Chapter 202: Fate’s Footsteps
I was free. The thought was slow and lethargic, rising hesitantly in my mind like the morning sun over the horizon. I couldn’t quite bring myself to believe it, and constantly touched the smooth, pale skin of my chest, running my fingers over the spaces scarlet lines had once occupied. Tears slipped free of my eyes, warm and unnoticed, as reality finally sank in.
But at what cost? The thrills of relief faded as my gaze fell on the slumped corpse before me, and the staff pulsing warmly in my hand. I gripped it tightly, squeezing my eyes shut in transitory anger. Why hadn’t Fate come sooner? Why did Aurle have to die?
But the sparks were short-lived, and I sighed, letting it all out. Aurle hadn’t died. She’d been killed. Her sweet, previous life was stolen by the man I loathed above all others. He was responsible for the last months of unbearable torture and humiliation.
The staff hummed angrily, reflecting my mood. Fate’s divinity flowed into me, strengthening my limbs and allowing me to stagger to my feet. The power, which had felt as endless as an ocean, was starting to dwindle, slowly leaking away. My time was short.
The room was abandoned, filled with corpses and empty cages. I knelt and rested a hand on Aurle’s cheek one last time before closing her eyes and standing.
"Thank you," I whispered softly. "You wanted me to live, to be free, and that’s what I’m going to do. But first..."
The staff felt light in my grip and shivered in anticipation as my hand tightened around it. My exhaustion and sorrow could have been crippling, but none of that mattered. The divinity drew me onward, guiding my steps and filling me with a mysterious sense of purpose. It tugged at me like fate itself, and perhaps it was.
Climbing the last stair, I paused, startled, as I came face to face with fifty soldiers. They crowded the mansion, bristling with spears and holding loaded crossbows leveled at my chest. Lord Byron stood in the forefront, holding a magical sword with fourth-circle enchantments.
"Kneel, girl," he commanded, "and perhaps I’ll spare your life. You’re trapped and alone, without anyone to turn to. I know you can’t fight, and if you try, I’ll allow every single one of these men to use you before the end."