Jamal’s POV
The dark witch, a shadow from the recesses of his past, cast an ominous pall over my thoughts. Her malevolence, the catalyst for the arduous journey through the realms, loomed as a reminder of the trials I had faced. In the face of this formidable adversary, I found the strength to swim against the currents.
With a newfound surge of determination, O pushed against the encroaching darkness. The thought of Methis waiting, of my cubs growing up without their father, of the pack relying on my leadership, propelled me toward the surface. The image of the moonlit realm, my sovereign domain, beckoned as a distant haven.
Yet, the cruel reality of physical exhaustion proved insurmountable. As my limbs strained against the water, the weight of my shifting form, soaked and weary, became an anchor dragging him into the depths.
Then, everything went dark.
* * *
I woke up to a sound.
Vaguely aware that I was lying on the floor, in the pitch darkness, my vision swimming around me, I groaned and sat up, surveying surroundings.
The air is heavy with humidity and the only sound is the drip-drip-drip of water from the cave ceiling. Jamal, gaunt and sunburnt, sits hunched against the damp wall, his eyes glazed with exhaustion.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blows through the cave, plunging them into darkness. I jump, my heart pounding, buy to my utmost horror, I realized even that sapped the strength out of me, my vision getting even more horrible.
I was in no state to fight, which left only one other option.
"Hello?" I whispered, trying to keep my head calm and cool, "Who's there?"
A low, mocking laugh echoes through the darkness. My eyes widened in horror as a ghostly figure emerged from the shadows.
That sound, that walk, that presence, even the bloody aura of the room had turned everything dark, making my blood run cold in my veins. Whether it was from fear or rage I wasn't sure yet. I was just certain of one thing.
She was here.
She walked into the dim part of the cave, her eyes glowing with malevolent glee.
"Well, well, well," She started, clapping her hands together mockingly, "if it isn't the mighty Jamal, lost and alone in the wilderness. How the tables have turned, haven't they?"
This wasn't possible, this cannot be possible, there was no way she was here with me.... Right?
"Y-you're not real," I stuttered, struggling to get on my feet, ignoring every pang of pain shooting up spine at that moment, "You're just a figment of my imagination."
She threw her head back, and laughed, a chilling sound that sends shivers down my spine.
"Oh, but I am very real, Jamal." She said, "More real than you could ever imagine. I am the darkness in your heart, the voice of your deepest fears. And I am here to remind you of the fool you are."
I could almost feel her breath on one ear. I shook my head vigorously, this island was moving mad! You can't hurt me. I'm stronger than you."
"Stronger?" She asked, like she was genuinely surprised at that claim, "Is that what you tell yourself? You, who abandoned your own family, who left them to starve while you chased your selfish dreams? You, who are now weak and starving, lost on a deserted island with nothing but your regrets to keep you company."
" I'm not weak!" I yelled, feeling myself to get going to find my way out of here. "I'm going to survive."
"Oh, you may survive, for a while. But you will never escape the consequences of your actions. You will forever be haunted by the ghosts of your past."
"Shut up! You have no right to judge me!"
She raised an eyebrow, "Don't I? I was there, Jamal. I saw the way you treated me, the way you treated your family. I know the darkness in your soul."
"You were using me!" I yelled desperately, "You were only with me for my power!"
"Power? I have more power than you could ever dream of. I am a goddess, Jamal, while you are nothing but a pathetic mortal."
"You're a liar! You're nothing but a figment of my imagination!"
She stepped closer, her eyes burning into my soul. I did all I could, concentrating really hard not to shrink back against the wall, fear constricting my throat.
"You may think so, Jamal." She said, smirking, "But the truth is, I am always with you. I am the darkness that lurks within you, the voice that whispers in your ear, telling you that you are worthless, that you deserve to suffer."
"NO!" I yelled, "I will not listen to you! I will not let you control me!"
I lunged forward, my hands outstretched, desperate to touch the Black Witch, to make her disappear. But my hands pass through thin air, grasping at nothing. I collapsed to the ground, in shock.
She smiled, "You will never defeat me, Jamal. I am part of you. You are stuck with me forever."
The Black Witch's laughter fills the cave, echoing off the walls. I buried my face in my hands, overwhelmed by despair. I was lost, alone, and my only companion was the cruel voice of my past.