MLIII C3, P8.1- "Blinded By The Light"

"Blinded By The Light" is the Extra Part of "Miracula Luxia III" 's third Chapter.
It was released on 10.02.2022.
== Plot ==
Although Adam and his allies managed to defeat the man who was behind the attacks that Darkthrop's servants launched against them, their troubles are still far from over. Some of their enemies are still out there, still waiting for a chance to get rid of them for good.
One of them is a mysterious man who attacked Adam recently. The leader of the sinister group of bandits known as the "Darkness of Duskwood", he seeks to kill the young hero for something that happened decades before he was born.
Now that he is aware of Jared's presence and his involvement in the destruction of King Torion and his allies, he decides to corner the two of them and make them pay for what they did to his family.
Will his cowardly act earn him the victory that he has desired for so long? And, most importantly, will we find out who he really is?
It is time to find that out.
== Story ==
Our heroes waste no time to leave the elven capital. They know that staying in the same settlement for too long will place targets on their backs... and they do not want to endanger everyone else while they hunt for Darkthrop.
It takes them a few hours to distance themselves and set up a camp, far away from any settlement.
"Now that we've settled this dispute, we need to rest."- Adam says to his allies- "We do not know what is ahead of us, so it is best to fight with full strength."
His allies nod.
"But... what about Derion?"- Aiden asks him- "Didn't he say that he will join us?"
Adam sighs and shakes his head.
"He made his choice. He is now the king of the elves ahead of us."- He says- "If he likes this kind of life, I will not force him to chance it."
Jared sighs.
"Poor boy has suffered for so long. Nobody dared to support him. He was the black sheep of his people and he never dared to say a word about it."- He says- "But now, he has a chance to change this perspective. So, it is best to leave him be."
Aiden nods.
"As you say, sir."- He says and sits on the grass- "But we'll see him again! Right?"
Adam smiles.
"Of course we will."- He responds- "True friends never forget about each other."
Jared nods.
"And that is how it should be."
The four of them settle in a small forest for the night. Once they start a fire, they sit next to it to warm themselves.
"It's cold out here."- Jonathan says- "Elven weather's not quite like ours."
Adam sighs.
"Perhaps their mages made it this way."- He says- "They have advanced magical expertise, after all."
Jonathan smiles.
"They ain't better than you, though."
Adam smiles.
"I do my best."
A few hours pass. Night falls.
Our heroes manage to stay awake, but only for a little longer.
As Jonathan tries to fall asleep, he hears something moving nearby. He jumps to his feet and grabs his staff.
"Who is there?"
There is no response.
"Is something wrong, Jon?"- Adam asks his cousin, concerned about him- "What is going on?"
Jonathan shakes his head.
"I keep hearing the same sound, right at the edge of perception. And I... I can't get it off my mind."- He says- "There's someone out there. I can feel their presence."
Jared sighs and pats him on the shoulder.
"Exhaustion can make you hallucinate about things that are not really there."- He says to him- "A good night's sleep will help you forget it."
Defeated, Jonathan sits on the ground and nods.
"Yes, uncle."- He says- "I... I hope that you're right."
A few hours later, Adam heas something nearby.
"What... what is going on?"- He says to himself- "Am I hallucinating, too?"
He slowly stands on his feet.
"I have to make sure that it is not just this forest's wildlife."- He says- "Just in case. It does not hurt to know more."
As he tries to enter the forest, Jared stands up and joins him.
"Can you hear it?"- He says to his son- "It feels someone is... is... "
Adam sighs.
"Spying on us?"
Jared nods.
"Yes."- He says- "Whoever they are, they want something from us. Get ready for the worst."
As father and son enter the glade ahead, the rustling grows louder.
And louder.
Suddenly, someone emerges from the bushes. A young man, probably in his thirties, aims his bow at them.
"Look out!"- Jared says and pushes his son out of the way.
As the villain prepares to take another shot, Adam and Jared draw their weapons.
"Are you the person who was stalking us?"- Adam asks him- "What do you want?"
The man grins.
"Don't you remember me, Adam?"- He says- "I'm the one who forced you to face the truth. And I'll gladly do it again."
Adam gasps.
"You are... Derek Darkheart!"- He exclaims- "But why? Why are you here?"
Derek smiles, carefully pointing an arrow at him.
"To take my revenge on the entire Kaos family, of course!"- He says without thinking twice- "Your father is responsible for so many crimes. And I'll make him pay."
Jared shakes his head.
"Derek, I already told you that I am sorry. What happened out there... it happened so suddenly that I did not have a chance to talk to him."- He says- "Even if you kill me, you will not achieve anything. Lower your weapon."
Derek smirks.
"Oh, really?"- He says- "Then where is your damned sister? Is she hiding, too?"
Adam realizes who he is talking about. He steps in front of his father and shakes his head.
"She is gone, Derek."- He says- "Leave her alone!"
Derek raises his eyebrow.
"Gone, huh?"
He smirks.
"One Kaos is down, then."
Jared shakes his head.
"Your lust for vengeance will only lead to your defeat, my friend."- He says- "We do not want to end another human's life. Step back and live your life to the fullest. We promise that you will be forgiven."
Derek shakes his head.
"No. I'm not going anywhere."- He says and aims his bow at him- "What happened out there can't be forgiven."
Jared sighs.
"In the end, it is your decision."- He says- "But you are my friend. I can't just let you waste your life like that."
He points his weapon at him.
"I will cleanse the darkness within your soul, Derek!"- He yells- "I promise!"
Derek smirks.
"Bring it on, Kaos!"
Jared leaps forward and tries to stab Derek, but the man leaps back and fires a few shots at him.
One of the arrows manages to pierce him in the arm, but he quickly pulls it away before it can do any damage.
Realizing that there is no other way, Derek throws his bow on the ground and pulls out a massive greatsword. He slams the ground with it, forcing Jared to fall on his knees.
Once he makes sure that he will not fight back, Derek kicks him in the stomach and watches coldly as he falls on the ground.
"I told you, Kaos."- He says to him- "When I choose my prey, I never let it run away."
He tries to slam the greatsword into his skull, but is shot in the shoulder by Adam.
"You have more than just my father to contend with, villain!"- He yells- "This fight is not over!"
Derek wipes some blood off his mouth and smiles.
"I'm aware of that, kid."- He says- "And that's why I'm always prepared."
In the blink of an eye, he teleports behind him. However, Adam instinctively kicks him into a nearby tree.
"Gah!"- Derek says as he tries to stand up- "You little brat! How... dare you?!"
Adam wastes no time to make his move. He pierces Derek's chest with powerful light magic and slams his head against the tree, stunning him.
"You're a strong one."- Derek admits and takes a step back- "I'll make sure to take care of you later."
Having said that, he tries to run away.
"It's best to leave him alone."- Jared says to his son- "Bandits like him will never change. I can see that."
Adam shakes his head.
"I will make him see the light."- He says- "He is not getting away."
He tries to run after him, but realizes that he is already gone.
"Bad luck, I guess."- He says- "Oh, well. Maybe we will find him later.
Adam sighs.
"I know."- He says- "But... where will we go? It is too dangerous to stay in this place with our friends!"
Jared nods and takes a step forward.
"We are going to hide somewhere else."- He says- "Endangering the lives of Jon and Aiden is not worth it."
He looks at Adam and smiles.
"Plus, they already know where to find us."- He adds- "The destination has not changed. Yet."
Adam sighs.
"I hope that we can get rid of Derek before they find us."
Having said that, Adam and his father leave the safe confines of the forest and head north, never to return.
----As Adam and his father try to sleep under the stars, the boy wonders about the encounter with Derek.
"On the outside, Derek Darkheart is an experienced assassin. A wicked blade for hire."- He says to himself- "But there is something that I am missing. A key detail that reveals his true self. The light under the veil of darkness that taints his heart."
He stands up and looks around.
"Who might he be?"- He continues- "And why does he want to hurt us so bad?"
Jared notices his son's interest and stands up as well.
"You want to know more about Derek, don't you?"
Adam turns around and nods.
"There is something weird about him."- He says- "However, I fail to notice who he really is. He is too good."
Jared sighs and shakes his head.
"Derek Darkheart used to be a colleague of mine. A fellow trainer at the Castle, who helped Avernum's soldiers get in good shape before the inevitable."- He says to him- "Back then, he did not know who I really was. I had to hide my true identity, because some people were... not exactly fond of me. I had enemies out there... and it was a risk for me. For you. For your mother. And, well, for everyone else who knows me."
He sighs again.
"However, someone told him about the brave hero who valiantly faced the Darkness of Duskwood gang without any fear and killed them without any remorse. Or, at least, that is how he describes me nowadays."- He continues- "He knew that I am the one who is responsible for the deaths of his beloved grandfather and uncle. And then, he... he started to hate me. And he never stopped. He always ignored me when I tried to talk to him. I saw the hatred in his eyes and I knew how much he despised me. How much he wanted to make me pay. But what I did not know was how he ran away from his job and tried to make you pay as well."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"Make me... pay?"- He asks- "But I do not even know him!"
Jared sighs.
"He does not care about it."- He says- "He just wants to slaughter us all. Bathe the ground with our "tainted" blood. That's his primary goal in life."
Adam sighs.
"In that case, I will show him the magnitude of his mistake."- He says- "I am not going down without a fight."
Jared smiles.
"That's my boy. Brave and smart, just like his daddy."- He praises him- "Now, go back to sleep. There is a long road ahead of us. We have to stay focused."
Adam nods and lies down.
"Right."- He says- "I will."
----The next morning, Adam gets up, but realizes that his father is not with him.
He stands up and looks around.
"What happened?"- He mutters- "Where did he go?"
Suddenly, he hears a yell coming from nearby. He goes outside to investigate, but is forced to face two strong, burly bandits.
It does not take long to kill them. When the last one falls, he notices the insignias on their shoulder.
"The Darkness of Duskwood? Here?"- He says and shakes his head- "No. They must have stolen them. There is no way that-- "
He hears another yell.
Realizing that something is happening out there, he goes outside to investigate.
Once he surveys his surroundings, he can't help but realize that his father is in trouble.
"Dad!"
A small group of bandits has surrounded him. He tries to fight them off, but they are too strong.
Meanwhile, Derek watches him struggle and laughs.
"That's right, Kaos!"- He says- "You'll die just like them! Alone and afraid!"
Jared shakes his head.
"I am not going anywhere, Derek."- He says- "Once those bandits are gone, I will save you."
Derek laughs again.
"I'd like to see you try."
As he continues to watch the fight, he fails to notice the young hero sneaking up behind him. 
Moments later, he is stabbed in the back and watches helplessly as the sword pierces through his heart.
"Nice try, kid."- He says- "But you'll have to try harder than that."
As Adam watches, the wound that he inflicted heals itself almost immediately.
"Impossible!"
Derek turns around and laughs.
"Now, where were we?"- He says mockingly- "Ah yes. I still have to kill you."
He prepares to attack, but is tackled by Adam and, soon, is swiftly disarmed.
The bandits are distracted by the sight of their helpless leader. They try to help him, but are easily killed by Jared.
Once again, Derek is alone. He pushes Adam away and stands on his feet, brandishing his massive greatsword as a way of saying that he will win this fight.
"You may have knocked me down, but I ain't giving up!"- He yells at them- "I shall emerge victorious!"
Adam shakes his head.
"It is a shame that a smart man like you is so foolish, Derek."- He says- "We could have been friends. But you just try to get your revenge."
He points his blade at him.
"We gave you a chance to start a new life, but you threw it away."- He says- "Why do you try to avenge those who are already gone?"
Derek is infuriated by those words.
"I don't need your pity!"- He yells- "I came here to do my job. To answer my family's call for revenge. And I'm not going anywhere until I get it!"
Adam glares at him.
"You must be aware of how I deal with vile mercenaries like you, right? Those who only work for money and vengeance?"- He asks him calmly and points his weapon at his own neck- "So to say, it does not end well for them."
He looks at him.
"Do you want to be one of them?"
Derek shakes his head.
"It's too late to give up."- He mutters- "My family hates me. My friends hate me. The entire world hates me, too."
He points his greatsword at them.
"I will kill you both."
Having said that, he yells and charges, hatred burning in his eyes.
As Adam tries to protect both himself and his father, Jared tries to talk some sense into his old friend.
"Unlike you, I still value our friendship. I know that there is still some good left within you and I will not stop until I bring you back to your old self."- He says to him- "I know that you are still in there, my friend. Please, listen to me. Try to change your ways. Revenge is not the answer to your problems and I am sure that you know it well. I do not want to fight you and I know, deep inside, that it is the same for you. Please. Listen to the voice of reason and step back. We do not want you to die like this."
As a response, Derek swings his sword at him, but misses.
"You've grown weak, Jared."- He says to him- "Showing mercy only makes you weaker. And I'm sure you know it well."
Adam shakes his head.
"A hero's mercy is a boon to the world. They vow to make a change and allow those who have made mistakes to correct them."- He responds- "If a villain refuses to redeem themselves, well, that is their problem. Not the hero's."
He points his sword at him.
"So, if you do not wish to see the truth with your own eyes, you are only condemning yourself."
Derek smirks.
"I don't care about your words, Kaos."- He says- "Just make your move. I'll send it right back at you."
Adam sighs.
"Very well, then."
Deciding that Derek is too blind to see the errors in his ways, Adam charges at him.
Derek is caught off-guard. He tries to fight back, but is struck by a series of vicious attacks and mildly wounded.
Realizing that he is actually losing the fight, he wipes some blood off his mouth and shakes his head.
"No. This can't be happening."- He says- "I can't lose. Not now. Not yet."
Jared takes a step forward and smiles.
"See, Derek? It is futile to change your destiny."- He says to him- "You are destined to be a hero. A good person. Denying your true allegiance will only cause you pain."
Derek takes a step back and pulls something out of his pocket.
Much to our heroes' surprise, it is a dynamite.
"If I'm going down, I'll take you with me."- He says, ignoring Jared's words- "Die, Kaos!"
Having said that, he lights the dynamite and throws it at Adam, who reflexively slices it in half with his sword.
Derek watches coldly as the dynamite blows up.
As the smoke clears, he realizes that there is a crater where they stood only a few moments ago.
However, nothing has been left behind. No ashes. No broken weapons.
This seems to be very suspicious, but Derek chooses to ignore it.
"Yes! Yes, I did it!"- He yells and laughs, overjoyed by his apparent victory- "I killed them both! I win!"
As he prepares to leave, he hears a familiar voice behind him.
"Not so fast, villain!"
He looks back and gasps.
"How can this be?!"
Two figures emerge from the crater, protected by a magical shield. Neither of them seem to beinjured.
"Nice try, Derek."- Jared says to him and smiles- "But heroes never die."
Derek gasps again and watches helplessly as his right leg is pierced by an arrow.
He stumbles back and hurls another dynamite, but Adam parries the attack and pushes it back at him.
The moment the dynamite touches the ground in front of Derek, it explodes, sending him flying into a nearby cliff.
Derek, now severely wounded by the blast, desperately tries to defend himself, but Adam easily pushes the giant greatsword out of his hand and snaps it in two.
"You fools!"- He yells and takes another step back- "If you kill me, you're only going to make my people angry! They're going to hunt you down, one by one, until there's nothing left of you!"
Jared shakes his head. Then, he sheathes his weapon.
"And that's why we don't want to make it happen."
Derek looks at Jared. In just a few moments, his sanity is restored to its previous state.
"Jared?"- He says weakly- "I... I... "
Jared smiles.
"It is okay, my friend."- He says- "This madness is over. We can settle our differences in a peaceful manner."
Derek shakes his head.
"I tried to kill you, but I never saw the most important thing between us. The one that kept us going for so long."- He says and sighs- "Friendship. It's truly something special."
Adam sighs and takes a step forward.
"So. I heard that you know something about my sister."- He says to him- "Can you please tell me where she is? I think that she is in danger and I... I want to save her."
Derek looks at him and sighs.
"You mean Queen Darkthrop?"- He says- "I think that you're too late."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"- He asks him- "Were my efforts... in vain?"
Derek sighs again.
"Only time will tell."
He looks at him.
"I don't know who told you about our confrontation, but yes, I met your sister. And I'm not ashamed to admit it."- He continues- "Akira Kaos or as she calls herself now, Queen Darkthrop, has been troubling my people for a few months. She demanded payment and threatened us with destruction and despair if we refused to cooperate. We were forced to oblige. We listened to her and did what she told us to. We were loyal to her, despite the madness that had settled itself into her tainted heart. However, one day, she betrayed us and sent her warriors to attack us. She killed most of my allies and forced the rest to run away. Once we were gone, she expanded her dark empire by conquering our empty lands and continued to send her warriors to fight those who refused to fit in. Like the poor, defenseless clans to the north of us. They had no chance against their combined wrath. It was... horrifying. For all of us."
He sighs.
"She's a vile and treacherous woman. An outlaw, by heart and soul, she's always been fueled by vengeance and hatred. I could tell that very easily, just by staring into her eyes."- He continues- "And that's why I had to meet her, face to face. To show her that she's not the boss of my group, the one that I saved with my own hands."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"You... fought my sister?"- He asks him- "How did you get past her defenses?"
He shakes his head.
"While she was preparing for war with the northern clans, I came back. I killed most of the warriors who protected her and barged into her throne room. I refused to listen to her and she didn't want me to stir trouble within the heart of her capital."- He says- "So, I think that it's obvious that a fight was imminent. I had to fight your sister and, although I didn't know anything about her family prior to our confrontation, I realized that her surname is Kaos. I used all of my hatred to bring her to her knees. I forced her to beg for her life. And, when I did, I showed her how much she hurt my people. How much she hurt the rest of the innocent civilians. I made her see the light, but it was not enough. She was too blind to see how wicked she is now. I spared her life, but only because I knew that there's someone out there who still loves her. Who still wants to make her a good person. And I... I hope that my act of mercy was not in vain."
Jared nods.
"So, that is why you hate it when people show mercy to you."- He says- "You know that you did it yourself and you do not want others to hurt themselves by sympathizing with you and the darkness that slowly consumes your entire being."
Derek sighs.
"Regret, mon ami."- He says- "Regret is what drove me to become so angry. So vengeful."
He turns to Adam.
"You want to know your sister's whereabouts, don't you?"- He says- "Well, I'll be honest with you. If that Steele guy told you that she's currently at Underfall, don't listen to him. He tried to send you to your doom, even though he already met his own."
Adam gasps.
"You know Steele?!"
Derek nods.
"Wretched troublemaker. One of Queen Darkthrop's most trusted servants and personal lackeys who did all of the dirty work for her."- He says, looking down as if to prove his point- "Glad he's gone. His demise at your hands warms my heart."
He sighs.
"Anyway, Queen Darkthrop left the capital a few weeks ago. She knew that you would try to hunt her down and she hid somewhere else."- He says- "Fortunately, one of my scouts saw her before she and her servants could fully conceal themselves. Her hiding place is not far away from us. In fact, it is to the north, close to the capital itself."
Adam nods.
"So."- He says- "We are the only ones who know this?"
Derek nods.
"I assure that I didn't tell anyone else."
Now that the matter has been settled, Adam has to decide Derek's final fate.
"I think that you deserve to make this hard decision, son."- Jared says to him- "I hope that you can be merciful."
Adam takes a step forward.
"Derek Darkheart. You are one of the most vile, crafty and notorious villains that I have ever had the chance to face in battle. Your deeds have proven that you are smart and easily able to switch sides. The only thing that drags you down is the vengeance that burns deep in your heart."- He says- "However, the only thing that you want to do is to ensure the safety of your people. It would be a mistake to deny how much you care about them. And, were it not for this unfortunate confrontation between those who fought for their people before we did, we could have settled this problem in a more peaceful way."
He points his sword at him, as if saying that he made the biggest mistake in his entire life. The blade get close to his neck and he feels how sharp it really is.
His life hangs in the balance. His past deeds are weighing down on him. And he cannot change his fate anymore, no matter how hard he pretends that it is otherwise.
It takes a few moments for Adam to make his decision. Finally, he decides to withdraw and lowers his weapon.
"Stand up, Derek."- He says to him- "You have been given the gift of life. A second chance to redeem yourself. Make sure not to waste it."
Realizing that he will not die today, Derek stands up and bows to Adam.
"Thank you, Adam, for sparing my life. I promise that I won't let you down."- He says- "I will become a selfless vigilante. Maybe you will even hear something good about me."
Adam smiles.
"I am looking forward to it."
Derek bows to him one last time, gathers his belongings from a nearby chest and leaves the area.
"Do you think that we will see him again?"- Adam asks his father.
Jared shrugs.
"I really hope so!"- He says- "I can see the change that is happening within his soul. When we meet him again, I am sure that he will be a hero."
Adam smiles.
"Seeing that someone else wishes to make a change."- He says- "It is truly invigorating."
Adam and his father talk about their current situation and quickly realize that it would be unwise to endanger the rest of their allies. It is clear that they will have to reach the fort in question alone... even though it is quite an arduous task for such a small team like them.
But it does not matter. Alone or not, Adam and his father are always eager to fight their enemies. If it means that it will hurt their enemies, they are ready to do it.
And so, Adam and Jared leave the area as well, intending to find Akira's hiding place as soon as possible. Now that Derek has seen the need for a change, he is free to go. Our heroes have completed their task without killing the villain in question.
There is no doubt that Akira is trying to hide from her brother. She knows that he is too righteous to forgive her and does not want to take the risk of facing him in battle. Thus, she tries to hide herself and her servants as well as possible.
Even so, the end of the journey is very close. Many questions are still left unanswered, but it is clear that the lack of additional knowledge will not stop our heroes.
Onward!