"Each element influences the individual in different ways, you understand this much, right?" Azmakul explained, with an annoyed look on his mask, it was as if he was explaining basic addition to a toddler. Sabrina simply nodded, ignoring the way he decided to treat her so suddenly. She was simply glad she got to learn new information, and hopeful too.
"The influence of the element is based on the degree of the affinity you possess, the basic elements bring forth a much simpler change, like I explained previously of how the affinity of fire increases their resistance to heat, and makes them hot-tempered, but this is not absolute. Have you never met a person who uses fire to act calm, and make rational decisions... Please tell me you have."
She answered in a low voice. Technically, Elijah was one such person, but he was also a dragon. She had met other fire-awakened who were also similar, but they also tended to act according emotionally more than logically.
"The higher elements cause other types of influence. If I had to explain in the simplest form, Darkness causes one to become more bold, or rather, uncaring."
She was confused for a moment, struggling to understand what he could mean. Azmakul expected that, now seeing the human species in a negative light.
"It simply influences you to be true to yourself, to ignore social and other limitations and act how you want to act. Simply put, it brings out the true you.
The one that doesn't wear a mask."
It was quite something to hear this from someone who always had a mask on his face, whether out of choice or not. But it was still something new. Azmakul wasn't finished.
"Darkness and Light influence an individual in the same way, they cause them to be true to themselves. The only difference being that light brings out the true personality in a better light, and sometimes molds it to be 'good'. Darkness takes no such steps. It simply lets you become what you are, and influences you to not hide it.
I'll say it again, the only element capable of causing 'corruption' is chaos, and even then, in special cases."
He stopped for a moment, before explaining what he meant by corruption.
"And by corruption, I mean the decay of your mental and spiritual self, a change that makes you hollow and, quite frankly, in a state worse than death, where you are a puppet to something else."
Sitting down on the cold snow, he looked her in the eyes and said.
"But then again, I can't blame you for thinking that way. Experiences mold a person and their view on everything, your experience with how the element of darkness 'influenced' your uncle, you had a bad experience with it.
Still, it doesn't excuse the fact that you let one bad experience completely delude you, but it is understandable because you are young.
Explain to me what you feel when you use darkness."
She didn't respond, taking time to think. Azmakul allowed it, surprisingly, patiently waiting for her to talk.
To Sabrina, this was entirely new. While she couldn't help but admit that he was right when the bad experiences had caused her to be deluded... The experience was bad enough to warrant such.
She was young when everything had happened, so they definitely changed how she looked and understood things.
After a while, when she had calmed herself down, she began to explain the symptoms that would occur whenever she used [Darkness].
"I hear a voice in my head, something that tells me to do things I despise, things that are wrong. Other times, it makes me angry and messes with my thinking, and I feel strange when using it."
If she summed it up, then that was it, but she was seriously downplaying the effects of the 'voice' she mentioned. It wasn't just something that popped up whenever she used darkness, it was always present.
The artifacts Alan had given her had changed that, and allowed herself some breathing room, but the voice would always pop up again if she used the element of Darkness. Still, it was a blessing, it was just limited to that.
She could at least sleep in peace.
"The things that voice tells you to do, disregard morality or any other social prejudices you humans have and think logically. In that situation, is it wrong?"
"It's not wrong, that voice you speak of is simply you, but you which does not care for social prejudices and other such things. It's you, the truest version of you.
So tell me, in a situation where you throw away your emotions, morality and social prejudices, everything that makes you human, is what the voice says wrong?"
She couldn't deny it when he put it like that.
"Do you know? The way you accepted the situation I presented describes your character. It isn't easy to simply throw away your emotions, and your sense of morality, even in a
hypothetical situation. Especially so at a young age.
You are one to think logically, even if you don't admit it. What you are afraid of is not the suggestions the voice gives, but rather, you are afraid of losing yourself.
The irony is, ignoring what it says is actually making you lose your true self."
"You are running away from what you really want. The voice you hear isn't some demented demon forcing you to make cruel decisions. It's the truest version of you."
But she refused to believe it. If it really was like that, then why was every human on Earth, who used [Darkness] end up the same way? There were reported cases and everything! Surely, if what Azmakul was saying was correct, then at the very least, one had to be different! How was it that all of them became cold-blooded killers? How did every single one turn helpless beyond compare and commit such atrocities... unless.
She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't ignore it either. Luckily, Azmakul's words distracted her.
"But, it isn't necessarily a bad thing to cling to your emotions, and other trivial things, especially at your age."