Lost Haven
Bronze District
The Carnival Fair
Faith.
When Father Damian was talking about one of the Seven Deadly Sins of man, he mentioned what one of the guided souls would likely try to do should they be guided by a certain Sin. One of them, had to do with Faith. Father Damian claimed that one of the people led to me by The Seven would likely be a 'tortured soul' who has 'such a lack of faith'.
This entire time, I've been looking at it wrong. I naturally assumed that when he mentioned Faith, that it directly meant with God. Don't get me wrong, it does tie into that--as all things eventually tie in with God--but not directly. Next, Father Damian also mentioned that he would try to bring me down to his level and that I too would start to feel a lack of Faith. What I realize now is that this idea of Faith is not with God but with myself. And this...nightmare of a villain is trying to make me lose faith in myself by clawing at my inner most fear and having me face it.
He wants me to crumble, just like he must've crumbled earlier in his life just before he finally lost faith in himself and in the end lost faith in God. I know how to beat him.
And, oh, he is going to pay for trying to mess with
my fears and failures.
Dearly.
I turn off the lights.
Get up you fool! Do you now see what I was talking about? You keep fooling around when you should be hanging his head up on a wall by now!
GET UP AND DESTROY THE ARCHANGEL!
"Ugh...yes...Barbas."
He calls out a name...Barbas? So that is the being he is sharing his mind with or something. Still cannot tell the nature of their bond. But that name doesn't ring a bell. That isn't one of the members of The Seven. Knowing what Sin I'm dealing with, the demon responsible for this blind-date would be Belphegor. Guess he decided to get creative and have this tortured soul become...possessed or something of the sort.
I move in the darkness of the fun house. I make certain noises so that my presence is known in certain areas. Gotta keep this guy away from finding the light switch. Oh, I will be turning them on soon enough, but only when the set-up is right.
Time to taunt the baddie a bit. See how he likes it.
"Something...wrong, boogy-man? Have I...have I silenced the great big boogy-man?"
"It's...it's NIGHTMARE!!"
"Nightmare? Ohh, see, I couldn't see that because right now you look like a scared dog with his tail between his legs."
"Shut...UP!!"
Glass shatters as he takes violent and wild swings, aiming at a nothingness for I keep my distance well. He's just about in the right position. Just need to get him to wander over here a bit.
"Time to turn the tides on your little game here, Nightmare. You had the upper hand when you were the hunter and I the prey but I finally know what I'm up against. So, what was it? Daddy didn't show you enough love when you were a kid? You mentioned paying him a visit after you are done with me. Did Daddy...spank you too much?"
"Shut up! I will...TARE YOU APART!!"
Another glass shatters, and I finally land silently on the ground. My fingers resting on the light switch, I smile as this punk is about to get a taste of his own medicine.
"Have you wondered what you've been hitting at this entire time?"
I flip the switch on and all the lights in the fun house turn on. Nightmare is surrounded by a corridor of windows. Nothing to look at but...
himself.
"We landed in a house of mirrors, boogy-man."
"No..."
"So now you tell me, Nightmare. What do you fear the most?!?"
Close your eyes, Samuel. Close your--NOO!!
"AAAAHHH!!"
I knew this plan was going to work. Turn the lights off long enough when you turn them back on, don't you sort of stand there and stare at your surroundings to make sure you are where you think you are? Poor Nightmare here is surrounded by mirrors and cannot help but stare deep to regain his barrings.
DAMN YOU SAMUEL! I TOLD YOU!! I TOLD YOU TO--
"AARRGGGH!!! NOOO!!!"
I levitate above him, witnessing the transformation that is in the process. He starts to change shape again, but a more human form. An...older form. Of an older man.
A form I can only assume is of his father.
The big bad boogy-man villain known as Nightmare, is positioned in the fetal position, crying for mommy and daddy.
Deadly sin known as Sloth? Consider yourself defeated. You tried to attack me by submitting me to my worst fears, therein believing I would completely lose faith in myself. I would have been left broke and vulnerable to utter destruction mentally and physically had I not figured it out. So I simply turned the game around.
I land, slowly walking over to the quivering figure that lies on the ground. It's not his fault...really. I gotta say it isn't the same as when I dealt with Sebastian Blake. Leech was a real vile creature. This poor soul...I don't think he ever had a true chance. Gonna put him temporarily out of his misery.
I kneel down, and give him a quick jab to the head. He goes unconscious, and reverts back to his masked and costumed form.
"Nighty night, Nightmare."