Chapter 81: The South-Western Corner
Of course I can.
Manifesting the Book of Heresy, I beckoned it downwards to my eye level. The accursed pages fluttered open; they flipped erratically with sputtering noises till landing on the first page.
One line sat at the top of the page; my initial order.
This time, I moved the Quill of Heresy downwards to a new line.
Then:
[Body - Move - 6 Hours]
Curses rushed from my body and into the Book of Heresy, then straight back into my veins; the order clung to my skin, flesh, muscles, tendons, and bones.
It reinforced everything, bringing a fresh wave of 'life' to this still, dying creature.
This form of order that defied the reality determined upon this body would certainly have great repercussions.
What if I create outrageous orders-
Shiver.
Fear crushed my body.
The mere thought of breaking this Book's inherent rules and regulations almost sent me spiralling into despair.
...I cannot use it carelessly.
Putting my useless legs to use, I comfortably stood on my own two feet for the first time in a long time; of course, the pain is doomed to set in at the 6-hour mark, but now, as a first after many, many years...
No pain?
I clenched my fists.
I flailed my arms around.
I loosened my legs.
And, no pain.
Zero.
A crisp laugh echoed hollowly from my mouth, "This is funny."
In the end, the cycle remains.
A moment of relief followed by a period of unrelenting agony.
Nothing has changed.
Where there should be joy within me, there was instead a sense of unbreakable weakness clinging to my heart.
I can't even feel happy that I feel no pain, because I know that the pain will come.
And it will be horrible.
Again.
Over, and over, again.
Repeatedly.
Endlessly-
143,713,754ButifitsforEsmeIcandoanything143,762,093
143,853,112EvenifitmeansburninginthepitsofHell143,892,710
Glancing at my smiling mother beyond the hazy veil of messy thoughts lingering in the forefront of my mind, "Mother."
"Yes, sweetie?"
I finally, after 4 years, asked a question I'd been waiting to ask.
A question I knew she'd approve.
A question I knew she knew was part of my plans.
Nothing can escape her.
Nor can it escape the personification of madness.
"May I take them?"
And.
Hearing these words;
She smiled.
A wide, loving, beautiful smile. Her eyes curled up with joy as she placed a hand over her ecstatic face.
"Oh, of course, my sweet, sweet Alora! You may go!"
...Where, you might ask?
"The South-Western corner of the Domain of Light awaits you!" Mother's words rang clearly in my eardrums.
The South-Western corner of the Domain of Light.
The words spoken by Finnie in our previous meeting.
The place where the Canaries await.
...And the place where my questions may finally be answered.
Esme is surely curious.
Nemora is certainly on a knife's edge in regards to my situation.
They must all be wondering:
What is the deal with this creature?
I smiled back at my mother, "Thank you, mother!"
Let's show them.
Let's peel back the Light to reveal the horrors lying in this Domain's underbelly.
"Sweetie, no need. You are Perfect. You are a Fallen of the Second Step, a Perfect being following in the footsteps of The Heathens. It's only natural that I indulge in my Perfect daughter, right?"
"Indeed, mother."
...Following in the footsteps of the Heathens.
A tragic smile lingered on my maskless face; I wonder what lies at the end of this harrowing path?
Pushing my body past my mother, I stepped down the Staircase of Curses. Each step echoed with thrashing and shrieking screams of the countless voices and hefty Curses occupying my body; I only hope it'll aid Esme-
And Hilda.
Clack.
Mother's footsteps rang loudly behind me. She followed in silence with her gaze remaining honed on the back of my neck.
The interest and love within her eyes lingered on my skin, sending erratic shivers running down my spine.
What is she thinking?
What are her goals?
Why does she allow me to do as I want now?
Why does the personification of madness allow this?
These are all questions I firmly believe I will not receive a coherent answer to any time soon.
But it matters not.
Sister.
Let me guide you to the truth, and, with it, your friends shall inevitably be forced to face the vile horrors etched in this Domain's lands.
Frail fingers latched onto the door handle—my frail fingers.
Creak...
The doors groaned open with ease; this Book of Heresy is powerful.
With that thought skipping through my mind, I stepped past the boundary and into the mansion's halls.
The normal halls.
Not the repeating ones, but the lively halls; the life-filled halls.
Momentarily stopping, I glanced backwards.
And there she stood.
My mother.
The cloth encapsulating her glamorous body fluttered gently, scintillating waves of chestnut-coloured strands rhythmically swayed before her eyes...
Icy blue flashed soul-crushingly;
They stared at me;
They glared at me;
Yet.
I could still feel it.
As I always have.
...Mother's love.
Thud!
The doors crashed shut, sending a shockwave of wind crashing into my body.
Standing in quiet for a minute, I released a deep breath and swept my messy hair aside; Understood, mother.
-----
Scissors clicked and echoed around the open gardens. Marching down the familiar pathway, my eyes occasionally flicked to the sides; the lonely, cold, white eyes observed the men and women hard at work.
They observed the dripping, squelching pulsations of white oozing from the depths of countless, scattered limbs.
They observed the source of all the noise;
And then, they decided to respond, pleasing the frantic voices.
At times, this creature would pass over a finger.
At times, a stomach;
And other times, a mangled limb.
The usual.
Nothing special.
Yet, today...
Today is special.
Breathing in fresh air, I gazed upwards at the Aurora.
At the source of all Light.
Then, my lips mumbled.
Subconsciously;
Knowingly;
Yet simultaneously, this word escaped my mouth without my awareness.
"...Crucible."
Pursing my lips, I re-adjusted my slipping mask, making sure to click it back in place firmly.
Afterwards, I walked onwards into the depths of the gardens.
Its vague visage lay in the distance; it beckoned me in, but I also knew.
I knew that today, everything would change.
Esme's friends may lose all hope-
143,921,372FortheyaretheflockofhelplessbirdsselectedbytheMistress143,923,091
Esme may fall into despair-
143,927,001Idon'twantthat143,927,002
...And Hilda, that big dummy, will try to comfort me as she always does.
Giggling helplessly, I stepped forward and onward.
My feet carried me through the warm breeze; they carried me to the beginning, and possibly the end, of this relationship with the 6 birds.
"Today, we travel to the ends of the Domain of Light."
Whispering to myself-
Tothewavesofchestnutandblue.
-I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the upcoming ordeal.
"And, today, we may join the Canaries as fellow birds."
Soon enough, I was there.
I was at the boundary of the gazebo.
8 pairs of eyes stared in my direction.
Esme, Hilda, Yulei, Vanessa, Jill, Elden, Hildekar, and Nemora.
All 7 birds and my sister.
They all watched me; observed me.
The eyes with the most vivid level of shock were Hilda's. I was walking now, after all. Not that I hadn't walked with the help of Curses before, but the difference between walking in agony and walking painlessly is drastic.
It was obvious that Hilda could notice the difference between my past and present condition.
Alas, the most striking of all eyes on me was...
Esme.
Golden, sizzling eyes stared at me fervently. The tumultuous emotions within her were vividly portrayed in the glances she gave me.
And I could only apologise;
Apologise for being a bad sister; apologise for withholding so much from her.
Of course, I was destined to withhold some information even now; however, I could give her something; I could give Esme enough to keep her satisfied and prevent her from learning the vile truth of this creature's existence.
So, I walked towards the gazebo.
My shimmering golden hair performed a waltz behind me, prancing about in the breeze.
My steps rang loud and clear.
My existence pressed down on the atmosphere.
My Authority oozed from my pores, encapsulating my surroundings.
This is what it means to be a Fallen of the Second Step.
I can corrode it all.
I can Curse it all.
With one thought, with one movement;
All life could die.
And, with the aid of the Book of Heresy;
All that is dead would curse me from the depths of hell.
Clack!
I stepped onto the gazebo.
Standing at the forefront, I ran my gaze across each participant, pausing briefly at both Hilda's and Esme's faces.
It also didn't skip my vision when Esme noticed me lingering my gaze on Hilda and glared at her sideways; so cute.
Suppressing the smile behind the mask, I opened my lips:
"Good afternoon, everyone."
I greeted the cohort.
The ones destined to walk through hell.
"""Greetings, Lady Alora of Light""
6 voices echoed simultaneously, while...
"Hello, little dummy."
"Sister."
The two girls closer to me gave me a warmer response; a response warm enough to burn my face with glee and joy.
Butterflies wriggled in my stomach from that alone; that's how helplessly in love I was.
Not now.
Nevertheless, I had to address the elephant in the room first.
"Nemora."
I glanced towards the girl with the coldest gaze.
"You have many questions, right?"
She nodded at me, well, down at me; she towered above me with how tall she was.
She'd grown splendidly in the last 4 years. Nemora is already a 15-year-old, a youthful lady. Not the frantic, aggressive, and angsty child she used to be.
"I can't answer them. But I can lead you to some answers."
Raising my hand towards the group, I revealed my open palm; my gloveless, clean palm.
"What do you say?"
"Would you like to receive the truth?"
The abysmal truth of this Crucible?