Darkside

DK 5

Ava’s eyes couldn’t help but drift toward the sparring warriors in the training grounds. They moved like shadows, precise and fast, each strike bursting with sudden flares of light that shimmered across their arms, shoulders, and even their backs. It took Ava a moment to realize what she was actually seeing—tattoos. Glowing tattoos. Some were faint and delicate, no more than a small crescent shape, while others stretched like entire constellations etched into the skin.

The sight fascinated her, though a twinge of unease coiled in her stomach. She finally tugged on Talia’s sleeve, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. “What’s with the tattoos?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. “Everyone here looks like they’re in some kind of glowing ink cult.”

Talia snorted in amusement at her choice of words. “Glowing ink cult? Please. Those are Soul Warden marks,” She said with such ease, as though Ava should have already known.

“Soul Warden marks?” Ava repeated, frowning in confusion.

“Yeah,” Talia explained with a casual shrug. “They’re ranks. Each tattoo shows where a Warden stands in the hierarchy. The stronger you are, the bigger and brighter the mark. It’s like wearing your power on your skin.”

Ava squinted at one of the warriors—a man whose upper arm blazed with the design of a radiant sunburst, its glowing lines almost pulsing with each strike he made. “So basically,” she muttered, “a giant neon badge that says: ‘don’t mess with me’?”

“Exactly,” Talia said with a sly grin. “Novices only get a tiny crescent moon on their wrist, barely visible unless you’re looking for it. As they climb, the tattoos evolve—stars, sunbursts, moons. And if you ever see an eclipse tattoo…”

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Eclipse?”

Talia’s grin faded slightly, her voice lowering as if even speaking of it was dangerous. “That’s the top. The Eternals.… they’re the highest-ranking Soul Wardens. There are only seven of them, and each one is powerful enough to make shadows themselves cower.”

Ava arched a brow. “Seven? Like some creepy, glowing council?”

“Something like that,” Talia admitted with a small shrug. “But don’t mistake them for saints. They may protect the balance, but every one of them has their… reputation.”

Ava tilted her head, intrigued despite herself. “Okay. Spill. Who are they?”

Talia’s eyes gleamed, as though she enjoyed telling the stories almost as much as Ava enjoyed hearing them. “At the very top is Theophilus, the leader. They call him the Cold-Blood Demon. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t flinch, doesn’t hesitate. If he decides a soul isn’t worth saving, he’ll cut them down without a shred of guilt.”

Ava shivered. “So… friendly guy.”

“Friendly as a snake in a coffin,” Talia replied dryly. “Then there’s Tyberius, known as the Double-Edged Sword. Nobody ever really knows where his loyalty lies—he can save you in one moment and slice you down in the next. Even the other Eternals keep an eye on him.”

Ava grimaced. “Sounds comforting.”

“Tamara,” Talia continued, rolling her eyes, “is called the Snobbish Queen. She’s strong, don’t get me wrong, but she carries herself like she’s above everyone else. Honestly? She probably thinks even death itself should bow to her.”

Ava let out a short laugh. “Wow. Sounds like my old boss.”

“Then you’d get along great with her,” Talia teased before her tone shifted back to seriousness. “Timberlake is next. They call him The Bear. He’s huge, blunt, and unstoppable in combat. If he hits you once, you stay down. People say he once ripped through twenty rogue Reapers without breaking a sweat.”

“Okay, that’s… terrifying.” Ava’s voice trembled slightly.

“And then there are the twins—Tony, Tricia, and Tracey.”

Ava blinked. “Wait, that’s three.”

Talia smirked. “Exactly. That’s what makes them strange. People call them ‘the twins,’ but they’re a trio—siblings so connected, they fight as though they share a single mind. Nobody knows why they were given Eternal status together, but together they’re deadly. If one moves, the others already know what’s coming.”

Ava stared at her in disbelief. “So… let me get this straight. The most powerful people in this entire place are a heartless demon, a backstabbing maybe-hero, a drama queen, a bear, and three creepy hive-minded siblings?”

Talia laughed. “That’s one way to put it. But don’t underestimate them, Ava. Whatever their quirks, the Eternals keep this entire realm from collapsing into chaos. Without them, the Darkside would already belong to the Rogues.”

Ava’s stomach twisted, her thoughts drifting back to the man in black and the way his eyes had burned into hers. If those were the kind of enemies who lurked beyond the shadows, maybe—even with their strange flaws—the Eternals weren’t the worst thing to have on her side.

After they left the training grounds, Talia excused herself, claiming she had something urgent to handle. Ava didn’t argue—her body was still sore from watching too many training drills and her mind buzzed with the weight of everything Talia had just revealed. Left alone, she wandered aimlessly through the wide stone corridors, her sandals clicking softly against the polished floor.

That’s when it started.

A faint whisper, almost like a breath against her ear.

Come.

Ava froze, glancing around. No one was there. The hall was empty, shadows stretching long across the walls. She shook her head, rubbing her arms. “Great. First nightmares, now voices. I’m losing it.”

But the whisper came again, stronger this time, curling into her chest like invisible fingers tugging her forward.

Come closer.

Her steps moved before her mind caught up. Each turn she took seemed guided, like her feet already knew the way. The air grew colder, heavier, until she found herself at the edge of a corridor she hadn’t seen before. The walls were darker here, lined with strange symbols that glowed faintly, and at the end of the passage stood a heavy door.

It was ajar.

Her stomach flipped, but curiosity pushed her forward. She slipped inside.

The room was dim, only lit by the pale shimmer of runes etched into the floor. Chains clattered softly, swaying, though no one had touched them. In the center of the room slumped a figure. The same one from the mall—the man in black. His head was bowed, his wrists bound, but even like that he radiated something dangerous.

Ava’s pulse thundered. She should have turned back, screamed for someone, anything. But before she could, his head lifted. His eyes—those dark, endless eyes—locked onto hers.

“Finally,” he whispered.

Her body went rigid. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t move.

The prisoner inhaled slowly, and suddenly Ava felt it—like invisible threads wrapping around her, pulling something out. Her glow. Her energy. It drained from her chest in a cold rush, pouring toward him. The runes on the floor flickered violently, trying to contain him, but the more he fed, the weaker they grew.

“No…” she croaked, stumbling forward, her knees buckling. The last thing she saw was his chains snapping free like brittle twigs, his form straightening with terrifying strength.

Then—darkness.

Ava hit the ground, her consciousness swallowed whole.