My world is shadow and light

Fire. All I see around me is fire. I feel the heat burning my skin but I can't move. I can smell burning flesh but I know it's not mine.

"Drake it's good to finally meet you face to face." I turn around and find myself but different. It was me but he had 2 curved demon horns coming out the side of his head. His eyes were like pools of swirling black and leaked out as if he was crying. He had blood covering his lips and chin as if he was a vampire. The I look at his smile and see razor sharp jagged teeth covered in blood. He was also wearing a cloak that looked like it was made of darkness itself.

"Who are you and want do you want?"

"Tsk tsk. Come on drake you should know who I am. I mean you are the one I chose to be my wielder." Wait is he.....

"Are you the gauntlet?" He starts to clap.

"Bravo bravo, you got it. Yes I am the gauntlet, yet in a more wider sense I am the Darkness. If you must you may call me Umbra." His grin widens as he started to step towards me.

"But I am also the Darkness with your soul, and I have to say you pretty messed up. I looked into your memories about what you said to Luna, and you want to know something. You were spot on about the darkness thing. I mean look at me I'm just what your little mind came up with so I could talk to you."

"So your saying that I need a therapist?" I cross my arms looking at the other me. 'I can't shake the feeling that something’s wrong.'

"Maybe, but because of my nature this was probably what my form would be if I was alive. Now down to business, I've come here to make you an offer." He spawns a table with a couple of chairs and some soda.

"What do you want with me because I know you didn't come here for a friendly chat?" My voice was seeping with venom. He looked at me almost bored but it was soon replaced with his signature grin.

"Why my dear boy what would ever make you think that."

"Enough let us be done with this so I can wake up." I said as I slam my hands on the table spilling the soda.

"*Sigh* Well you’re not making this any easier. All I ask is a little time in this world, and what I mean by that is letting me barrow your body for awhile." He snaps his fingers and everything goes back to flames.

"Never! I'll never let you have my body, for all I know you would kill everything in sight." I spin around trying to find him but he's nowhere to be found.

"Very well, but I warn you, you brought this on yourself." After his warning the flames shut off leaving me inside of a house. I walk around and notice that this is the house that Kage left me before he left. The memory of Kage sends a whirlpool of rage and betrayal in my soul. I walk into the living room and look at the clock, it said 7:20. 'Shit I'm going to be late.' I run to the front door and grab a bag but before I grab the handle I stop. 'Wait. Why does this feel weird?'

I look around to try and find anything suspicious in the house but find nothing. 'Oh well must have been my imagination.' I grab the handle and walk outside into the summer air. As I start to head for school I hear somebody running up behind me. Without thinking I grab the hand as soon as it makes contact with my shoulder and flip the owner over my back.

Thud

"Ow man did you really have to put that much force into that." I look in front of me to find Anthony lying on the ground grinning and looking like he doesn't have a care in the world. I offer my hand to help him up. After helping him up, we both start heading to school. About the time we were passing Joe's coffee parlor he decided to start a conversation.

"So are you going to ask that new exchange student out?" He said without looking at me, I look up from my book so I can answer him.

"You know I don't do well in the whole relationship thing." I look back down to my book sidestepping a street light in the process.

"I know but I'm jealous of you because I hear what most of the girls say about you."

"Oh, what do they say about me?" I said not looking up from my book.

"They say they all the girls like you. I think they said it's because of how you’re a military strategist or how you’re the only in our class to win the Chess tournament and the MMA championship on the other side of town. They also say it's because you handsome, but the truth is I can't see that one." I punch him in the arm still not looking up from my book. We both verbally assault each other in till we get to the entrance of the school were some girls run up to us.

"How can I help you stunning ladies today? Maybe a movie later or we could have a romantic dinner at my house." Antony said. The girls turn to give him looks that could kill but when they turned to me they acted all sweet.

"Hey Drake would you be interested in having some lunch we made for you." Both of the girls hold up custom lunch boxes with hearts on them. I could practically hear Anthony drool behind me. I give them a heart melting smile.

"I'm sorry girls but I already have lunch with Aurora today but maybe next time." I wave at them as I pass them on my way to class.

"Aright now who can explain one of the greatest tactics for warfare? Ummmm.... how about.... Drake explains this for me." I look up from my book and look at the teacher.

"Well there are multiple tactics that are the greatest for different situations." I mark my place in my book and set it down knowing this was going to be a long debate.

"Ok then. What about you are outnumbered and out gunned. Then the enemy is advancing, what do you do?" I smiled.

"Simple you use deception and stealth. You first must retreat to location where you already have set traps and ambush, but also you must break of small parts to separate and flank them from behind when they believe victory is within their grasp." The teacher looked stunned by my answer and tried to pick his jaw of the floor.

After my Physics class was lunch, so I headed to the entrance waiting for Aurora. 'I wonder what book I should read next. Maybe go over the art of war again.' I was cut off from my thinking when my vision went dark. I reached up and tried to push who ever landed on me off, but while trying to push my hand found something soft and firm. I squeezed it and pushed to try and breathe, but when I did that I heard the person on me moan from the contact.

"Aurora *umph* get of me!"

"Fine but you owe me for grabbing my boobs, even if I didn't mind it that much." She starts to laugh. Aurora truly stood by her name she was the only girl that I knew that had beautiful neon green hair and sparkling sea green eyes. She had a smile that could melt hearts, the way I know this is because she's the only that could melt my frozen heart. Nobody knew, not even Anthony, that I love Aurora. Yes I said love. I have known her for a year now and over that year I have fallen for her. What most people don't realize is that Aurora is Anthony's sister, and god is it hard to hide the fact that I love her from them.

We left the school and went into town for lunch. While walking I realize Aurora was being a little closer than usual by hugging my arm as we walked. I shook my head telling myself that this is what friends do when they go out for lunch. We soon came to a favorite of ours the 'Bellaria'. It was a small cafe in between a deli and a Chinese restaurant. The inside was painted in a soothing cream color that always calmed me when we came in.

"Ah look who it is! Some of my most frequent customers. What can I do for you today?" The owner's name was Dmitri and he was from Rome. He had a thick beard and mustache with a little bit of grey in them but still kept some of their black color. He was all around nice guy, everybody liked him and he liked everybody back.

"Yeah we'll take the usual, thanks Dmitri." Aurora said as we make our way to our table.

"No problem, it's my job after all." Soon he went to cook our food. I look over to Aurora to see that she is slightly nervous and shy which isn't like her at all.

"Aurora are you ok?" She jumps slightly when I speak to her, she gets even more nervous and starts to blush. I put my hand on her forehead to see if she had a fever, and then she blushes even harder.

"Umm… Drake… Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure." I look to see that her face looks like a tomato.

"Um... what…do you... think of me?" Oh my god is asking what I think she's asking.

"W-w-well I can't say that I don't like you because Anthony would kill me." I got her to laugh so that lightened the tension in the air.

"I will say this though. I do like you a lot and if you want we could go catch a movie some time." My heart feels like it wants to explode. Her face lights up like the northern lights. She lunges across the table and gives me a bone crushing hug.

"Ah.. Aurora... can't....breath." She lets go and move to where she’s sitting beside. She lays her head on my shoulder and gives a small sigh as she relaxes. I can't but feel as if this has happened before, but before I could get deep in thought Dmitri brought are food and smiled as he saw Aurora lay her head on me.

"My my, what do have here?" I turn to him giving a look asking if he could leave us alone, but I realize he must be here for the payment.

"Thank you for the food Dmitri how much will this cost." I said as I dig out my wallet.

"Oh this is on the house. Consider it a present for you two finally getting together." He smiles as he walks away back to the counter.

After we finish eating we start heading back to school. On the way there I get a glimpse of someone in the alley watching us.

"Aurora why don't you head back, I left my wallet at Dmitri's." I give her a quick peek on the cheek. As she runs off I turn around and walk in till I get to Dmitri's, but I walk past it heading for the park. After I make it to the park I turn around and look to the shadows around me.

"Alright we're alone, now come out." Realizing the were caught they walked out of the shadows into my vision. There was 4 of them 2 had long swords while the others had bows. They draw back their hoods to revel their faces. The only thing I cared about was the tattoo on their face which symbolized that they where shadow knights.

"What do the knights want with me this time? Shouldn't you be looking for Kage?" The person who I assume was the leader stepped forward.

"We are here to kill you by the orders of the council. We have been instructed to silence any and everybody who knew you personally." 'That means they are going to go after Anthony and Aurora.' I reach back behind me to find that my weapon was not there. 'Damn I must have left it back at the house.' I see that all of them already had their weapons out. I reach for the rosario, but before I could break the seal the leader spoke again.

"You will not release your form here."

"Oh yeah, and how are you going to stop me." Before I could blink, the leader snapped her fingers. One of the lackeys went behind the tree and dragged out a beaten and bloody Aurora. I could see that she was barely alive and was unconscious. My blood started to boil at the sight of her hurt. What they did next would be the greatest mistake of their life. The lackey that had her was holding her by a rope tied around her wrist cutting into the flesh.

"Oh look here, this one is very beautiful. I think I'll keep her for myself after we kill you. I'm going to have so much fun with you my dear." At the last part he licked her chin up to her ear. I lost it right then. Before I knew what happened I was covered in blood and Aurora was laying on the tree looking at me in fear. I look down to see the man’s body was in pieces and had a large pool of blood around him. While looking at the man I fail to notice one of the other lackeys went for Aurora. I shook from my trance when I heard metal enter flesh. I turn around and see the lackey had driven his sword through Aurora's heart. I could only watch as the life drained from her eyes while she spoke.

"Don't cry Drake I don't like it when you cry." When she finished her head slumped forward signaling that she was gone. Something inside me awoke seeing the lifeless form of one of the only people I cared about. It felt powerful yet evil, but I didn't care I was still to shocked about Aurora. The power kept building in till the seal broke just from the amount of power that was going through it. Something...something dark was coming and wouldn't stop in till they were all dead. I turn to look at the leader and see her wearing a smirk.

"You have no idea what you have just done." Memories of my parents started to flash through my mind fueling the power even more.

"Oh I think I do, now will you please die now."

"FOOL! You don't think there was a reason Kage kept me hidden from the shadow knights. It was because when I was just but a boy my powers turned into something dark and evil. Now because you killed her those powers are starting to come back, and he will not stop in till you are all dead!" I scream at her, by now I was losing my sanity to the power.

"Oh then I'll gladly let that power come through if it means a challenge worthy of my blade." She raises her blade so that it is at eye level with me.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." With that I let the darkness take hold and turn my body. My body started to burn and hurt because my bones were breaking so the could reform into something new. I could feel the horns grow out from my skull an enlarge. To say the process wasn't painful is a lie. My body grew in height and started to call to the shadows. I once again look through my eyes at the woman but could do nothing since the Darkness was in control.

"So who wants to play first." My voice sounded like gravel being scraped across a chalkboard. I lifted my hand and a twisted version of my sword spawned into my hand. It had a similar horn style for the hand guard but this one had holes in it. It also had a black blade that was seeping shadow magic and malice. The blade also had carvings that come from the shadow language saying 'the Devourer'. My body move on it's own moving in a flash on the poor soul which was the lackey that stabbed Aurora.

"Looks like your first." I could feel the grin that my body was giving and it terrified me. Before the man could react, my body ran forward slashing at his stomach cutting a large gash letting his intestines fall out. My body then reaches its hand out grabbing some of his intestines and ripping them out. While the man was screaming trying to put his insides back in my form found it funny because he started to laugh. My head looked back to the leader.

"I warned you." My head turns back to the man. Stabbing the sword in the ground my body walked behind him and grabbed his head.

"This is what happens when you fight me." My body gave a big hurl and ripped the man’s head clean off letting blood spray anything in a two foot radius. My body lifted the head above my head and opened his mouth drinking the blood that was seeping out. After dropping the head my body turned back to the last two.

"So who's next?"