Two men dressed in cloaks and head dresses of white and red carried a broken and beaten young man down a dark and damp hall. The young man's staggered breathing was the only thing that could be heard apart from the others' footsteps and the chains around his ankles as he was dragged along the rocky floor. Once they got to their destination, one of the men opened the cell door. Then the two threw the young man in. The young man barely resisted before realizing exactly what cell he was in.

  The young man quickly got up and slammed himself against the door, reaching out through the bars to grasp the men who put him there. The other end of the cell felt menacing and cold, like the air itself was evil and wished for nothing but the young man's death. The last thing the young man saw before being pulled back by an invisible force was the indifferent masks on the robes of men as they bowed to the unknown force.

  The two men left in short order, and the young man convulsed on the ground. He reached out like he was trying to grasp something before he fell limp completely. Before his consciousness faded out, he heard an evil cackling. As if the universe itself found his situation humorous. After his body stopped completely, a dark energy seeped out of him and hugged the end of the cell in anticipation of its next 'meal.'

  Then something impossible happened: the body groaned. The mind in the dark energy looked onward in brief surprise and horror. The young man who was supposed to be dead got up and looked around the room in a confused daze.

  'How? Why?' The dark energy thought

  'Was that young man possessed? Yes, that must be it. The one I consumed was the spirituality of the living person, then the soul that was in his body took over'

  The dark energy redirected its gaze at the young man.

  'He isn't too bad looking. Dark hair and bright brown eyes. Not that tall. But if he is already possessed, that means this body can function without its host spirit, meaning all I need to do is push that other soul out, and I can live again.'

  The dark energy moved in at breakneck speed toward the young man.

  "This body belongs to me now, punk, so move over."

  The dark being moved in, not realizing the immense amount of spirituality the young man now had. They were completely overwhelmed and consumed by it. Everything that once belonged to the dark being now belonged to the young man.

  'How is this possible? Why are you so strong? I just wanted to live.' The dark being thought as it screamed out in agony and regret.

  'Where am I? Who was that screaming?' The young man thought

  'I was just at school a moment ago.' The young man grabbed the bridge of his nose and squinted his eyes. 'I don't remember anything after I got to homeroom.' The young man looked around again, then noticed a glint in the barred door. 'Silver?' The young man brushed away the dust on one of the bars and saw his reflection in the door bar. 'What the hell! That is not my face. That is not my face.' The young man paced the cell a few times, freaking out. 'No, no, calm down, Eric. This must be some type of dream, or nightmare.' Just as Eric calmed himself down, a flood of information filled his head. He grabbed both sides of his head and screamed. It felt as if hot pockers were repeatedly jabbed into his head.

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  The scream attracted the men who threw the young man to the dark entity. When they got to the door and saw Eric hunched over, they were in awe. This was because they could see the dark energy that once belonged to the entity, now emanating from Eric. They opened the door, came in, and prostrated themselves.

  "We are glad to see that we have finally chosen a vessel to your liking, my lord." one said

  "We will serve however you see fit; all we ask in return is your grace and wisdom, oh great Zallen of old Novara." The other followed

  Eric barely registered what the two said. He was in too much pain from the information being injected into his mind. Several minutes passed, and the two lifted their heads in confusion. Then one nodded at the other, signaling him. The other got out a brass blade. He held it up and spoke in a language Eric didn't recognise. Then the blade glowed a bright yellow, like it was reflecting the sun. The other man reacted immediately and kicked Eric in the stomach.

  The pain became too much as Eric screamed again. But this time, an invisible force pushed and dragged the two robbed and masked men in the room. Eric, having gained some of his senses back, stumbled out of the room. The two men fought the invisible force precisely swinging their weapons like they could see the force and followed after Eric. Before Eric could turn the corner of the hall, the man with the knife threw it into his shoulder. Eric pulled it out and kept running. He felt warm blood flow down his back and leg as he ran to what he hoped was an exit. 'That was stupid. Am I going to bleed out?'

  Minutes later, Eric tasted iron in his mouth and felt his warm slick blood in his palm. He saw light bleed through a crack in an old wooden door. He reached out his hand to grasp the knob. He staggered, but caught himself. Then opened the door to see that he was in the middle of the woods. he could only take in the vivid green of the area and smell the cool breeze as it ruffled the leaves of the trees for a moment.

  Eric felt another cold blade jab into his back. A reminder of his situation. He fell forward as the man pulled the knife back out with a crack. 'No. Why do I have to die. I was so close to getting out and finding some sort of answer.' The sorrow and frustration Eric felt having been robbed of freedom at the finish line moved the tendrils of his spirituality to pierce his pursuers and into himself. They willed his body forward. 'I think I can get up now. It's strange but I'll figure it out later.' The panicked screams of the masked men echoed through the woods, but were soon replaced by Eric's ragged breathing and the cracks of the foliage under his feet. Some time later Eric's spirituality was almost completely spent as he collapsed onto the forest floor. With nothing left to usher his body forward; he couldn't keep going.

  Later, he woke up in a hospital bed. Many parts of his body were wrapped in cloth. Eric took a moment and looked at himself before saying under his breath, "What the hell is going on?"

  The door on the other side of the room creaked open, and a girl in a green rustic dress that stopped halfway between her feet and knees walked through. Once she saw Eric, she ran over, tears welling up in her green eyes. She hugged him tightly, which shot a bolt of pain through Eric's not yet healed injuries.

  "Maverick! Thank heavens you're awake."

  'Who's Maverick? What do I do?' Eric panicked

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