Rebirth

This is a pretty tragic fic. I assure you, this is not a oneshot, however things may look at the end of this chapter. The title is a clue, that's all I'll say.

Camelot owns Golden Sun.

At first, Alex thought he had perished. Mt. Aleph had begun sinking into the ground with him on top, and he had faced his final moments with the numb feeling of defeat. A great fissure had cracked through the surface beneath him and he had plummeted down into the yawning depths of the mountain. The last thing he recalled was a sharp pain upon impact with a rocky surface, before his world faded away.

Then he had opened his eyes to see darkness around him. His body was aching and he was in pain. He also heard the soft, bubbling sound of lava somewhere deep below. Surely, this was not the afterlife after all? If it was the afterlife, he wouldn't be feeling such pain and he wouldn't feel so alive. No, somehow, he must have survived that fall despite the injuries the Wise One had given him.

Alex turned his head, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his back. He had come dangerously close to paralysis after that blow, but he was just able to move his arms and legs a little, so evidently his limbs were still usable. If he could just figure a way to get out of this abyss, then he might actually survive. Alex squinted, trying to see something within his pitch black surroundings, but there was nothing to see.

"What is this?" A deep, loud voice resounded off the walls around him. Alex was startled by the sound. Was there somebody else in here with him? How could that even be possible? He looked around frantically, still seeing nothing in the darkness. "It is a long, long time that I have been here and none has entered this chamber before. How did you get in here?"

Alex was silent for a moment, wondering if he should actually speak to this voice. Could it be his imagination playing a trick on him? Perhaps he was so afraid to face death, he was losing his mind. How could there possibly be someone else here? "I fell in here through a rift in the mountain. The Wise One defeated me and left me to die. Mt. Aleph is sinking into the ground right now."

"Ah, the Wise One. I remember that name," said the voice, sighing deeply. "I have many a grudge against him and I suppose you would have one against him after he defeated you and left you to your demise. Who are you and what did you do to get on his bad side?"

Perhaps it wasn't his imagination playing tricks after all. Alex swallowed, feeling nervous now. Just what was in here with him? "I am Alex, from Imil. I sought to claim the power of Alchemy, but the Wise One robbed me of it. He gave some of it to a person named Isaac. With only a portion of Alchemy, I was easily defeated by Vale's protector."

"So, he cheated you out of the power you desired..." The voice faded away, as if the owner of it was currently in deep thought. Alex lay still, wondering for a moment if whoever it was had decided to stop speaking, but then the voice came again. "Alex, it seems that we may want similar things. I want revenge on the Wise One. You also want the power he deprived you of. Should we make a deal?"

Alex closed his eyes and sighed heavily. With no way of this place, he wouldn't have minded a peaceful death instead if that was to be his fate. Instead, some mysterious voice was speaking to him. "A deal?" he spat out, chuckling incredulously. "We are both trapped here, it seems. What would be the point in making a deal? Just what are you anyway?"

"There is no way for me to get out, but one," answered the voice. "In my current form, I cannot escape the spell on this chamber. However, if a human being was to fall into this room, I could hide in their body and use the new vessel as a means of escape. It was a loophole that the Wise One never expected would happen. Perhaps he did not expect you to fall in here. How fortunate for me."

Alex's eyes flew open, widening with shock, and he stared up at the pitch darkness above him as he absorbed the mysterious being's words. Was this thing actually intending to use him as a vessel? "You mean... you wish to use my body to get out of here?"

"I can help you, Alex," the voice spoke softly, "If we get out of here together, then you will be able to live. I can also help you with my power, to get the rest of Alchemy off that Isaac. This way, I will also be able to get my revenge. What do you say, Alex?"

Alex swallowed heavily, hesitating as he considered the being's words. Just the thought of being able to survive was tempting enough. Achieving his dreams would be an added bonus. But would there be risks involved in lending his body? Still, what choice did he have? He could escape, or he could starve to death in this hole. "Fine, it seems that I have no choice after all. Please use my body."

"Thank you very much," said the voice, sounding pleased. There seemed to be an undertone of smugness to the voice, but at the time, Alex was just too confused to think about it. He gasped, his body going rigid as he felt something pouring into him. Some strange presence was gushing through every orifice on his body, slipping into him. His head exploded with pain for a few seconds and he let out a pained cry.

Then, the pain was over and the strange feeling was gone. Alex felt the presence of something else in his mind. The voice. Whatever it was, it was now completely inside him. To his alarm, his arm moved up without him even trying to move it.

"How fascinating," the voice spoke through Alex's mouth, alarming the Mercury Adept further. "I have never used a human's body before. I think I should be able to figure out how it works soon enough. For now, let's both get out of this death trap."

Alex was feeling troubled now. Why would this thing want to figure out how his body worked? Before he could really think about it, his body was propelling upward with a surge of power and he looked up to see a small crack above him. The crack grew larger until he was shooting right through it. Alex blinked rapidly, temporarily blinded by the sudden light flooding his vision.

"I had forgotten what the outside world looked like," the entity within Alex spoke. "It is refreshing to see the world once more. I was beginning to think I would never get the opportunity to stand on top of Mt. Aleph again."

Alex found that he could move again. It didn't even hurt anymore, possibly due to the being that was inside him. He gazed at the ruins of Vale beneath the mountain and then looked further up, noticing a crowd of people near the edge of the ruins. Could those people possibly be who he thought they were?

"You seem to be interested in those people," the thing noticed. Alex flinched, realising that it was as good as reading his mind. He felt as if his personal space was being invaded, just having this thing inside him. "Shall we get a closer look?"

Before Alex could even respond, he had already changed position in the blink of an eye. Now he was hovering several feet above the people, gazing down at them. They did not seem to have noticed him yet. He drew in a sharp breath, noticing that it was indeed those Adepts who had lit the lighthouses for him without knowing it. Their quest having come to an end, they must have returned to Vale, only to find ruins.

Alex looked around at the crowds of people, spotting the blond teen with the scarf. His eyes narrowed as he gazed down at Isaac. The one who had received part of the power that was meant for himself.

"Is that Isaac?" the entity murmured, a smile gracing Alex's lips. "It seems like you did not have to look far after all. I shall help you gain the power which you seek. It will require full control of your body however."

Alex was suddenly aware of losing all feeling in his body. He felt as if he was paralysed all over. No, he wasn't paralysed, judging by the fact his limbs were again moving on their own. He tried to move his mouth, his head, anything, but he could not. The thing had taken over his body entirely. The only thing Alex could do was see everything in front of him.

The group down below were startled when Alex suddenly dropped to the ground in front of them, looking straight at Isaac. Mia let out a cry of shock and anger as she looked upon the person who had betrayed her and even gone so far as to attempt stealing Alchemy. As she glared at him, she noticed that his eyes looked strange.

"Alex?" Sheba exclaimed in fury. "What are you doing here?"

"We know all about how you tried to take Alchemy!" Jenna cried accusingly. "I bet the Wise One managed to put a stop to your plan, huh?"

"I bet he's come for a fight," Garet said, guardedly watching Alex as he reached for his sword. "Is that it? Are you going to fight us, you evil scumbag?"

"I have not come for a fight," Alex said, startling everyone the second he spoke. His voice was not of the softer tones they remembered, but rather, it sounded deep and chilling. He glanced at Isaac, his pitch black eyes penetrating the Venus Adept. Isaac gazed levelly at the red irises within, shuddering. What had happened to Alex's eyes?

"So what are you after then, Alex?" Felix asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "We already know about your true colours. There's no point in hiding anything."

"I am still after Alchemy," Alex replied. "I failed to get all of it, no thanks to the Wise One's little game. He left me to die as well, but I survived."

"What do you mean, you failed to get all of it?" Ivan asked nervously.

"The rest of it is within one certain individual," Alex answered, lowering his head and smirking. "I must claim what is rightfully mine now."

Before anyone could speak, Alex suddenly shot forward and lunged at Isaac. He threw out a hand, blasting Isaac back with power. The Mercurian was moving so fast, Isaac had no time to defend himself. Isaac went flying backward with a cry of pain as the power blasted his chest. It was strong enough to knock him back several feet. He hit the ground sharply, gasping for breath as it was knocked out of him.

"Isaac!" Dora tried to run to her son, but Kyle quickly reached out and stopped her, shaking his head.

"It's too dangerous," Kyle warned her. "Don't worry, everyone can deal with that menace themselves. He'll be okay."

"Hey, you jerk! Don't suddenly go attacking like that!" Garet yelled, running at Alex with his sword drawn. Alex just raised a hand, causing an unseen power to yank Garet off his feet and send him flying.

"My fight is not with you," Alex said calmly, glancing at the Adepts who were poised to attack him. He glanced at Isaac, who was now scrambling back to his feet. "It is with Isaac."

Isaac let out a cry of surprise as again, Alex moved with surprising speed. He attempted to grab at the sword attached to his back, but Alex quickly grabbed his arm, forcing it to the ground as he pinned Isaac down with his knees. Alex let out a soft chuckle as a dark dome sprang up around him and Isaac.

"Isaac! Hold on!" Mia was running toward him already in a desperate attempt to help. She came to a halt as the dome appeared and tentatively attacked it with her mace. The barrier flashed and repelled the force, almost knocking back her mace. "It's a barrier!"

"We'll have to break through it," Ivan said, rushing up to stand beside her. "Hang on, Isaac, we're going to help you!"

"Their efforts will be in vain," Alex said, gazing down at the struggling Venus Adept beneath him, as the Adepts began attacking the barrier with their weapons and Psynergy. "Now I will extract the power from within you."

"I won't let you get Alchemy!" Isaac hissed, struggling frantically in an attempt to shake Alex off. Suddenly, he felt jolts of lightning passing through his body, temporarily paralysing him, and gasped in pain as he lay still, struck still by Alex's power. "Lightning? You can use that?" he asked weakly.

"Now I shall begin the process," Alex murmured, pressing his hands together, index fingers pointing up as he put his hands in front of his face. Isaac's eyes widened in surprise as Alex began to chant in a strange language. He only knew that he had never even heard those words before.

As Alex continued to chant, Isaac felt an intense pain surging through his body. It began to intensify and he started crying out in agony, his body seizing up with the intense pain flooding every joint. A small, golden sphere appeared above his chest and began to grow in size. Isaac watched it in horror, faintly aware of himself beginning to weaken. He was losing energy. No, not energy, but a power within himself.

"This is part of Alchemy? When did I get this? How?" Isaac gasped out, perspiration forming on his forehead. Had the Wise One done this somehow? Then, that surely meant he was supposed to protect this power, but he couldn't even move. Alex was taking it so easily from him, like taking candy from a baby. How come he was even this powerful?

Alex came to a stop, finishing the chant, and his eyes opened. He smiled as the golden sphere flew away from Isaac and then into himself. "Yes... power... at last, we have it. Your dream is finally achieved," he murmured, as if speaking to someone else close by.

"Your dream?" Isaac echoed. "What are you talking about?"

"You will see soon," Alex replied, flying up as the barrier disappeared.

"Isaac!" Jenna called out. "Are you alright?"

"Alex's got it all..." Isaac gasped out, propping himself on one elbow and watching the Mercury Adept moving away. "He's got Alchemy!"

The Adepts watched on in trepidation as Alex walked up to the ruins of Vale, standing at the very edge. He raised his hands and called on his power to move the earth. The ground shook slightly as a thick plate of earth appeared over the ruins, providing a safe way to reach Mt. Aleph.

"He can move the ground with hardly any effort," Sheba said in horror. "Alchemy really is an amazing power."

Alex turned around, facing the group of Adepts with a cold smile. As he stood still, the ground shook again with a far greater force. The force was so great that everyone had difficulty just standing upright.

"Mt. Aleph! It's moving!" Felix exclaimed, as he noticed that the half-submerged peaks were shaking and indeed seemed to be moving up slightly.

"What is he up to?" Jenna wondered out loud, nervously watching the mountain rising from the ground. "This doesn't look good at all."

"For that matter, what happened to his eyes and his voice? He was also using incredible power before getting the rest of Alchemy," Mia spoke. "Something is definitely strange here."

"Is it really Alex?" Isaac mused, remembering how Alex had seemed to talk to himself and spoken of 'we' right after seizing the power.

"Whoever it is, what are they after?" Ivan asked worriedly.

Alex turned around to see Mt. Aleph completely risen out of the ground. "Now Mt. Aleph is back above ground. It will be on those peaks that I send Weyard to an early grave."

A hushed silence fell over the group as they contemplated the meaning of those words, some of them wanting to ask, but everyone was too afraid to even think about it. Could he possibly mean it in a literal way?

"Hey, you!" Garet burst out. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means... I will destroy Weyard," Alex replied, beginning his slow, deliberate walk toward the mountain. He paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Just try to stop me if you think you can."

Inside him, the real Alex was alarmed as he heard the thing speaking of destroying Weyard. He wanted to speak or move, but still found himself unable to, so he tried sending frantic thoughts. 'Hold on! What is the meaning of this? You can't possibly mean to destroy the world!'

'Silence, vessel,' replied the entity within his body. 'This has been my intention all along.'

'No! I'll stop you somehow... I'll...' Alex's thoughts broke off as he realised that there was indeed nothing he could do. He was powerless. That thing had complete control over his own body and it was all his own fault.

"We won't let you do that!" Piers shouted angrily. "We worked hard to save the world and the people we care for, so we won't let you ruin that now!"

Alex continued striding away, quite aware of the Adepts running up to attack. He swiftly turned to see that Ivan and Sheba were about to reach him first, already glowing with light as they prepared to throw Psynergy at him.

Suddenly, thick vines burst from the ground beneath the two Jupiter Adepts, seizing them within the leafy bonds, and they were swung around, crashing into each other several times, before finally being flung to the ground with great force.

"Ugh..." Ivan hit the ground and coughed up blood, his eyes widening as he stared at the crimson stains. "He's... so powerful..." he gasped out, struggling to his feet.

"We've got to stop him," Sheba said painfully, her body aching as she stood. "Somehow."

Before anybody else could move, strong winds flew at the Adepts behind Alex, blasting them off their feet and cutting into them. Small splotches of blood flew everywhere as they were cut by the sharp winds and they all hit the ground, sustaining bruises.

"He can attack... without even looking at us...?" Isaac gritted his teeth as he got back up again. "We've got to figure out... how to attack him..."

"Let's just keep trying!" Garet desperately attempted to cast Pyroclasm. For a second, the fires washed around Alex, only to turn into a blazing fireball that flew at him and crashed into his chest. "Augh!" he yelled as he was knocked back by the force of his own attack, crashing onto his backside.

"We can't lose now!" Jenna cried out, sounding alarmed. She swung her weapon as she moved to attack. The Lachesis Rule let out a howl as it unleashed Apocalypse. Alex did not even seem to notice however. A jet of water burst up underneath her and she let out a cry of surprise as she was thrown into the air, before crashing down again. Shards of ice rained down on her as she lay stunned, causing her to bleed in places. "Ugh..."

"His attacks are too powerful," Mia whispered, seized by terror. Her eyes began to well with tears of fright as she saw how easily her friends were falling. "No... at this rate..."

"Pull yourself together, Mia! We've got to at least try!" Piers encouraged, jolting her back to her senses. "The world is counting on us!"

"Yes... you're right. I'm sorry..." Mia readied her weapon, steeling herself. She had to try, even if she lost as well.

"Alex! Stop this now!" Felix demanded, casting Oddysey. "You can't destroy the world we worked so hard to save!" Again, Alex seemed to simply shrug off the attack, retaliating with several bolts of lightning that crashed down onto the Venus Adept, sending a severe jolt through him and causing him to fall to his knees, gasping in pain.

"There's got to be a way to stop him!" Isaac cried out, calling up Flint to attack. Like the other attacks, it proved useless and he received a blast of fire in return. Isaac groaned as he felt the burns washing over his body and severely scalding him. "He's... hardly noticing... our attacks at all."

"Let's just keep trying," Mia insisted, as she cast Pure Wish twice, healing everyone somewhat. "Like Piers said, the world is counting on us to save it once more."

"Perhaps we should put our Djinn on set instead and try hitting him with the summons," Felix suggested.

As Alex continued to walk toward Mt. Aleph, the Adepts quickly put all their Djinns on set and discussed which summons they should call down. Eventually, they decided, and hurried after him, some of them preparing to call the summons.

"I call Azul!" Isaac shouted, summoning the combination Venus and Mercury summon.

Alex shrugged off the sphere of Mercury energy that crashed into him, smiling as he saw how eager they were to put a stop to his actions. How useless it was.

"Daedalus!" Jenna called out, summoning the Mars and Venus elemental summon. Several small missles whizzed through the air out of nowhere, crashing into Alex's back. He hardly seemed affected by the attack however.

"Catastrophe, please!" Sheba prayed, as she called for the Jupiter and Mars summon. In the sky, a knight appeared, building up power and blasting it straight at Alex.

Alex continued walking on, ignoring the Adepts as they persisted with their useless summoning. He gazed at the mountain, which was even closer now. Soon, he would be at the top and then he could do it.

"Help us, Charon!" Felix exclaimed, summoning the summon of the Venus and Jupiter elements.

Close by, a skeletal being appeared, cloaked in red, and it sent out a mass of purple and black energy which moved to engulf Alex in its wake. As the energy faded, Alex calmly walked on, not even appearing scratched.

"This is our last hope... get him, Iris!" Garet called for the Mars and Mercury elemental summon, desperately hoping that it would at least do something to Alex.

Alex stood still, even as the summon blasted him into the sun. When the attack was over, he was standing on the ground in front of Mt. Aleph, seeming just slightly affected. "Well, that was a powerful one. It actually managed to damage me just a bit."

"We managed to hurt him!" Ivan exclaimed. "Maybe he's not so indestructible after all!"

Alex let out a sniff and walked to the base of the mountain. Just as the Adepts charged at him, the ground shook in front of them and several giant golems made of clay burst out from the earth, arranging a line between the group and Alex.

"Golems?" Sheba cried out in disbelief. "He summoned them just now?"

"So, he wants us to fight our way through to him now?" Piers clenched a fist in frustration. "Looks like we'll have to."

The Golems rushed at the Adepts, striking at them with massively strong fists and even managing to knock them to the ground, even as the Adepts blasted at them with Psynergy. Their defense was formidable enough that it took a few hits just to take one down. The Golems' speed and impressive physical attacks were almost a match for them, but not quite.

Alex glanced over his shoulder at the battle raging between the Golems and the Adepts in cold amusement. Several times, one of them would fall to the ground battered and bruised, only to get up again and continue fighting. Those Adepts indeed had wills of steel.

As Alex prepared to levitate up the side of the mountain, a large missile came whistling through the air and crashed into his back. The Mercury Adept was momentarily stunned by the surprise attack, cursing himself for his mistake. Of course, the Daedalus summon had a secondary attack. Well, it had only stalled him for a few seconds. He looked up at the peaks towering above him and prepared to go up.

"Alex, stop," said a voice behind him. "How did you manage to survive and get all of Alchemy so quickly?"

"The Wise One!" Mia cried in relief, as she healed Isaac who had just taken a nasty blow from the last Golem remaining. The Golem let out a scream as Felix managed to decimate it with Odyssey. With the battle over, the Adepts tiredly stood and stared at the Wise One.

"Ah, Wise One," Alex murmured, levitating into the air until he was facing the rocky guardian. "I see you have not changed since I saw you last."

The Wise One gazed into Alex's eyes and realisation hit him. He couldn't believe it, but the proof was right there in front of him. "No, it couldn't possibly be, could it? Yet, I sense that you really are..."

"That is correct, my adversary." Alex went limp, yet he still hung suspended in the air, as a dark aura formed around him. The shadowy aura grew until a large, red eye was visible in the center. "I have finally been released after such a long time being sealed away."

"What is that?" Ivan asked in disbelief, seeing the shadow surrounding Alex. None of them could hear what was being said from so high up, so they just watched in confusion, waiting with bated breath to see if the Wise One could eliminate the threat.

"There was only one way for you to escape that seal," the Wise One recalled. "By hiding within the body of a living human, so long as that human willingly gave you his body. Alex must have somehow fallen into the chamber where you were sealed and gave himself up."

"Sharp as ever, you are, but I suppose you are not called Wise One for nothing," the entity enthused. "I have not forgotten how you were the one to seal me within the mountain."

"It was necessary. You had turned to darkness, abused the power you were given and used it for great evil," the Wise One said, closing its eye in thought. "I sealed you away to protect Weyard... the cursed Dark One."

The Dark One chuckled softly. "I suppose you did not expect me to ever escape. So long have I waited for my revenge." Suddenly, the eye disappeared and the shadow shrank, fading back into Alex. His eyes opened, shining black and red as they stared at the Wise One. Then, Alex vanished in an instant.

The Wise One looked around in alarm, his eye rolling as he tried to seek out Alex. Where had he gone? Then a powerful blast hit him from behind, sending him crashing into the side of the mountain. The Wise One quickly recovered and turned to face Alex.

"I will just have to reseal you again," the Wise One said finally. "You will not be allowed to destroy this world."

"But are you a match for my power, as well as Alchemy?" the Dark One asked, putting out Alex's arms. The Wise One prepared himself for an attack, but nothing came. As he heard the sound of tearing earth behind him, he realised that the Dark One was in fact opening a hole in the mountainside.

"Stop this nonsense!" the Wise One cried, using his power to try and push away the Dark One. The Dark One swiftly pushed back, using force to knock the Wise One back as well. As the Wise One struggled, he realised he was being pushed back even further and was precariously close to the hole already.

He was weakened. The Wise One realised this as he felt himself slipping within the Dark One's power. After turning those Proxians into dragons, summoning a three-headed dragon and then speaking to multiple people in their minds all over Weyard, he had used up a great amount of power. Even Alex had been able to push him away a little with just a small part of Alchemy, though the Wise One had easily defeated him then. Now, the rocky guardian was facing the Dark One himself, inside someone with all of Alchemy.

The Wise One closed his eye in numb defeat, sending a telepathic message to the Adepts below. "I am sorry. Despite my efforts to protect this world, it seems I have failed it in the end."

"This shall be your eternal grave!" the Dark One shouted, forcing the Wise One into the gaping abyss within the mountain. As the rock disappeared into the darkness, he chanted a spell under his breath, cursing the Wise One.

"No... the Wise One was... defeated?" Isaac asked in disbelief, watching as the hole in the mountain closed up, sealing away Vale's protector. "It can't be..."

The Adepts watched in horror as Alex began floating up to the top of the mountain and stood upon the tallest peak of Mt. Aleph. He then raised his arms to the sky, a tall pillar of white light shooting up from his body.

"He's... going to..." Garet's voice cracked and he fell to his knees. "Damn it..."

"This isn't fair..." Isaac whispered, his eyes stinging with tears as he watched the light begin to spread. "After we worked so hard..."

"My family was finally together again," Jenna choked out, letting out a quiet sob.

"How could this happen?" Felix hung his head, his bangs obscuring his devastated expression. "Why?"

"It's over..." Sheba murmured, a tear trickling down her cheek as she watched the light rushing down the sides of Mt. Aleph.

Ivan couldn't find anything to say as he stared in horror at the pulverising light rushing to engulf them.

"We failed?" Piers faced the light, looking anguished.

"Alex!" Mia screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew he wouldn't hear her screams or even pay attention if he did, but still she screamed his name, staring in horror at the barely visible shape upon the mountaintop.

The light rushed at them as it began to spread out across Weyard, engulfing and destroying everything that lay in its wake. People looked up in surprise and confusion as they saw the approaching light, only to be wiped out of existence in seconds. In just a minute, the entire world had been destroyed. Every town, every living thing no longer existed. All that remained were Mt. Aleph itself and the lighthouses.

"Look, Alex," the Dark One murmured, forming above Alex's body and allowing him to move. His eye glanced around, looking at the desert that surrounded Mt. Aleph. The whole world now looked like this. Empty, barren, nothing more than a sandy wasteland.

Alex's eyes widened in horror as he looked down, seeing the destruction for himself. "No... everybody is... gone? Everything's... destroyed?"

"Everything. You are, in fact, the only living human being on this world right now," the Dark One said, chuckling softly as he gazed down at his vessel. "How satisfying it was to seal away the Wise One and annihilate the world he cared about so much."

As Alex gazed down in despair at the world beneath the mountain, he was sure he heard an echo of Mia's desperate scream, ringing in his ears, and he saw her face, dirty and tearstained, staring up at him.

"Mia..." Alex whispered, taking a shaky step forward. "Mia... is dead? They are all dead... the whole world is gone. This wasn't what I wanted!" he screamed in anguish, falling to his knees and hitting the ground with his fists. "Mia!"

"I shall rebuild the world," the Dark One declared. "With you as the supreme ruler. We can share the world together with our united power. How does it sound, Alex?"

Alex numbly gazed at his hands, his body shaking with grief. He didn't care anymore. The Dark One could do whatever it wanted. With Mia gone, he suddenly couldn't remember his purpose, but it certainly hadn't included the world being destroyed. "Fine. Do whatever you will."

"With pleasure," the Dark One replied, plunging back into Alex's body. Alex closed his eyes as he felt the evil presence slipping into him and taking over his body yet again. His eyes opened again, pupils shining scarlet within ebony pools.