Chapter 25

The wall of purple light suddenly swirled faster and faster. Not only that, but it was also shrinking. With every passing second, the wall was getting closer and closer. The phantom faces inside it looked tortured beyond anything Niku had ever seen before.

He backed away.

[Be strong,] the Roc told him. [I won't be able to help you with what comes next.]

Niku turned toward the bird. He was about to ask what it was talking about but the answer became obvious a second later. The Roc was thrown back by some kind of invisible force. It must've been insanely strong because the giant creature went flying as if it didn't weight more than a feather. There was a loud, hissing crackle, and a bright explosion of purple sparks, and then the Roc was just gone.

Niku was alone.

He fought down a sudden rise of panic and tried to think. He had to fight to free himself from this hellish prison.

Fight what? he asked himself.

He wasn't sure. Nothing made any sense. The darkness just continued to swirl around him. The faces in that purple-streaked void jumped and lashed out at him. Their tortured cries flayed at Niku's mind. There was a lot of pain. He thought he would go insane if he had to deal with it for a second longer. He tried to stay standing. He kept telling himself that he had to fight back. He said it again and again, like a mantra that gave him strength.

And it worked.

He pushed back. He fought hard. He struggled against the pain and fought back against what was being done to him.

He still tried to stay standing but he was beat down. Repeatedly. The darkness pushed him down and smothered him to the ground. It layered itself on top of him and started burrowing into his head. He looked down at his arms and saw the veins there start to turn pitch black. His skin turned an ominous grey color. His eyes flashed with purple light.

The voices started in on him again but even louder this time. They overwhelmed every facet of his being. There was so much pain that came with it. So much so that he could barely stand it. He could feel his mind snapping and breaking. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to stop it from happening.

Pain.

The voices.

The darkness.

It was all there was.

Be strong, the Roc had told him.

He was trying. He was trying to fight back.

It was too hard.

"Niku."

The voice was something he wasn't expecting. It was the voice of a dead man. It was the voice of someone he never thought he would hear again. The pain was immense but the voice pushed all that away. He just sort of forgot about it as emotions he'd buried a long time ago suddenly resurfaced.

The voice belonged to his father.

"Dad?" he asked.

"My son," Cyrus said.

Niku gritted his teeth as another flare of pain erupted through his body. It started from the back of his neck and grew from there.

It was easier to push it back now though. Feelings of happiness and love flew through his mind. It lessened the pain dramatically and as those feelings rose, he noticed that the blackness in his veins was receding little by little.

Niku opened his eyes. There was a flutter of rich excitement as he saw a pale, translucent figure standing amidst the darkness. The figure was no doubt his father. Cyrus was looking down at his son. There was a smile of pride on his face as he knelt and bent closer to him.

"You have grown to be a strong man," Cyrus said. "So much stronger than you realize."

"Are you here?" Niku asked. His voice was weak but he still felt a childish sense of joy. The joy a child feels when they see their father or mother again after missing them for a long time. "Are you really here right now?"

"I am," his father said.

"Why?" Niku asked. His body convulsed as it was wracked by another bout of pain. He cried out roughly.

"There is a lot at stake. The lives of everyone on Purga relies on you, Rone, and Keiara. You need to unite with them. That's the only way to defeat Blak." Cyrus reached out a hand to Niku, who took it gratefully.

The oppressive weight of the darkness lessened dramatically and he could actually get back on his feet. When he was completely standing again, he embraced his father and hugged him fiercely. He cried tears of sadness mixed with joy. He missed his father, but the pain of his absence had been blunted somewhat by time.

Seeing him here, now, was like a knife being buried in his heart and at the same time, the happiest moment of his life.

"I missed you," Niku said. "I missed you so much."

"I know, but you don't have to worry about me," Cyrus said with a small smile. "I've found peace, Niku. I've found serenity. And you will too, one day, but that is not today. You were always meant for great things. I've known that since you were born."

A sudden cloud of anger came over Niku's face. It marred the pleasant emotions that had stirred inside him. He took a step back and lifted narrowed, accusatory eyes at his father.

"How could you both lie to me? For my whole life?" he asked. He felt hurt and betrayed.

"We did what we thought was best, Niku. We wanted to protect you," Cyrus told him. "And we didn't want you to feel alone or like some kind of freak. You are born of both worlds. Rook and Terra. You are special."

"You lied to me. You lied to me my whole life. I don't know who I am anymore! I'm a fake. I'm a fraud because of you and mom," Niku shouted.

"That's not true," Cyrus said. "You have always been you. Always strong. Courageous. A fighter. Too stubborn to know when to quit. Capable. Brilliant. Smart. Those things are not a lie. They're your truth. They make up who you are."

Niku could feel the truth of his father's words hitting him and they felt amazing. He was filled with an overwhelming pride that his father thought those things of him. It was a feeling he hadn't realized he missed as much as he did.

"I'm sorry that we lied to you Niku, but we did what we thought was best to protect you. If I could make the same decision again, I would in a heartbeat. It's what parents do for their children," Cyrus said. "One day, you will understand that as well."

"I know, but it doesn't make it hurt less, dad," Niku replied. "But I understand why you did it. I understand that you and mom were trying to protect me."

His anger slipped away and the feelings of joy and excitement returned. He hugged his father again.

"I want to leave this place, but I can't. I feel trapped here. Like I'm never getting out. How do I leave? How do I beat the darkness? Or Blak? His power feels so immense that I'll drown in it. It will sweep me up, enfold me, and smash me apart." Niku looked around the dark void but everywhere he turned was more of the same. Pitch black and bits of purple streaks zipping around everywhere. For the moment, the oppressive weight of the darkness was gone, thanks to his dad, but he knew the minute Cyrus left, he would be back under its umbrella, struggling to fight and survive. He wasn't sure he could last again. He wasn't sure how it was even possible.

"You think you're the one that isn't in control. You think this place is ruled by the whims of Blak. But that's the furthest thing from the truth. You have control here too. You can be a light in this dark place. But you have to trust yourself. You have to trust your own strength." Cyrus looked at his son with genuine warmth. "There is a reason why Blak fears you and the others. And he is right to fear you. You will be his undoing, but you cannot do it from here. You have to break free. Now!"

Cyrus's form started to flicker and fade noticeably. A few seconds ago, he looked substantial. He looked there. The longer he stayed, however, the more he was gone. Niku was struck with a deep sense of panic as he watched his father disappear.

"Don't go!" Niku shouted. "Don't leave me again!"

He reached out for him but his hands went straight though his father. His sense of panic rose. He collapsed to his knees, crying without shame as the last traces of his dead father disappeared right in front of him.

"I can't do this," he whispered. His throat hurt from crying but he barely noticed. The pain of his father leaving eclipsed it for the moment.

"You can. You must," Cyrus said before he was gone completely.

Niku cried. He couldn't even remember when he'd cried that hard. He must've been five or six at least.

The last traces of Cyrus finally disappeared and as he did, Niku immediately felt the oppressive weight of the darkness bear down on him again. It crushed him to the ground again. His whole body felt like it was being smashed flat.

"I can't. I can't do this," Niku shouted.

It was too much.

All of it was just too much for him.