Ekaterina Zabolotskih
Whisperer in the Dark – the Sequel
Chapter 7
"I… I can't go on," tears flowed from Wilmarth's eyes, a coarse shiver running through his whole body. "No! There's no point anymore! Nothing!" The young man's hoarse voice broke into a scream. He staggered and fell to all fours. The crying turned to laughter, "Ha… ha-ha… ha-ha… ha-ha… "You only have to listen and you will hear the call of freedom…"
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The morning began with an unpleasant pain in my back. Sleeping on the stone floor was not the best idea, but it was probably the only one that Wilmarth had. "Until a few days ago I was lying in my soft bed. For breakfast I would take a fresh bun from the bakery and walk to the university. Back then everyone was more concerned about getting rid of students, but now… How stupid I've been." He stretched his stiffened body and pondered his next steps. He had to find the place where Mi-go had met the Master. Who the man was (and whether he was human) remained a mystery. But he knew for sure that in it he would find all the answers. He did not know where to go, so he only had to trust in fate. Wilmart came out of the cave and followed the first path he saw.
On the way, he thought about his life: his fate as a refugee, the death of his parents, his brother who didn't wait for him… "I wonder how he is now?" – he said, tripping over a rock and hitting his knee. "What the…" Suddenly his hearing picked up some sounds. "Are those… voices?" – Wilmarth fell silent. The noise came from a crevice in the rock. Climbing through it was impossible, at least for a human. "There must be another way in," the young man may not have liked getting into trouble before, but now he took all will in his fist and headed towards the unknown.
After a few minutes the entrance was found. With his boots off beforehand, Wilmarth walked slowly deeper into the mountain. He kept walking until the voices were audible enough to make out their meaning.
"So you're saying we can spring into action? A fugitive – he could really annoy us…"
"Nonsense! It is but one drop in a sea of my power."
"But Yugotta's safety, she…"
"That's enough! You bore me, Noyes. I didn't give people a chance at life for you to bore me with your talk."
"Forgive me, Master. I will do whatever it takes to make your plan come to fruition. The day of peace is approaching, we have fulfilled almost all the conditions. Ninety-nine percent of the population is under our control. Either killed and replaced or handed over to the Conductors. The remaining percentage we are looking for”.
"Oh, people… Resisting, not realising it's already over. That remaining percentage are people who know our nature, but still resist the inevitable. A day of peace is the best thing that could have happened to their planet. For so many years they have littered their own home. We have come to give new life to this world. Besides, Yuggot isn't suited to thriving with delicate creatures like Mi-go. You know they are more like plants, they need the sun. I will do anything to ensure that my people live in prosperity. Even if it means doom for another. Now go away – the servants should have found the scroll by now, the lad is hiding in the Cursed Zone, you must help remove his protection. That old man Eckley is giving us a hard time."
"Of course, Master. I'm on my way," Noyes bowed and headed for the exit.
Wilmarth crawled out of the cave and rounded a corner so that the spy would not see him. He leaned against the rock and could barely contain his cry. "So it's all been decided a long time ago…? All in vain?!" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Is it possible that the relatives, they too…"
"Replaced?" – Noyes' smirking voice brought the young man out of his stupor. He jumped up sharply and punched the man in the stomach, then kicked him several more times until he collapsed to the ground. Wilmart's eyes were bloodshot, and he kept punching Noyes until he was out of breath from the blows.
"What have you brought yourself to, lad?" – The motionless Noyes never stopped smirking – "Found out your dear brother and his whole family is long gone? What's the big deal, practically the entire population of Earth isn't human anymore."
"WHO IS HE?" – Wilmarth pointed the shotgun at his enemy – "WHO'S YOUR MASTER".
Noyes laughed again: "See for yourself."
Shot. Wilmarth's hands were splattered with blood. He stared blankly at the breathless body and smiled. Then dropped his weapon and with the same unfailing smile walked back into the cave.
"I'M COMING FOR YOU."
Chapter 8
It was dark and damp inside. Wilmarth moved slowly forward. He walked calmly, with a straight back and a look of hatred. Tears glistened in his eyes, and his face contorted with the same smile of a madman. He didn't care what awaited him in the heart of this rock. All that mattered was finding the demon who had taken everything from him. Everything.
"Hey, Master! Or should I call you a monster? I think the latter is more appropriate." Yesterday's harmless young man was now on the edge. Madness.
"Come on, come out and look me in the eyes! In the eyes of the one whose life you broke!" – Willmarth stepped out of the corridor into a spacious room hollowed out of the rock. In the very centre stood an altar. There were several tables with all sorts of weapons, from an Earth knife to an incomprehensible device that looked like a drop of water with a wormhole in the middle. Beneath the dome floated a throne. It was held in place by a force incomprehensible to man, and towered majestically over all who entered the cave.
"How narcissistic do you have to be to create that for yourself?" – Willmarth muttered.
"By me," came a voice from behind him.
The boy turned around – there was HE standing behind him. Clad in a dark robe, he seemed to be composed of darkness. There was black vapor beneath his feet, as if he were walking on air.
"Pleased to meet you, Albert," the stranger floated past the uninvited guest and stood beside one of the daggers on the table. "Amazing you people. Created so many things to exterminate yourselves." – He made a slight movement with his hand and the dagger immediately plunged into the young man's leg. There was no pain. Only a slight tingling sensation in his body.
"You have been looking for me. I am the Master. And, behold," the darkness beneath the hem of his cloak began to expand until it reached Willmarth. His eyes darkened, and then he suddenly had an epiphany: a blooming planet appeared in his mind. There were mi-gu everywhere, but they didn't seem scary at all. On the contrary – amazing. "Just a few millennia ago, our planet was the best place on earth. There my people could exist in peace without worrying about anything. We lived in peace and harmony until the dark times came. Look" – Wilmarth looked up and saw hundreds of meteorites destroying the planet's atmosphere-"They came without warning – the Eaters. They are evil beings who have bestowed their darkness on every monster known in the universe. We were given the choice to join them or die. Then I took the brunt of it so that my people could leave home. The Reapers poured so much energy into me that I should have died, but as you can see, they miscalculated. I have only grown stronger. Not only did this allow me to safely transport all of the Mi-go to the other side of the galaxy, but it also allowed me to absorb the Reapers themselves. From then on, their power was mine. But the Mi-go were uncomfortable on Yugott. Then I found this place for my people – your Earth. At first we flew here only once every few years to check on the situation. But it turned out to be too sad: drowning in their sins, people threatened to ruin their own home. So I decided to establish ours here. Understand, I am not a monster at all, I am a saviour. Peace Day is a celebration of the Earth's liberation and a sign of my people's immortality. Now do you see? " – As Master spoke, images and pictures flashed before Wilmarath's eyes, as if he were aware of the very essence of existence.