Book One – Chapter 10

Their touch enveloped her, a collective strength and power that overshadowed and swallowed her own existence. At a fundamental level, she comprehended that these were the laws of the dark realms, and the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ had come to imprint them upon her. In the same way that she had requested venom from other entities of darkness, the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ now expected her to surrender a part of her essence.

In the span of days past, Midnight had nurtured the darkness within herself, fostering its growth through the compliance of others to her demands. She recognised that the darkness sought expansion within her and her kindred beings, desiring to spread its influence. By aiding Midnight’s growth, those who had offered their venom had contributed to the proliferation of darkness itself. Thus, to give unto the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ meant to aid in the propagation of darkness.

But Midnight did not want to give.

She felt the power and dominance within these entities, and understood that they could take by force much more than what they requested. Voluntarily giving, respecting the darkness and its rules, only required a fraction of herself. Her wizard was waiting. Compliance would grant her safe passage, an immediate continuation of her journey, while resistance might result in a fight to the death.

It was the sensible thing to do. Yet, beneath the surface of rationality, Midnight could not ignore the inherent truth — to give once meant to give in forever. It meant surrendering to an eternal pact. Offering a fraction of herself would leave her with most of her essence, with almost everything. From that moment forward, she would no longer be her all that with every day would grow into the all that she could ever be. No, if she gave once, she would never again be her complete self. She would forever be almost everything of herself, an existence that would then only grow into almost everything she could ever be. And from there, with each subsequent offering, she would diminish more. She would become less and less, until she would find herself in a situation where one fraction more made all the difference — to live with pride, to survive, to fight alongside her wizard. If Midnight gave to other creatures, she would, again, become not enough.