LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 36: "The Thin Line Between Humans and Demons."
Ava, once a woman condemned, now a savior in the eyes of some, stood amidst the sea of stunned faces, the crimson stains on her skin a stark reminder of the battle she had just waged. The crows had retreated into the shadows from whence they came, leaving only a grisly tableau of feathers and gore in their wake. Her once-accusers and executioners now stared at her in awe, their fear and anger replaced by a dawning realization that the prophecy was not just a myth but a living, breathing horror that had come to claim them all.
Before anyone could address what happened, the silence was shattered by a sound that seemed to pierce the very fabric of reality. The howl of the arctic wolves, a haunting melody of pain and rage, echoed through the square, sending shivers down the spines of the already trembling townsfolk. The crows had been but the opening act, a prelude to the true horror that now approached. The prophecy's dark crescendo grew louder, its notes resonating with each heartbeat that pounded in the ears of the survivors.
In an instant, the square transformed from a scene of horror to a frenzied maelstrom of activity. Screams of panic and cries for help mingled with the sound of footsteps pounding against the cobblestones as everyone ran for the gates. The cobblestone streets, a moment ago stained with the blood of the innocent, were now a river of desperation as the people of Sovereign fled the prophecy's wrath. Ava watched as the sea of bodies parted around her, their eyes wide with a terror that mirrored her own. The gates of the city, once a symbol of protection and strength, now loomed before them like the gates of a prison that had been breached.
The question hung in the air, a silent scream that echoed in the hearts of all who remained: was this truly all there was to humanity? Was their fate sealed by the whims of an ancient prophecy, a grim destiny that could not be outrun or outwitted? The prophecy had shown them a world where fear ruled supreme, where the very fabric of existence was torn apart by forces beyond their control. And all in a matter of minutes.
Ava's eyes, once filled with the fire of defiance, grew cold and hard as the reality of her situation settled upon her like a shroud. The child, now safe in her mother's arms, was a silent testament to the price of prophecy. Yet amidst the chaos, she remained stoic, her body a bastion of calm in the eye of the storm. Her gaze swept over the square, taking in the destruction with a detachment that spoke of a mind that had seen too much. The people of Sovereign, once her persecutors, now her silent witnesses, rushed towards the gates, seeking the illusion of safety beyond the city walls.
Her thoughts, however, remained rooted to the ground, lingering on the lifeless forms of her former sisters from the House of Garnet. Each face, a canvas of pain and terror, was etched into her memory like the pages of a book that had been burned into her very soul. The vibrant hues of their gowns were now a mottled tapestry of red and black, a grim reminder of the night's events. The cobblestones, once warm and familiar beneath her dancing feet, now felt like the cold, unforgiving embrace of a grave.
Just as the weight of her grief threatened to crush her spirit, a small, trembling hand reached out and touched her own. It was a gentle, almost imperceptible gesture, yet it resonated through her body with the force of a thousand thunderclaps. Ava looked down to find the child she had just saved, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope that was almost too much to bear. The child's touch was a lifeline thrown into the abyss of despair that threatened to consume her.
Her mother, however, saw the contact as a breach of the unspoken boundaries that had been drawn in the dust of the square. The woman's eyes widened in horror, her grip on the girl tightening as if to pull her away from the tainted embrace of the accused witch. Ava felt the rejection like a dagger to the heart, but she understood the mother's fear. After all, she had been vilified and condemned for far less.
The child, however, was undeterred. She reached out again, her tiny hand grasping for Ava's crimson-stained fingers. Her mother's arms tightened further, a silent plea for Ava to release her daughter. Yet, Ava could not deny the child the comfort she sought, nor could she ignore the desperation in her eyes. The girl's touch was a declaration of innocence, a silent assertion that she saw not the monster that the prophecy had painted her to be, but a guardian in the storm of feathers and shadow.
With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, Ava bent her newfound limbs and picked the child up, cradling her in a gentle embrace. The girl clung to her, her tremors slowly subsiding as she buried her face in the crook of Ava's neck. The warmth of the child's body seeped into her, thawing the icy grip of despair that had settled around her heart. For a moment, Ava felt alive again, her purpose renewed by the simple act of holding onto hope.
With a determination that seemed to have been born from the very earth beneath her feet, she turned away from the carnage and strode towards the barricade that had been hastily erected around Sovereign. The city had painted her as a harbinger of doom, yet in this moment, she would be the city's shield, standing firm against the gods' wrath. Each step she took felt like a declaration of war, a silent promise to protect those who had once sought her destruction.
Her eyes, now glowing with an inner fire that could rival the sun, searched the horizon for the source of the howls that grew ever closer. The arctic wolves, once peaceful beasts in the darkest corners of the city, were now a very real and very terrifying threat. Their cries grew from a distant echo to a cacophony that seemed to shake the very foundations of Sovereign. The prophecy had brought forth a nightmare, and Ava knew that she would stand against it.
-To Be Continued-