Almora screamed as she woke up again. "Who are you and why do you look like me? Am I dreaming?" she asked, stammering. "Well you are asleep but this isn't a dream and I look like you because I'm you" her substitute self replied. "Wait... has my appearance changed?" she asked, touching her face worriedly. "Nothing is wrong with your appearance. I'm just a substitute you. I boost your powers when you are weak and I also help when you are in pain" her substitute self explained.
"So you were the one who helped me stop the pain of the dark power's manifestation" Almora said and her substitute self nodded. "What is this place and why is it so dark?" she asked.
"I call it the unknown since I don't know the name. This place wasn't filled with darkness before. It came here when".
"The dark powers started to manifest on me" Almora completed it for her. "The dark powers aren't really in me because you never let it manifest on me. You stopped it from doing so but why?" Almora asked, concerned. "Having the dark powers is dangerous" her substitute self replied.
"Well I can't let you leave in darkness because of me" she said. "It's dangerous Almora". "Whatever happens to you doesn't affect me but whatever happens to me affects you. So I have to take the powers in" Almora said, determined. "Almora don't" her substitute self begged.
Almora payed deaf ears to her plea and started to absorb the dark power. She screamed as she absorbed it in. In the real world, Almora was burning up. She had finally absorbed it and the pain stopped. Some markings appeared in both lenses of her eyes.
"The markings" her substitute self said. "What markings?" she asked. "You have bent the dark powers to your will. You took control of it" her substitute self replied. "How do you know that?" she asked.
Her substitute self brought out a mirror and placed it in front of Almora. "Look at the mirror" she said. Almora looked at the mirror and widened her eyes at what she saw. "What are those writings in my eyes?" she asked, using her hands to widen both eye.
"Once a person is able to control dark powers. Some markings appear in their eyes. It is a dark language that only the dark people understand. The markings are different for every person" her substitute self explained. "But be careful because you might have control over it now but it's still finding a way to take control of you" her substitute self cut her off before she could talk.
"This is a lot" said Almora, raking her hands through her hair. "You have to go now. Know this Almora, you must never tell anyone about your dark powers because the one who you think is a friend is no one else but your enemy. You must conceal the markings as making everyone see it is dangerous for you" her substitute self said, holding both arms of Almora.
"Who and how do I conceal it?" she asked. " Just close your eyes and say conceal. You will get to know who it is not so soon but later" her substitute self said to her and Almora did as she said and the markings were no longer there.
Lucian came into the infirmary to meet Almora but she was asleep. He walked over to her bed and bent his head down closer to hers until they were breaths away. He brushed her hair to the side and kissed her on her right cheek, then on the left. As he was about to kiss her on the lips, he held back and said "I shouldn't take advantage of you because you are asleep". He kissed her on her forehead and sat beside her.
Almora finally woke up and breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was back at the infirmary. Sensing someone's presence, Almora turned to the right only to find Lucian staring at her. "How did you get the markings? It wasn't there before" he asked, worriedly standing up.
"What markings?" Almora asked, pretending like she didn't know what he was talking about. "They are dark languages and only those with dark powers have it. Almora what did you do?" Lucian asked, scared that Almora had done something bad. "I didn't do anything Lucian. Calm down let me explain" she said, holding his hand. He finally calmed down and sat.
"Okay" she breathed. "I knew that I was dropped in the dark forest and I wasn't blacked out for 3 weeks. I used my powers to try to get out of there but nothing worked. Something felt different while I kept using my powers" she explained. "The powers of the dark forest was seeping into you, trying to take control of you because your powers are dangerous just like it" Lucian completed.
"That's what was happening to me last night. It was trying to take control of me but I took control of it and you know the rest" she said.