MLIII C5, P3- "Rewritten"

"Rewritten" is the third Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's fifth Chapter.
It was released on 05.04.2022.
== Plot ==
After fighting through the guardians of Underfall and nearly losing their lives in the process, our heroes finally reach the Darkthrop Cathedral- the place from where Mordred Darkthrop leads his seemingly infinite forces of darkness. The final destination of their journey, without a doubt.
However, their plan to enter the place and find Darkthrop backfires when they meet one of his most loyal minions instead.
The vile creature known as Gyendal Ravenfoot takes it upon himself to face the heroes in battle and drain them of their precious lifeforce in the process. However, it turns out that his actual plan to divide their union is far more sinister... and, worst of all, it involves Adam himself.
Will the dark vampire manage to recruit the young hero on the side of evil? Or will he fail miserably and watch helplessly as he becomes even stronger, as his entire being is perfected before his very eyes?
== Story ==
As our heroes and Gyendal stare at each other, a battle continues to happen outside as Melanchion and Ardo fight their brother and his allies.
"Amusing, isn't it? To be left alone, without your allies to protect you?"- Gyendal says and chuckles- "If this is the army that Darkthrop promised me, then I fear that you are nothing more than a bunch of outcasts. Not a challenge for me, that's for sure."
Adam glares at him.
"So, you claim that you are strong enough to defeat all of us at once?"
Gyendal looks at Adam and smirks.
"Defeat you?"- He asks- "Kids, you're all just a bunch of lambs for me. Tasty morsels. Easy game. You may have powers, but you're far too incompetent to do anything to me."
Adam continues to glare at him.
"In that case, those morsels are going to leave a sour taste in your dirty mouth."
Gyendal smiles.
"A strong statement. From a human."- He says- "Very well, then. I accept your challenge."
He starts to disappear.
"Meet me at the top of the cathedral."- He says as the rest of his fragments start to fade away- "If you dare."
Adam and his allies try to catch him. However, he is too fast.
Soon, the rest of his fragments turn into a black mist that floats toward the nearby stairway.
"I guess that we have no choice."- He says- "It is either him... or us."
As he tries to devise a plan, a few darklings march into the cathedral. They have overheard the conversation between them and the vampire and are planning to stop them before they can go anywhere.
Adam draws his weapon, but soon hears a horrifying sound. It seems like more darklings are going to join their allies soon.
"Running away from them would be futile. There are too many of them to take care of."- He says to himself- "But how? How can we make our way to the top?"
He looks at Sharla. Tears fall down from his face as he prepares to share his plan with her.
"Sharla. I... I want you to make your way out. Take my newborn nephew with you and bring him to a better place."- He says to her- "If we are meant to fall, then I do not want him to meet the same fate as us. I want him to be safe and sound, loved by his family and away from any kind of danger. This is not the life that he deserves."
Sharla nods and prepares to take the baby with her. However, Donovan steps between them and shake his head.
"Look, Adam. I understand that you want to get your nephew away from here, but this won't be possible with just Sharla."- He says- "No offense, but there is more than just a few fiends out there. What she's going to face is much more dangerous... and I can't step outside, knowing that we might have made the wrong choice."
He looks at Sharla and smiles.
"Besides, I value Sharla's life more than mine."- He says- "I want her to redeem herself. Show that she's a useful asset to our team. Make a difference in this world of chaos."
He turns back to Adam.
"So. What do you say?"- He asks him- "I will take the child outside. Keep him safe. Go as far as possible. And you can work together. Defeat the vampire. Get to the wizard and stop him. Then, when you take care of his friends, you can save this world, just like you've always wanted to. Does that sound good?"
Adam smiles.
"Donovan, I have to admit. For a person who has been secluded from the outside world, you have the heart of a gentleman."- He says- "Few people would dare to put themselves in danger to prevent someone else from doing so."
He nods.
"I respect your decision."- He continues- "Thus, I have decided that I will trust you with my nephew's life."
He hands his baby nephew to him.
"Promise me that you will do anything to keep him safe."
Donovan smiles.
"I've already kept you safe all the time, right?"- He asks him- "Well, I give you my word that this young man will see the light of the day again."
Having said that, he reverently takes him in his arms and smiles.
"Hello, little one."- He says to the child- "From now on, we will be a team."
As the baby falls asleep in his arms, Donovan sighs.
"Such a fragile creature."- He says to himself- "Had we failed to help Adam in time, things might have gone far worse for him."
He smiles.
"But it was all worth it."- He continues- "As long as the future generations live to see another day, we are more than happy enough to keep on fighting for them."
He looks back and sees that more enemies have entered the cathedral.
"Come on! Get moving!"- He yells at his allies- "Go! Save yourselves!"
With a mad dash, he pushes past the creatures and escapes into the outside world.
"This is our chance!"- Adam says and motions for his allies to stand close to him- "To the top!"
Having said that, he uses a spell that turns them into white mist. They escape from the darklings just as they prepare to attack and float off past them and climb the stairs with ease.
It does not take long for them to reach the top of the cathedral. Once there, they look for a way to slow their attackers.
"Oh, no."- Sharla says- "What should we do?"
Adam thinks about this. He looks around for anything that would be sturdy enough to hold them off.
Then, he finds a large, long plank of wood.
"This will be strong enough to keep them bottled up!"- He says- "Help me carry it to the door!"
With the help of Sharla and Aiden, Adam manages to carry the plank to the door. 
As the darklings get close to reaching them, Adam slams the door and slams the plank into the holding legs that it used to be a part of, effectively repairing it and preventing the fiends from going anywhere else, but the lower floor of the cathedral.
"And with that, we have succeeded."- He says- "But the fight is not over."
Aiden nods.
"I can still feel that vampire."- He says- "He's close. Very close."
The three of them draw their weapons and search the area around them, hoping to find their enemy. 
Sure enough, a massive creature descends from the sky and, with an earth-shattering cackle, lands on the ground and grins at them.
"Gyendal Ravenfoot!"- Adam exclaims- "I knew that you were too foolhardy to run away!"
Gyendal smiles.
"Why should I run away, young one?"- He asks him- "Such a rare opportunity is too tempting for me. And, now that there is one less of you, I can dine on you whenever I want to."
Aiden shakes his head.
"We refuse to be your next meal, fiend!"
Gyendal takes a step toward him and smiles.
"That is not a request, sonny."- He says- "When Gyendal Ravenfoot decides to feed on an unfortunate soul, they have no choice but to accept their impending doom."
He turns back to Adam.
"Now, where were we?"
He bares his fangs.
"Ah, yes."- He says- "The reward for my hard work is here."
Adam draws his weapon.
"Bring it on, creature of the dark."
Gyendal smiles.
"Once I get rid of you, Darkthrop will continue with his most holy plan to conquer the planet. It is his birthright and I will make sure that heroes like you never get to him."- He says- "Soon, the entire world will know the name of the doombringer known as Gyendal Ravenfoot! And they will bow down to my tremendous power!"
He launches a powerful wave of heat at Adam. However, the young hero manages to push it back at him with a single swing of his sacred weapon.
The resulting impact does not hurt him, but leaves him rather shocked.
"I beg to differ."
As the vampire wonders what just happened to him, Adam enchants his weapon with the power of light and leaps toward him. 
With a series of lightning-fast swings of his weapon, he manages to land a few powerful hits on the creature's tainted body. However, this barely seems to do any damage and only seems to make him angrier.
"Darkthrop said that you would be a tough one to beat."- He says- "I anticipated that, of course. And yet, you still amaze me. You're doing better than most of the foolish mortals that I defeated."
Adam glares at him.
"We are all in this together!"- He yells- "And together, we shall win this battle! No matter if we live on die, we shall make a difference and push the darkness back where it belongs! Our efforts will not be in vain!"
Gyendal hisses.
"That's what they said, too!"
He spawns a dark hole under Adam's feet, attempting to get him swallowed into its depths. However, thanks to his superior pathfinding skills, the young hero manages to find a safe path out of the black pit.
"And yet, you still live."- He says- "Perhaps I underestimated you."
Adam smiles.
"Many did before you."- He says- "Mistakes like those, they are unforgivable and unrepairable. It is a fatal error to think that you are the superior being, even after you finally realize that you are facing a true equal, both in brains and brawns, in battle."
Gyendal takes a step back.
"As a lord of the vampires, I am gifted with much more than just immortality."- He says- "Watch this, hero, for it will be the greatest torment in your entire life."
Having said that, he rushes forward and grabs Adam's arm. His speed is truly unbelievable and even Sharla and Aiden are unable to stand in his way in time.
Adam tries to pull himself away, but the vile creature's grasp is too strong.
Gyendal smiles.
"And now, let us dance."
He gracefully jumps in the air and throws the young hero down, lightly wounding him in the process.
Then, before he can find back, he teleports behind his back and stabs him twice with his claws.
Bleeding and weakened, Adam tries to regain his balance, only to lock his eyes on the vampire's face and lose his composure.
"See? You are just like them."- He says- "What makes you think that you're better?"
Adam shakes his head.
"Everyone is... born equal. Just because some of us may be... heroes... and some are not, this does not mean anything to me. To us."- He mutters- "Your opinion has been changed by Darkthrop. You are merely a doll in his hands, a peon in his army. He pretends to care about you, but-- "
Gyendal hisses.
"Silence!"- He yells- "The between me and my master shall remain this way. You are not the one who can change them!"
Then, with a single glance, he stares into his eyes and projects some sort of malevolent energy that enters his body.
Adam notices that his knees are getting weaker, as if they are made out of some sort of weak material. He fails to keep his balance and falls on his knees.
"The darkness."- He mutters- "It is too... overwhelming... "
Gyendal laughs.
"Even the strongest of souls cannot resist my paralyzing stare!"- He says- "Your powers cannot save you from this!"
He takes a step closer to Adam and bares his teeth.
"Now, it is time to feast."- He continues- "On your blood!"
Adam swings his weapon at him. Then he tries to cast a spell to push him back.
However, it turns out that he is too weak to do anything.
"To fight for my people and lose like this... "- He mutters- "Fine. Let it be this way. At least my family is safe."
Gyendal smiles.
"Are you sure about that?"- He asks him- "Your sister would disagree."
Before Adam can ask him what he means by that, Gyendal grabs him by the neck and prepares to bite it.
However, just before he can make his move, Sharla gets in his way and pushes him away from Adam.
"You want to eat, huh?"- She asks him- "Well, prepare to eat this!"
Having said that, she charges forward. 
Without any fear left in her gentle heart, she plunges her spear into the vile vampire's mouth, temporarily stunning him and making him bleed profusely.
"Agh!"- Gyendal mumbles- "Cursed child! I swear that I will... will... "
Sharla ignores his threats, She runs up to Adam and helps him stand up.
"There you go, dear."- She says and hugs him- "You're safe now. Don't worry."
Adam stares at her, amazed.
"Sharla."- He mutters- "You just... saved me."
Before he could say anything else, he notices that Gyendal has gotten up. He tries to stop him, but it is too late.
With a single touch from his finger, the vile creature paralyzes Sharla and hits her entire body with a massive jolt of pure, dark energy.
The attack leaves her motionless and helpless... at least for now.
"Sharla, w-what happened?"- Adam says and takes her hands in his- "Sharla, are you alright?"
Then, he notices her eyes. They have gone pitch black, almost lifeless.
"The young fool was my unsuspecting victim all along."- Gyendal says and approaches him- "And soon, you will join her."
He grabs Adam's arm and leads him away from Sharla.
"Wait! No!"- Adam yells- "Stop it! I refuse to let her go!"
Gyendal smiles.
"Just accept your fate."- He says to him- "Nobody will save you now."
Aiden shakes his head.
"Not if I stop you, fiend!"
With an earth-shattering battle cry, he draws his sword and jumps in the air, preparing to strike and tear Gyendal to pieces.
However, Gyendal has another trick up his sleeve. 
As soon as Aiden gets close to him, he wraps himself and Adam in shadows. Then, the two of them disappear from existence.
Aiden falls on his knees.
"He's gone. I... I've failed."- He says- "I'm so sorry, Donnie. Forgive me, Sharla."
Meanwhile, Adam and Gyendal enter an entereal realm, far away from the mortal plane that we call our home. There, he sees images of his past self, reimagined by his own mind and presented as if they are actually real.
"Do you see this, mortal?"- Gyendal asks him- "Those people, they used to be you."
Adam shakes his head.
"I refuse to relive those awful memories again."- He says- "Let me go or end my life. I cannot bear such a massive burden on my shoulders."
Gyendal smiles.
"And force you to miss all of the pain and suffering in your entire lifetime?"- He asks him- "But the fun is just getting started!"
Paralyzed in place by the vampire's magic, Adam has no choice but to watch.
As if in a movie, his entire life flashes before his eyes. He sees the times when he grieved for his aunt, when he was worried about his parents, when he pitied the people of this world for having to deal with the forces of evil.
And then, he sees a large image, bright and clear. As it plays its part in his story, he realizes that it depicts the time when he met his sister and bonded with her.
"What?!"- Gyendal exclaims- "This wasn't supposed to be here!"
Adam says.
"Such a memory is hard to forget."- He says- "When I met my sister for the first time, I finally learned to see the light. To believe in our heroes."
Gyendal smirks.
"But don't you feel sad that she betrayed you? That she broke your family's codex of honor?"- He asks him- "Why doesn't it bother you?"
Adam glares at him.
"Of course it bothers me. I fought for her for so long, only to see her turn her back on me. Every sibling would feel the same way when they are betrayed like that."- He says- "But I am not angry. I am not ashamed. I know that she did it, because she had no choice. She joined the forces of darkness, because she felt lonely. Afraid. Unsure in her own future. And then, Darkthrop and his servants corrupted her mind. They made her believe that we were the ones who abandoned her. She was too blind to discover the truth, but it is not too late. I helped her out once and I am ready to do it again, even if she only has hatred left in her fragile heart."
Gyendal shakes his head.
"Nobody is born with a purpose. Or fate. They forge them with their two hands, knowing that they will succeed someday."- He says- "Your sister was no different. When she came to us, she was a confused maiden who fought for her people, just because she loved them and didn't want to see them suffer. She wanted to fight us, to get rid of us. And then, we threw her into the portal that leads to the Netherrealm. She tried to resist the temptation, but soon saw the potential and climbed the Mountain of Destiny with her own two hands. There, she faced the guardian of the mountain and defeated him, proving herself to our army and becoming our greatest leader yet. And, when she returned from the dark realm, none of us dared to question her. We knew that she became what she's always been destined to be and decided to obey her instead. Because people like us never dare to oppress our superiors. We respect them until the end. And that's a fact."
Adam shakes his head.
"Someday, I will prove you wrong."- He says- "I promise."
The two of them continue to watch the visions of Adam's life. They explore the darkest parts of his mind, from his greatest insecurities to the times when he was forced to kill if he were to survive.
Adam relives all of the regret and pain. It feels almost as traumatizing as it was back then.
"Agonizing, isn't it?"- Gyendal asks him and smiles- "Every single cell of your body is screaming for help right now. You are hoping that someone can show you the light again. To save you from this nightmare."
He smirks.
"You're just like my previous, weaker self."- He continues- "Back then, I was nothing more than a commoner among my people. A regular vampire with wild dreams and no money to make them a reality. I was naive and foolish. I searched for opportunities. I hoped to find a reason to keep on walking."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"Let me guess."- He interrupts him- "Mordred Darkthrop made you a better... umm... person?"
Gyendal grins.
"Very perceptive!"- He compliments him- "You're quite smart... for a human."
As the trip down memory lane starts to get close to Adam's darkest secrets and deepest regrets, it suddenly stops and shuts down.
"How can this be?"- Gyendal wonders- "Your mind refused to show me the rest of your knowledge."
Adam shakes his head.
"Those memories are too dark. They are too much, even for a man such as yourself."- He says- "You will not touch them. They will remain hidden from the world."
Gyendal smiles.
"Then, tell me this."- He says to him- "When we went through your mind, you saw all of the hopes and dreams that you had. All of the sadness that you felt. All of the people that you lost along the way. Well? How did it make you feel? Do you regret walking along this path of turmoil, all alone?"
Adam shakes his head.
"I can sense that you are trying to trick me. To make me join your lost cause."- He says- "I will not join the darkness, you fiend!"
Gyendal laughs.
"Ah, I see."- He says- "It doesn't matter, though. As soon as I am done with giving your mind a "reboot", you will not regret anything that you have done... or will do."
Having said that, he presses his fingers into Adam's forehead and mutters a few words.
Memories start to disappear from Adam's mind as his gorgeous, blue eyes become white, devoid of any life or emotions. If nothing is done soon, he will become a blank file. An eternal servant of Mordred Darkthrop and the forces of darkness.
"I told you, little one."- Gyendal says to him- "Nobody is able to resist Mordred Darkthrop's influence! Nobody!"
Soon, his eyes go completely white. He stands up and salutes him.
"At last."- Gyendal says- "Welcome to your true home, noble daemon."
Adam says nothing.
"Tell me, how does it feel to be a pure creature? A servant of the world's greatest conqueror?"
Once again, no response.
"A quiet one, you are. I see."- He says- "It does not matter. As soon as we send you out there, few would be able to resist your wrath."
He takes a step back.
"Now, it's time for you to make your first m-- "
Suddenly, he feels a sharp pain in his back.
He looks down at his stomach. He sees hiw own dark blood, pouring out of his tainted body and forcing him to fall on his knees.
As he gets weaker and weaker, he looks back and gasps.
"It... it cannot be."
Just in time, he sees the spirit of Adam pull out his sword from his body.
"The power of light will never be defeated!"- Adam's spirit yells- "Even when I am separated from my own body, I will never fall victim of your corrupted emotions. I still believe in the light... and I always will!"
He glares at him.
"As long as there is a single spark of life left in me, I will use it to climb back to the top."- He says- "I will be the hero that this world deserves, whether you like it or not!"
As Gyendal falls on the ground, Adam's spirit returns in his body. He stands up and glares at him.
"There are people who believe in me. People that know how pure my intentions truly are."- He says- "Those people matter everything to me. You will never use me as a tool against them. Never."
In a few moments, their souls return where they belong- in the mortal world.
There, they continue to stare at each other.
"For someone who has suffered for as long as he knows himself, you have a strong spirit."- Gyendal says- "Your resolve is incredible."
Adam looks at Aiden and Sharla. He smiles serenely as they nod.
"This is what it feels like to truly have a purpose in your life."- He says to Gyendal- "And nobody will take it away from me."
Gyendal hisses.
"In that case, I have no other choice than to destroy you."
Adam draws his weapon.
"Bring it on, old one."