One year has passed since Pitch had taken him from the guardians. It was a long and hard year, because hope can be hard to crush sometimes. But once hope is lost, everything else is, and ideas are easily planted in one's head. All Pitch had to do was to say the right words, at the right times, and like an infection, it spread.

Earlier on in the year, Pitch had branded Jack, writing 'Icy Darkness' on Jack's left forearm, as a way to connect Jack to him, and to mess with the other guardians even more. It was not like any other scar, because it was filled with nightmare sand, making it impossible for it to fade, and making it easier for Jack to be controlled and tamed, like a wild animal.

After that, it was all a matter of waiting, waiting for Jack to blindly follow Pitch. Pitch had treated him kindly, didn't ignore him, feigning compassion towards the young boy, and when he whispered manipulative words to make the boy hate the guardians, he noticed how the boys center changed. His once icy blue eyes turned black, and his center became darker and colder- desolation. With Pitch's fear and Jack's desolation, the world was plunged into a world of darkness, and the two of them ruled, side by side, as every human bowed down to them.

The guardians had been surprised to find Jack next to Pitch, looking as mischievous as always, but in a darker way. Jack appeared to be half-dead, with the way his eyes seemed broken, but that was before Jack called on one of the most violent storms in history. Needless to say, the guardians lost against the two, and the world lost all hope, wonder, dreams and memories of happiness. They became like a distant dream, forgotten and swept aside. However, the Icy Darkness, as Pitch and Jack preferred to call themselves, became as powerful as ever.

Now, Jack stands next to Pitch Black, both of their eyes shining maliciously, as they throw black sand and icicles towards the homes of people who had never believed in them before, young or old, boy or girl. Of course, it won't be long until they come for you. So, if you feel desolation and fear, remember who the guardians were, and what they did. Don't let the darkness blind you. That is, if it hasn't already.

Nobody is ever too old to believe.