[ WP ] A villian who thinks he 's a hero realizes he 's the villian . What is he thinking ?

`` I am going to *end* you! I am going to destroy this,'' Keller waved his hand at the broad expanse of fortress visible from the tower where they stood, `` I'm going to destroy the whole damn empire! Starting with *you*, murderer.'' 
 
 Dusk stared back at him with cold violet eyes. His namesake crept along the horizon, edging the world in purple and orange, snaking long fingers of shadow into the tower room, turning the toppled chairs, tables and bodies into pillars of darkness. 
 
 He flicked his wrist, sending a spray of congealing blood across the room to splatter against one of the few unbroken windows. Keller pointed the heavy shortsword at his chest. `` Starting with you.'' He repeated. Dusk drew the long sword from his side. The strange metal was black, completely matte. The faintly glowing purple markings carved along the blade were visible in the shadow his body made, setting sun at his back. 
 
 `` Yes, you will destroy us.'' The Grand Marshall's voice cast its own shadow across the room, darkening Keller's resolve. `` Do you have any idea what you've done? What you've brought into this world?'' The setting sun cast a harsh red light behind him, and cold violet eyes glowed from within a pool of shadow. 
 
 Rhal'tez stirred within Keller as the cold violet eyes sought out what lay beneath the mortal flesh. `` What you have brought into this world will destroy far more than the empire.'' The eyes continued. 
 
 Keller snarled, a sound of incoherent animal rage, and launched himself across the room. The black sword parried his own, directing him to the side. His feet barely seemed to touch the floor before he was moving again, circling around the violet eyes to strike out again. Again, the black sword deflected and then countered, cutting a dark path through the air. Keller was forced to duck backwards, settling into a crouch just out of reach. 
 
 The pause lasted less than a breath. The Grand Marshall stepped forward with a thrust which Keller swatted aside. Stepping into his foe's reach Keller shouldered the man hard in the chest. Instead of pushing him backward, Keller found a vice like hand around his collar, and then he was flung backward, nearly a dozen feet. 
 
 Landing on his feet, Keller felt the rage within him building. Rhal'tez stirred again, seeking release, its mind pressing up against his own. He pushed it away with a shake of his head, but the creature persisted, quietly assuming its presence at the back of his mind. Dusk sprang into motion at the same time Keller shook his head, crossing the distance between them in a flash. 
 
 Metal rang out against metal as the two men clashed in a flurry of blows. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Keller was forced back. First his back foot slid back, then his front as he closed his stance. Eventually his back foot connected with a toppled chair and the momentary lapse in rhythm of the his fight let the dark blade slip by and gouge his shoulder. 
 
 The pain was intense, hot. Keller gasped as the blood began to flow. The presence in his mind recoiled from the pain of the dark metal, pressing itself against Keller's consciousness. Keller lost his concentration again, and again the dark blade cut through his flesh, across his chest. 
 
 Keller lost control. One moment he felt the hot blood flowing down his chest, down his arm, the sharp pain of his own severed flesh, the next he was looking out from different eyes, a different body. The dark blade came for another pass, but it seemed to crawl through the air, so that Keller could see every marking on its matte surface. 
 
 Keller's own blade moved up, halting the progress of its dark counterpart. Then it shoved past it, knocking it aside as a strong wind might blow a dead leaf. Keller watched as the violet eyes widened in astonishment, as the lean, dark clad body of the Grand Marshall recoiled too late from the striking blade. The sword struck, cutting a crimson swathe from sternum to hip. Dusk stumbled back, and Keller watched as his own foot came up and kicked the man, sending him flying across the room to strike window, cracking it but not breaking it. 
 
 Keller felt his body begin to move forward, but a new voice cut across the darkening room. `` Keller, do n't!'' It cried. 
 
 Keller's eyes turned to see Aliana, small shape dim in the darkening room. `` Keller, do n't let it do this. It's not helping you.'' 
 
 Keller's eyes turned back to the fallen Grand Marshall, then to Aliana. Slowly, a smile crept across his face. It felt unnatural, like his lips were being pulled back by fingers. He began to move toward Aliana. `` Keller?'' Her voice was hesitant, her eyes wide and reflecting the last rays of light as the sun fell behind the horizon. `` Keller, what --'' Her voice was cut off as Keller's hand caught her by the throat and lifted her into the air. 
 
 *Yes, yes she will do... * Something whispered in his mind as he choked her. Bringing her to him, he pressed his mouth to hers, forcing something into her. Her small arms struck pitiably, futiley at him, but finally she was still. Part of Keller struggled, groggily trying to assess what was happening. When he saw himself drop Aliana to the floor, saw her wide open eyes staring into nothing, the darkening mark at her neck, something within him snapped. 
 
 Keller tried to scream but his voice did not come. He tried to move his hands but they would not obey. Calmly, casually, Rhal'tez turned toward the violet eyes, luminescent now in the full darkness. `` To hell with you, demon.'' Dusk snarled through the darkness. `` I wo n't be the last.'' 
 
 A harsh, breathless laugh escaped Keller as he fought to scream. `` I wo n't need to go anywhere, Grand Marshall.'' Keller's voice came out unnaturally, the words twisting in his mouth. `` I'll be bringing it all here with me.'' Rhal'tez strode across the room. 
 
 Keller frantically fought his legs, tried to make them stop moving, but it was so hard. Everything seemed so difficult, so tiring. Blackness crept in behind the frantic fear. And as it closed over him, the violet eyes stared into him, pierced him, and words accompanied him into darkness... 
 
 *Are you happy, Keller Lorm? *
