Approximately ten months after the events of Chaos and Consequences
Tobias watched as the man on the Holovid in front of him rambled quietly. It had been months since the prisoner was captured; it had been almost as long that each day he was subjected to numerous forms of interrogation and torture.
Yet still, somehow, he remained unbroken. Sure, he rambled aimlessly to the four walls around him. That was normal behavior for some of the inmates at Darklight Prison. This one was special, though. He was an Aetherial, one of the last of his kind, a lucky survivor to this point, a traitor to Emperor Tenon and the Aetherial Order. He had been banished after returning from a failed mission, where he left his fellow Aetherial brethren to die.
He was also Tobias’ brother. Older brother, to be exact. Though, he didn’t much resemble it now. The muscles that once filled his brother’s clothes had all but disappeared, leaving a shell of the man he once knew and trusted.
Now, Tobias resented his very existence. The brother who left him to die eighteen years ago, whose betrayal led to Tobias being trained under the watchful eyes of Emperor Tenon. His brother would never know the pain he suffered, the endless nights that felt as though they would never end, the despair and desperation as he struggled with unimaginable loneliness.
It’s your turn now, brother. It’s time I made you feel the same way I have all these years. You left me, I trusted you, I loved you as my older brother, and you abandoned me. I hate you. I hate you with all the fibers of my being and every essence of Aether I channel.
You will never know how I felt. The horrors I’ve witness would drive any sane person to commit terrible acts. Hell, maybe I have already. Though, maybe you have as well. Maybe we aren’t that different after all this time.
A guttural scream from the video feed broke Tobias away from his thoughts. Perhaps that was for the best; they tended to get the better of him the deeper he sank into the depths of his subconscious mind.
The man on the projection ranted wildly, cursing, and vowing vehemently to kill this Endbringer, whomever he was. The verbal tirade continued, with the boney man standing and rising to his feet as he pointed a finger directly at the camera in the corner of his cell. Tobias didn’t need to be in front of that room to feel his brother’s anger. He felt it splashing through the Aether, like a boulder impacting with the ocean beneath it after it was launched from a mountaintop.
It filled Tobias with a strange satisfaction; one he rarely felt these days. His methods were working. Before long, his brother would break. He was so close now, as the screaming and barrage insults continued to fly, a slight smile curve his lips upward.
All this time I thought I was the crazy one. Look at you. You’re a raving lunatic in there. It’s truly pathetic. I thought you were this mighty Captain Demico slayer. It’s been almost a year and still that’s all anyone can talk about. They may not see it, but clearly, that was just dumb luck, like most of your other victories in life. You may have a will to survive all this time, but you aren’t the only one.
A feeling manifested in the deep recess of his brain. It was foreign, uncomfortable, and unwelcome. After a certain point in his life, he forgot this was something one could feel. His eyes drifted away from the monitor and he sank away from the world around him; the feeling overtaking his entire being.
Guilt.
His smile immediately disappeared and his brows slanted in frustration. I don’t understand. If this is what I’ve wanted for so long, then why do I feel this fragment of guilt? It shouldn’t be here. You left me to die, you bastard. I should not feel this way!
No, no, no! I will not allow myself to feel this way about you. You are a monster, Kai Stormbringer. Even if you don’t see it, I do. No way in the six hells should I feel guilty about our situations. You had this coming. You deserve this pain the same way I deserved to have my own brother stay with me instead of fleeing like a coward.
A voice as quiet as the wind hissed softly in his mind. “You’re better than him, you know. You overcame your challenges. This poor human will not ever become as strong as you. This is your true calling, Endbringer. You agreed to my bidding, do not forget that. We made a pact beyond mortal flesh and words.”
Tobias shook his head and the guilt out of it. He needed to snap out of it before his master snapped. “Yeah, I remember. We have a deal. I will fulfill our pact, Master Apophis.”
He turned over his wrist and pressed a few buttons on the revealed device under the cuff of his trench coat. A pleasant chirp sounded as it connected with one of the guards stationed outside the cell.
“Yes, Endbringer. Are you ready for inmate?” a gruff voice answered from the other end.
“I am. Don’t rough him up too much on the way over today.
“As you wish. We will have him strapped in momentarily.” The call ended with a soft click of the transmission cutting off.
Still not used to that trick. I don’t know how he does it, and I don’t think I want to anymore. Okay, let’s get this over with then.
He breathed in heavily and let his thoughts escape with a lengthy exhale. He stood up from his chair, turned off the Holovid, and tidied up his coat. As he tapped in the Aether, he felt the overwhelming ocean of despair and desperation from the millions of prisoners held within the Darklight Prison. If one was to unlock the unbridled control of the Aether that Nekrofiends sought, this was one of a handful in the known galaxy to do just that.
The sensation was exactly what he needed to compose himself. He refused to let weak thoughts and feelings rust away the mental fortitude he had built up to this point.
I’ve overcome the test of my will to survive. Come, brother, let us see who has the stronger will to survive while on the edge of madness.