Rekindled

9 - In the Void

KAI'S POV

The last I saw was Nya and Skylor, surrounded by my flames before I blacked out, gravity pulling me down. I braced for impact and felt a sharp pain on my back, followed by another one on my leg. I saw a glimpse of my legs being dragged out of the rubble before giving into oblivion's arms.

I found myself on the cold ground. My eyes cracked open, slowly gaining consciousness of my surroundings. I rubbed my eyes which steadily regained their vision.

I was in the void.

I felt my neck and the scar was still there. That left me questioning - am I actually in the void? I stood up and looked around. There hung a darkness for miles. My breathing felt heavy and the air felt humid. An unpleasant wind brushed down my spine and as it did, there was a horrible sting around all my scars from the fall. I heard a sinister whisper from behind me. 

Manak emerged from the cloud. 

"Surprised to see me?" he sneered.

I gasped and ran away with all the strength that I had left within me, tears flowing down my face. I was trying to ignore the pain in all of my limbs that didn't seem to go away. I shut my eyes tightly, tried to think of something that...

Something that would calm me.

I stopped to catch my breath. I took deep breaths, still keeping my eyes shut. I did my forms and let the energy pass through me. It slowed down my tears and shaky breath. I opened my eyes again. A static sound filled my ears as I stared into a white static screen-like space in front of me. The image became clearer. It was the monastery. There were people there - the others. They were okay! 

"HAHA! YES! I DID IT!" I cheered, jumping up and down. "I did it... I kept my promise... I promised to protect you, Nya... I promised to protect you all and I fulfilled my destiny," I sighed. "What now?"

What now...?

"You really are foolish... You left them exposed, Kai..." Manak hissed from behind me. I panicked and prepared my fighting stance - my legs were still shaking just as much as my breath was. I stared into Manak's deep purple eye. He should put an eye patch over his other one, it's a bit creepy. I clenched my fists further and let my fingernails dig into my palms. 

"What do you mean? You lost, remember?" I said.

Manak replied with a menacing chuckle. 

"You are yet to fulfil that little petty destiny of yours... You left them out in the open..." I heard some metal rattling and scraping lightly from behind me. I quickly snapped around. I gasped to see a scope zoomed into Nya's head. My breathing became quicker.

"You wouldn't dare..." I looked at Manak.

"Imagine what all the citizens would think when they find out that Nya's precious big brother killed her."

"Me...?" Oh shit... He's controlling my real body...

"You got that right... I tortured her daughter before. I can do far worse... I'll give you a choice. You will do everything I ask you of. You will give into my power as your new Master and you will submit to me and only me. Or... you can repress, keep running away and..." I was startled when the gun cocked back. I turned around and breathed even faster. 

"No? In that case..."

"WAIT!" I turned back to Manak, sighed and looked at my feet. "I'll do it." Manak raised his eyebrow and smirked. 

"You'll do it, what?"

"I'll do what you want... Master," I chocked out, gritting my teeth. A tear of frustration rolled down my cheek. I had no choice. I was in the void after all. There's no escape from here.

"Very well, then..." He walked a few steps away. I turned around as the screen flickered and turned into smokey vines which shot out towards me as I heard a gunshot. 

"NO!" I yelled as he vines rapidly grabbed my limbs and forced me on my knees. I felt something click around my neck. More hot tears ran down my face like a waterfall. 

What the fuck have I done...?

I cried as the vines held me tighter around my wrists and ankles. I watched the teardrops fall onto the cold hard ground between my knees.

"What have you done?" I said through my clenched teeth.

"Absolutely nothing." He was holding a sniper and reloaded it. The tip of the long barrel of the sniper was smoking.

I stared at the smoke and furrowed my brows and wanted to stand up and strangle the bastard. "You MOTHERFU-" I was interrupted by a sharp burning sensation in my neck. I yelled as I fell back to my knees.

"You would do well not to do that. You're under my control now. That collar will electrocute you every time that you try to oppose me." He kicked me in the stomach, leaving me temporarily breathless. I coughed and caught my breath again. Manak lifted my head up with the tip of the rifle, still hot from the shot he took. My vision was blurry from the tears that kept forming in my eyes. Manak knelt to me and held my head with his other cold hand as the rifle turned to smoke. 

"You know... You could say you somewhat won against me. I'm in prison and because of you, my power is draining leaving me with the power to only control one person at a time." He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "However, your foolishness left your supposedly lifeless body exposed to my power to manipulate it..." He let go of my head and took and walked up behind me. 

"Don't worry, I'll visit frequently..." He chuckled as he disappeared into the cloud. 

I was left alone in the cold - vines still grasped tightly around my limbs.