The Darkness in the Light

Chapter Four

After that he led me to what would apparently become my new home. I sat on the floor of the empty room, wishing it was my window. There was no furniture, no lighting, nothing. I had asked him to leave, not sure if I wanted to be left alone in this place. He might be the monster that had snatched me away, but he was also the only familiar face in this tunnel of monsters.

I found my thoughts wandering to his last question before he dumped me in this dark room. Did I want to go back to my life? I did, I wanted to go back to my family and know that Brady was definitely okay, and to not have them worry about me. They probably thought I was dead. But with the threat of Brady hanging over me, no, I didn't want to return.

I'd traded myself for my brother, and I had accepted that. This was my life now, a life that I had to admit was looking much more positive than it had when I first jumped into the drains. And what if I didn't leave a family behind? What if my family was here, too? If there were multiple generations under the strangely luminescent roof, that meant there were families here. How did they live? Did they suffer from the same fear that I'd grown up with above?

Somehow, I doubted it. They may be ruled and owned by a monster, but the monster was a known one. The one small glimpse I'd gotten of this world had been full of life and energy, something I'd never seen from my window. The world I was used to was nothing but grim faces and grey days.

I had been sitting cross-legged on the floor for at least four hours when I couldn't take it any longer. I felt like a prisoner in this unfurnished room, kept without light and laughter. I was cold from my damp, dirty sleepwear, and my stomach had started to complain and cry for food. There was a small door that led to a sparsely decorated bathroom, the only thing I had access to use. Eventually I gave up.

What is your name?

My voice rang in my head, echoing as if I had said it aloud in my empty room. I huffed in frustration and stood up, stretching my limbs.

What is your name? I repeated, directing my thoughts where the darkness seemed to hover. Every blink my vision came and went. Empty room. Darkness. Empty room. Darkness. Blink.

My name?

The answer was distant, fuzzy as if it had been shouted down a long tunnel.

Yeah. Your name? Who else would I be talking about?

I felt the eye roll as if it were a thought of its own.

What do you call me? He asked curiously.

What do you mean? I don't call you anything. That's kind of why I want to know your name.

I meant what did you call me before? Or was I just 'the monster'.

You weren't even a monster. You were just two dark holes ready to swallow up my innocent brother. The drains, I guess.

I thought of the view from my window, the black eyes staring up at me.

I don't have a name anymore.

Serious?

"Yeah."

I blinked, shocked that he had spoken aloud. I rolled to my feet, glancing around. He was standing in the corner of the room, shrouded in shadow. Neither of the doors had opened.

"How did you do that?"

"The same way I do everything. Did you want me, or were you just bored?"

"What do I call you if you don't have a name?"

He shrugged, pushing off the wall and uncrossing his arms. He circled me, predatory in his gaze. I glared at him, knowing he was feeding off my fears.

"What is your name?" he asked, slowly stepping closer and closer.

I thought about it. He was going to keep me here, possibly for the rest of my life.

"Which one?" I asked, earning a confused frown.

"What did your parents name you?"

"My name was Goodweather Merrybank. Now I am nothing more than a monster's victim."

He understood my meaning and stopped his circling. He was standing directly in front of me, his eyes meeting mine.

"If you choose a name, so will I," he challenged. I blinked, shocked that he was serious.

"What do your people call you?"

"The monster, the leader, something like that. I am nothing more than a title. You are nothing more than my victim."

I shook my head.

"My name is Tempest," I corrected him. His eyes swallowed me whole, accepting the challenge we had both set.

"Mine is Noctis Monstrum."

"Are you serious? That's a stupid name," I exclaimed, breaking the tension with my rudeness.

"Yours isn't any better." He was defensive, surprising me. He couldn't have been serious about the name?

"At least it's shorter and easy to say. What sort of nickname do you give a guy called Noctis

Monstrum? And it sounds stupid anyway. Pick something that isn't obvious."

"Are you asking or telling?"

"I'm practically begging. Monster of darkness is hardly different from a title, and it's asking to be feared." I kept silent with the thoughts that it failed at that goal.

"Maybe that's what I was aiming for."

"Well, since I don't fear you, can I call you something not so hard to say?"

"Fine. My name is... Jax."

"Thank you. That is a much nicer name. Is it your own little version of Nox?"

"If I tell you will you ?"

"I didn't make you do anything."

He smiled and I took a breath, surprised that I had been chattering away like he was any person. He seemed to realize how much we had bantered as well. Taking a step back he ran his fingers through his black hair, making me realize he had removed his hoody.

"Have you retired from kidnapping people tonight?"

"No one is getting close enough to the drains, not after all the rumours that you were taken."

"What of my family? Is my brother alright?"

"He has a bit of a scratch from me dragging him, but he is fine otherwise. He thought it was fun, but your parents seem to disagree. He does miss you, though."

I nodded, my eyes threatening to water. I had done this for him and my family. He was safe and they would be happy. One less girl to worry about protecting, and they had him back to help my father out.

"Do you want a change of clothes? You look cold," he asked. I blinked back my tears and nodded silently. He walked towards the door, pausing to look around the room.

"I'll get you to pick out some furniture later, if that's alright."

I nodded and followed him back into the hallways.