Keisha was left alone. All that she remembered was that Zhack sank into the abyss, saving her from being pulled down by the hungry shadows.

“Zhack?? Zhack!”, she sobbed. She tried swimming to where Zhackary possibly sank with the shadows but she saw no one.

And she called out for once again, hoping that she would at least hear his voice again, “Zhack… Please answer me. Don’t leave me alone.”

But no one answered, even the echoes did not reply anymore.

*Reality*

“Z-zhack… Zhack… Why did you… leave me?”

The youngster cried while she was asleep the entire time, calling the one who saved her from the abyss but left being a lost sheep again.

“I’m sorry… I.. shouldn’t have existed.”

Zhackary, who was now awake from the same dream, shaking her to wake up, “Hey, hey. I’m here. Keisha, wake up.”

Her eyes opened in hope after hearing his voice. It widened in disbelief after realizing that Zhackary was still alive after falling into the abyss.

She just wrapped her arms around Zhack, weeping over that nightmare she had with him.

“I-I thought you sank with the shadows…”

He hugged her back, warming up their bodies in their tight embrace.

…

“I did sink… But at least I saved you from them. Please don’t cry”, Zhackary comforted her, caressing her head.

“I thought you’re gonna leave me”, Keisha replied, still with that obvious fright on her face.

“Not anymore… Because I am a part of you now”, he assured, finally let go of her from his warm embrace.

Keisha paused as she thought of the words to say to Zhackary.

“Am… I... a part of you too?”

…

“Yes… And I’m happy that you’re a part of me.”