MANIPULATED Book A (Sequel to Tempted)

4. Situation

Opening your eyes takes an immense amount of effort. With a headache behind your eyes and an ache in your stomach, you're curled into a fetal position on top of a bed with no blankets covering you.

Anti sits at the end of the bed. This image almost makes you laugh because just moments ago the two of you had been in reverse places.

"I'm sorry..." Anti mumbles. "I took it too far this time..."

You groan as you sit up and lean your back against the bedframe. "You might have. But this time -argh-" you clutch your throbbing head. "This time you had a valid reason."

He sighs.

This isn't the first time you've passed out from his anger. It's just one of the side effects of having part of his soul with you. Whenever Anti gets really angry and wired up, it can cause the part of his soul in you to also get worked up, as if it is "overheating" and therefore shutting your body down.

The issue is, that when you do faint from one of his "rages" you can't wake yourself up. Only a very powerful non human soul can awaken the one demon part of you. Or more specifically: the brother of the other piece can only bring you out of your state.

So you can only rely on Anti to bring you back to consciousness. Which has never been a problem. You are always there with him and therefore he notices you have fainted just seconds after you do. So you don't really worry about him going on a rage, it just leaves you with a headache and a mild stomach ache when you wake up, which is a hassle to deal with. But they pass in only a couple minutes.

"I really need to control myself when im-"

You cut him off with urgency, brushing off his apology and getting to the point. "You're fine. Don't worry about me. Just worry about what we're going to do about Dark."

"We? (Y/n), you're not doing anything. I am the one who is going to deal with this. While you just stay here, where you're safe, and not do anything that has to do with him. As I said, don't watch his videos. Dark may already know our connection, but he won't be able to find out much more about you if you keep a neutral mind. He doesn't have access to your mind like I do."

"Anti-"

"As for me," he stands up, "I have to go back."

"No. Anti, you can't go back. He'll kill you!"

He keeps a neutral tone in his voice with no expressions. "No. He won't."

"But-"

"He doesn't want to kill me. I think he believes that once I am under his confiscation, he will keep me alive so I am able to feel more pain. He doesn't seem like the person who kills someone to put them out if their misery. So he'll torture me for..." he shakes his head. "ever maybe. Day after day, taking each blow better than the last. Then I'll just be forced to heal myself, ready for him to come back."

The thought of it causes great dread. It hurts you to just imagine Anti kneeling to Dark's will as his blood creates a river behind him. Dark looking down at him with a smile of satisfaction on his face. His biggest obstacle, his setback, his slave now at his mercy, Dark might as well have fun with him.

Anti seems to be having trouble getting his next phrase out. "And I can bet..." He looks to you with concern. "that there is a high chance that you would be there with me..."

Now you picture both you and Anti, tied with ropes rubbing your bloodied skin raw, and Dark's terrifying figure standing above you, and relying on Anti to use all of what is left of his power to heal both you and himself. You can't bear it.

You breathe one word. "...fuck."

Then silence falls as the two of you fall deep in thought. Anti falls back onto the bed.

From the way Anti was talking, you could tell he doesn't want to go back to Dark as much as you do.

This makes you wonder what the other world is like. Is is like this one? How can it very different?

You try to change the topic. "So... Anti... What is the other world like? You know... With egos running around and all?"

He laughs once to himself. "It's kinda a dump. Nothing but trees, and hills. The sun doesn't shine, so you can't even tell the time of day. In fact, I don't even think time exists there."

"So as for looks, it's kinda like Earth?"

"Not in the slightest. The trees and hills are where the similarities in nature stop. No weather. Limited colors. It's a completely different atmosphere. Although the living style isn't so different. Different homes for everyone. But we don't have markets or anything to get food. We're egos after all and some of us don't need to eat. But if we do, food is just... There."

You can't think of a world like that.

"But that's where the egos spend their time when they aren't 'making an appearance.' Lonely... Restricted... Isolated..."

Each word spat more venom, but that was just for the moment.

You nod your head in understanding, even though you can't wrap your head around it. You're very curious about this Other World.

"Anti...?"

His head perks up.

"What if... I went with you... To-"

"No." Anti seemed to know this question was coming. "Absolutely not. It's too dangerous."

"Come on. You'll die if you go alone. Without your other part of your soul-"

"I told you: I'm not going to die. And even if you did come with me, you are just asking for Dark to locate you. If the two of us are in the same universe as Dark, we are just waving a huge white flag asking him to come pick us up. He knows when I leave and when I don't. He will notice my increase in power when I don't leave the universe. He will find out about you."

He goes on, now standing. "Here, you have almost garentee safety. But in the Other World... You are just as vulnerable as I am... Even worse because you are human. Too easily captured. The answer is no. So drop the topic."

You do. No sense in risking another rage.

"Okay... Just... Please promise me you won't go. Not tonight, at least..."

He sighs reluctantly, and nods his head. "Fine. I won't go tonight."

"Good."

"But I have to eventually, because I can't stay away for too long. Now with Dark rising close to power, I can't be gone for more than a couple days. If I am away for too long, then it would seem as if my soul had coincided to Dark, therefore automatically giving him the throne, and the two of us would already be looking at a life in hell."

A/N

PSA: hello! So this is very very very very very very very very important. PLEASE if you are reading my two stories at the same time: STOP. The endings just will not work of you do. I am actually legit serious now. It will ruin your entire experience and I don't believe you will understand what happened. I know that doesn't make sense, but it will when the time comes. This will be my last warning.

Maybe...

I know a lot of you are doing what I say. And THANK YOU! I APPRECIATE IT. But I do know there are people out there not doing it. And no, I can't prevent everyone from doing what they want. But I am just making the effort to try to make sure you're reading experience is at its best.

PSA over