Emblems

Chapter 20: No Difference

Chapter 20: No Difference

"YES, THAT MAKES SENSE, JANNA," Leone said. "Thank you."

"I don't understand." Amber narrowed her eyes. "I thought Mind people can only pick up on thoughts? And you just said you couldn't get anything from me."

Leone laughed, like a mother amused by something an errant child had said. "I forgot to mention just now. Janna, here, is a Mind Adept, but she isn't a normal one. Just like how Daniel's magic gravitates towards breaking into others' minds, Janna has a power that is specially adapted to sensing emotions and feelings. This is why I selected her to help us when you train," she explained. Her smile began to look a little condescending. 

"Okay," she said, dragging out the last syllable. "Fine, that's fine. Do what you want." She waved a hand. See this through to the end. You made a deal so get the results. 

Almost immediately, Leone's face relaxed, her smile turning grateful and kind. "Thank you for understanding."

She nodded, then thought for a moment. "Can I see the video?"

"Of course," Janna said, passing her the camera. "You want to see how you changed? It was amazing, I have to say."

Amber gave an absent hmm, then pressed the 'start' button, sitting down on the floor. She fast-forwarded through most of the first part of the video, then stopped just before the part where the entire screen went black. The video proceeded forward at normal speed and she watched as the room was okay one second, and the next strings of black where crawling everywhere. It looked like a scene out of a horror movie - darkness rushing over the white walls, and if she unfocused her gaze a little the tendrils seemed to form shapes, like maggots and snakes and worms were slithering everywhere. 

Soon, the majority of the black shadows congregated onto the centre of the screen, pulsing and contracting as if fitting themselves into assigned places. They rose up after becoming a flat black, without texture, and then out of the pitch black void shone two bright lights. On closer inspection, they proved to be silver, not white. "Your eyes are silver." Oh, I get it now. 

Leone and Janna, standing at the edge of the inky blackness, retreated even further, disappearing beyond the edges of the screen, their faces tense, maybe even afraid. For once, Leone wasn't smiling. She didn't like the two Delegates, but it was hard to feel satisfied with the situation. Then from behind the globes of light, something leapt out, as if emerging from a portal to a nether world. 

It was almost amusing, how she could be afraid of something she knew was part of her. Then again, the very existence of Demons was meant to strike terror into the hearts of all races, wasn't it? 

In the video, the Demon roared and she would've flinched if Leone hadn't been watching her. All sound seemed to be muted, apart from those made by the monster: the shinggg of its claws on the cement floor, the low growls that vibrated through the room - all could be heard with astounding clarity. And yet, there was this feeling that they were merely like sound effects in a movie - only there to add to the impact. But the core of it, the Demon itself, even when silent felt like a snake coiling around her neck, cold scales pressing against bare skin, each sinuous movement sending something icy shivering down her spine.