Lust for Power
X On the Inside

Like an old photograph, Aries’ perception of the world all became coated in sepia. In a frayed brown, greying all around him in still life, and there were small blurred and almost glittering flakes of white light that fell and flew around from everywhere and nowhere. He saw himself in the monotone world as well, still as everything else. But he did not see with his eyes, he was but a point of view. He then remembered what happened, searched for the shadow creature that he assumed to be responsible.

He heard a young girl’s giggling, with a voice he knew all too well from his fantasies. The shadow peeked from behind his still body. Slithered from nowhere, still giggling, then out of nowhere, a sudden change in the background sort of flashed, but only to the perception, the shadows on the creature dissipated like a flame dying from a sudden gust, and revealed a pale slender girl with straight long black hair, in a black silk-like dress, tattered and fraying not unlike the shadows which went away earlier, though the shifting was subtle, and noticeable only due to the stillness and quiet of the world. Aer thought she was quite beautiful and elegant in her own dark way, the fear and confusion momentarily stifled by the creature’s charm.

“Hi... Aer...” The creature greeted, with a teasing touch Aries’ working name. With such a feminine voice that tickled his boyish side. The shadow girl stepped in front of him, and he realized that he already had his body back, which happened the same time when the creature’s shadow went, but he was too busy nursing his love at first sight to notice at that moment.

“What the hell are you? What’s going on?” Aer asked indifferently after regaining awareness, then he added “Oh wait, you’re the one who made this stone, you wan it back?” He indicated the amulet, and then wondered if he did have a body this time, what makes of his sepia frozen one. He stepped closer to his still image as the creature replied “Made it? Heheh, actually no, I am the amulet” The shadow girl suddenly shifted from where it was and was suddenly leaving shadowy trails in the air and behind Aer with her arms wrapped around him while playing the amulet with the slender fingers of her hand. Aer was surprised but he didn’t show it, he didn’t sense any hostility from the beautiful creature nor did he understand what she was there for. He also noticed that his touch went through his still body when he reached for it, he sort of understood, and sort of panicked inside.

“Shit, so you are the power huh? Ok, but how do I get back inside?” Inside being his still body. “Aren’t you curious about me, or of this world?” she questioned in a calm tone, contrasting her sweet act. “Yeah, but I wanna make sure I’m not stuck out here.” “You are inside” “No shit, now get me back in” The girl creature already let go Aries and at this point was standing beside him watching his experimentation on ways of getting back in his physical body. She betrayed no emotion. “You trust me don’t you?” It was more of a statement, it got Aer’s attention, she added. “You met me just this morning, because I forced you in, and you have no idea what I am or what I want, but you ask for my help.” Aries stared at her in a sort of analyzing look. “Do I have a choice? You didn’t hurt me, yet, or do anything to upset me except maybe putting me here. You claim to be the spirit of the stone in this amulet. There isn’t anything else I know about what’s happening.” He pause to admire her fragile beauty again, the girl thing had almost sad eyes when he looked closely.

“And I kinda like you, and I think you’re pretty” That sort of caused the creature to make a subtle smile still with the underlying sadness. “I know you do, I know I’m pretty, and you’ve also always relied on me for so long, maybe we can talk about this again, another time, here hold my hand” And Aries did so, without much reluctance, and the world’s color flooded back in, the girl thing turned into shadow and too fast for the eye sifted back into the amulet. A sudden shift in view as Aer realized he was back in reality resuming where he had paused, remembering the event only as some vivid dream. He looked up to the school building beyond the gate and saw Terrence flipping him a finger. He was still too amazed and bewildered by what had happened to care much.

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