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Chapter 199: The Price
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The fire of hatred consumed the whole tribe in its vile clutches. People bellowed in agony and terror as the fire of hell sought to burn them alive.
A strange fire indeed, because it slowly crawled over each and everyone's skin, gradually roasting them alive as if it's seeking to let them experience the most utmost amount of pain imaginable.
It was the darkest of nights yet the brightest at the same time. It was also the vilest of nights as the torture continued for the entire night till the light of dawn shone upon the tribe.
Yet, her laugher had never stopped as she strolled amidst the raging infernos still spreading through the woods, savoring the spectacle and growing a new fascination in the flame.
The boy was in horror witnessing this all night, albeit unable to stop it. He watched as most of the tribe's people were burned alive.
He heard their desperate cries that he can never forget and even watched as his parents fell to the ashes.
However, the flames of hatred seemed to avoid him, as if it was afraid of even coming close to him.
In reality, it was just heeding its master's orders because those flames not only left him completely untouched, they also left several of the cursed ones alive.
The boy was left dismayed by the terrifying situation he witnessed until his face turned dull... The shock was too much for him.
The cursed children truly looked cursed now, losing even the people that don't see them as freaks.
That's where the girl came in, providing a safe haven for the children and the protection they dearly need.
They trusted her and followed her. She was already what can be called a leader to them as she was very mature for her age and was always nice to them, so they grasped tightly on the only source of light they can see.
On the other hand, the boy was lost in his mind and followed after her like a broken doll.
He knows it's her doing, but he didn't blame her. He blamed himself because he didn't see how deep her hatred was. That occurred because of his actions, it was his doing, that is what he believed.
So until he regains his wits, he just followed after her with the children gripping on that bright hope, unaware it's the root of their anguish and the sad tragedy that fell upon them.
The boy however was still sane as he watched the girl becoming even more distant as time passed.
Until a point in time had arrived where he couldn't recognize her at all. He knew at that time that she's a radically different person, and he also knew why.
He knew because the same thing was happening to him. He felt like he was losing himself as memories he cherished became lost, leaving nothing but a blank expanse in his memories.
He noticed those bizarre thoughts that started appearing in his mind.
They planted seeds in his mind which they continuously nourished, and he knew it's only a matter of time before those seeds spurt and devour him inside out, leave but a shadow of his former self.
So he left, he used his power to escape as fast as he can, as far away as possible before it's too late, taking only one person with him, someone who didn't fall within the girl's grasp.
This person was a blonde girl who had doubts and suspicions about the tragedy and the girl that led them, especially after she started to inspire all the cursed ones to worship the fire god.
That didn't make much sense to her, especially considering she watched her loved ones die in front of her by that same fire she's inspired to worship.
And the leader only said that this is to atone for their mistakes, something they didn't do which is why the lord of light and flames decided to burn their tribe, leaving only the innocent ones alive.
She preached about how only the God of fire can protect us and that we can only be safe in his embrace.
However, the blonde girl can see hints of insanity in her always scarlet eyes, yet strangely, the other cursed ones who were resistant at first quickly converted as that hint of insanity spread to them as well.
It was like an infection she can pass to anyone with time, and soon, the blonde girl's friends became completely different people... Except for one person.
The boy escaped, and she had escaped with him after confronting him, and well, he ended up telling her everything.
No, not everything, he only told her what he could remember because he had forgotten many things and the only reason he even remembers the tragedy is that they talk about it soo much.
He was losing himself and his memories to the point he even forgot about the miraculous artifact that changed his life, in fact, it was the first thing he had forgotten.
The girl that has now become a woman changed in her entirely, akin to a worm sealing itself for a day only to spurt out as a butterfly.
She started to truly see the flames as her salvation and worship the God of fire. She truly believed such a God exists and it's responsible for that tragedy... She also forgot many things, too many things.
She was a different person henceforth, and her new name was a testification of that.
However, it was also a testification of what she became... A toy formed by carelessness and blinded reasoning, she was a human no more.
látreis tis fotiás, a name she granted herself to show her devotion and faith in the god of light and flames.
The name's meaning in the known language is the worshiper of fire. She thought it's a good move on her side as to show her gratefulness for the blessing granted to her by her one and only god.
The ability to command fire which she thinks is a blessing. A gift granted to her by her God.
The same blessing that changed her inside out. From the minuscule components of her body to the most apparent parts.
Her genes changed to fit her role. Fire became totally ineffective against her, and her aging became incredibly slow.
That allowed her to live for generations to come and worship her God like a doll as little of her sanity remained.
However, she remained just as cunning and hateful as she always was.
The only reason she remained composed and prevailed across generations is because of what she became, a puppet of 'The god of fire' with the goal of spreading his vast wisdom and security to the rest of the world.
She set out to achieve that by reproducing across generations and spreading her religion because she knows human life is unlikely to exist anywhere else on the planet.
She tried to find the boy who has become a man but she gave up after a while because she forgot about his existence... Everyone did.
The boy started a new life seeking to atone for his mistakes, so in the time he still has, he built a family and protected it using the power he wished for.
The dark continent was truly a dark and dangerous place even for him whose power only continued to grow but strangely, the forest he picked as his home was quite safe.
The same forest his tribe once inhabited. He chose to live there because he knows it's safe and to atone for his mistakes.
látreis tis fotiás on the other hand decided to set far away from the forest to where the fire guide her.
His choice was indeed the correct one because they're only a few places in the dark continent safer than that particular forest.
It was the closest forest to the world tree. The latter stood tall, piercing through the clouds high above the sky and looking down on all around it.
Its sight was something the tribe's people had to always kneel to in gratefulness as some believed the tree is what's keeping them safe and looking after them.
The tree is also something látreis planned on burning down to no avail. In fact, she barely escaped with her life.
Her preparations mattered not in front of such a colossal and dangerous existence because she suffered more than she could've imagined.
The boy who has grown to be the father of many soon realized that most of his memories were coming back, excluding any memories about the artifact's existence.
However, instead of it being a blessing, it was a curse... His family started to forget about him. Slowly but surely, they started forgetting many things about him, and he noticed.
He knew it was only a matter of time before they fully forget his existence.
He wailed and cried to himself for days before he collected himself as a light of determination passed in his eyes... He left.
He left yet remained with them at the same time, protecting them from the shadows and leaving the rest to fate as he closed his eyes, welcoming death with open arms, finally freeing him from his misery.
Yasuo finally opened his radiant scarlet eyes, discerning many things about the past. He saw in her tale much more than what's apparent and naturally completed the tale himself...