Monochild

The Angel

The sound of dewdrops falling into a puddle was oddly satisfying for Mono. Combined with the distant calls of jungle creatures, it was peaceful enough to keep anyone occupied for hours. Mono was just about to sit down when an all-too-familiar voice echoed through the trees.

“Heya! There you are! I was looking for ya after that little stunt of yours,” hollered Vanchana as it coiled up from the ground. “Whew. Are you okay? Looked like those bats got ya good… It’s a miracle you even survived that!”

Mono waddled over and gave a small nod.

“Speaking of which… I, uh… to tell ya the truth, I was the one who caused those bats to go over there. That was my ‘chaotic plan.’ To send a swarm of bats. Guess that didn’t turn out too well… huh?” confessed Vanchana.

Mono narrowed its eye in annoyance. The Mind-Tuner glowed bright red.

“What? Oh, don’t give me that look! I’m sorry. Calm down, buddy. Calm down.”

Mono forced itself to relax, though it was difficult after everything it had endured.

“Hey. I respect that you handled that well,” Vanchana continued. “That guy… Khaza. From what I’ve noticed, it usually lives with an abnormal amount of violence. Seeing you do that for it and its tribe proved there’s still some peace in this world. Really meant a lot to it.”

Mono nodded as they ventured deeper into the jungle. It wondered about its ancestors, and why they were so hated. As if sensing this, Vanchana tensed.

“Hey. I think I, uh, got some explaining to do. About everything. About why we’re like this…” it said. “See, beings like us are made of the literal shadow and darkness within this world. I’m pretty sure ya already figured that out.”

Mono nodded again.

“Well, as far as I know, there are four types of darkness. First, there’s plain darkness. Then there’s ‘Warped Darkness.’ It’s more alive, and it’s what creates beings like us,” explained Vanchana.

Mono listened closely.

“After that, there’s ‘Abyssal Darkness.’ That stuff is like a slow poison to your mind and body. Found in the most obscure places in the world. But if you go darker than that, you get ‘Calamity Darkness.’ Chaotic, destructive, nearly impossible to control. It consumes anything shadow or living.”

Before Mono could ask how this related to anything, Vanchana continued.

“Our kind was powerful. Some even managed to harness that Calamity. But… they weren’t exactly the greatest people,” it admitted with a hint of longing. “They always got into conflicts. Tried to claim everything they discovered. Our kind is hated in a world like this. Pretty much everyone and everything will want ya dead.”

Mono wondered what such a civilization looked like.

“As far as I know,” Vanchana went on, “most of them are gone because they built a machine. Used it to leap high into the sky, beyond the confines of this world. Wanted to deal with personal matters. Some infants and others were left behind. That probably explains our case, eh?”

Mono felt a strange longing. To see where they went. To understand why it was left behind.

Vanchana broke the silence. “Speaking of which, uh… when did you suddenly learn to create tendrils? I don’t recall teaching you that.”

Mono recalled the bat attack. It focused on a nearby rock, thinking of what it wanted to do. This time, tendrils sprouted easily, coiling around the rock and crushing it before launching it into a hill, shattering it to dust.

“Wowie. Ya learned that all by yourself? Hmm. And all it took was multiple near-death experiences! Heheh. Only joking. You’re clearly getting more control over yourself,” Vanchana said.

Before Mono could respond, a deafening, horrible sound echoed through the jungle. It was like thousands of entities roaring at once, their voices distorted and layered. The noise ended with a series of loud, unsettling clicks.

The sound came from everywhere. Up, down, left, right — it didn’t matter where you ran or hid. It followed.

Mono was startled, but Vanchana reacted with pure terror. Its body shriveled tight and small.

“…That can’t— this isn’t— I— how… WHAT. THIS ISN’T POSSIBLE! Why… WHY? Why is it back here!?” it stuttered.

Mono had seen Vanchana display incredible power. What could possibly terrify it?

Before Vanchana could flee, the horrible noise returned. The sky turned pitch black, flashing hypnotic colors that hurt to look at. The lush jungle turned grey. Trees drooped and melted. Animals melted too, their eyes dripping from their sockets as they stared at Mono. Their fur, claws, mouths — all dissolving into the ground while mimicking the same horrible noise.

Mono’s entire being filled with existential terror. It reached for Vanchana, but Vanchana hardened and crumbled into dust.

Everything melted. Everything screamed. Everything faded.

And then Mono saw it.

A massive round eye in the distance, its iris refracting hundreds of colors. Two tendon-like arms stretched from its sides, ending in long, lanky fingers. Huge wings of pure darkness unfurled behind it. Beneath the eye were three crystal-like legs acting as claws.

Mono wanted to run, but its legs wouldn’t respond.

The eye locked onto Mono.

Everything went silent.

No trees. No rocks. No animals.

Only a barren field under a pale grey sky.

Even the sun hid away.

Mono’s eye widened as a sickening squelch echoed. The giant eye’s pupil widened, thick black ink pouring out. The pupil stretched further until serrated teeth emerged from within. A monstrous roar erupted, spraying black ichor everywhere.

A long spear materialized in one of its arms, glowing with something celestial and wrong. Its wings snapped back, and the creature charged forward with a shriek.

If Mono had a mouth, it would have screamed. But it had no voice. Only its legs.

So it ran.

Black frothy goo splattered around it, barely missing. Mono wanted it all to stop. Wanted everything to end. It never asked to live, did it? Never wanted to live.

So Mono stopped running.

It turned toward the creature that had been right behind this whole time.. And, Mono offered itself.

A sharp, horrible pain tore through its body. Its eye melted. Its form dissolved. Mono felt relief. Joy. Peace.

Wait what!… That didn’t make sense!

Mono wouldn’t do that.

It still had a will to live.

The pain wasn’t peaceful — it was unbearable.

This thing was playing with its mind.

Mono blinked. The jungle was still there. Nothing had melted. The creature was real, but the illusions were not.

The eye grabbed Mono with its claw-like legs and began to fly. Mono refused to be taken. It stretched a tendril toward a tree, anchoring itself. The eye sliced the tendril with its spear. Mono grew another, this time aiming for the spear itself.

With all its strength, Mono forced the spear into the creature’s pupil. Black ichor burst everywhere. The eye shrieked in pain, crashing into the ground. The impact sent Mono flying, leaving a small crater.

The creature rose shakily, pulling the spear out with clear discomfort. A deep wound oozed black ichor. It glared at Mono and roared again — less menacing, more warning — before flying off in a disoriented retreat.

Mono felt a stinging pain inside, as if something were eating away at it.

Finally, Vanchana reappeared from behind a bush, still trembling.

“Where did it go? That thing! Is it still here?”

Mono shook its head weakly.

“What? You actually survived? Why didn't it kill you!?” Vanchana snapped.

Mono recoiled at the harsh tone. Shouldn’t Vanchana be relieved?

Realizing this, Vanchana calmed down.

“Look… that thing. When it sets a target, the target isn’t supposed to survive. Not that I didn’t want you to live! It’s just… that creature is very dangerous, okay? It wasn’t supposed to come back here. If it wants you dead for whatever reason… it will relentlessly hunt you. I’m worried about you.”

Mono tilted its head. It needed more information.

“Okay, okay! I guess you deserve an explanation!”