I wake up to a constant shaking sensation.
Slowly, I open my eyes, and my breath stops cold.
I find myself on one of these creatures' shoulders, jolted with each step this thing makes.
In front of me are three more, all traversing some plain.
But more urgent is Nuvia walking right by my side.
She immediately notices that I have gained consciousness.
"Ah, awake, it seems. I hope you slept well!" (N)
She speaks frustratingly casually, with a jovial tint.
"What is going on here? Why are you doing this? And these creatures?" (Y)
"Oh, my pets? Some mutations I induced during my experiments. They might not be very smart, but certainly absolutely loyal." (N)
"Who are you?" (Y)
"Hm? Just a mage. But maybe a little bit more special. Did you know that while mages only make up a single percent of the populace, mages with more than one affinity only make up one percent of those?" (N)
"Why are you telling me this?" (Y)
"I only wanted to give you a little bit of perspective, while I tell you that I conduct some research in the field of the usage of magical energies. Until now, I had even some pretty impressive results. So while you might say a mage with two affinities is incredibly rare, how would you call this?" (N)
In this moment, she raises her hand and spreads her fingers.
From one starts to drip water, the next is surrounded by waves of wind, another one holds a flame like a candle on top, while the next one shoots sparks, and the last seems to glow with a light.
"Waah..." (Y)
"See? I think I am doing pretty well so far. The biggest problem is just that no one knows or is willing to perform the necessary steps to gain results." (N)
"Why are you doing this?" (Y)
"I simply need your assistance in one of the aforementioned experiments. To make this easier for everyone, I would suggest you just play along. And please, no screaming, or I will have to do something to make you be quiet. It might obscure the results if I take your tongue now." (N)
I start to tremble in fear of whatever she is planning, and tears start to stream down.
"There, there. I thought you were a strong girl, who wants to protect everyone, remember? You don't have to cry. Please!" (N)
Despite her smiling at me, it doesn't hold any sympathy, only twisted, evil intent and sadism.
Nonetheless, I'm lost, without any hope.
This creature is, by far, too big to allow me to do anything.
It keeps me with one arm effortlessly in place, and like this, struggling would at most force it to make use of the other one.
I have no real choice and just get carried further.
The sun slowly starts to set.
At one point, Nuvia speaks up again.
"How nice that you are so cooperative. Don't worry, we are almost there. You might already be able to see it. I especially prepared everything beforehand." (N)
I look up and find a deserted field in front of me.
Nothing grows here, and the atmosphere would be distressing, if not for the situation I already am in.
"Do you know where we are?" (N)
I lack the boldness to retaliate.
So I say just quietly:
"No." (Y)
"Ufufu, then I will tell you. Here, one hundred and seventy-eight years ago, the forces of Rakis brought their last battle against the orc horde. And they all got slaughtered! Like this, there were no more troops who could fight them off, and the country was completely overrun. It took a decade and the united forces of the northern nations to drive them back. But this here is where, at that time, their last hope was crushed. Even the land hasn't forgotten what once happened here, the screams, tears, and destroyed hopes of all the humans dying here. A nice story, don't you think?" (N)
She's absolutely crazy!
As if there's anything 'nice' to this!
We walk a little further in silence before coming to a sudden halt.
Yet I don't see anything.
If not for a stone slab lying there in the open.
"Put her down, my big one." (N)
The creature grabs me at the waist and brings me to the ground.
Still, as soon as my feet touch it, my arms get grabbed so that I cannot do much with the change in position.
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"I think we should get started as soon as possible, yet some preparations are still necessary, I think." (N)
She grabs inside her pouch and pulls another vial out, which she opens.
"Would you kindly drink this, please?" (N)
I am absolutely hesitant to drink this unknown liquid from this crazy woman.
"Please now, don't be stubborn! If you think this is poison, you should consider your position. If I would want to, I could just force it down your throat. Which would be pretty ironic, as this is just for your sake." (N)
"My... sake?" (Y)
"Sure! What I will do to you next might be extremely painful." (N)
Again, I shake and drown in my panic.
"No, no. You don't need to freak out. I am not cruel. This little potion will completely cut off your ability to feel anything at all. So no pain. Isn't this nice? But if you insist, we can also do it without. Yet the screams could become quite bothersome." (N)
Directly, the vial appears much more appealing.
She might lie, but as she has complete control over me, I can only comply.
She holds the vial to my mouth and I drink it.
Instantly, I start feeling weak.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that it will also completely paralyze your body?" (N)
How can someone be like this?!
I lose all feeling in my body and become unable to stand, only kept upright by my grabbed arms.
"Now put her on the stone! I want to get started!" (N)
The creature drags me to the stone and lays me on top of it.
The hard surface is barely recognized on my back as I truly lost most feeling everywhere.
Just a very weak impression of touch.
With some white powder, Nuvia starts to draw a ring around the stone.
I think the pattern is something complicated, as much as she works on it, but being unable to move, I cannot really see what happens down there.
After a while, she is done and starts to tend to me again.
"Sorry, but the circle must be fresh to show full effect. While we're at it..." (N)
The next moment, she pulls out a strangely shaped dagger twisted like a snake with intricate symbols on it.
I can only move my tearful eyes and stare in shock as she comes closer.
"This might be a little unpleasant. Good for you that you drank that potion, right?" (N)
Without hesitation, she pulls my shirt up.
Then the blade comes.
I only see how the dagger penetrates my skin.
She starts to carve patterns and symbols in it, arranged in a circle around the middle of my chest.
"Hah, good that you don't have much around there or this would be severely more difficult." (N)
Blood is oozing out, making me grow sick.
It flows down my side, ultimately down the stone.
I am so scared, and the anxiety makes me lose it.
I take all the power I have to form words.
"Wh... wha..." (Y)
"Oh, even in this state, you ask questions? What curiosity! But such effort should be rewarded. If I understand you right, you intend to ask me what exactly I'm doing here, which is very simply answered. I will kill you!" (N)
What!?!
No!
No, no, no!
No!
I don't want to die!
"So many emotions in your eyes. Beautiful! Then let's move on to the main event. First this!" (N)
She pulls again another vial out and empties it into my slack mouth.
I cannot do anything against it!
I start to feel even more dull.
"Some relaxant, and much more important, it stops the blood flow. This might already be deadly by itself, but for this reason, I will cast a little life magic to stabilize you. Please, try to stay alive for as long as you possibly can!" (N)
I will die!
I don't want to.
I don't want to!!
"And now to the real part! Prepare yourself. This won't be nice." (N)
After she created some spell where some kind of pink light came to me, which supposedly was the healing spell, she again brings the dagger.
Slowly, she draws it closer, reveling in my frantic looks at it.
Then it enters.
Noooo!
The blade slowly sinks in.
She just stabbed me!
Directly into the center of my chest.
This, this is a deep wound.
S-she’s moving it?
No, no, no!
Please don’t!
"Scritch"
Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!
She cuts downwards, leaving a big gash in me.
"Ah, there goes the ribcage!" (N)
She moves her other hand towards the wound!
What is she doing there?
She drives it in!!!
I feel it moving in me!
Reaching upwards!
WAAAAHHHH!
She has grabbed something... and pulls!!!
"Scratch"
She, she holds a bloody thing in her hand.
Did it just... pulsate?
"If you’re asking yourself what this is, just your heart!" (N)
My heart?
She ripped my heart out!?!
"Sorry, can't give it back now. Hm, but what to do with it? It is quite bulky. Well, why not simply this?" (N)
Flames start to burst out of her hand, enveloping the heart.
They cease fast, and... nothing but ash is left there.
"Whoops!" (N)
She burnt my heart!
I'm going to die!
I really will die!
Please no!
Save me!
Please...
Please!
"You should have seen your look! This sense of denial, unable to process what just happened. But no, no! Not so fast! We aren't done yet! First, some more life essence. Won't regrow anything, but grants us a bit of time." (N)
My vision starts to become blurry, but the healing spell grants me strength and keeps me forcefully awake.
At the borders of my eyes, strange movement starts drawing closer.
"Now that the worst has come to pass, this will be the highlight!" (N)
She walks to her bag and procures an expensive-looking box, then carries it back to me.
When she opens it, inside lies some kind of elongated jewel.
It emits a violet glow, and I immediately start to feel bad at its sight.
Moreover, shapes begin forming in the air around me.
Something is coming closer!
"That with your heart wasn't very fair from my side, so here is a present to make up for it." (N)
So she takes out the jewel...
And places it through the wound into my body!!!
How can this be?
And these things approaching, they look like... faces!
Screaming faces, swirling all around here!
"Say... Can you see them? You are so close to the border that I think you might just be able to see the raving ghosts of those deceased here so long ago. Am I right?" (N)
Ghosts!
They are ghosts!
And I will join them soon!
"And now the finale! Activate!" (N)
She uses such great amounts of energy that her hands start to glow.
Then she touches the open wound.
What is this!?!
The stone, it burns!
The swirling faces, which now cover this field as far as I can look, all at once direct their attention at me.
Then, as a whole, they fly towards me!
Directly to the crystal!
And they enter!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" (Y)
The pain!
It hurts!
"Oh, even with the paralysis, you scream like this? This can only mean that not just your body is hurting, but your soul!" (N)
They keep on flying to me.
More and more!
I cannot think straight!
The stone burns so much!
Make it stop!
Please, make it stop!
It hurts so much!
But there is no release.
Why does this happen to me?
What have I done?
The ghosts keep on storming toward me, and the pain grows stronger.
The burning is not heat, but something that scorches my very being.
Sets it on fire!
I cannot endure this anymore!
Please, cool it down!
End it!
I try to gather a bit of cold magic within me, but even this is ripped away and scorched in the searing flames that seem to consume my everything.
Ahhh!
It’s useless!
Release!
Please!
It goes on and on, not willing to even grant me this.
But then the pain suddenly stops.
Nothing else comes.
I feel no new pain!
Calmness comes over me.
Slowly, encroaching from the edges of my eyes, darkness lies down.
I think this it then.
Goodbye, world.
Sorry, Mum, I broke my promise.
Goodbye!
.
.
.
"Hmm, I think it worked. A success, I dare say. Just as I thought, the lingering emotions of raving ghosts make for a perfect binding. And they could let go. Which means everyone's happy, right? But what now..? Hmm, well, I guess I can just leave this one here while I take care of other business. I’ll have to wait some time for the results, after all. Then sleep now, my dear! Until we meet again!" (N)
