Deep within the forest, where sounds fall silent and shadows grow dense, Iskara sat upon a cold rock, her heart weighed down by sorrow and fear. Every step the earth had taken beneath her reminded her of her losses, and every breeze carried whispers of the past. Here, in this heavy silence, she found herself surrounded by absolute loneliness… and here she began to play, the Song of Despair, revealing to the world what it truly means for a soul to break and rise again.
Chapter Four – The Song of Despair
When Iskara headed into the forest,
she sat upon a cold rock—
as cold as what lay within her chest.
With a trembling hand,
she took out the violin…
At that moment,
the clouds gathered,
the sky grew heavy,
as if it wished to cry with her.
She began to play—
the Song of Despair.
In my loneliness,
and with sorrow like a wave
that drowns my vessel…
my eyes tell my story,
all that has befallen me,
for the feeling of safety has vanished.
Here…
tears gathered in her eyes.
They did not fall yet,
but they burned behind her eyelids.
I lost…
and I lost alongside the fear of the gamble.
I melted into my despair,
lost with no place to belong.
Her voice trembled.
She pressed harder against the violin,
as if punishing it
for being the only thing that stayed.
I became alone upon my path,
this was never what I desired.
And I lied when I said I was happy…
She closed her eyes.
And here—
the tears broke free.
For I cry alone in the darkness,
my tears like clouds of rain.
Within me, screams
erase what little harmony remained.
Tears streamed down her cheeks
as she continued to play…
as though pain itself
had become part of the melody.
I lost my loved ones,
the path back home disappeared.
I truly grew weary
on my journey.
Her voice grew weaker…
but the melody?
It grew harsher.
My heart tightened beneath blame,
and sorrow became a chain
that robbed me of sleep.
She inhaled deeply…
as if struggling not to collapse.
Lost within a forest vast,
my soul filled with every torment.
I found no safety,
no peace…
among wolves.
Suddenly…
the melody softened.
One day,
a light came to me,
and visited my heart.
It illuminated guidance within me,
and set me aglow.
Her voice quivered,
as if recalling something distant…
something no longer hers.
He said:
"Begin your life with effort,
fill your heart with hope.
For dreams
are not built by miracles alone."
But no smile appeared.
Something else took its place.
No matter how much you suffer,
or how many forms of pain you taste,
walk the path—
Here…
the melody changed.
So I erased hope from within me,
and struggled onward…
until I achieve what I desire.
She slowly raised her head.
I will reach it…
I will fly toward glory,
even if my wings are broken.
The tears stopped.
And coldness was born.
Nothing will obstruct my path—
my struggle.
The final note…
was heavier than all that came before.
I was truly reborn…
in hell.
The violin fell silent.
At that moment…
rain began to fall,
as if the sky itself
was embracing her delayed tears.
Iskara now stood
without shelter,
without support,
without love,
without warmth.
A small girl
facing an entire world.
Then…
she laughed.
A cold laugh
that shattered what remained of her heart.
And she said,
in a voice stripped of all emotion:
"The world will learn the meaning of despair."
Shadows stretched around Iskara, watching her steps, whispering in deadly silence. Every movement reflected a newfound strength, every glance carried a silent challenge. The world began to gape before her, as if anticipating her fall… but the girl who had melted in despair and was reborn in hell was no longer prey. Her cold smile was a promise of the storm to come, and her sharp gaze warned that the game had not yet begun—but it was about to erupt. This was no ordinary journey… this was the true beginning of the Game of Extermination, where anyone who dares approach will find that Iskara was no longer the one they knew, and every step on this path is fraught with death and peril.