Chapter 32: Human or Monster

As Luke panicked at the sudden occurrences, the area around him became twisted.

The grass slowly lost its vitality until there was nothing left except dead grass. The wood of all the nearby trees darkened until they were completely black, and the branches contorted like they were being twisted by an invisible hand.

His eyes darted around, trying to understand what was happening when he finally noticed the dark energy being emitted from his body.

Could it be? Was he causing all this?

At the thought, he panicked even more.

How did he stop this?

Luke didn’t want to twist his environment into such a horrible sight. He had to somehow stop it, but he didn’t know how.

Before he knew it, the area had morphed into something reminiscent of the forest outside of Orstadbadt before the sealing. The very thought of that place and what it eventually led to sent him into a spiral.

More dark energy poured out of him, infecting the area.

“Would you look at that? I was only gone away for a bit, and this is what happens,” the evil god said with a whistle.

Hearing the evil god’s voice helped Luke snap out of his downward spiral, but it didn’t stop the dark energy emitting from his body.

“What’s going on?” Luke demanded, trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice.

“You’re tapping into the powers you obtained when you became my warrior,” the evil god said matter of factly.

“What powers? You didn’t mention anything about giving me powers,” Luke said, feeling like he wanted to tear his skin off.

“I didn’t? Oh well. I’m telling you now. I just never expected you would actually be able to use it. Perhaps I underestimated you too much,” the evil god said.

He didn’t see it as a compliment.

“How do I stop it?” Luke asked, holding his arms out as dark energy seeped out of him.

“It’s connected to your emotions obviously. The darker the emotions, the more easily it comes out,” the evil god said.

“Then why is it only appearing now?” Luke asked, recalling all the times he had been wrapped up in his dark thoughts.

“I suppose it was because your emotions weren’t dark enough. Who knows. Just reign it in or else your old comrades will be able to track you again,” the evil god said.

That was easier said than done.

How was he supposed to stop feeling angry or bloodthirsty?

Luke gritted his teeth, trying to push back the dark emotions brewing beneath his skin, but it only seemed to push them to the surface.

It was so bad that he swore that his blood turned black.

“You’re going to be caught at this rate. Perhaps I should just give up on you,” the evil god said dryly.

“If you would just help, then I wouldn’t be having so much trouble,” Luke snapped, causing the dark energy to surge again.

Seeing the dark energy acting up again, Luke felt like screaming and throwing a tantrum like a child.

How was his control getting worse?

He was a fully grown man for Fidall’s sake, yet it felt as if he was a young teenager again dealing with an influx of hormones for the first time.

Honestly, his emotions had been a complete mess after escaping the seal. Luke had chalked it up to what he had endured at the hands of the evil god. It was something no ordinary person should endure, but now it felt that there was more to it.

How else could he explain all the irrational choices he had made so far?

“What did you do to me?” Luke asked as the dark energy rolled off of him in waves.

“Why are you asking something you already know?” the evil god asked.

“Don’t play games with me. Ever since you turned me into your warrior, it feels as if I’m not completely myself anymore, like something has changed,” Luke snapped.

The evil god laughed, his laughter sending chills down Luke’s spine.

“It seems that turning you into my warrior has robbed you of some of your brain cells. Of course you’re not the same person as you were before. Did you really think that you could really escape unscathed? Have you already forgotten that you can’t die of hunger or thirst like a human? I swear I could say it so many different ways, but it won’t stick,” the evil god said in between his laughter.

Listening to the evil god’s laughter made Luke sick to his stomach.

Was the evil god right? Had he been ignoring all the signs that he wasn’t really human anymore?

When he had first learned he wouldn’t die of hunger or thirst, he had originally been put off by the information before waving it off as simply the effect of the evil god’s power.

It hadn’t crossed his mind that it was a sign he was no longer human, or rather, he hadn’t wanted to think about it. He hadn’t wanted to think about the consequences of making the deal with the evil god and chose to focus on his goal.

Now that the evil god was throwing it in his face, Luke couldn’t keep turning a blind eye to it.

“Does that mean I’m a monster?” Luke asked in a small voice, remembering how his parents had called him a monster.

“I suppose you could be considered as such, but you’re nothing like those creatures I created. Monsters are creatures born from dark emotions. They don’t have any real intelligence to them and only act on the emotions they came from,” the evil god said.

Luke laughed bitterly.

Hadn’t he come out of the seal craving vengeance? Hadn’t there been times where he lost his head at the thought of getting his revenge? How was he any different from the monsters?

“Was it worth it?” the evil god asked.

He was silent for several moments before he said, “I don’t know.”