In a world where shadows intersect with reality, where cursed souls mingle with the air, and dark justice breathes, humanity stands powerless against forces beyond comprehension. Alphiran, once a symbol of justice and love, has now become a merciless entity, embodying the heavy price of any deviation from principles.
Alindra, who once knew innocence and now faces the present's scream, stands before this terrifying transformation, trying to grasp what remains of the kindness she once knew. In this chapter, her courage—and her understanding of the price paid by those who cross the boundaries of justice—will be tested, as an unbeatable force becomes a tool of destruction and awe.
Chapter Eleven: The Terrified Alindra
After Alphiran ended the life of her former lieutenant, she turned to the slave traders. Alindra looked at her with a terrified face, for the person before her was no longer the same Alphiran, but a cursed energy blazing around her due to the corrupted souls.
Alindra remembered Alphiran as she once was: kind to everyone, loved by both children and adults, treating them with love and respect, showing compassion to all, and upholding justice. She used to apprehend thieves like the kingdom's shield, loved flowers, and enjoyed playing music.
But now, Alphiran had become the dark justice, enforcing justice through killing, which Alindra could no longer believe in.
The flowers began to bloom around Alphiran, radiating poisonous energy, and moved slowly toward the victims. There was no rush, yet everyone around felt dread, for she had become a true catastrophe before their eyes.
Alphiran approached the first one, plunged her hand into his chest, and blood gushed from the deep wound, then grabbed his neck and absorbed his soul.
She moved to the second, broke his neck, and absorbed his soul as well, torturing and killing. The flowers began to assist her, holding the victims' legs and absorbing their souls. Reinforcements arrived, but to no avail. Alphiran showed no mercy.
Screams rose, and the stench of decay filled the place, while the petals released smoke that numbed anyone who inhaled it. Alphiran's eyes glowed red, and everything unfolded before Alindra, who could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Alphiran approached the last one, looked at him with a contemptuous gaze, stepped on his head with her foot, and absorbed his soul through the petals. When she finished, she said:
"Congratulations, my flowers."
Alindra hesitated, touched Alphiran's shoulder, feeling it cold as ice, realizing that Alphiran had paid the price, even numbing her body from feeling.
Then Alindra began humming, her eyes fixed on Alphiran's steadfast back:
They sold the slaves… and tore their darkness
A hand from hell… returns their raids
I saw "Alphiran".. weaving death
And drinking the souls… invaded by their mischief
Woe to my heart… from what I saw
The might of a woman… humbled the tyrants
She touches a phantom… yet cannot grasp
Is this salvation?.. or their return?
I fear a day… when the light disappears
And faces… become a mirage after them
Forgetting allies… forgetting friends
And erasing "greed"… from those who nurtured them
Alindra then added her final words, in a faint voice mixed with fear and sorrow:
Your steps are hell… and my silence a question
Is this victory?.. or demise?
I will stay in your shadow… guarding faces
And keeping a secret… elusive to reach
Sleep proudly… upon the blood
Behind the curtain… the impossible is born
At the final moment, Alindra touched Alphiran's shoulder once more, her hand trembling, then stepped back, closing her eyes as her voice gradually vanished amidst the roar of blood and the eerie silence that enveloped the place.
As night falls over the battlefield, the rising smoke and the fresh blood bear witness to the brutal truth revealed by Alphiran. Alindra, trembling and stepping back, realizes that the world will never be the same, and the power witnessed today will leave a lasting mark on all who experienced it.
Power, when it transcends mercy, becomes a double-edged sword, erasing everything and leaving behind a silence that gnaws at the soul.