My eyes narrowed, locked onto the witch in front of me. She held the runic dagger between us, its runic symbols glowing faintly in the dim room, it’s blade mirroring my reflection. To put it kindly, I looked like hell. The bags under my eyes had deepened, and my untrimmed beard and dirt streaked face were a reminder of how consuming the past few nights had taken its toll on me.

All the pain, the hurt, and-the loss, my heart aching at the latter, have led me to this moment. I worked decades to perfect and practice my craft. To use my powers to protect those who couldn’t defend. To be their savior. Yet it still wasn’t enough to save the people I care about. My friends, the ones I loved, have all gotten hurt or died because of me. Because I wasn’t strong enough. I was naive. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let it happen again. I took a deep breath and reached my hand out to the dagger.

The witch drew the knife back faintly, sneering a smile at me.

“Once complete, you cannot go back, wizard. Dark magic will forever reside in you once the deal has been struck. Even as someone as-“ she paused, her eyes flicking me over with disdain-“noble” she spat, “will be consumed by it.”

“I know what has to be done” I exhaled, glowering at her.

I grabbed the hilt of the blade and raised the steel to my palm. No turning back now, I thought to myself. I swiped the blade across my hand. I clenched my hand, releasing the blood as it streaked and dropped into the cauldron.

The pain in my hand intensified, crippling me down to my knees. The ground began to shake as the shearing pain began to rise through my whole body. Every muscle fiber began to contract stealing the breath from my lungs. I could hear the witche’s cackle growing in octave.

A black smoke began to rise from the cauldron floating inches before my face. It grew in size before it consumed the room and towered over me. It striked like a serpent, colliding into me and coiling into my mouth and into my mind. I began to levitate and convulse as the darkness consumed me entirely. My mind had become renewed and transformed.

I dropped to the ground, catching my balance. I breathed as if I was breathing again for the first time. I felt reborn. I flexed my hands and could feel insatiable power burrow through. I had never felt raw power like this before, and felt disgust in how weak and frail I was before.

Those who wronged me, who brought pain amongst those I cared for, the ones who slaughtered my family will beg for my mercy. I will show them true unforigivng pain. I am their maker. I am vengeance.

I am fear itself.