They didn’t feel pain, even the sensation of their previous injuries faded. But it was cold, bone chillingly cold. This wasn’t a good Idea; it was a mistake, but a part of them knew it was too late. Their surroundings still resembled Chara and Asriel’s room, but were covered in twisting shadows, like the ones inside the crystal. Thankfully, Asriel was not here.
The crystal shard was still embedded in their chest, chilling them to their core. They were facing the bed, they had the overpowering urge to keep staring straight forward, to never turn around. Chara knew they were not alone. The ancient tomes and scriptures said it would be here. Asriel needed them, that was the only thing that kept them from trying to call off this whole thing.
They slowly began to turn around. Their very essence screamed to stop, to look away. Their heart was beating rapidly. They had to close their eyes to finish the entire turn towards the doorway. It felt like their eyes were trying to sink back into their head, away from what loomed in front of them.
Finally, after a deep breath, they opened their eyes. The completely solid black figure stood in the doorway. It had long stick-like arms and legs with a similar thin build. It had no face. It looked very simple, maybe not even scary compared to the other things in the underground, but Chara knew what they were dealing with. It felt like their blood had frozen in Chara’s veins.
They remembered tales about the others that had come here seeking the same figure. All of them sought petty things like fame and power. Those people had no Idea of the true consequences for seeking this being. It always resulted the same way. Those people were foolish and lost it all, before living out the rest of eternity in agony. Chara only wanted one thing from it. They were willing to give it all up for Asriel to live.
After a long, painful silence, Chara pulled together the smallest spark of courage they could muster, and spoke. “I... I come seeking power. Not for selfish reasons or personal gain, but to be able to save a single person. I am willing to give up everything in return for the ability to cure him of his sickness so that he may live.” It was exactly as they had rehearsed.
In response, the creature reached out a long, thin hand, black fingers outstretched. The action put the words ‘Are you willing to bare the consequences?’ directly into Chara’s mind. Maybe this was their last chance to call it off; to yank the shard from their chest and bury it in a place that no one would find it.
“Yes,” Chara responded grimly, “now and forever.” An invisible force pulled at something. A small red wisp, the only color in this dark room, was pulled out of the shard in Chara’s chest. The small, glowing object hovered in the air for Chara to see before it was pulled into the dark figure’s grip. It crushed it in its’ hand. The feeling of coldness, and even the looming dread faded. Along with so much else. They couldn’t say what was lost exactly, but they knew that it would never return. In this life or the next.
The figure re-opened its hand, the blackness of its’ form lifted up off its’ fingers in dark blobs. The floating shapes began to combine, forming a blackened replica of what had been taken from Chara. The figure held out its’ hand and the darkened wisp moved silently through the air and disappeared back through the crystal, and into Chara.
The words ‘It is done’ circled through their head. The shadows that coated the room began to twist and fold, revealing patches of color. The creature in the shadows faded away, while the darkness continued to warp, folding in towards Chara, funneling onto a point on their back.
When the room had returned to the normality of before, Chara noticed something, some extra weight on their back. They turned their head and saw a pair of large shadowy wings sprout from some place between their shoulders. It rippled like fire, and it was heavy. So heavy; weighing down Chara’s very spirit, or at least what was left of it. They were so tired, but they knew they could never sleep. This was the price, or so they thought.
End of Part 2
(Read from the beginning)
(Read Part 3)
(Read Part 4)
This is my head cannon for how Chara gained their demon(ish?) power. AU created by @horrortale
