It was a whispering forest, the wind bringing its share of ancient secrets amidst the treetops to warn Cassidy and the silent man walking beside him that with each step, something lay below-the damp earth onto which they stepped, the smells of Earth and pine filtering through the air, the low-hung moon spilling an eerie light upon the way. Yet Cassidy was far from the peacefulness of this night.
Her mind raged in utter confusion and fear, and she tried to put the confrontation together in her head in the crypt. Unfamiliar with this power coursing through her body, some alien thing just waiting to burst forth once more, the image of the doppelganger shrouded in shadow danced up her spine. Who was she? What had she let loose?
The man cleared his throat then, as if sensing her unease. "You're stronger than you realize, Cassidy. But strength alone isn't enough. You need to understand what you're dealing with."
Cassidy leaned in towards him-explanation necessary-eyes on the stoic expression. "What was that thing in the crypt? Why did it look like me?
He said nothing for a moment, as if choosing precisely how much was to be told. "What you saw was but a manifestation of your own fears, your doubts. The darkness you had to face was drawn to those insecurities, feeding off them. It used your image against you because it knows the greatest battles are always within.
Cassidy's heart went cold. "So it wasn't real? Some kind of. illusion?
"It was real enough," the man returned, quiet with seriousness. "Real enough to kill you, if you'd let it. But it's only a small fragment of a much bigger danger. The evil we are facing is ancient, more ancient than any of us. It preys on the weak-the fearful-and it's getting stronger."
Cassidy strained to keep her stride, really, as his words weighed upon her, and she confronted him. "What do you mean, 'grow in strength'? How in tarnation does something like that get stronger?
The slitted gaze stared ahead, the jaw clenched into a tight lock. "Centuries have gone by, and it has been empowered, fed on human pain and suffering. Each war, each tragedy, each moment of despair-the darkness gets fueled more and more. Now, it's about bursting its dams.
Cassidy felt a chill run down her spine. "How can it be stopped?
He turned to her now, his eyes ablaze with an inner fire. "By facing it, head-on. By facing our own fears, our own darkness, and refusing to let it control us. But it won't be that easy, Cassidy. The darkness is artful, relentless. It will use every trick, every weakness against you."
Cassidy fisted her hands, determination building inside her stomach. "Then I'll be ready. Whatever it takes."
He nodded then, the lines of his face easing a fraction. "I think you do. But there's one more thing you should know-something about your past."
Cassidy furrowed her brow, her confusion meeting curiosity. "My past? What does that have to do with anything?
He faltered then, making a show of solemn deliberation over the choosing of his words. "The power that you've awakened is not some random gift. This is a legacy-a very storied one-passed down the generations of your family.
Cassidy's breath caught in her throat. "My family? But… I don't even know who they are. My parents… they died when I was small."
Something akin to pity fogged the man's eyes. "Your parents were caught up in something much bigger-in something which they kept from you in order to protect you. It would appear that the time has finally arrived when your protection is no longer necessary."
Pieces swirled in her head in a maddening attempt to piece together her fragmented memories, and the images that flashed were those of her parents-flimsy and misted by time, yet somehow swelling with the aftertaste of longing which never really dissolves. Cassidy grew up in foster homes since her parents died when she was still a little child, so there has always been that feeling that something was missed, that some part of life wasn't ever touched upon.
"Who were they?" she asked in a whisper. "What were they concealing from me?"
His face hardened; his eyes went cold. "Your parents were wardens-part of an ancient group sworn to protect the world from the very evil that now bears down upon us. They were powerful, Cassidy, but they knew the risks. They tried to shield you from their world, to give you a chance at a normal life. But in so doing, they deprived you of the truth, too."
Cassidy felt the tide of her anger and betrayal roll in: "Why didn't they tell me? Why didn't they prepare me for this?
"They thought they were doing what was best for you," he whispered low. "But they underestimated the darkness. They did not think it would find you no matter how far you ran."
Cassidy turned away, her feelings roiling inside. She had often felt in her life that she just didn't quite fit into the mold, that inside her lay something different from the other people. But she'd never thought anything like this-Guardians, some kind of ancient, organized body. That was storybook stuff, not hers.
"So now what?" she said, her tone full of venom. "Taking the torch, where they left it? Trying to defeat this thing that has built up over centuries?"
He nodded solemnly. "Yes. But you won't be alone. There are more out there like you-others that have learned how to fight, who do share that power inside of them. All together, a difference can be made. You will, however have to come to terms with your heritage, Cassidy. You will have to learn to accept who you are.
Cassidy took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. It was all just so overwhelming, so much to process. Then she looked up into this man, and in his eyes, there was the flicker of something: hope. He actually did believe in her, even when she wasn't so sure about believing in herself.
"Where do we begin?" she asked this time with a firm, well-determined voice.
The man smiled-a small, almost sad smile. "We find the others. And then… we take the fight to the darkness."
Cassidy nodded, and all that resolve hardened inside. She did not know what lay ahead or what dangers lay in wait for them, but one thing was very clear: she would not run. Not anymore.
The deeper they went into the woods, the streaks of dawn began to break above the horizon, unusually long shadows stretching on the ground. Cassidy did not bat an eye this time at the darkness. She was ready finally to face it, find the truth about her past, and fight for the future.
She would see this through, whatever it took. The darkness was old, but so was her strength. And in that thought lay even a spark of hope, to touch her heart and make her dream that maybe, after all, they might win this war.
To be continued.