Chapter 336: Between Memories
A distant pulse of warmth washed over me, driving deep into the lethargy of my soul. It came again a second later, calling gently from the darkness, and my consciousness resurfaced. Had I died?
I came to surrounded by darkness, drifting through the utter blackness of fate. It took a moment before I realized I hadn’t actually died and was drifting in the darkness that proceeded a vision. My soul continued to pulse, feeling far away and distant, as was my body. Even if I wanted to, I lacked the strength to will the vision to end and awaken.
Slowly, the events of the battle came back to me. They flickered like holographic screens around me, portraying the scenes from various perspectives. The battle within the keep, the moment we found Korra, the arrival of the Ice Spirit, and finally the moment I shattered Levin’s soul. It wasn’t a vision, not exactly, more like an attempt for my mind to make sense of it all. There were so many things I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on during the battle, beginning with what I had done to Levin.
Unfortunately, fate had no intention of letting me work through that in peace. Before I had even arrived at the climax of the battle, my memories scattered into stars before weaving back together into the familiar tapestry of a vision. I pushed my doubt and guilt away, focusing on the scene before me. I was exhausted and utterly spent, and fate must have known that. If it needed to show me something this badly, there was a reason for it.
I found myself in familiar halls, though not the Divine Throne or Brithlite Castle that I expected. My soul shuddered as I recognized the room, as well as the occupants. This wasn’t a scene of the future but of the past. A past mired in darkness and anguish, one I had done everything in my power to bury so deeply it would never surface.
Before me was the basement slave chambers of the City Lord’s Mansion in High Valley City. A large, spacious room lined with cages filled with slaves. Two of them caught my eye immediately, resting so close that the slaves within were barely a whisper away. One of them, a small, red-haired demonkin, sat with her back to the wall with her arms wrapped around her knees, and her tail curled limply around her ankles. She stared duly at the ground, eyes devoid of all feeling. That changed when the other slave reached through the bars and nudged her shoulder. A light entered her starry, golden eyes, and her face brightened, as the other spoke.
"Hey, Starlight, want to partner with me today?"
The voice was warm and kind but brought me no comfort. Instead, my soul shuddered with dread, and I tried immediately to end the vision. I was too weak, however, to gain any control over my ability, and resigned to watching the scene play out.
It was Aurle in the other cage, a beautiful, brown-haired foxkin. Her reddish ears and tail shone in the flickering light, beautifully brushed and tenderly cared for, in stark contrast to the disheveled appearance of myself in the cage. Yet that didn’t stop her from reaching out, asking again and smiling as I nodded, accepting her offer.