Chương 11: Devil on Earth

Holding a vial filled with his bathwater in his palm, Zireael carelessly tossed it into the air. Unable to tear her hollow eyes away, Innis's heart almost leaped out of her chest.

"Tick Tock," Zireael whispered, watching the vial shoot through the air.

With a devilish smile, he took a step back, his cold gaze peering into Innis's very soul. Reaching its zenith, the vial slowly came to a halt before cashing towards the ground.

"Tick Tock, Tick Tock," repeated Zireael in a soft whisper watching the tense air around Innis.

Clenching her fist till crimson began to run, Innis's breath grew ragged remembering the world of light. The smiles of her loved ones, the vibrance of the heavens. It was taken from her. Robbed by those she fought to defend against.

"Tick Tock!" Shouted Zireael

Flaring her arms, Innis gripped the small veil a few centimeters off the earth. Tears streaming from her eyes as a sense of relief and contempt for herself battled against one another. She had long made peace about her blindness, yet before a cure. All the promises of battle, training, war, and death shattered.

However, all of a sudden, cracks began to appear upon the vial. Panic and desperate, she turned to the demonic smile upon Lord Blackwater. Amidst his silver hair hiding his eyes, an unholy chill passed through Innis's heart as a flash of crimson light flickered past his silver eyes.

"Swallow it before it breaks!!" Aurelia shouted in a panic pulling her arm out from Talia's firm grip.

Arching his devilish smile, Zireael turned around, already knowing the outcome. Drawing the longsword from his back, a mighty battle force showered the battlefield halting the young girl's advance.

Quaking in her boots, Aurelia backed away, her heart racing against her chest. Twisting her gaze towards the Lord of this Estate, she clenched her chest, finding the air slowly turning thin. Slowly, like a devil crawling its way out of the Nine Hells, Zireael drew closer, his blade shimmering with starlight.

"Zir."

Pressing his blade against her neck, a single trickle of blood slithered down her neck, drenching her white tunic.

Death!

It was her only thought, her only understanding at this moment in time. Watching a single teardrop fall, the unholy aura pressing against the field vanish like smoke.

"Fear keeps you alive, Aurelia. Remember that feeling I had thought drowning would be enough, but it seems I was wrong." Zireael informed, withdrawing his blade back to its sheath. "Fear is both your friend and enemy. Use it wisely."

Turning away, Zireael waved, "Innis, train her well. I want to see improvement every day. Should you fail to meet my expectation, I will tear those eyes I gifted you away."

Falling to her knees like a broken puppet, Aurelia fell upon her arms vomiting her stomach content. Rushing towards her, Talia reached her arm out, stopping halfway.

"I-I-I am f-f-f," Aurelia pitifully spoke as tears fell from her eyes. Releasing a sharp cry, the Little doe curled into a ball within her own vomit. Whimpering uncontrollably, Cursing her own hesitation, Talia took the small child into her arm. Kissing her cheek.

"it's ok; it's over. It's over," Talia repeated, stroking Aurelia's now silver hair as tears continued to fall.

...

Standing still within the grassy field of Lord Blackwaters estate Innis, deafened the cries of Aurelia. Taking a single step forward, her knees grew weak, taking to the ground as her pale eyes began to glow with color.

The once colorless shade began to fade into a Hazel pigment. The skin that once sagged and cracked began to tighten, mending into something new and fresh. The bones that were never healed properly through her unending life began to fade.

In a matter of seconds, the aged woman had transformed into a gorgeous young woman. Staring at the hands that had long past their glory days now return, tears began to fall. Her eyes that were once dead and lifeless grew life, returning to color her darkness.

"I am new." Innis weakly said, "I am new."

"I Innis Lameor have returned!" She roared with a broken heart. All that she had lost had returned, but nothing had changed. She was still alone, abandoned by her own kingdom.

Rising back to her two feet, she stared at the princess of the king and the small child balling in her arms. Feeling her will begin to soften, she approached, marveling at the little bun.

"Get up!" Innis barked, feeling daggers piercing her heart, "Get up! Aurelia Morningstar! Let her go, Princess, and let her rise on her own."

Biting her soft lips, Talia shook, turning towards the cold Hazel eyes of Innis. No words were spoken between the two, but Talia understood. Pulling her arms away, she turned away, unable to look at the girl who just experienced something more frightening than death.

"GET UP!!!" Innis howled, causing a small shockwave to blast the young girl away. Ruthlessly skidding over the ground, blood exploded out from her small head. Coming to a slow halt, Aurelia turned her bloody head towards Innis, covered in tears.

"Get up, Aurelia," Repeated Innis with a whimper, "Let this be your second lesson of the day. Never fall unless you are dead! Defeat will come, but you must rise. Just like now. So get up and show Zireael you are not broken!"

With a large gash tracing from the top of her scalp to her brow, Aurelia ignored the searing pain tearing away at her soul. Pressing her hands firmly against the grass, she pushed up, glaring towards Innis.

With an approving air, Innis's lips lifted, "Aurelia, from today on, I will be your master. I will teach you to read, write, kill, and understand the cruelty of the world."

Clenching her fist together, the Goldeneye girl nodded, "Aurelia is ready. Master will train Aurelia!"

Smiling within his mansion, Zireael could not help but chuckle, "She will be a true monster one day." He hummed, entering his room.

Approaching his dresser, Zireael opened a small locked box gazing upon an aesthetic mask with the numeral number five engraved at the top. He sighed.

"Have you finally decided to make your move?" A dark ethereal voice asked from behind Zireael. "Are you finally done wallowing in pity?"

"Pity?" Repeated Zireael with a mocking smile.

"Is it not pity, my little disciple?" The ethereal voice called out. "How would you describe your situation. It has been one hundred years since that day, and your name still echoes to this day—Killer, Murderous, Butcherer, Devil."

Gripping the mask that held his number, Zireael turned towards the voice, seeing nothing but air, "Leave me be, Master. You know full well what happened. You know I will not let this stand. I have not once wallowed in my own pity or suffering. See what you see, but do not try to perceive my intent, for even heavens are at my mercy."

"Quite the words coming from one who fell." said the Etherial voice.

"Yes, I did fall, but I did not break. The game has just begun, and I have just found my King."