[ WP ] Evil is its own kind of beautiful .

The hero, broken and bloodied in the throne room at his feet. His companion, caught and stretched by summoned spiked chains. 
 
 `` Strike me down... others will rise... evil like you... is only to burn!'' 
 
 The Nightmare picked up the hero's axe and slowly walked towards his victim. Each step on the marble echoed in the great chamber. He lifted the weapon and with all his might slammed down on the hero. 
 
 He missed. The edge of the blade now embedded in the floor. 
 
 His head tilted, `` Evil like me?'' then burst into deafening laughter. 
 
 `` Why am I evil? Because I use nightmares as my power? Is it because my friends are demons? Or is it because I choose to live how I want IN MY OWN LANDS!'' The stained glass trembled. 
 
 `` Squashing little dogs for fun. Burning girls at the stake for nurturing their talents. Eating in front of your starving. That's cruelty. 
 You could call what I'm doing to your friend here, sadism. But to a certain extent that's not bad. Your friend seems to like it.'' 
 
 `` You do n't know me monster!'' 
 
 `` Ripples!'' 
 
 The word chilled her to the bone. 
 
 `` Ripples was your safe word.'' 
 
 She did n't dare speak. The room went silent. He approached and through the Mask of Darkness stared right into her eyes. `` Maybe it's the way I look.'' He took it off, revealing the battle scarred man underneath. After half a decade and her heart still ached at seeing that face. He loosened the chains, setting her free. She was no threat. The shadows around him coiled down to the fingertips as he made his way back to his beaten foe. 
 `` The truth is you come here, murder my guards, maim my friends and demand my blood. In my eyes, you're the bad guy, not me. Not even that, you're just a tool. See that's the beauty of it. You never know if you're evil!'' 
 He plunged his hand into the hero's back. The tendrils shot out on the skin and entered the body through each gash or wound they found. His eyes went black as night and from his knees, he fell limp. 
 
 She screamed. 
 
 The shadows receded and the hero's body was unharmed. 
 The Nightmare pulled out the axe and threw it to him. 
 `` You just got healed by dark magic. Go and find why they sent you. And if you come back, we can have a talk, or decide who's the hero.'' 
 
 Isabella pulled him up and they limped out. Her last look at The Nightmare was of regret. 
 
 
 He ran his hand across his face, `` The maid is going to kill me tomorrow for cracking the floor.'' 
 
 

