(This chapter contains high SEXUAL THEMES AND VIOLENT CONTENT. If you haven't experienced 18 summers then consult your parents before proceeding. Readers discretion advised.)
I slowly reached up taking the blade in my hand not flinching when the blade easily pierced my ki-shroud nor when blood leaked from my hand nor even when i stood to stood as I stood up to face him.
Naruk.
My emotions were gone, roadkill, a mess of bloody and raw tendrils. Stripped completely bare exposing the ugly underneath. This time all that was left of me was an uncontrollable rage.
Animalistic and feral.
That rage slowly boiled to the surface and it was all that was left.
With nothing to hold me back and nothing to live for, nothing to lose, i just let it out. I wanted nothing more than to sleep. To turn my mind off and let the other me take over.
Would it be dangerous?
Would it put my life in harm's way?
Would there be any coming back from this?
No this was the end.
The very last time.
Burning my life essence like this would make me strong enough, but it would be at the cost of my future.
I didn't care though.
If I died.
Then it would only be worth it.
I'd see master again sooner.
Without warning the part of me that I'd always kept suppressed, surged out like a boiling mass of purple goo.
And like that… click!
Lights out…
…2 years prior...
The cold had just started to fade and my cold body siphoned warmth from jiya's. I was steadily getting warmer with every second that passed. Yet for all my insecurities this was the best moment of the life, at least that I could remember. As we laid there by that campfire in each other's naked embrace, lips locked in a passionate kiss. A kiss so deep that any further would mean to take each other's soul.
I had one wish, that was to never have it end.
I was in love with my jiya, my savior. Was it because she's saved me from the cold? From certain icy death?
Yes. But not only that, I had longed for a connection and the fact that this was it, was something I didn't mind.
No matter what she wanted me to do at that moment I'd probably do it.
She pulled back observing me for what felt like a lifetime. Making me yearn for what was to come even more.
She smiled and it was one you would gladly die for.
Her laugh one that could easily steal your heart away.
Her eyes, those gray eyes that had a cat's curiosity in them.
She had opened my thighs, her tantalizing tongue sliding almost playfully over my clit and into my innermost parts with a surgeon's precision taking me apart bit by bit. Her hands simultaneously squeezing and pulling my upper thigh, her tongue sliding deeper still with but a faint writhing and pulsing that sent tremors throughout my abdomen. The tingling feeling spread all the way to my toes. Making my core a pleasantly hot, wet, mess. My breasts perky and my heart beating several paces faster than usual.
I moan involuntarily, softly at first but then slowly a bit louder.
I'd never felt this before, at least not that I could remember but the whole feeling had me craving more almost going insane from the pleasure, but letting myself just 'be' in the security that she had coerced me into.
Before I knew it a small yelp escaped my lips leaving my whole body shaking and my legs weak. I had climaxed without even realizing.
My breath escaping me as I tweaked like a junkie on the highest peak of their rollercoaster high.
Slowly she advanced on me. Leading me by the chin into another kiss and stealing my breath.
...—————————-()—————————....
The passionate feeling as our bodies moved together, our legs crossed, thigh against thigh as I pulled her into me our inner parts responding to the stimulation with euphoria.
Our cores both hot and wet, causing the both of us to gasp for air simultaneously deeply relishing the feeling as if it was the last.
Click!
"Graaaaaarggh!!!" A scream I couldn't recognize yet felt that it had come from my own lips.
We'd come to a final clash.
I had put my right hand through naruk's chest, the sharp law of wind covering my fingers his blood pouring thickly over my wrist and through my fingers. His blade was also jutting from my side broken at the handle. The exit wound just above the small of my back.
but even so i had decisively taken a bite from his neck.
Blood spraying everywhere as I spat and pushed him off causing him to stumble before falling flat motionless, torn arteries on his neck gushing red.
Slowly i exhaled, my breath a reflection of my current state. My chest hot and my side stung. My left arm broken in two places and resting limply by my side. But even in the extreme pain that seared at my mind, my rage was still not extinguished.
I had unfinished business.
I made my way up the stairs towards jiya.
The fear in her eyes very real as she stepped back before she collected herself and instead reached for the item floating above the altar.
"Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on that!" My voice was dry but the anger that came out with it resonated in my trembling tone. "It's master's!"
My face covered in blood that wasn't my own was this something that probably scared her.
As powerful as she was she probably hadn't directly taken a life before.
I, on the other hand clawed my way to where I am and many died because of my carelessness and rage.
All those people in that room.
Aurelia.
Little Moira.
That strength dragon cultivator.
Naruk.
And…Master.
The last one left a bad taste that I wanted to, but couldn't forget.
Releasing the storage rune letting the times fall out, I whipped my hand around launching the remainder of them in her direction, bounding up the last of the stairs to her position under their cover.
She did this!
She has to pay!
With a flash I pulled out all my remaining ki channelling it over my hand in the form of a blade.
It's sharp edge just inches from her face when a sharp pain erupted from core instantly sapping my ki completely.
Jiya noticed this and within an instant I was on my back the heel from her stilettos pressing painfully into my chest.
I quickly grabbed her leg with my one good arm to push her away but my strength was almost gone my with my ki.
My boundless ocean now dry and desolate.
My futile struggle had come to an end and fate was not on my side.
Jiya looked down at me. She wore an expression of fear mixed with frustration.
Her beauty still shining through.
"Do it…" I breathed, preparing myself for the finishing blow that would take my life and send me to be with master.
"Lalie." She offered, sadness and pity in her eyes. "Don't feel bad, you would've never been strong enough to do what needs to be done." She removed her leg releasing me before. "And I never wanted to hurt you."
She moved away.
"I really loved you," I stated as she paused and sighed audibly without turning to face me despite my statement.
Then without much in the way of apologies or sympathy she utters.
"From the moment i had been born into my household that right left me and will never return. Loving you was a mistake..one I should never have allowed myself."
My back against the floor and my gaze piercing the stone ceiling, defeated and at the end of my rope, tears in my eyes and nothing left.
"Jiya, please… just kill me!"
She reached for the stone and with a sharp tug pulled it from the levitating force the alter offered.
"You did what no human cultivator should ever do." She pulled the stone into the storage necklace she once showed me. "You've burned your life essence and to be honest i never thought you'd be so rash as to throw your life away and for one of the monarchs too." Turning to me once again she cast a sad gaze at me.
"Your meridians are undoubtably broken beyond repair and your body…" She sighed again. "You're going to die soon so I don't need to take your life."
- - - - (((((((())))))))) - - - -
-are you just going to give up?- a voice echoed from deep with me.
Past the sparse hou clouds that lingered over the dry where my boundless ocean once churned and lower toward the vast and void that was my cultivation foundation, In the depths of my internal space, a familiar shape appeared.
He was definitely bigger. Taller than an adult human but he was definitely the one.
His voice roughly resonated on the residual waves of hou that lingered here. Lightly like air but rough enough to be considered a low growl. Similar to how the clouds of Hou once gathered over my now dried boundless ocean.
This was poko.
"How did you get here?" i probed as I moved closer to him reached out and stroked his now powerful white mane.
-I've always been here.-
I felt the familiar tickle of faint electricity as my fingers grazed lightly against his fur.
-I understand our current situation and even though I've only just recently gained sentience, I'd like to help you.-
He looked past me into distance.
-I know that he feels the same way too.-
I turned in the direction humanlike poko had hinted and saw someone else partially shrouded in thin mist, a child with impossibly long braided black hair sitting atop a boulder, wearing a tattered grey robe.
I slowly moved towards him and felt our bond.
This connection.
It was the same one I had with the roaring ethereal hydra that master had gifted me.
Tears welled up and flowed over and down my cheeks as he looked at me, similarly crying silently.
He saw master's death.
Without words he reached out and I could feel a portion my strength slowly return. Poko also directed something at me. An unseeable force that attached itself to me.
Imprinting itself onto my being.
The law of electricity pulsed from my broken meridians. The 58th tower in the center of my vast and now empty boundless ocean finally, faintly started glowing. Iridescent arcs of electricity pulsing around its black and purple flashing glow.
The star source was faint but powerful. This… was enough for what I had to do.
Yes, this was more than enough to take jiya with me.
….4 years prior, Sealed realm, earth…..
Lalie perused the many books available on her hpad, it was the newest model by Steve jones' company, pear.
The website she scrolled through was widely known for its large array of books by indie authors. Honestly most weren't really good but the mistakes were so childish that they sometimes made her laugh. This was a guilty pleasure that she had harbored for many years now.
Lalie suddenly squealed in surprise and delight as she quickly opened the latest release of one of her favorite authors.
Julie strife18.
This author wrote many books, her works stretching across many writing platforms.
The reason why lalie was happy this time was because, Amongst all the other authors Julie was by far her favorite.
Her pristine writing made for interesting moments hugging your pillow while lying on bed, legs swinging in delight.
The sheer thrill was enough to pull your interest each time and keep it anchored for many moments over.
Suddenly a sound alerted her to someone standing outside her door. The person didn't knock, simply stood behind the door. Obscured by the closed wooden blockade, their presence only being betrayed by the light which poured in from beneath it.
A strange feeling of familiarity washed over her as she rose from the bed and made her way towards the closed door.
She was an orphan and this was her foster home. She had many foster siblings and many of them often needed to talk about things that they felt only she, with her kind, welcoming demeanor and bubbly persona was fit to hear.
This felt different though.
Quickly she made her way to the door and opened it.
In the hallway stood a tall and beautiful woman wearing fancy clothes with impossibly dark eyes and long straight hair the color of midnight. Almost as if just beyond those strands of hair was a galaxy with thousands of stars.
She was incredibly beautiful and lalie found herself blushing as she fidgeted with her hair unconsciously trying to look her best for her unexpected guest.
The woman smiled at her before. "After so long you're finally about to become of age."
"Eh?" The words escaped lalie's lips like an unidentifiable punctuation to something that should have been said but escaped as a word half eaten and void of meaning.
She'd never seen the woman before and wanted to ask why she would say something like that but really didn't want to the woman to leave yet.
"You'll forget our meeting but it was very good finally being able to meet you." The woman held out her hand waiting for lalie to shake hands with her.
Reluctantly lalie took her hand just before the woman clasped her hand in hers. They were soft and warm. The feeling caused Lalie's stomach to tingle before a pulsing pain enveloped her wrists causing her to momentarily close her eyes.
When she opened them. The pain and woman was gone along with her familiar aura.
Causing lalie to wonder if she'd imagined the whole thing.
As she closed the door again a voice behind her made her turn quickly.
It was master.
Wait, no this isn't right.
The bedroom slowly faded from view.
-It seems that I'd died after-all.-
Lalie found herself hurrying to her master's side even thought this was supposed to be a memory.
Lilie knew that she was currently in her own mind and that everything in here was either a representation of something in her subconscious or an invading force. This however felt right. This was undoubtably her master.
That couldn't be and yet, it was.
"Master?" I asked slowly realizing that i had regressed in age and in fact lost a substantial portion of my height.
"Lalie. I'm sorry for all the hurt you had to endure because of me, you have a lot on your shoulders and it is selfish of me to add more but time is of the essence." She held my hands but the overpowering feeling was no longer there.
"Master…" I breathed, finally understanding the meaning behind her earlier statement and why there wasn't any power behind the touch of a being who should radiate power endlessly. "You're.."
"A soul clone of the former void monarch." She responded quickly.
My heart fell.
"Former…" I breathed before sighing.
She continued after I had regained my composure. "My source would dissipate normally or go to my next of kin. That's you, but jiya is vying for my seat as a former monarch and with the ascension jade I had cultivated for so many years she'll be more than able to do it so you must stop her. But She has already refined the jade so you mustn't take her life, simply retrieve it."
I looked down. Slowly recalling my past years as vehetra and the suffering that came with being human in the dragon realm.
"I only wanted to live a normal life." I glanced up and ahead at the remnant of master's former glory. "Do I really need something like power?"
The soul clone lets her gaze fall lower as if looking into nostalgia, seemingly finally appreciating my standing. Pausing to choose her next words carefully.
"Do you know what your father said to me the moment you were born?" She smiled with her eyes as they beamed with pride and a gentle sorrow that transcended even time.
I waited for her to continue. Trying to put into perspective what she'd just told me.
With the small amount of my memories that had returned I could now see the possibility of master being my mother. But it still largely made no sense to me.
"He said that he was afraid." She inhaled silently before exhaling back in to the ether.
"With your tiny hands and feet he wondered if holding you was even ok, you were so tiny and full of joy that he felt that he would accidentally hurt you."
I smiled shyly at the thought of a father I never knew holding me as a newborn.
I was blushing and softly pulling at my hair but just enough to wrap around my finger. This was a habit I realized i had and managed to suppress over my time in the dragon realm. It only surfaced when i was stuck between two choices. Unable to make a decision.
I quickly let go, feeling my frustration rise.
"We wanted to you to be able to live peacefully and happily." The soul-clone continued. "So he decided to send you to the sealed realm." she sighed at this.
"Earth, right? and you're also telling me that you… that master was my mom?"
She laughed a little at this. "I'm only telling you the truth. But earth is longer safe, foreign forces with strength beyond what the monarchs can handle seek to invade and refine the the hundred lower and twelve upper realms." she placed a hand on my cheek and transferred something to me.
"The vehatra force is a seal meant to keep you here, don't be fooled by the power it grants you. I'll help you break it so you can ascend. When you do, remember to find the Ji clan. Your father the ji clan's patriarch resides there and he's the only one who can protect you."
After this she kisses my forehead and with a soft tap on my shoulder pushed me backwards and out of my inner consciousness.
The first thing that greeted me in my return was jiya bearing own on me as i tried, barely being able to hold back the sharp piece of the blade she had pulled from my side. with only one hand to hold her back and so little if my actual strength it was a wonder i could hold her back at all. My fingers and side bled like a river now. My strength waned but my will to see jiya dead simply grew. Almost as if this will was different from my own. impervious to the wild of my body.
Suddenly the runes on my hands snaked and grew so that they wrapped around my elbows. Then over my shoulders snaking up to my neck. The feeling as it made its way into my ears seemingly moving under my skin wasn't pain. It carried the same feeling master had and with but a single teardrop made me smile through its comforting embrace.
It had eased my pain and calmed the kill instinct that grew within me. Was this what master's soul clone had given me to fight against the vehatra force?
Something in my mind screamed at me telling how good jiya's pseudo-source would feel and how I wouldn't get another chance like this. However I could only ignore the strong impulses as I pushed against the blade aimed at me.
Even so, with only a fraction of my cultivation recovered I could only partially display my previous strength.
My body tempering skill had greatly increased my physical strength and durability but against jiya who actually held the power of a queen I could only barely manage to maintain the stalemate. Jiya was strong and for some reason the vehatra force only wanted to end her using me as it's tool.
Was the vehatra force really only a seal? It's strong will was as powerful as it was violent.
Remembering master's, soul-clone's words advising me to purge myself of the restriction that was the vehatra force i willed myself to be released for it. However it was harder than i had imagined.
Soon enough albeit slowly, i could feel the vehatra force's grasp on my subconscious slowly lose its purchase.
Then finally, through my perseverance and hard struggle. I finally managed to break free of the vehatra force. It writhed and pulsed finally leaving my body. A squealing and fitful mass of hou. It had been a part of me this whole time influencing my decisions and changing me bit by bit.
But now as it has left, my mind felt calm again and i realized exactly what I needed to do.
Slowly releasing the blade jiya had been pressing downwards and towards me.
My hand bloodied and my fingers scored, they dropped red onto me while the sharp blade punctures my shoulder slowly sinking into my depths cutting flesh, slicing muscle and scraping bone.
That was it.
Both my arms were now limp and un-moving.
I had been so angry before, so persuaded by the vehatra force that i hadn't realized jiya's sadness.
"You, loved me too didn't you…" i asked jiya as tears fell from her eyes onto my face.
"Aren't you upset?" Jiya asked. "I took everything from you."
I shook my head slowly keeping my eyes locked with hers.
"you idiot." jiya sobbed as she rested her head against my chest, even though my clothes were soaked with blood she didn't mind. "You stupid girl. Why aren't you mad?"
"Because i can finally see your love." i smiled my best but i was just loosing too much blood.
I coughed a little and tasted blood on my tongue.
At this rate i'd bleed out and die.
I still didn't mind though, the thought of meeting master again made it worth it.
Jiya rolled to the floor beside me before placing a hand over the wound in my side the gentle warmth of the orange colored hou circulating around her palm slowly taking away the stinging feeling from my side.
"Jiya, give me the jade."
She shook her head slowly focusing on healing me, before. "damnit, why can't i fix this?" and trying harder.
"why do you even need something like that?" i probed slowly. Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly gave up trying to close the wound. seemingly accepting my fate.
"I… it was for you…. at first." She started.
"that first year i really couldn't get you out of my mind but i'd resigned myself to taking your place in the trial, that way at the end you wouldn't have to get hurt or hurt anyone."
she smiled sadly. "you were so kind and gentle, i just wanted to protect you."
"but then, after i saw what you did in the temple hall to those people. I wondered if all my dedication to you was just me being stupid and used by you, the one human I loved and wanted to protect. I even questioned my resolve… were humans just deceitful and despicable creatures after-all?"
Her lips quivered and i could see that she was trying to hold back her tears.
"I thought that you had tricked me, so after that year i turned my dedication to the people."
"Jiya…" i sighed. i wanted to wipe her tears away but my arms wouldn't move. Even if they could though, i l would've held myself back… after all i only needed a little more.
She had instead of trying to fruitlessly heal me, opted for simply slowing the bleeding. Pressing her hand firmly against my side, covering the gaping wound.
Tears now flowed like dew-drops cascading around the symmetry of her face towards her ears, ruining her makeup.
"lalie, what do i do?" She asked between sobs. "i can't lose you!"
This was what i've wanted to hear from her all this time. i wanted nothing more than to be with the Jiya that lived me. however we had no future together and what hurt me more was what i was to do next.
I opened my true heart aperture revealing my cultivation core, void.
The ki washed over her and her eyes went dull and her expression flat.
I had taken her reason for wanting the jade. but given her strength this probably wouldn't last long.
"Jiya," I stated more firmly now. "Give me the jade."
"No. " she breathed softly her hands betraying her words pulling out the jade from her storage necklace before releasing it to me.
With the the law of wind i pulled the jade towards my abdomen and into my inner world. Once it reached the dry floor of my boundless ocean it slowly started trickling. The highly compressed ki seeping, slowly replacing my dried boundless ocean strengthening my foundation, igniting and repairing my meridians and healing my wounds.
This caused the first star source pillar to light up. Once again granting me the ability to circulate ki.
It soothed my body heating up the areas which were wounded. Closing wounds and sealing them in quick succession.
Not only that, new knowledge flowed into my mind. Things i could never have known without cultivating for thousands of years.
Visions and experiences. Cultivation techniques and even Path ways, roads, memories of the upper realm.
Were these master's?
I could only smile as from a particular memory could see a man cradling a baby in his arms. The baby had auburn colored hair, a mischievous smile and hazelnut colored eyes and was wrapped in cyan colored blankets.
This…is this me? If so, then the man…
I turned my gaze up and took in the sight of a stoic man dressed in white robes radiating an important feel. He had hair similar to mine but sharply cut at the edges and pulled back into a flawless ponytail. He was younger than i had imagined.
Was this my dad?
Suddenly i was pulled from thought. Jiya had overcome the technique and was furious.
She channeled crimson flames around her arms. Her eyes brightly glowing a blinding white.
"Give it back!" she growled. "My people will suffer without it and frankly you don't deserve it!"
Ignoring Jiya's tantrum i perused the library of knowledge i now had at my convenience. Sure enough there was something and just like that i understood most of the mysteries of accession.
This was an unexpected harvest but quite a timely one.
"Jiya if you want to be a monarch so bad i'll help you. However when you're forced to ascend and realize you're just a fish in a very large pond , cut off from your subjects i hope you'll be happy."
"What?" her crimson flames died down and she looked me over suspiciously. "Why would i even believe you? And even if you could help me achieve the monarch realm why would i even want to ascend?"
Slowly i pulled out my ki law of wind to lift myself my arms hurt and as i expected. it would take a while to heal my injuries. Even if i could circulate my ki again.
my knees almost buckled as i tried to stand. I had lost too much blood.
"Jiya you act all high and mighty. Like everything you do is just so justifiable, but the reason why i'm helping you is because mas.. mom didn't want me to kill you." I explained slowly. "I should take your life for harming her. but i'm just so tired, this cycle of rage and violence i'm sick of it."
I slowly made my way over towards her almost falling just to be caught by her at the last moment.
For a moment our eyes met, my face only a hairs breath from hers. i could feel the urge to move forward just a bit, to place the most awaited kiss on her lips.
However i couldn't.
i could see from her eyes that she was still wary of me. Her mixed feelings still showing through.
Slowly i reached up and placed a finger against her temple imparting the knowledge that would allow her to achieve monarch realm. Then pulling myself from her embrace. "There, do with it what you will."
"Lalie." she started. "This… thank you!"
I put her from my mind.
This cycle, i'll end it here.
No more hatred.
No more violence.
I sighed as i made my way towards the stairs. I had left mom's body on the ground… She must be cold…
Suddenly something symmetrical hit me from behind piecing my abdomen and lifting me from the floor.
looking down i could see a large black pole had pierced my lower abdomen center-mass.
"Huh?" was all i could mutter as i was suspended by the pole.
There was no pain.
This worried me.
I always felt pain when i got injured. So a wound of this magnitude. Surely i'd feel something apart from the uncomfortable feeling that there was something that didn't belong, lodged inside me.
Blood trailed from my lips.
and blackness seemed to linger at the far edges of my peripheral.
"huh?"
Jiya, i showed you mercy. Forgave you… So…
Why?
Why would you do this?
My confusion at an all time high, my fear surging like never before.
My hands trembling as they hovered over the smooth pole that had violated me.
The darkness closed in again narrowing my field of view even more.
but i was determined to see the expression of my killer. To sear her face into my mind so that i could curse her for all eternity.
But…
Casting a glance behind however revealed a different image.
Aurelia?
She had glowing horns and a wicked smile. her hair cut short and an unconscious Jiya In her grasp suspended only by her neck.
And for the last time before the darkness claimed me.
I felt the space distort around me as i was tossed into the void beyond.
"huh?"
________
authors note: waahhh! finally finished hehehe~
for all those who stayed with me through this long and irregular process, I firstly I want to thank you for being here with me and for reading my work. This really wouldn't have been possible without you guys. So from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.~
Secondly, I want to apologize for all the inconvenience, the delayed updates and for all the shortcomings of the story.
Im sorry for being such a terrible author.
Anyway don't be sad because the story is over.
Aren't you curious to find out what happens to Lalie?
Woah she really is a gluten for punishment haha.
but don't despair, volume two will be out after i refine the story line a bit more. volume 2 is gonna be all about the action frosted with layers and layer of feels.
Betrayal.
Love.~
Anger?
fear!
wahahah!
Ahem! Be excited for it~
Vol 2 starts with Era.
Introducing volume 2!!!
!!!Era's ascension!!!