Sanctuary

Every night, the same dream. For months now, Keegan had been plagued by the same dreams, of the bringer of the end of days, Roisin. Her standing over the ruins of Crystalla, the bringer of death.

Every detail feeling so real. The shadowy figures, beckoning him into their arms. Every time he saw them, he felt terrified, yet... he knew they may be the key to saving the star. A deal with the shadows, sacrificing his soul to protect the others, could he do it?

Keegan awoke once more in his apartment in Sanctuary. Trash bags and empty food containers were scattered around the apartment. The endless nightmares had left him unable to sleep, they tortured his mind, beckoning him to take the hand of those shadows.

Or not. It wasn't real, it's just a nightmare, perhaps a side effect of the exposure to the darkness? He'd considered visiting the labs many times, but Atlas was there, and if Atlas saw him, his cover would be blown.

He couldn't risk it, maybe this would pass, eventually, he just had to resist making a move, he had to live in stasis. He wondered what had happened to Treleva, he had no way to find out, once more he felt alone in this dark world.

Keegan had heard the rumours, that this darkness was brought about by the fall of Aranei and Demi. If that was true, then he and Treleva had brought this blight upon the world. Though, he doubted it, it had to be down to his sister, she surely was the one to blame.

He had taken the Gravity and Mineral Crystals, but she had taken the Fire and Ice Crystals. Probably more by now, and she will have pinned the blame on Trevela, no doubt. Well, whatever the case, they were both trapped in the same city now, with no way out.

Yet, he had no desire to confront her, to do so would surely mean destruction and the fall of this city, even if it was built by her own allies. There was also the fact that he was in no fit state to fight.

Keegan sighed, and stood up, he looked in the dirty mirror, he hadn't shaven for a week and was pale with black under his eyes, he sighed and headed over to the window, he was on the second floor of a new apartment block, he looked at the streets outside to see other socializing.

He envied them, to live such normal lives in such dire times. The end was coming and all they could care about is idle chatter. He wished he could go back to the days in Aranei, before he had blood on his hands. He still regretted taking the life of his mother, but what is done is done. It was in the name of protecting the star from itself.

At least that is what he told himself. The sins he had committed, were they really for the sake of the world? Was he just hungry for power, for recognition, for fame? He'd spent his whole life knowing that his parents were not his real parents, now he knew who they were, only to find out they were dead.

Keegan sat back down once more, and began to drift off to sleep. Would this be the time he could at last sleep?

It wasn't. Roisin was stood in the ashes of the would, she looked him in the eyes and grinned. Blood dripping from her hair as she held a bloody dagger in her hand. The shadows edged ever closer. He had to resist, he had to wake up. Roisin watched him, as he looked at the shadows in fear.

Awake. Again. The cycle repeated. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. The wind howled outside the window. How long had he slept? He could no longer tell, now the eternal night was here.

He nearly fell back to sleep, but he couldn't. He didn't want to see Roisin or the shadows any more, he wanted the nightmares to end, he couldn't bear it any more.

The clock ticked away, the shopping channel playing on the TV. It must have been nighttime. Rain began lashing against the windows. It brought back a comforting memory from his childhood, back in Aranei, when the storms used to come to the city every fall, bringing the heavy rains. He used to feel so warm and safe back then.

Now he felt cold, tired and alone.

He didn't want to be alone any more.

He shut his eyes and fell asleep yet again.