In the gloomy darkness that shrouded the dark forest, the pale moon shone with its brilliant moonlight. It gave light to those within the forest, covered by loss and misery. The storm above the heavens had dissipated itself, revealing the vast night sky enveloped by twinkling stars. It was a beautiful scene of the gorgeous night.
It was something only found in the onyx darkness.
In the dark forest, a decimated village stood. It got recently raided by bandits outside, but due to a young girl, the bandits were quelled, and those within the destroyed settlement were saved. However, the inhabitants still were shocked as they couldn't believe that those who had tormented them had died.
The bastards who had killed their loved ones had died a grueling death. And the one who brought to them silently stood in the darkness along with a gorgeous maid. Who was she? What was she? Such were the questions trapped within their minds. They wondered about her and the things she could do.
Why did she save them?
Alastair turned her gaze upwards as she noticed the beautiful starry night sky. It seemed that the storm had entirely dissipated, revealing the beauty of this world. Despite its cruelty and coldness, it was still a gorgeous land. That was what Alastair felt when looking at the twinkling heavens.
'My mission had been completed. The soul deal has concluded.'
She silently thought within herself as she sighed and turned her gaze towards the direction where she came from. Alastair wasn't looking at an enemy. After all, the one beyond the bushes was the one who had brought her body into this world. The brother and sister. Their fate was cruel and full of suffering.
Even Alastair had no control over such a thing, though there was no reason for them to continue on as this moment would become their everlasting memory. To the brother who had sacrificed his life to create a tunnel into the materium and to the sister who had opened the way into reality.
"The soul deal is finished. All of them had died."
"It's okay for you to come out."
Alastair uttered with a calm tone, which sounded throughout the decimated village. The captured inhabitants turned their heads towards the bushes where Alastair came from. It rustled and slowly revealed a figure they had known for a long time. It was their friend who had thought escaped from the bandits.
Her name was Maria, the sister of the young man who had recently died. She revealed herself and left the bushes while erratically looking around. It appears as though she had still been traumatized by the bandits who had been long since dead. She then slowly walked towards Alastair, who was calmly waiting for her.
As Maria tread through the decimated village, an expression of fear was plastered on her face. She had finally seen a clear picture of the things that had gone through her home. The destruction those bandits had brought upon her loved ones. She couldn't help but clench her fist in anger and regret.
Arriving in front of Alastair, Maria stood before her savior. The one who had appeared out of nowhere and had given her hope. But even then, she herself understood the fate that comes after that deal. But she still hadn't regretted it. Even if she returned to the past, she would have accepted that deal no matter what.
"Maria, it has concluded."
Alastair silently uttered as Maria nodded in understanding. Soteria looked at everything from afar and sighed as she knew this was important for Alastair's growth. To take the souls of those who had called her, the ones who needed to be saved. Such a contradictory statement, the irony.
'Master has to go through this as such scenes would be common later in this job.' Soteria thought to herself as such was the cold truth of being a Krieger. Those in need of help will be saved, but in the end, what was there to be saved? Such might have been the question within Alastair's mind.
"You can take your time, Maria. Go talk to them."
Alastair said with a soothing tone as she pointed toward the captured inhabitants of the village. Maria looked directly at Alastair right in the eye and slightly nodded as she ran towards her friends who got caught by the bandits. She then began freeing them as they chattered for one last time.
They had numerous questions about Alastair and what she was. Maria's answer to that question was a simple word. Spirit, that was what Alastair was. For Maria, she was a Heroic Spirit who helped for a simple price. And her friends took her words without any doubt. After all, Alastair was their hero.
"It appears they take you as a Heroic Spirit, Lady Alastair," Soteria said with a slight smile plastered on her emotionless face. She stood right beside Alastair while looking at the young girls and children talking to each other. Upon hearing Soteria's words, Alastair shook her head in disagreement and replied.
"I am far from being a hero."
But for Alastair, she would have to disagree with her being a hero. During her entire life, she wasn't a hero but a monster in disguise. No hero would take a soul for a price. They wouldn't help people in need with gratification or hidden thoughts in mind. Alastair was simply a lady with a job, nothing more, nothing less.
"But to them, you are one." Soteria had a suitable reply which made Alastair freeze. Thoughts emerged within her head as she wondered about Soteria's response. The preconceived notion brought by the children was simple. Adults would have a different opinion and would consider her as something else.
Maybe they would call her a devil.
"They are children. Their minds are simple and pure."
Alastair said as memories of her past emerged deep from her mind. The special training long ago, she saw children of her age dying right before her. Their scream would echo as they would ask for her help. But what did she do at that moment? What was her choice? The answer was simple.
She let them die and continued on to the top of the zenith.
Even during her childhood, she was selfish and only thought of herself and her future. Maybe she had changed, but that side of her still hasn't. It will continue until she dies once again.
Everything was covered in silence as Soteria sighed while taking a look at Alastair, who was right beside her. 'My Master is still blinded by the past. The guilt is starting to catch up, and she is beginning to doubt herself and her beliefs. With no one or nothing to challenge it, she would break apart from the inside.'
What Soteria had thought was correct.
The hidden problems within Alastair were beginning to emerge as her mistakes revealed themselves with the intention of breaking her. She would have been able to disregard them if she was fighting. But most of her time was peaceful and calm. Ignoring them wasn't an option as there were the only things Alastair could think of.
'I need to help my Master and guide her.' Soteria thought to herself as she promised to find a way from this path of destruction. It would be hard and rocky, but she wasn't the type to give up on something, especially when it relates to her Master.
Meanwhile, Maria looked at her friends for one last time with a gentle smile plastered on her face. She gazed upon them and silently uttered. "Take care of yourselves. Your life after this will be hard. I believe that all of you will stay together and survive. It will be perilous, especially being alone in this world. But, I hope for all of you to have a great future."
From the words escaping from Maria's mouth, it was as if she was talking to them for one last time. It was her goodbye to them. Naturally, the older ones immediately noticed the implication of her words and wanted to question her words. But before they could utter their questioning words, Maria softly shook her head as a sign.
They stopped after noticing her actions and sighed at the same time. Maria must have done something to bring the strange young lady to help them. They wanted to know about her future, but unfortunately, with the lady and her maid looking at them from afar, they could simply tie their mouths.
After saying her goodbyes to everyone who managed to survive, she wanted to express her last farewell to those that died. Her brother, her family, friends, and many of her acquaintances. They have significantly suffered before dying, unlike her, who managed to see through to the end.
She was grateful for it, as her fate would have been different if not for the revelation of her hero. Even with the price of her soul, she still felt calm. Her last regrets were simple. It was that she was weak. If she wasn't weak, maybe everything would have changed. Either for the better or for the worst.
Maria turned her gaze towards Alastair and walked towards her. The youngest of her friends didn't know what she was doing and simply thought she was thanking their savior. But the older ones understood that it was time for the price to be given. They felt heavy within their hearts as one of them wanted to try to help Maria.
But, she was stopped by her friend.
"Everything in this world has a price. The price of our lives is Maria. If we tried to kill ourselves or become fearless of death, we would be unworthy of our lives. So let her continue, as she has saved us all." How she managed to speak that way was not known though the one who wanted to save Maria stopped after hearing her words.
Maria arrived before Alastair with an expression of bravery plastered on her face. She looked Alastair directly in the eye and uttered with a calm voice. "I'm ready." She was ready with the price of the soul deal. Her soul will be taken by the lady in front of her.
She didn't know what would happen later, but she herself understood that it was the end of her journey. Admittedly, it was a short one compared to many others, but still, she managed to save some of them. That was enough for her. Maybe her brother would get angry, but it was a choice that resulted from the circumstances.
Alastair gazed upon Maria with her light-magenta irises and her slit pupils. She had a serious expression plastered on her face as she uttered with a soothing voice. "With the contract concluded, I shall take my price. Maria, your soul, will be under my authority. You will forever be devoured by me, and nothing more will come after that."
"That is your fate. The strings of your destiny have been cut through the deal between the two of us. So, this is it..." Alastair's face was emotionless as she couldn't display anything other than her calm. It was as if she didn't feel anything, and it was true. After all, such things were usual for her, the death of those she wanted to live.
Maybe it was a curse, a punishment for the things she had done. Alastair felt as if nothing had changed in this life of hers. But she was still judging it in its early stages. So there was no need for her to hurry.
Upon hearing Alastair's words, Maria nodded and replied with a clear gaze toward Alastair. "I am grateful for your service. I don't regret any of it. But there is one thing I want to say..." A light then enveloped Maria as slowly but surely, her body began to disintegrate.
Her friends were shocked by such a scene, and some of them wanted to stop it but were halted by the older ones. Their world was cold and beautiful. The lives of those you love will slowly pass by or fall behind. The suffering and sorrow brought upon their deaths become things most would want to avoid.
But even then, most will not want to give up. Most adopt and overcome, move on and become something better. But, to avoid the previous fate and destiny that came, there was one they needed to do. And that was to face it, with power.
Before completely disappearing, Maria uttered her last words to Alastair.
"Thank you for saving me."