WORDS - 2,577


PROLOGUE

The woman stood outside the temple.
A huge grin spread across her face. “We found it.” She breathed.
The man next to her gulped. “We’re not going in there. Are we?”
The woman cackled. “Of course we are Kees.” She said, smiling at him.
Kees’s eyebrows scrunched together. “But he’s in there. Well at least his body is.” Kees said, shuddering.
“Exactly. We need him, or else bad things will happen.” The woman said.
“Cassandra, you know as well as I do, that if we bring him back, worse things will happen.” Kees warned.
“You worry too much. He will save us. I know he will.” Cassandra waved off her friend's warning.
Kees didn’t look convinced. “You know what he did last time, right? The hope he stole. All the bodies buried because of him. All the happiness he killed. He will destroy us. Just like he did five hundred years ago.”
Cassandra shrugged. “It won't happen. He’s good. I know it. Nothing bad will happen.” She assured Kees.
She began examining the temple; looking for an entrance. A sad look crossed Kees face. “But what if he won’t.”
Cassandra looked up. “What?”
“But what if he won't.” Kees said firmly. “What’ll you do if that happens. What if he doesn't save us.”
Cassandra looked down before speaking. Then she looked Kees deep in the eye. “It won’t happen. I’ll make sure it won't.” Cassandra promised.
Then she turned back to the temple and a devilish smile spread across her face. She pushed a stone and there was a loud scraping sound as the rocks shifted. Dust filled the air and Cassandra squinted. The doors opened.
Before she could enter, Kees said, “don’t. Take. Another. Step.”
Cassandra whipped around and glared at Kees. He had a pale wooden want pointed straight at her forehead. She smirked, and pulled out her dark ruby wand. “You really thought I’d come unprepared?” asked Cassandra
Kees sighed. “No.” he admitted. “But I can still put up a fight.”
Cassandra’s eyes seemed to grow darker. Then her brown hair turned black and oily. Her tan skin became pale and ghost-like. And her eyes, well they turned the color of dried blood.
Kees took a step back. “W-who are you, and what have you done to Cassandra?” Kees asked.
“Oh, but I am Cassandra.” She whispered.
Her voice sounded layered. Like it was two recordings played at once. Kees’s eyes narrowed. “The real Cassandra wouldn’t do this.” He growled, his eyes glowing white.
Cassandra smiled, a wicked, evil smile. Revealing sharp black teeth. “Maybe you never met the real me.” Cassandra hissed.
Kees took another step back. “Vulnerability, you’ve never been able to hide it.” Cassandra teased softly.
That’s when Kees attacked. A blaze of glowing gold light shot out of his wand and hit Cassandra in the stomach. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground. She grunted and pointed her wand at him. Purple lightning zoomed out of it and hit Kees chest. He flew backward and hit his head. Struggling to get up, Kees made one more attempt to get rid of Cassandra. He whispered an ancient spell softly, and a silver light shot out of his wand and it hit the back of Cassandra’s head and she shrieked. Then Kees’s head slouched over.
Cassandra pulled herself to her feet and glared down at an unconscious Kees. “Never show vulnerability.” She hissed.
She turned around and walked into the temple.

⧫⧫⧫

It was like a maze.
No matter which way she went, or which turn she took, it always led her to the entrance.
Cassandra let out a growl. It was now almost dawn and she still hadn’t found him. She glared at a carving. Then a thought accrued to her. Only the most cunning, cruel and conniving people could find it.
She walked up to the carving and stared at it. Something about it seemed… off. Then she noticed it. Cassandra shook her head. Of course he’d do that. Cassandra thought.
Cassandra pulled out a small dagger and cut her palm. He’d need her blood.
She looked around and found a hand print. She pressed her hand into it. Cassandra started intently at it for a moment. Nothing happened.
Cassandra’s eyes narrowed with frustration and she removed her palm. Cassandra winced and wrapped a piece of cloth around the cut. She let out a sigh. Maybe it won’t work. She thought.
There was a creaking sound. Then again it might…
Cassandra turned around and smirked. There was an open doorway in front of her. She suddenly felt a tinge of regret in the bottom of her stomach. What if Kees was right? What if he really would destroy the world?
She shook away the troubling thought. That wouldn’t happen, it couldn’t happen.
Cassandra walked into the doorway, hoping that this was the right decision.
The stone walls were covered with carvings. Some of stories and others of ancient spells. The stones changed as it went deeper. At first they had been a light gray, then they had grown darker and darker, then lighter and lighter. Now they seemed to be sandstone.
As she walked along, the tunnel grew narrower and narrower. Soon she could barely fit her broad shoulders through the tunnel.
Cassandra let out a groan of frustration when the tunnel grew too small. She pulled out her wand and cracked it like a whip. The walls spread apart, or maybe she shrunk. Whatever it was worked.
Cassandra continued strolling down the tunnel. She could tell it was no longer going straight, but now deeper. Soon the walls were dirt and not stone.
Then the tunnel opened into a chamber. In the center was his coffin. Cassandra marched up to it and stared at it. She barely believed it was there. Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her.
They weren't. His coffin was in front of her. It was made of dark wood and had black roses carved into it. Dozens of locks covered the sides. Preventing anyone from opening it.
That is, anyone except Cassandra. She knew how to. He had told her how to.
She pulled out the key ring, and searched for the bone. It would open the coffin.
Cassandra’s insides did a flip as she felt it. It was cold and felt unnatural. Although she was evil, she still found bones revolving.
She looked down at the coffin and lifted the key above her head. It was now or never.
Then she stabbed it into the wood.

⧫⧫⧫

The coffin was cramped and small.
You could barely turn your head and your arms were stuck at your sides.
That had been his life for five hundred years. He was waiting for her. The woman who would free him. He had spoken to her in a dream. Her name was Cassie or something like that.
The woman had told him that she’d come soon. But that had been… he didn’t really know how long ago. It had been at least a day, right?
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, not that it made much of a difference. It was still dark.
Then he decided to go into someone’s dream. Maybe help them… yeah that’d be nice.
When he opened his eyes, he stood in a grassy field. A young girl with short blonde hair was playing and laughing.
He walked up to her and she glanced up. He smiled his warmest, nicest smile. “Hello, what’s your name?” He asked.
She smiled back. “Alena,” whispered the girl.
“Alena,… that’s a pretty name. It means… tower right?”
Alena blinked and tilted her head. “Um… I’m not sure if it means that… I’ve never asked my parents.” She paused, thinking. “What’s your name?”
He winced at that. His name. For a second he considered lying, but her eyes were filled with wonder and hope. He couldn’t lie to her. She clearly had a bright future. “I don’t remember.” He told her.
Alena gasped. “But how can you not remember your own name!”
He shrugged. “It’s complicated… Maybe one day I’ll meet you person and I can tell you.”
“This isn’t real?” She asked, tilting her head.
He nodded. “It isn’t. It’s a dream. But I’ll be freed soon, and then I promise I’ll meet you in real life.”
She looked up at him with round eyes. “Pinky swear?”
He nodded. But before he could, the scene around him changed.
It was dark again. But then the door of his coffin slowly opened. He smiled.
She loomed over him. He sat up, yawned and said, “took you long enough.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry, it was quite hard to find the bone key.”
“You did a good job Cassie.” He told her.
“Cassandra.” She quickly corrected him.
He nodded. “Cassandra, you wanted me to do someth–” He started.
“The world is ruled by someone who shouldn’t be ruling. But you should. Bring our world back to its former glory. Please save it, it’s your world too.” She begged.
He blinked. Five hundred years ago, no one would have asked for his help. Times clearly had changed. Direasticly, if someone was asking for his help. He pondered her plea for a moment. “I suppose I could help you take down this evil overlord…” his voice trailed off.
Cassandra grinned from ear to ear. “That’d be wonderful—er what should I call you?”
He didn’t spend any time thinking about it. “The Darkness. Call me The Darkness.”
Cassandra nodded. “OK, The Darkness, should we leave.” She said, pointing back at the exit.
The Darkness smiled. “There shall be no need for that.” He said, taking Cassandra’s hand.
For being supposedly dead for 500 years, his hand was surprisingly warm, like sunlight. For someone with such a bad reputation, he was more… welcoming than she had expected. With his other hand he snapped then they were out of the chamber.

⧫⧫⧫

Cassandra opened her eyes, and gasped.
She stood on the balcony of a black stone castle. A foggy, dark, dingey forest surrounding her and The Darkness.
“It’s beautiful…” She whispered.
The Darkness smiled. “It is, isn't it.” He said, gazing off into the distance, as if it were an old friend.
“You used to come here didn’t you?” Cassandra said, noticing the wispful look on his face.
“I did. It was my home. And my sisters… I wonder what happened to her… ” The Darkness said, nodding.
Cassandra smiled warmly. “It’s a lovely home.” She assured him.
“I’m surprised it’s still here. And in such good condition. I half expected it to be gone, or in ruins.” The Darkness’s voice sounded scratchy and sad.
Cassandra placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, soon everyone will know of this place, and people will worship you, like a god. Like someone who deserves to rule.” She told him.
The corners of The Darkness’s mouth tilted upward. “Yeah, they shall. And when they do, you’ll be my royal adviser.”
Cassandra’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Really? That's amazi- er good. Yes, I’d enjoy that. I’ll start whenever you want me to.” She said, trying to hide her happiness.
“Good, because I need some advice.” He said.
“What is it?”
The Darkness drew in a shaky breath. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to defeat the emperor. I know that times have changed, the methods I’d have used five hundred years ago most likely won't work. And I’m worried that something might go wrong. Horribly wrong.” The Darkness said.
Cassandra thought about it for a moment, tapping her foot. “Well,” She began, “you can still use the same methods, the world hasn’t changed that much. All you’ll need to do is tweak your methods slightly, and I bet you they’ll work. Plus, things can’t go wrong. They just can’t. And they won’t. I know they won't. Soon you’ll be ruling and nothing will be able to stop you.”
The Darkness raised an eyebrow. “That's… actually good advice. It’s not your first time is it?”
“No. I gave people advice all the time back in my village. I was known as Cassandra The Advice Giver. I even got a page in a tourist book about my advice. I was going to be a traveling sage, until you gave me this amazing opportunity.” She beamed.
“Your advice must be really good then.” said The Darkness.
“I know.”
Then The Darkness turned around and walked into the castle. “Follow me.” He called over his shoulder.
Cassandra nodded and followed. Where could he possibly be taking her?
He led her down twisting, dark corridors and hallways. Then he stopped in front of a tapestry. “Good, it’s still here.” He said, brushing it aside, revealing a secret passageway.
Cassandra’s jaw dropped. “Whoa, castles’ really have those?”
The Darkness nodded. “Of course they do. How do you think we’d sneak around? Go through a crawl space or something?” He said, smiling at the hole in the wall.
Cassandra shook her head. “No.” She lied.
“Good, because it would just be silly if someone thought all castles’ didn’t have secret passageways.”
Then he stepped through the hole. Cassandra scrambled after. “So, The Darkness, what are your plans to get rid of the evil overlord?” She asked him.
The Darkness turned around and smiled. “I’ll tell you once we're in the secret room.”
Cassandra shoved down her shock. Of course he had a secret room. After all, he was a prince. At least, that's what the history books said. And they never referred to him with his real name. The books only said ‘the evil prince’, which didn’t seem fair. He didn’t even know his own name.
⧫⧫⧫

He walked along, running his fingers across the wall. Smiling softly. Memories of his childhood flooding back to him in bits and pieces. Playing in this very passageway with his brother and sister.
Spending hours talking, even after their mother told them to go to sleep. He missed his old life. It had been so simple. So easy going. Back then he wasn’t afraid that the world would break. Or worse.
Then the door came into sight. Oh, it had been so long since he had seen it…
Out of all the things in the castle, the door had changed the most. It was covered in black burn marks as if someone had tried to destroy it…
“What happened?” asked Cassandra.
The Darkness shook his head. “I have no clue.” He whispered.
He walked up to the door and pushed it open. A cloud of black smoke filled the air.
The Darkness winced as the smoke burned his eyes. Cassandra started coughing. Once the smoke cleared Cassandra let out a gasp. “Whoa, this place is amazing!” She gasped. The Darkness smiled sadly. “Thanks.”
He looked into the room, then stepped in. A cold feeling hit his body. As if the place were haunted… it most likely was.
The Darkness strolled up to a leather chair and ran his hands over the carvings. Then he glanced up. “I have one question.” He said.
Cassandra walked up to him and tilted her head. “What is it?”
“I have an offer that is very… valuable to you. Would you like to help me break someone out of a dungeon?”
Cassandra’s eyes grew wide. Break someone out of a dungeon? Break who out? She looked up at The Darkness. “Yes.”

NOTE: I hope you enjoyed the prologue! – crystal