Purging the body and mind

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon meditated as the three adults searched and as the others recovered. Not that he had much choice in the matter. His hand shook as he struggled with the sensory deprivation. More specifically as he went through telepathic withdrawal.

Gideon explored his own mind. His avatar struggled through an overgrown forest. Various figures pulled at his shadowy form. An infant screamed in the distance and Gideon could feel the burning hand of one form trying to pull him into the brambles that grew densely along the trail. Trail was certainly a generous description for the path Gideon was walking.

What am I even doing here...

That was when Gideon felt the hunger in the distance. He could feel the source of it from further along the path.

That's right...

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon climbed the path his form beginning to bleed psychic energy from the cuts, the burns, the pain of each terrifying memory he'd learned over the years.

Should have worked harder at shielding myself. Should have stored them further down away from the surface.

Gideon looked up and saw that the forest was beginning to thin out. He wiped his brow, feeling tired as more nightmarish shapes grabbed him trying to slow him down.

Shouldn't have....shouldn't have pried open others minds to get them. Shouldn't have violated them like that

Gideon grabbed a tree and pulled himself forwards figures being dragged into the light of the clearing.

So much fear, so much pain, why?

The hunger grew stronger ahead as Gideon grew weaker.

Right...

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon's fingers dug into the bark of a smaller tree as he continued pulling himself forwards. The shapes began to let go as Gideon took slow steps forwards. When the last of the psychic after images let go Gideon fell to one knee.

I have to stop this. Stop doing this...to myself...to others.

Gideon looked up at the broken steps of the tower. The stone itself looked corrupted, black veins pulsed.

I let it take root.

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon stepped up the corroded steps feeling weaker than before. He placed his hand on the door leaving psychic 'blood' on the door the red a sharp contrast against the black veins and gray stone.

"Can't stop," Gideon muttered. "Can't stop. Have to fix...this...everything."

Images of Lora, a field of bone and blood. Him sitting on top of the pile Lora's face simply one among many of those he'd stepped over along the way.

"No, I'm not a monster."

Gideon shoved the door open. It creaked loudly revealing an interior wreathed in shadow. Red eyes stared back, first one pair, then two, then three. Gideon shivered as he felt their gaze, the hunger, the delight, the pain. Images flashed of triumph, of holding the dead body of his enemies. First the face was Nicks, then Daniels, then Bobby's, and then finally Lora's.

"NO!" Gideon announced.

You cannot resist us. You've tried before. You've failed before. You need us. We give you your power. We give you pleasure.

"No you give me nothing but pain. The pain of failure. The pain...the pain..."

Oh yes the pain.

Gideon screamed and fell to his knees his form blurring, losing its cohesion.

[Gideon Rede]

Oh, pain. Glorious delicious wonderful pain. It sates you, keeps the beast in check. how will you keep the beast in check without us?

"By giving them something else?"

Like that...pathetic copy? That hypocrite? The one who claims to be good yet he stands there covered in the blood of his enemies, slaughtering them by the dozens, the hundreds, he stands atop the throne of bone. All paths you take end there.

"No. I will be something better."

Hubris, wondrous hubris.

"It is not hubris to think I can be better than I already am better than him. Better than you."

We are you. Or have you forgotten who you are? Pain is just the first step. DO you remember fear?

Gideon screamed again as images of the death of friends, his family, everything important to him. he watched as he slaughtered them, failed to protect them, proved he was a coward, the worst they thought he could be. He felt their blood on his hands, the knife slipping through skin and muscle.

"No...no.nononono"

Yes. How great must it feel? To control their fate with your power?

"NO!"

The world went blank then exploded as Gideon's form condensed once again. Red eyes joined white smiles.

You think one moment of defiance is enough?

[Gideon Rede]

"No, one act is not enough," Gideon said climbing to his feet. He looked stronger, taller, form still mostly shadow though now it seemed like it was coalesced around an inner light.

You can-

"I can."

N-

"I will"

Y-

Gideon rushed forward and reached into the dark grabbing the throat of the figure speaking.

"I am not just a Phantasm."

You cannot abandon who you are

The other voices spoke now in sync with one another.

"Who I am is different now. You are not the only part of my life."

His arm glowed brightly the shadows of his avatar being blown away revealing a still flawed form, something not quite ready for the world. You could see cloudly flaws and veins of corruptions still. Broken severed wings on its back.

You...you will fall again. We are not done.

"We'll face that when it comes. I will falter. I will struggle. But I will not fall. I will crawl from the abyss and become stronger for it. Something better. Something stronger. Something...good."

No

Thousands of voices screamed out of sync.

"Yes."

The inside of the tower grew brighter. Gideon's avatars eyes glowed blue, then white. Then the world disappeared in a flash of light. The screams of Gideon's inner demons lasted only a moment. Not defeated, but cast out of the tower, broken.