The Cosmic Soldier (Bonus story)

It was a cold night,

Darkness flowing through all sides

Have I been blinded all this time?

Paralyzed, the demons have taken control,

Within the deep depths of my demise

As I show my teeth, my rage, my venom,

In the end, it will not have mattered at all

The dirt has ridden my eyes, I'm blinded

Coughing up spews of hatred of my enemies

The life of a criminal, I cannot stop

As this dark energy is controlled,

Not by my subconscious or persona,

But by the undying loyalty I hold for those

Who leave me scraps of food and water,

And those who stand by me, who raised me

Because I have nowhere to go,

Except for the dark depths of the Void

I will fade away within the fires I built

…

Depression and trauma have stricken me

The ones I've killed,

Have come back to haunt me

I need to be let out,

Of this hell I've concocted

Because I see a glimmer,

A light, however soft or fading

I reach out to grab it,

Hold it, feel it wash over me

Heal me,

Before I succumb to the Dark

I sense that I do not have enough,

Time, it is of the essence

Fighting 'til the end,

Until my bones have broken,

Until the blood runs out

There is no further belief,

That I might be able to,

Escape, far out of the Void

…

I see it, I sense it

The light, it's tremendous power

Has whelmed me greatly

Tears are slipping out,

A new phenomenon for me,

For I have controlled them before

But I embrace it now,

Feeling the warmth

A dream I festered within,

A vision of torture and hatred,

Has loosened it's grip on me,

I can afford to slip out the prison

Fending off the demons that drain,

Me, releasing the poison

Watching it drip down into oblivion

…

Tears of joy,

An unprecedented situation

I cannot prepare for,

Nor avoid, as it heads for me

Just a long moment,

Before I am finally free

But something's wrong,

I still sense chaos

Violence brewing,

A deafening storm about to strike

As I watch those around me fade as well,

I realize now,

I am still imprisoned

…

An unknown energy passes over me,

Through me, into me

As I open my eyes to the New World

The darkness flickers away

Invisible, but I still sense its presence

No tears now,

But I feel something more

Have I changed?

Has the Light chosen me?

Because it surrounds me,

I am being fixed

As its energy glows on my skin

My heart feels full, finally

The strength has returned,

Newer, different even

I will nurture this light

Never let it see the glimpse,

Of darkness and evils that lurk

Promises I will keep

…

I've grown Anew,

Free from the cages that bind me

Free from the ropes that caged me

As I hold within,

The life of a hero

I will strive to be.