Chapitre 48: Detention
As the trio stepped out of the carriage and into the bustling streets of Ashborne's south side, Lyra couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her. The grand, towering skyscrapers and opulent castles of the city's upper districts were nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by a sprawling shantytown of ramshackle buildings and makeshift shelters.
The air was thick with the scent of poverty and desperation, and everywhere Lyra looked, she saw signs of the violence and corruption that plagued this part of town. Illegal exlirs changed hands in shadowy alleyways, while groups of rough-looking Sanguine prowled the streets, their eyes glinting with a predatory hunger.
Clara shuddered, her voice filled with a mix of fear and revulsion. "Oh my god, this is too much," she whispered, her eyes wide with horror. "We're going to be turned into vampires if we stay here too long."
But Lilith just shook her head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Calm down, Clara," she said, her voice filled with a surprising note of affection. "We're not even going into the worst parts of town. The people here are actually quite friendly, once you get to know them."
Lyra turned to Lilith, her brow furrowed in confusion. "How do you know so much about this place?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.
Lilith hesitated for a moment, her expression growing serious. "Because I'm from here," she said, her voice low and filled with a quiet intensity. "This is where I grew up, before I was turned into a Sanguine. I know these streets like the back of my hand."
Clara and Lyra exchanged a glance, their expressions filled with a newfound understanding and sympathy. They had always known that Lilith was different from the other Sanguine at Ashborne Academy, but they had never realized just how much of an outsider she truly was.
As they made their way deeper into the shantytown, Clara suddenly let out a yelp of surprise, her finger pointing at a hunched and gaunt figure shuffling along the side of the road. "What is that?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of horror and fascination.
Lilith followed her gaze, her expression growing dark. "That's a ghoul," she said, her voice filled with a bitter resignation. "You can't be serious, Clara. You've never seen one before?"
Lyra shook her head, her own expression one of confusion and unease. "What exactly is a ghoul?" she asked, her voice filled with a morbid curiosity.
Lilith sighed, her eyes distant and filled with a deep sadness. "Sanguine have the ability to share their powers with their dominion," she explained, her voice low and filled with a quiet intensity. "They can grant a fraction of their strength to their 'slaves,' turning them into ghouls."
Lyra's eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open in horror. "What do you mean, slaves?" she demanded, her voice filled with a righteous anger.
Lilith shrugged, her expression one of resigned acceptance. "Once a Sanguine makes someone their ghoul, that person is forced to give up their freedom and obey their master's every command. It's a terrible fate, but one that many in this part of town are forced to endure."
Clara shook her head, her expression one of disgust and disbelief. "So where is this ghoul's master, then?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of anger and pity.
Lilith's expression grew distant, her eyes filled with a deep and aching sorrow. "This ghoul's master has long since abandoned them," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If a Sanguine doesn't continue to pour their energy into their ghoul, the poor creature is forced to find other living essences to feed off of, or slowly decay and die. It's a tragic existence, one that no one deserves."
As the three friends stood there, watching the ghoul shuffle past with a mixture of pity and revulsion, Lyra couldn't help but feel a sense of determination and purpose wash over her. She had always known that the world of the Sanguine was a dark and dangerous place, filled with cruelty and injustice.
But seeing it firsthand, witnessing the suffering and desperation of those who had been abandoned and forgotten by their masters, made her realize just how much work there was still to be done. She knew that she couldn't change the world overnight, that the problems of poverty and oppression were too deep-rooted and systemic to be solved by any one person.
But she also knew that she had to try, that she had to use her skills and her knowledge to make a difference, no matter how small. And with Clara and Lilith by her side, each of them bringing their own unique perspectives and abilities to the table, she knew that anything was possible.
As they set off into the heart of the shantytown, ready to begin their volunteer work and make amends for their reckless actions at the Essence Tournament, Lyra couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and determination for the future. The world was a dark and dangerous place, filled with injustice and suffering.
But it was also a place of incredible beauty and resilience, where even the most forgotten and abandoned souls could find the strength to keep going, to keep fighting for a better tomorrow. And with her friends by her side and the power of alchemy at her fingertips, Lyra knew that she would never stop fighting, never stop working to make the world a brighter and more just place for all.
The south side of Ashborne may have been a place of darkness and despair, but it was also a place of incredible potential and possibility. And as long as there were people like Lyra, Clara, and Lilith, willing to stand up and fight for what was right, there would always be hope for a better future.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone