Chapter 549: Oath of Vengeance
"He spoke to you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper in the sudden silence that followed Luke’s story.
"I mean," I added quickly, ducking my head as they all turned to look at me, "that was years before you were summoned to this world. Could he really do that?"
Luke sighed and sat back. "As you can imagine, that was far from my mind at the time. He offered me power, in exchange for my oath to drive the gods from this world. I would have traded the entire world just to kill that one man, so his offer was easy to accept. For the small price of my life, I could avenge my sister’s death."
"What happened next?" Elise asked, leaning forward, her curiosity piqued.
As dark and grim as the story was, I, too, hung on his every word. Each sentence filled in the gaps left by our entanglement, giving depth and meaning to the fragmented memories I had witnessed.
"For the first time, I tasted power," Luke said, meeting my gaze. "My master noticed and activated the slave crest, but the pain was nothing compared to the anguish in my heart. I stood, and the chains binding my hands snapped. Every step I took towards my master caused the ground to shake. He was a powerful swordsman, but as he drew his blade, my ability activated."
Luke’s aura flared, mimicking what must have happened all those years ago. I recalled how his curses had attacked Ixtra, breaking her down and siphoning her very soul, and I shuddered. I had no sympathy for her or Luke’s master, but her cries were still fresh in my mind, and my gentle nature recoiled at the thought of such suffering.
Luke continued in a quiet voice. "Once he was immobilized, I picked up his sword. It was heavy in my hands, but so sharp that I didn’t need to do more than touch him for it to cut. His screams echoed for hours as I slowly bled him dry."
"And what about the slave crest?" I asked.